Market Intelligence

Market Intelligence, occasionally called business intelligence, is a branch of market research, involving collation and analysis of available and relevant information and data on specific markets.

Market intelligence typically involves collation of data from various sources such as company accounts, official statistics, data from trade bodies, interviews with business contacts, and research on consumer attitudes. Whereas market research is often considered a consumer-orientated discipline, market intelligence tends to offer a broader view of markets including business and sector data - such as market-sizing, -segmentation, and -share data.

Major market intelligence agencies in the U.S. and Europe include Economist Intelligence Unit, Datamonitor, Euromonitor International, and Mintel. Such companies publish market intelligence reports on specific sectors and undertake consultancy projects for individual clients.