Competitive & Marketing Intelligence
Book Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Reading

Competitive Strategy : Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors - With a New Introduction (1998)
Michael E. Porter;
Hardcover
UK £ / US$

Porter can be viewed as the father of competitive intelligence as a management discipline - and this was the start. Essential reading - for students, managers, academics and anyone who wants to know how to monitor competitors. Introduces Porter's 5-Forces model - used to understand the forces acting on companies and industries.

This book is awarded two-stars reluctantly. Because of its importance, it really deserves three - but we've given it two as it is not an easy read. It is also now quite old - it was first published in 1985, and apart from the new introduction has not been updated. However to understand modern views on competitive strategy it is an essential text.

co-opetition : 1. a revolutionary mindset that redefines competition and cooperation; 2. the game theory strategy that's changing the game of business
Adam M Brandenburger, Barry J Nalebuff;
Paperback; Published 1997
UK £ / US$

Michael Porter described this book as "the most important single contribution" in taking his original ideas on ways of achieving competitive advantage forward. The book is easy to read, inexpensive and contains numerous ideas to help reshape and challenge thought processes. The writers develop Porter's 5 forces model, and introduce a sixth force. They emphasise the strategic advantages of co-operation and look at game theory as a way of approaching business strategy.

The Art of the Long View : Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World
Peter Schwartz;
Paperback; Published 1996
UK £ / US$

If there is one book that is head and shoulders above all the other on the subject of scenario planning, this is it. Schwartz's book is a joy to read and gives a tremendous introduction to the subject, leaving the reader with a firm grounding and understanding in the way that scenario planning has helped many companies gain competitive advantage in their industries. The text includes many case studies and anecdotes making it a must-read book. Peter Schwartz is not only one of the world's leading scenario planners - but an excellent writer also.

Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business
Craig S. Fleisher & Babette Bensoussan;
Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

An excellent review of the most common techniques of competitive and strategic analysis - giving instructions on how to use each technique, when to use it, and each technique's pros and cons.

This book should be on every strategic planner and competitor analyst's "must have" list and is essential reading for business studies and MBA students. The book covers all the main analysis techniques:

• the Boston Box
• financial analysis
• Porter Analysis
• Value Chain Analysis
• Blindspot analysis
• SWOT analysis
• PEST analysis

and many more.

Competitive Intelligence: Gathering, Analysing and Putting it to Work
Christopher Murphy;
Hardback; Published 2005
UK £ / US$

If you are interested in learning about competitive intelligence with a UK / European focus then this book is for you. Most books on CI are written by US authors and take a US perspective. They fail to note the significant differences between what is available in the US and Europe and the UK. For example, in the US the US Freedom of Information Act is key for finding a lot of information. Such legislation has only recently been enacted in the UK and the type of information available is more limited. In contrast, financial information is much easier to obtain in the UK than the US. Murphy's book redresses the balance and fills a gap in guiding the CI newcomer on how to gather CI in Europe.

One of the best sections is a detailed examination of the sources and types of financial CI information that can be obtained within the UK. In fact I think this is unique. Of all the CI books I've read - none give anything like the same depth on this crucial topic.

For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review.

Smart Services: Competitive Information Strategies, Solutions, and Success Stories for Service Businesses
Deborah C Sawyer;
Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

The front cover of "Smart Services" includes a quote from Andrew Garvin, the CEO of Find/SVP saying: "Finally a book that nails down what every service business needs to know about competition and competitive intelligence. 'Smart Services' offers competitive information strategies that firms can put to immediate use." I don't think that I could have given a better summary and description of this excellent book.

For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review. (FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

Modern   Competitive Analysis
Sharon M. Oster;
Hardback; 3rd Edition published 1999
UK £ / US$

Michael Porter, in the 1998 introduction to his book Competitive Strategy (see above) mentions a few books that have moved his original ideas forward. This is one of them. Oster's book is a thorough analysis of the subject, with a strong mixture of theory combined with practical examples. Although not cheap, at over $50.00, this book is recommended.

Marketing Management
Philip Kotler & Kevin Lane Keller;
Published 2005
UK £ / US$

One of the very best texts on marketing - this links to the 2005 update, but earlier editions are also available. Marketing Management covers all aspects of marketing, from direct and on-line marketing to marketing planning and marketing strategy. The book includes many case examples, and this edition includes updates to account for more recent marketing disciplines such as customer relationship management, the world-wide-web and e-business - with exercises and case studies that look at best practice in this as well as in traditional marketing areas.

Philip Kotler is one of the leading marketing gurus and this book shows why. If you can only buy one book on marketing then this or Kotler's Principles of Marketing should be it. (Principles of Marketing (US$) with a separate European Edition - UK£). Principles of Marketing is also a fully comprehensive look at marketing - but focuses on the overall subject rather than the managerial perspective of Marketing Management. Other books by Philip Kotler are also worth looking at.

Competitors: Outwitting, Outmanoeuvring, and Outperforming
Liam Fahey;
Hardback; Published 1999
UK£ / US$

Competitors shows you how to determine what you need to know about competitors, analyse competitor strategy, predict likely next moves and link this into your own operations, avoiding many errors associated with traditional approaches.

Liam Fahey is one of the leading new thinkers on Competitive Strategy and this book introduces Fahey's concept of "competitor learning", giving guidelines for identifying and analysing key competitor data to help gain strategic insights. An important book - that should sit on any CI analyst's bookshelf.

Modern Competitive Analysis
Sharon M. Oster;
Hardback; 3rd Edition published 1999
UK £ / US$

Michael Porter, in the 1998 introduction to his book Competitive Strategy mentions a few books that have moved his original ideas forward. This is one of them. Oster's book is a thorough analysis of the subject, with a strong mixture of theory combined with practical examples. Although not cheap, at over $50.00, this book is recommended.

Business Blindspots
Ben Gilad; Paperback; Published 1996
UK £ / US$

For some reason this excellent book is not available (in the 2nd edition) in the US, and difficult to obtain, within the UK (special order only - and expensive). This is a shame, because the book is well worth reading and deserves a wide distribution. The book covers the blindspots that affect businesses and prevent them from seeing the threats that could damage them and results in them missing opportunities that would help them grow. It covers the myths, assumptions and taboos present in all businesses - and the importance of developing a process to identify these and negate them.

Ben Gilad, the author, is a noted and well-respected leader in competitive intelligence thought - and this book gives several of his ideas. If you can't buy this book try and get hold of it from any available source.

Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business
Craig S. Fleisher & Babette Bensoussan
Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

An excellent review of the most common techniques of competitive and strategic analysis - giving instructions on how to use each technique, when to use it, and each technique's pros and cons.

This book should be on every strategic planner and competitor analyst's "must have" list and is essential reading for business studies and MBA students. The book covers all the main analysis techniques:

• the Boston Box
• financial analysis
• Porter Analysis
• Value Chain Analysis
• Blindspot analysis
• SWOT analysis
• PEST analysis

and many more.

Early Warning: Using Competitive Intelligence to Anticipate Market Shifts, Control Risk and Create Powerful Strategies
Ben Gilad
Paperback; Published 2003
UK £ / US$

This book takes Gilad's concept of business blindspots and shows how it can be used to build an early warning system aimed at helping companies manage risk more effectively. The book describes how the lack of effective competitive early warning systems spelt disaster for firms that were once market leaders - Polaroid Cameras is one example. Polaroid had a chance - but failed to realise how digital photography spelt doom to their instant photography technology. They had developed a digital technology that could have kept them at the forefront of the photographic industry. Instead, failing to spot the value of this, they let it go. The book gives several other case studies of such missed opportunities. However the book doesn't just list horror stories - successes are also given, and each section of the book includes a checklist of key points to help implement an effective early warning system themselves without depending on external management consultants.

The Value Net: A tool for Competitive Strategy
Cinzia Parolini
1999, Hardcover
UK £ / US $

A new wasy of looking at industries, challenging existing models on how value is created for companies. The book presents a new model - the value net, which aims at helping users to deal with problems assessing value in contemporary business and competitive systems.

Although the back cover says that the book is highly readable, we found that it was not the easiest read. However it is a worthwhile read and gives new ideas for understanding industries, companies and competitive strategy.

Seeing What's Next - Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change
Clayton Christensen, Scott Anthony, Erik Roth
2004, Hardcover
UK £ / US $

Seeing What's Next is not a book looking into the future, but a book that describes techniques for anticipating the future. It thus complements the scenario literature, but I don't believe that it should be seen as part of it - even though it describes its purpose as helping managers and analysts "predict the fate of firms and industries".

What the book does is present a model for analysing innovations to look and see whether the changes will have a significant inpact on the industry. Essentially the book focuses on disruptive innovations - those innovations that lead to industry change - and presents tools and techniques that will allow decision makers to spot industry changing firms and their likely success or failure, as well as the sort of choices that need to be made as a consequence of these innovations.

Guide to Analysing Companies
Bob Vause
2005, Hardcover
UK £ / US $

This is not a competitive intelligence book, but it should be essential for all CI analysts - especially if looking at UK companies. The book will also be useful for analysing publicly quoted companies even if they are not based in the UK.

