Why is it that everytime I search for news regarding “competitive intelligence”, I keep on getting articles such as, “Corporate Spies Killing The CIA”. As long as I can remember, competitive intelligence has been lumped together with “corporate espionage” on a routine basis. No matter how many articles, presentations and books that are available to distinguish the two fields, the sexy notion of “corporate spying” will always sell newspapers and magazines. As a result, the label of “a corporate spy” might stick to anyone who executes any competitive intelligence related activity in the eyes of individuals that continues to read the same type of articles on a regular basis.
To attempt to separate yourself from the ‘corporate espionage’ label, here are some tips to mull over the next time you have to prove that you are a competitive intelligence professional.
1. Be clear regarding your information collection policy. The majority of the controversies that involves corporate espionage is how information is gathered. Via your website, you may want to consider having a section dedicated to your information collection policy. The policy should describe how information is gathered and what sources are consulted. Of course, you can address it in a general fashion.
2. State your affiliations. If you are a member of a competitive intelligence related association, be sure to state it on your website or any documents going to any potential or existing clients. Associations such as Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP), The Special Libraries Association (SLA) and Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP) will allow individuals in the organization which adheres to their professional codes of conduct.
3. Let your work speak for itself. Do not hesitate to brag about what you have done in the past regarding your competitive intelligence mandates. Using a white paper, you can discuss a real life case in which you used credible competitive intelligence gathering techniques. The white paper can serve as a tool to prove that you are transparent in terms of how you operate and your outlook on the competitive intelligence profession.
4. Refute articles that still links competitive intelligence with corporate espionage. Thanks to Web 2.0 applications that are paired with publishing tools, readers can leave comments along with the origin article. With this being said, be sure to provide your insights if you completely disagree on what is being discussed in the article.
