Best Competitive Intelligence Tools to Get Ahead of the Competition

These competitive intelligence companies will help you uncover your competitors’ strategies and beat them at their own game. Identify amazing opportunities your competitors haven’t thought of yet and get ahead of the industry trends.

What is Competitive Intelligence?

Competitive Intelligence (CI) is the process of collecting and analyzing information about an industry and competitors with the end goal of getting ahead of the competition. It’s a vital component of any business strategy. Competitive intelligence provides insight into market dynamics, helps you spot emerging trends and upcoming challenges, interpret events, and ultimately position yourself better on the market.

How to Apply Competitive Intelligence to Grow Your Business

Competitive intelligence addresses two major business needs: to make informed decisions and to make them fast. CI encompasses research on the competitors’ activities, industry trends, overall market environment, and customer sentiments. Equipped with this data, a company can navigate the market with a clear strategy.

Competitive intelligence enables companies to:

Find useful information to plan their business strategies effectively.
Identify who their real competitors are. You may think you know who your competition is, but there’s always the possibility of missing a key competitor.
Analyze your competitors’ performance and see what is helping them succeed. The key here is not to copy your competitors but to excel in your work. Learn from what they are doing and get one step ahead of them.

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How we Use Competitive Intelligence

Here, at Improvado, we help marketing and sales teams gather all their data in one place.

That means, we normalize and aggregate performance marketing performance metrics, ad spend data, customer data, and data about competitors if they happen to be using one of the competitive intelligence companies below.

With all data in one place analysts don't have to waste time on manual data collection or reporting. Improvado takes care of it. What's more, the platform automatically cleans and normalizes acquired data to transform it into a digestible form.

🧹Data cleaning might be a pain in the neck for non-technical users. We've explained all tips and gathered best practices to help you master this process.🧹

After all optimization processes analysts get clean, analysis-ready data they can work with. It's easier to make informed decisions and optimize campaigns with all data served on a silver plate.

⚙️We've compiled a detailed guide on how we help transform marketing data and get clarity of your performance data.⚙️

Read below for a list of the best competitive intelligence companies and services...

Best Competitive Intelligence Companies

1. AIM

Their Approach: Expert Researchers & Analysts, Best in Class Global Resources, Insightful Analysis, Innovative Information Technology, Customized Delivery

Motto: Targeted Information Research

Noteworthy Testimonial: “Without question, this dynamic group of information researchers and analysts are among the finest in the world. They are skilled in seeking out the required data no matter where in the world it might reside.”

Mantra: Ready, AIM, Fire

2. Aqute Intelligence

How They’re Different: Aqute Intelligence does the really detailed, gritty kind of competitive intelligence of hard facts and cold numbers.

Impressive Clients: Intel, BBC, Ford, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, IBM

Key Industries: Technology, Financial Services, Retail, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals

Noteworthy Quote: “Treat our competitive intelligence as ammunition. Aqute tells you what the competition is doing, in advance. So that you can defend yourself and counter-attack.”

3. ScienceSoft

How They’re Different: ScienceSoft takes all the technicalities off companies’ shoulders to deliver valuable insights that serve as the foundation of informed decisions.

What Their Analytics Services Cover: Discovery of business needs, service delivery (including data management activities, regular reporting via a self-service analytics tool, alerting, advanced analytics based on machine learning (if required), and continuous improvement.

Focal Industries: Manufacturing, retail, professional services, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications.

What Clients Say: “ScienceSoft’s work has facilitated more detailed and extensive data analysis. The team worked quickly, efficiently, and displayed extensive competence regarding back-end development. They clearly understood the scope and intent of the project and completed it using robust processes.”

4. AWARE

Key Services: Training and Workshops, Research and Analysis

Mission: To help organization become the best.

Motto: Competitive Intelligence for Business Growth

Noteworthy Quote: “We help you understand your market and competitive environment, leading to business growth and success for your company.”

5. Cascade Insights

How They’re Different: Cascade Insights helps companies seize opportunities in the B2B technology sector with B2B focused market research and marketing services.

Impressive Clients: Adobe, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, GE, HP, Microsoft, Salesforce, Verizon

What Clients Say: “The team did great work, especially with research design, sample development, data analysis, and report development. Results were balanced, credible, and practical; sparked important conversations; and ultimately helped expose a gap in our strategy. I plan to use Cascade Insights again.”

Key Industries: B2B, Tech

6. Cipher

Motto: Smarter, Faster Business Decisions

Key Services: Due Diligence, Competitive & Market Intelligence, Strategy Consulting & Support

Notable Clients: Olympus, Cigna, Grainger, UnitedHealthcare

Noteworthy Testimonial: “Cipher went above and beyond our expectations to understand the nuances of our industry. The Cipher team was easy to work with and conducted invaluable research”

7. CIS

How They’re Different: “CIS is an expert in providing evidence-based solutions targeting client-specific problems and challenges across all parts of the value chain.”

What Clients Say: “CIS’ adherence to the highest ethical guidelines is not only to be commended but is essential when considering the liability of failing to take sufficient note of this area. I would not hesitate to recommend CIS to any business.”

8. Evalueserve

‍Approach: AI-powered competitive intelligence combined with expert analysts to create a decision-ready CI process to help you excel.
Key Services: Competitive & Market Intelligence, Sales Enablement, Data Analysis; Visualization, Centralized Intelligence, Procurement Supply Chain.
Motto: AI-powered, expert curated, competitive intelligence.
How they’re different
A collaborative CI approach, combining human intelligence and AI, offers end-to-end efficiency, improved insights, customizable templates for extracting and reporting data, and a better RoI.
Key Industries
Telecomm, Manufacturing, Professional Services, Information Technology & Services, Energy, Computer Software, Oil, Financial Services, Retail, CPG.

9. Competia

Mantra: Think Ahead. Act Accordingly.

Impressive Clients: Air Canada, Ernst & Young, BMW, Canon, Estee Lauder, Nestle

Noteworthy Testimonial: “She rapidly grasped the challenges, and gave us the means and the research we needed to feed our strategic thinking process. The three words that would best define Estelle are: competence, competence and competence.”

Key Services: Consulting and Facilitation, Training, Speaking Engagements

10. DC Analytics

How They’re Different: The flexibility and surge capability of DC Analytics ensures timely, accurate, nuanced intelligence.

Motto: Your open source information exploitation and analysis choice.

What Clients Say: “Their professional and effective communication helps everything run smoothly from start to finish and their level of organization and attention to detail is simply second to none.”

Noteworthy Quote: “Our analytic expertise includes market trend identification, international security, human geography, stabilization operations, transnational organized crime, emerging telecommunications threats and opportunities, analytic model construction and evaluation, and legitimacy, governance and economic development.”

11. Die Denkfabrik

How They’re Different: Die Denkfabrik, which mean “the Think Factory” is extremely passionate about intelligence and helps companies of any size manage competitive issues and drive performance.

Motto: Intelligence is our passion.

Key Industries: High-tech, Pharmaceuticals/Healthcare, Automotive, Fast-moving Consumer Goods, Chemical, Software and Telecommunications

Key Services: Research and Analysis, Intelligence Coaching, Competitive Intelligence Center

12. EMP Intelligence

Key Services: Intelligence & Analysis, Strategy Development, In-House Training

Notable Quote: “We carry out in-depth intelligence gathering for clients. We deliver quality analysis and insights & help to develop successful strategies. And we help clients improve their in-house skills in competitive analysis.”

Key Industries: Private Sector Companies, Universities and Colleges

Mission: To help clients increase their competitiveness and profitability.

13. European Agency

How They’re Different: EASI is a team of web strategy experts that supports clients and helps them become aware of the Web's involvement in their company's overall strategy.

Notable Clients: LG, GlaxoSmithKline, Grand Marnier, Banque de France

Key Services: Communication, Strategic Intelligence, Collaborative Tools, Training

Motto: We Do Strategy

14. Fletcher/CSI

Key Practices: Finance & Insurance, General, Life Sciences, Technology

Mantra: Simple. Powerful. Insightful. Intelligence.