As the title says, the book is a guide on how to analyse and assess the strengths and weaknesses of any company.

• How do you tell how well run a company is and how well it is doing?
• Which ratios and benchmarks should you use to assess performance?
• How do you tell when a company has massaged its results?
• How do you recognize danger signs on the corporate horizon?
• How do you compare companies operating in different sectors or even different countries?

These questions and others are answered in this well written guide aimed at anyone who wants to make sense and practical use of a company's annual report, measure a business against its competitors, and assess the investment potential of a company or put a value on a company.

The New Competitor Intelligence : The Complete Resource for Finding, Analyzing, and Using Information About Your Competitors
Leonard M. Fuld
Paperback; Published 1994
UK £ / US$

Leonard Fuld is a leading competitive intelligence consultant, and this book gives an excellent list of sources for CI. Although written from a US perspective, non-Americans may also find the book useful.

This book is not awarded any stars because of the focus on the US, and more importantly, because since 1994 many new sources have appeared or become easily accessible through the Internet. Being published in 1994, The New Competitor Intelligence pre-dates these developments. However the book is still valuable in its thoroughness in examining the types of source that can be used for ethical CI. However rather than purchase this book, I'd recommend Leonard Fuld's new book, published in 2006: The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence

The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence
Leonard Fuld
Hardback; Published 2006
UK £ / US$

This book is not an update to Leonard Fuld's best-selling The New Competitor Intelligence. This is still needed! Instead it is a completely new book from one of the most important figures in the competitive intelligence world. The book, written in a "folksy", colloborative style, gives several of Fuld's personal war-stories and examples on the importance of competitive intelligence (and also what can happen if you fail to have an effective competitive intelligence programme). It covers techniques such as war-gaming, as an approach to staying ahead of the competition, early warning systems, blindspot analysis, and much more.

Leonard Fuld has sometimes been described as the Father of CI. He is without a doubt one of the most important figures in the Competitive Intelligence field - as a research, teacher and ethicist. (Fuld emphasises the importance of good ethical practice for effective CI - and correctly decries those who try and muddy the waters separating CI from unethical espionage practices). Moreover he is seen as a leading figure not just by CI practitioners. For example, one of the foremost marketing thinkers - Philip Kotler - praises both Fuld and this book and describes Fuld as the guru of competitive intelligence.

Competitive Intelligence: Gathering, Analysing and Putting it to Work
Christopher Murphy; Hardback; Published 2005
UK £ / US$

If you are interested in learning about competitive intelligence with a UK / European focus then this book is for you. Most books on CI are written by US authors and take a US perspective. They fail to note the significant differences between what is available in the US and Europe and the UK. For example, in the US the US Freedom of Information Act is key for finding a lot of information. Such legislation has only recently been enacted in the UK and the type of information available is more limited. In contrast, financial information is much easier to obtain in the UK than the US. Murphy's book redresses the balance and fills a gap in guiding the CI newcomer on how to gather CI in Europe.

One of the best sections is a detailed examination of the sources and types of financial CI information that can be obtained within the UK. In fact I think this is unique. Of all the CI books I've read - none give anything like the same depth on this crucial topic.
(For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review. Note: FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

Smart Services: Competitive Information Strategies, Solutions, and Success Stories for Service Businesses
Deborah C Sawyer; Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

The front cover of "Smart Services" includes a quote from Andrew Garvin, the CEO of Find/SVP saying: "Finally a book that nails down what every service business needs to know about competition and competitive intelligence. 'Smart Services' offers competitive information strategies that firms can put to immediate use." I don't think that I could have given a better summary and description of this excellent book.
For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review. (Note: FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

Super Searchers on Competitive Intelligence
Margaret Metcalf-Carr, Reva Basch (Editors);
Paperback; Published 2003
UK £ / US$

Many people like the Super Searchers series of books which consist of a series of interviews by the editor with a number of experts in the field - in this case, competitive intelligence. The interviewer asks each expert to distil their years of experience and give their tips for best practice. The idea is that readers can thus learn the secrets that these experts have used to gain their reputation. As an idea, the series sounds good. However this is not an approach that we like (except to see how other people do things i.e. doing CI on the CI experts). We did not learn a lot from this book, and found the format irritating. Nevertheless many others love the series and will love this book. It's just not our cup of tea!

Millennium Intelligence : Understanding and Conducting Competitive Intelligence in the Digital Age
Jerry Miller;
Paperback; Published 2000
UK £ / US$

A collection of articles by leading writers on competitive intelligence, looking at how competitive intelligence should be practised, ethics and legalities, information sources, setting up a CI department and more. As such the book provides a good introduction to the subject of competitive intelligence. However, if fails to deliver on the promise of its title in AWARE's opinion. For a full review of this book check out FreePint's book review. (Note: FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

Competitor Intelligence for Competitive Advantage: Strategy, Tools and Techniques for Competitive Advantage 
Andrew Pollard;
Paperback; Published 1998
UK £ only

This book is aimed at those who need to do CI, rather than academics or CI experts. It examines the strategic requirements for CI and gives tactical tips on how to obtain the intelligence. The book gives many case illustrations - both from a business, and significantly also from a military perspective, through its description of some key military intelligence failures. (If you are interested in this topic, however, the book by Hughes-Wilson on Military Intelligence Blunders is a better bet).

The author, Andrew Pollard, is a well respected member of the UK CI consultancy community.

Confidential : Uncover Your Competition's Top Business Secrets Legally and Quickly - And Protect Your Own
John Nolan;
Hardback; Published 1999
UK £ / US$ / Paperback (US$)

John Nolan is a master at uncovering competitive intelligence from primary sources. Nolan shows some of his techniques - who to ask, what to ask, when to ask and how to ask. An essential book on how to get intelligence through interviewing and elicitation and also how to protect your organization's intelligence secrets.

Competitive Intelligence
Chris West;
Hardback; Published 2001
UK £ / US$

In competitive markets the quality of the competitive strategy is as important as the customer strategy in determining customer performance. All strategies require information and competitive strategies are no exception. As a result there is an growing need for competitive intelligence. This book shows how to collect and analyze competitive intelligence, including the use of electronic resources, as part of a competitive strategy. The author, Chris West, is a leading UK competitive intelligence practitioner and this book has some interesting ideas and content.

The Complete Guide to Competitive Intelligence
Kirk W.M. Tyson;
Paperback ; 2nd Edn Published 2002
US$ only

As the title suggests, Kirk Tyson's book aims to be a comprehensive manual to competitive intelligence techniques - and so it should be at the price charged (around $150). Kirk Tyson is a leading CI consultant - and this book is a good guide to CI practice. However at $150 I think that it is over-priced, despite its value. (Hence no stars). You may be able to pick up a copy from a remainder book-shop or through special offers. If you do - buy! (I picked up my copy for $40 which was an OK price).

The War-room Guide to Competitive Intelligence
Steven Shaker, Mark Gembicki;
Hardback; Published 1998
UK £ / US$

The War-room guide helps show managers how to develop their own competitive intelligence organizations and how to collect, analyse, and disseminate important information.

Competitive Intelligence
Larry Kahaner;
Paperback; Published 1998
UK £ / US$

Kahaner shows through case studies how to establish a competitive intelligence unit, how to protect the company from others trying to obtain information and how to obtain information - especially from secondary sources.

Kahaner is noted as one of the experts in competitive intelligence - and many people have praised this book. However it may not meet all tastes - see if you can check it out first, before buying it!

Competitive Strategy : Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors - With a New Introduction (1998)
Michael E. Porter;
Hardcover
UK £ / US$

Porter can be viewed as the father of competitive intelligence as a management discipline - and this was the start. Essential reading - for students, managers, academics and anyone who wants to know how to monitor competitors. Introduces Porter's 5-Forces model - used to understand the forces acting on companies and industries.
This book is awarded two-stars reluctantly. Because of its importance, it really deserves three - but we've given it two as it is not an easy read. It is also now quite old - it was first published in 1985, and apart from the new introduction has not been updated. However to understand modern views on competitive strategy it is an essential text.

Competitive Advantage : Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance - With a New Introduction
Michael E. Porter;
Hardcover.
UK £ / US$

Following on from where Competitive Strategy left off, this classic text offers ideas and techniques for analysing companies - so as to gain an understanding of their success or failure. Introduces Porter's Value Chain concept for analysing company strengths and weaknesses.

The   Competitive Advantage of Nations - With a New Introduction
Michael E. Porter;
Hardcover
UK £ / US$

Understand why some countries are more successful, industrially than others, and why some industries predominate in one country or locality. Porter's   Competitive Advantage of Nations moves forward from the previous "Competitive Strategy" and "Competitive Advantage" books to look at how industries compete at a global level.

co-opetition : 1. a revolutionary mindset that redefines competition and cooperation; 2. the game theory strategy that's changing the game of business
Adam M Brandenburger, Barry J Nalebuff;
Paperback; Published 1997
UK £ / US$

Michael Porter described this book as "the most important single contribution" in taking his original ideas on ways of achieving competitive advantage forward. The book is easy to read, inexpensive and contains numerous ideas to help reshape and challenge thought processes. The writers develop Porter's 5 forces model, and introduce a sixth force. They emphasise the strategic advantages of co-operation and look at game theory as a way of approaching business strategy.

