Discuss the role of marketing research in gathering competitive intelligence.
Competitive Intelligence is the process of enhancing marketplace competitiveness through a greater understanding of a firm's competitors and the competitive environment. It involves the legal collection and analysis of information regarding the capabilities, vulnerabilities, and intentions of business competitors, conducted by using information databases and other "open sources" and through ethical marketing research inquiry. CI enables senior managers in companies of all sizes to make informed decisions about everything from marketing, research and development (R&D), and investing tactics to long-term business strategies. Marketing research plays a central role in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of CI information. Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP)