Marketers can obtain information from internal data and from competitive marketing intelligence. Compare and contrast the two sources of information

What will be an ideal response?

Internal databases refer to electronic collections of consumer and market information obtained from data sources within the company network. For example, the accounting department provides records of sales, costs, and cash flows; operations reports on production-related issues; sales and marketing provide data on resellers, competitors, buyer behavior, and the industry; and marketing provides information on customer transactions, demographics, and buying behavior. Internal data are cheaper sources that are easy to access.
On the other hand, competitive marketing intelligence refers to the systematic collection and analysis of publicly available information about consumers, competitors, and developments in the marketplace. The goal of competitive marketing intelligence is to improve strategic decision making by understanding the consumer environment, assessing and tracking competitors' actions, and providing early warnings of opportunities and threats. Marketing intelligence techniques range from observing consumers firsthand to quizzing the company's own employees, benchmarking competitors' products, researching the Internet, and monitoring Internet buzz.