Competitors: Outwitting, Outmanoeuvring, and Outperforming
Liam Fahey;
Hardback; Published 1999
UK£ / US$

Competitors shows you how to determine what you need to know about competitors, analyse competitor strategy, predict likely next moves and link this into your own operations, avoiding many errors associated with traditional approaches.

Liam Fahey is one of the leading new thinkers on Competitive Strategy and this book introduces Fahey's concept of "competitor learning", giving guidelines for identifying and analysing key competitor data to help gain strategic insights. An important book - that should sit on any CI analyst's bookshelf.

Seeing What's Next
Clayton Christianson;
Hardcover; Published 2004
UK £ / US $

Christianson examines the processes behind "disruptive innovation" and looks at why some new emerging technologies succeed whereas others fail to take off. The book answers the question as to why established market leaders often lose their throne to a newcomer offering a new way of doing things. Also provided are suggestions on what companies can try to do to save themselves when faced with such new untested technologies.

Competing for the Future
Gary Hamel, C. K. Prahalad;
Hardback; Published 1994
UK £ / US$

A major book from Harvard Business School professors, looking at what strategies are needed after business re-engineering, TQM and the rest - to take the corporation forward into the future. A key text to help understanding your core competencies.

Competitive Strategies for Service Organizations
Neil Botten, John McManus;
Published 1999;
Hardcover UK £ only
Paperback UK £ only

With the growth of the service sector, a welcome look at business strategy for service companies. Focus is more on strategy than competitive intelligence. Nevertheless, the book should help practitioners understand how competitive intelligence can be used in a service setting.

A different perspective on CI for services can be seen in Deborah Sawyer's book Smart Services, which looks at the practical aspects of finding CI on service organizations.

Online   Competitive Intelligence : Increase Your Profits Using Cyber Intelligence
Helen Burwell;
Paperback; Published 2004 (2nd Edition)
UK £ / US$

Helen Burwell is a US based information brokers with considerable experience in the online arena. As a result this book offers a comprehensive guide to obtaining information using online sources. As it also covers commercial (fee-based) data sources it is a much better book than Internet Business Intelligence. However by focusing on online sources it limits its usefulness as a general CI text. Nevertheless as a resource for online sources it is a valuable - and does take on board key issues such as evaluating the quality and cost effectiveness of online sources. In summary - if you want to know about finding competitive information using online sources then this book is worth considering.

My main complaint about this book is that, like many books focusing on the Internet, it has dated. Several of the links mentioned are no longer live - even including the author's own site at www.burwellinc.com! However enough links are still valid to make this book worth considering.

For a thorough review of this book check out FreePint's book review. (Note: FreePint is an excellent portal site and discussion forum for the overall information industry, and is well recommended - and used by over 70,000 information professionals world-wide).

Internet Business Intelligence : How to Build a Big Company System on a Small Company Budget
David Vine;
Paperback;
Published 2000
UK £ / US$

A guide to finding information on the Internet. However as the focus is on finding information on the Internet the book has dated extremely quickly - as the Internet changes, new sources come online, and old sources die or move. There is also a danger that readers may conclude that the Internet is the be-all and end-all of information collection, and that traditional sources no longer count. This is not the case - and so, this is a book that is useful alongside other books. However it should not be seen as a stand-alone text.

The Invisible Web: Uncovering Information Sources Search Engines Can't See
Gary Price & Chris Sherman;
Published 2000
UK £ / US$

Much of the Internet remains uncharted by search engines but these hidden web-pages often contain valuable information. This book explains why search engines cannot find everything, and presents ways, techniques and sources for navigating the "invisible" or "deep" web - reaching pages untouched by the search engines.

Chris Sherman and Gary Price are two of the leading gurus for Internet search - with both having a track record for finding information that others think cannot be found. Their book gives away some of their secrets and helps all business researchers find information hidden in the invisible web.

Marketing Management
Philip Kotler & Kevin Lane Keller
Published 2005
UK £ / US$

One of the very best texts on marketing - this links to the 2005 update, but earlier editions are also available. Marketing Management covers all aspects of marketing, from direct and on-line marketing to marketing planning and marketing strategy. The book includes many case examples, and this edition includes updates to account for more recent marketing disciplines such as customer relationship management, the world-wide-web and e-business - with exercises and case studies that look at best practice in this as well as in traditional marketing areas.