Core Principles: Competency, Culture, Compatibility, Creativity

Key Services: Primary Research, Strategy Workshops, Trade Show Intelligence, Win/Loss Analysis

15. Fuld & Co

How They’re Different: Fuld + Company helps clients navigate through disruption and create robust and concrete strategies to compete in their dynamic industry environment.

Their Values: Commitment to Success, Quality & Excellence, Intellectual Curiosity, Honesty & Integrity

Key Services: Market Insights, Competitive Intelligence, Strategic Planning

Key Industries: Health Services, Energy, Financial Services, Consumer Products

16. Helicon Group

How They’re Different: The Helicon Group provides competitive intelligence knowledge services and has published several books about competitive intelligence.

Key Services: Training and Consulting, Professional Mentoring

Noteworthy Quote: “Helicon and its partners have helped invent Competitive Intelligence, but they have not stopped there. Their creative thinking and series of important books have continued to mark them as global opinion and practice leaders as well as innovators in Competitive Intelligence and related fields.”

Motto: Competitive Intelligence for the Competitive Advantage

17. I-Intelligence

How They’re Different: i-intelligence is dedicated to helping clients improve their ability to collect, analyze, manage, share and communicate information, whether in support of government policy or in pursuit of competitive advantage.

Key Industries: Government Institutions, International Organizations, Private Sector Organizations

Mantra: Acquire. Analyse. Act.

Key Services: Competitive Intelligence, Competitor Monitoring, Social Media Monitoring

18. Info+Daten

How They’re Different: INFO + DATEN’s core activity is finding and analyzing information to generate quality insights at the right time at reasonable cost.

Mantra: Intelligence powers success

Noteworthy Testimonial: “My experience has been extremely positive; Udo and his company have provided high quality work across the board, something which is rare to find. Udo is honest, reliable and very results-oriented.“

Key Services: Strategic Decision Support, Counter-intelligence, Continuous Intelligence Collection

19. Inovis

Their Vision: “Continue to fortify our global leadership position as an innovative, best-in-class, go-to agency for Pharma and IT to guide strategic decisions involving external competitor and market assessments.”

Key Industries: IT, Telecommunications, Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences

Noteworthy Testimonial: “In the first month, INOVIS was able to provide more insightful than we received in the previous six months working with another vendor.”

Their Values: Competitive & Actionable Results, Transparency, Customer-First Approach, Communication, Quality

20. Intelligentsia

How They’re Different: Intelligentsia provides clients with compelling insights and advice with which to grow their businesses, outperform their competitors and de-risk key decisions.

Key Industries: Consumer & Retail, Energy, Financial & Professional Services, Healthcare, Technology & Media

Core Values: Quality, Integrity, Partnership

Key Services: Competitive Intelligence, Competitive Analysis, Competitor Analysis, Market Intelligence, Commercial Due Diligence

21. Ivy

Mantra: Consulting with Intelligence

Key Services: Competitive Insight, Due Diligence, Market Analysis, Capability Building

Their Process: Planning & Briefing-Secondary Research-Primary Research-Primary Analysis-Delivery of Strategic Insights-Strategic Decisions

Motto: Facts from the source, decisions with confidence

22. M-Brain

How They’re Different: M-Brain is a global information services company with offices in 15 countries and provides services based on a unique combination of our own proprietary big data technology and human intelligence.

Impressive Clients: IBM, Nestle, Hitachi, Pfizer, Philips, Samsung, American Express, Bosch

Key Services: Market Intelligence, Media Intelligence

Noteworthy Quote: “Our solutions and services are tailored to serve a variety of business needs regardless of function, industry type or language barriers.”

23. MindShifts

How They’re Different: MindShifts is Australia’s leading Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Intelligence consulting firm and a globally recognized player in the area of Executive Coaching.

Notable Quote: “We help organisations and individuals improve the quality of their decision making in both their professional and personal lives. We support our clients to gain clarity and plan for better outcomes.”

Noteworthy Clients: CAT, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, 3M, Novartis

Key Services: Coaching, Strategic Planning Workshops, CI Mentoring, War Games, Keynote Speaker, CI Workshops

24. Miniera

How They’re Different: Miniera provides specialized services in Competitive Intelligence, Marketing Intelligence and Innovation Intelligence.