Philip Kotler is one of the leading marketing gurus and this book shows why. If you can only buy one book on marketing then this or Kotler's Principles of Marketing (Principles of Marketing (US$) with a separate European Edition - UK £). This is also a fully comprehensive look at marketing - but focuses on the overall subject rather than the managerial perspective of Marketing Management. Other books by Philip Kotler are also worth looking at.

Marketing Plans
Malcolm McDonald
Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

Marketing Plans is an extremely comprehensive and well-written guide to preparing and using marketing plans. It is aimed at students as well as practitioners - and is an essential reference to best practice that all marketing managers should be familiar with. The book explains the marketing planning process from initial assessment to profit targets using a step-by-step approach on how to devise a marketing plan. The book includes questions, case histories and diagrams.

Also worth considering is Marketing Plans that Work (UK£) / (US$) - also by McDonald - a step-by-step guide to preparing and executing a marketing plan, combining current practice and marketing theory.

For a different view of this topic Malcolm McDonald and Peter Morris's The Marketing Plan in Colour (UK£) / (US$) is a must have. This is a cartoon book illustrating the marketing planning process and a lot more - marketing analysis and theory. It makes a great revision book and also simplifies the concepts in the highly visual way that make cartoons such a great learning tool.

Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text and Cases: Enhanced Media Edition.
Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes, Richard Whittington
Paperback; 7th Edition, Published 2006
UK £ / US$

An excellent introduction to strategic analysis - covering methodologies, models and case study examples. Case studies look at well known companies which illustrate approaches to corporate strategy. This book is an excellent support text for any business degree - whether at undergraduate, MBA or higher level - and justifiably is described as Europe's most successful strategy textbook. It will also help the business executive new to corporate strategy get to grips with a complex subject.

This, the 7th edition of this top-ranked book, doesn't just preach the message of keeping up-to-date strategically. It also practices what it preaches! The book includes an accompanying web-site with a range of regularly updated online learning resources and case studies. Readers can also download summaries of key topics to an MP3 player or listen online - making this perhaps the best book of its type for learning corporate strategy - wherever you are!

Marketing Strategy & Competitive Positioning
Graham Hooley, John Saunders, Nigel Piercy & Frances Brassington
Paperback 2006
UK £ / US$

This book, with a new edition published in 2006, focuses on creating superior market performance and it looks at ways of identifying and finding out about target markets, customers and how to differentiate the company from competitors through appropriate market positioning. The book considers both offensive and defensive competitor strategies and includes some great case-studies. It places competitive positioning at the heart of marketing strategy and includes in-depth discussion of the processes used in marketing to achieve competitive advantage.

Even More Offensive Marketing
Hugh Davidson
Paperback; Published 1996
UK £ / US $

A great book outlining strategies and approaches to take the high ground and win in the battle to gain competitive advantage. Even More Offensive Marketing is a follow-on book from the sadly out-of-print Offensive Marketing - by the same author. (If you see a copy of this title in a bookshop buy it!) The book gives numerous case examples of how companies have succeeded by taking offensive strategies, and by having a full understanding of their business environment.

Marketing Warfare
Al Ries, Jack Trout
Hardback; Published 2005:
UK £ / US$

A fun book - updated in 2005 from the original 1997 edition that looks at the strategies companies take to compete in the marketplace. The book examines strategies from the great military generals such as von Clausewitz and applies them to the business world. (In this context, the ideas are similar to those looking at Sun Tzu and business - except that von Clausewitz is currently less fashionable).

Ries & Trout are two major authors on marketing strategy, guerilla marketing and similar concepts. This book gives a good introduction to their approach and is highly recommended - as are their other books, such as for example: Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition (UK £) / (US$)

Competitive Marketing Strategy for Europe
Linden Brown, Malcolm McDonald
Paperback; Published 1994
UK £ / US $

Another useful book, with some excellent case studies looking at a number of major European businesses and their competitive strategies. Unfortunately this book seems to be out of print but it may still be available second hand or in libraries. If you come across it, it is worth reading - even if the case studies are now a bit dated.

Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Seth Godin
Hardback; Published 2003
UK £ / US $

The central thesis behind this book is that businesses need to go one step further to differentiate themselves from competitors. They need to ensure that they are noticed - hence the Purple Cow in the title. Imagine driving through the countryside, and spotting a purple cow in a field. You'd stop and look - as it would be so unusual. This, Godin says, is what marketers should aim to achieve - so that consumers stop and buy what they offer. The book is by the author of the classic text Permission Marketing UK £ / US $, as well as Survival is not Enough UK £ / US $, and Unleashing the Ideavirus UK £ / US $.

The Art of the Long View : Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World
Peter Schwartz;
Paperback; Published 1996
UK £ / US$

If there is one book that is head and shoulders above all the other on the subject of scenario planning, this is it. Schwartz's book is a joy to read and gives a tremendous introduction to the subject, leaving the reader with a firm grounding and understanding in the way that scenario planning has helped many companies gain competitive advantage in their industries. The text includes many case studies and anecdotes making it a must-read book. Peter Schwartz is not only one of the world's leading scenario planners - but an excellent writer also.

Learning from the Future : Competitive Foresight Scenarios
Liam Fahey
Hardcover; Published 1997
UK £ / US$

Learning from the Future helps guide decision makers in how to anticipate future economic, political and even technological events so as to convey competitive advantage. The book looks at scenario planning, including the construction of scenarios applicable to single competitors and industries. The book's 25 chapters looks at how to construct and use scenario plans in strategic decision making.

Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation
Kees Van Der Heiden
Hardcover; Published 1996
UK £ / US$

Kees Van Der Heiden's book gives a more thorough and theoretical grounding into the subject of scenario planning than Peter Schwartz's The Art of the Long View. Although this makes it a more difficult book to read, it is still an excellent book and gives a comprehensive view of the theory of scenario planning and how to construct workable scenarios.

Scenario Planning: Managing for the future
Gill Ringland
Hardback; Published 1998
UK £ / US$

Gill Ringland's book is another book giving guidance to scenario planning. Where this book differs from some of the others on the topic is that it includes a good history of the technique and several business case studies that help give an idea on the power of the scenarios in strategy. However if you can only buy one or two books, buy The Art of the Long View first, and either Learning from the Future or Scenarios: The Art of Strategic Conversation second.

The Third Wave
Alvin Toffler
Paperback; Reissued 1991
UK £ / US$

A fun but useful book that looks at changes that are taking place in the world, and that will take place as the "information age" replaces the "smokestack economies" of the industrial revolution. The Third Wave follows on from where Toffler's first bestseller, Future Shock left off. Unfortunately this book is now quite old, and appears to be out of print in the UK. However it is worth attempting to find a copy - or buying one from the US. Even though some of the content is dated, the ideas presented will lead to new insights that will be valuable in any business futures study. (Also worth getting for general interest is Future Shock - although this is now quite dated, having been published in the 1970s). [Future Shock - UK edition. Future Shock. US Edition]

Powershift : Knowledge, Wealth and Violence at the Edge of the 21st Century
Alvin Toffler
Paperback; Published 1991
UK £ / US$

A follow on book from The Third Wave and Future Shock, PowerShift looks at the changes taking place as the 21st century kicks in. These include changes in the power structures of the world - with industry globalisation and corporate power, and the nation state as familiar for most of the 20th century under threat.

Release 2.1 : A Design for Living in the Digital Age
Esther Dyson
Paperback; Reissued 1998
UK £ / US$

Esther Dyson is a major player in writing about and looking at the new information economy and the place of the Internet in business. Dyson discusses the changes that the Internet has imposed on many areas of our lives, such as work, communities, and education. She is optimistic about the growth of the Internet and addresses sceptics' concerns about the future of online privacy and security issues, ownership of online content, governance of cyberspace, and more.

If you are unsure about how the Internet can and will change business practices, then this book is well recommended as a source of ideas.

Rethinking the future
Edited by Rowan Gibson with forward by Alvin Toffler & Heidi Toffler
Paperback; Published 1998
UK £ / US$

A great book with essays from several of today's leading management thinkers looking at the future of business. Includes essays on competition by Michael Porter, CK Prahalad and Gary Hamel, on Control and Complexity by Michael Hammer and others, on Marketing by Philip Kotler, Jack Trout and Al Ries, and on general business by Stephen Covey and Charles Handy - as well as others. If you want to know what these great writers think about the future and business then this is for you. The book is an easy read - and just whets the appetite for more of the various authors writings, several of which are included on our books pages.

Marketing Research: An Integrated Approach 
Alan Wilson;
Published 2006
UK £ / US$

This book places marketing research into the bigger picture of marketing and demonstrates how marketing research and its understanding should be seen as a key element of marketing rather than as a back room activity performed by statisticians. The text integrates the key concepts and techniques of marketing research with the management of customer information from databases, loyalty cards and customer files.
The book is written in a clear and accessible style and includes many examples, real life case histories and discussions of current issues in marketing research and customer information management.

This book is one of the recommended texts for the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing's Professional Diploma module in Marketing Information and Research, and thus is essential reading for anybody considering taking these CIM qualifications.

Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations  
Gilbert Churchill;
Published 2001
UK £ / US$

This market leader has established itself as a classic through six previous editions. It has done so by presenting the material from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective, allowing readers to develop an appreciation for marketing research.