Key Services: Consulting, Research, Training, Intelligence, Innovation, Analytics

Noteworthy Quote: “Miniera performs specialized studies of the organizational environment. The service includes reports of studies of competitors, trends, benchmarking, technology, products, etc., with different scopes.”

Areas Served: Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and USA.

25. Octopus Intelligence

Impressive Clients: Oracle, Mercedes-Benz, Aviva, Owens Corning

What Clients Say: “Most importantly the valuable intelligence was provided by experienced business people who clearly know and understand the key issues. There is no comparison to what Octopus does. Amazing how much intelligence you found.”

Key Services: Competitive Intelligence, Competitor Profiling, Product Intelligence, Investment Intelligence, Counter Strike, Board Advisory, Due Diligence

Noteworthy Quote: “Our British military intelligence background and MBA-level experience gives us the discipline, processes and tenacity to get the job done and therefore, leave no rock unturned.”

26. Proactive Worldwide

How They’re Different: Proactive Worldwide is a global decision support, research and consulting firm that provides evidence-based strategic intelligence anchored by primary research.

Notable Awards: US Business 2018 Best Market & Competitive Intel Company, Insight Success 2018 30 Most Admired Companies to Watch

Key Services: Intelligence-Based Strategic Planning, Competitive Intelligence, Market Intelligence, Customer Insights

Core Values: Service, Trust, Ownership, Continuous Improvement, Quality

27. Quantumiii

How They’re Different: quantumiii is a unique and innovative, strategy, leadership, risk management and competitive intelligence consulting practice

Motto: The Solutions People

Company Culture: Commitment, Relationships of Trust

Mission: To serve trust “with a commitment to excellence, often brutal honesty, and straightforward analysis in return for that which our clients generously commit to us.”

28. Rauch Associates

How They’re Different: Rauch Associates gathers competitive intelligence information for its clients on a customized basis.

Key Industries: Technology, Retail, Manufacturing, Finance, Insurance, Healthcare

Noteworthy Quote: “While many market research companies rely on customer and partner interviews for all of their primary research information, at Rauch Associates, we believe the best way to get accurate competitive information is to go directly to the primary source of the information being sought.”

Key Services: Competitive Intelligence, Market Research

29. Sedulo

Motto: Strategies to fuel your competitive edge.

Their Method: Primary Research, Secondary Research, Strategic Analysis

Noteworthy Quote: “Sedulo is not just a catchy name; it embodies our company's spirit. Sedulo means zealous in Latin, and it represents our commitment to client service, product excellence and helping our clients focus on the competition.”

Industries Served: Life Sciences, Technology & Telecom, Consumer Products, Financial Services, Healthcare, Professional Services, Energy & Chemical, Industrial Goods & Services.

30. Sharp Market

‍Quote: “While we address your specific issues, our comprehensive investigations often raise new questions that reflect changes regarding competitors, products, industries, and trends that will impact your business. What we uncover is not available online or easy to find.”

Impressive Clients: American Express, Macy’s, Nissan, Patagonia, Hilton Hotels, Starbucks

What Clients Say: “The skill and thoroughness of your research methods and comprehensive results in terms of accurate data and information are unmatched by others in the industry.”

Motto: We kick clients in their assumptions.

31. Trinity Square

How They’re Different: Trinity Square provides a professional, confidential, highly effective Competitor Analysis service.

Noteworthy Testimonial: “The company delivered each phase of the project ahead of schedule and frankly, exceeded our expectations. They know their business and quickly understood ours. We are already planning to use them again.”

Key Services: Competitor Analysis, Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Mantra: Because no business operates in isolation

32. Tyson Heinz

How They’re Different: Their legacy in the Competitive Industry is measured by four decades, from being an originator of the industry through today's new practices.

Noteworthy Testimonial: “We’ve never seen research and analysis of this depth and quality from any other firm. I wouldn’t take the chance on using anyone else.”

Key Services: Competitor Analysis/Profiling, Market Intelligence, Competitive Benchmarking

Notable Quote: “We deliver more rigorous, custom-developed research on your competitors, markets, and customers, providing better intelligence that allows you to make the best strategic decisions for your company.”