The book includes extensive treatment of ethics in discussing market research and the increased emphasis on the use of the Internet in marketing research.

Many of the cases in the latest edition are new or highly revised, and the appendices are now provided directly following relevant chapters and present some of the more difficult information as well as serving as reinforcement of the previously discussed concepts

Military Intelligence Blunders
John Hughes-Wilson;
Paperback; Published 1999
UK £ / US$

OK - this book is not on corporate strategy, or CI so it is difficult to decide where to include it. However just because it is not a normal "business book" is not a reason to exclude it!

The book tells the stories behind some of the world's most disastrous military mistakes, whether caused by faulty information, bad interpretation, cunning plans to deceive the intelligence gatherers or leaders who won't listen to what they are told. It is an analysis of the "intelligence cycle" that turns raw data into useful information about capabilities and intentions and then brings it to the attention of the decision-makers.

Hughes-Wilson is a well-known militery expert, and this book makes a change from the regular business type book by giving a different flavour to the subject. Well-recommended - but not strictly CI or business, so no stars (although they are deserved).

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell;
Paperback; Published 2005
UK £ / US$

How do you develop intuition? How is that the experts seem to be able to spot a forgery at a glance, while to most people there is no difference? In this book, Malcolm Gladwell explains why instant first impressions are so often correct, and also why they are sometimes wrong.

The book is an extremely easy and quick read, and is entertaining - although the basic concept is not particularly complex. I'd recommend this as a book to read while travelling or as a change from a more academic text.

NLP at Work: The Difference That Makes a Difference in Business
Sue Knight;
Paperback; Published 2002
UK £ / US$

NLP - or Neurolinguistic programming is aimed at helping people understand how people work and interact with the world.

More importantly, this book can show you how you as an individual interact with the world - whether visually, through auditory or even sensory stimuli, for example. With this knowledge, it becomes easier to set personal objectives and meet them - as well as work more effectively with colleagues through an understanding of their own particular approaches to their surroundings.

From a competitive intelligence perspective, NLP can also help practitioners understand why particular managers behave as they do - whether in one's own company or a competitor's. It can also allow interviewers to develop a better rapport with interviewees - thereby helping in primary research information collection.

Trolley Wars: The Battle of the Supermarkets  
Judi Bevan;
Published 2005
UK £ / US$

In the UK the battle for supremacy among the major supermarket chains has been ferocious with several leaders being whittled down to less than a handful.

The market leader from the 1980s lost share to Tesco which has steadily grown and has become a master study on how to get it right - financial, in product innovation, customer service and more. Tesco is expanding - both within the UK where despite its market leadership, it still steals share from rivals - and outside the UK where it has launched in new markets. Tesco's rivals have tried to catch up - and US giant Walmart, which acquired ASDA has also entered the picture.

Trolley Wars tells the story of how the leaders won, and the losers lost - as well as the social changes that have accompanied and underpinned the UK grocery retail marketplace.

The book is an entertaining study of the UK's retail sector - and is an excellent case study of business successes and failure!

Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from our Kitchen Table
Sahar & Bobby Hashemi;
Paperback; Published 2004
UK £ / US$

Anyone Can Do It chronicles the start and evolution of a successful business dream. It tells of how Bobby and Sahar Hashemi - a banker and a corporate lawyer - left the large company world to found the Coffee Republic chain of coffee outlets - today a major player in the UK coffee shop market, alongside Starbucks and others. The difference is that Coffee Republic blazed the trial and was first in the UK.

This book - with its subtitle 57 Real Life Laws on Entrepreneurship aims to show how anybody - with the right will and idea - can create a successufl business. The authors take the reader step by step through every aspect of starting and growing a business from asking 'why?' and writing the plan to hiring staff and letting go.

The book is an easy read - and can help budding entrepreneurs realise that Anyone Can Do It. You just need the will and the staying power to make it.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Steven D Levitt, Stephen J Dubner;
Paperback; Published 2006
UK £ / US$

For many people, economics is boring. They think that economists get excited by concepts such as price elasticity, commoditisation and what happens when you change levels of supply and demand. This book should prove them wrong. Freakonomics shows how economics really works, and why received wisdom is often just stupidity. The book discusses a variety of topics to show how understanding the economics can shine a light on some of the oddities of life today - for example why crime rates fell in the 1990s in the USA (suggesting that the conventional wisdoms explaining the fall were all wrong) or why drug dealers tend to be poor and not rich - despite the prices charged for street drugs.

Levitt's approach - showing how the obvious often isn't - makes this a fascinating book to read, with lessons not just for economists and wannabe economists but also students of other disciplines - including competitive intelligence.