IIM Releases E-book on Capturing Competitive Advantage in Strategic Planning

CHICAGO, IL, April 03, 2014 (Press-News.org) The key to your business' success is sitting right in front of you: it's your customer. The real challenge is understanding them deeply enough to increase the impact of your marketing. The new e-book, "Capturing Competitive Advantage: Using Insights to Tame the Strategic Planning Beast," by Insights in Marketing, LLC (www.insightsinmarketing.com), a research-based marketing consultancy in the Chicago area, will guide business leaders on how to ensure they have the right insights that will help shape the company's long-term success.

According to Brian Fletcher, VP of Consulting Services with Insights in Marketing, success and consumer understanding go hand in hand. "When a company's strategic plan is formulated around the insights it has gleaned from the consumer, success is imminent," said Fletcher. "Too often, businesses think that they're calling all the shots. Executives lose sight of one of the most important lessons, and that is that the customer comes first. Listen to what the consumer wants and respond, and you're on your way to a business victory."

For more than 25 years, Insights in Marketing has partnered with numerous clients to study the consumer uncovering insights that matter along the way. The result: translating customers' moves and motives into clear, actionable steps that help businesses break through the noise and make stronger consumer connections. This e-book continues that tradition by sharing lessons to help businesses formulate strategies tailored to their needs

According to IIM, there's much room for improvement out there. A recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit found that only 60 percent of global businesses consider their company consumer centric. IIM's believes that when marketing initiatives are rooted in consumer insights, a business is more likely to succeed and to gain competitive advantage.

"Capturing Competitive Advantage" makes it clear that the strategic planning process is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. The goal of the book isn't to write the strategic plan for a business. Instead, it poses questions to challenge the thinking of business leaders on how consumer insights impact the planning process.

The straightforward guide includes valuable information such as:

• A strategic plan information checklist
• A practical game plan to help create your strategy
• How to conduct a consumer insights audit
• Targeted exercises to help uncover who your consumer is
• Instructions to help you better understand your target audience
• Suggestions on how to deliver insights that matter in your business
• Guidelines on how to measure success

To learn more about this e-book, and how to create competitive advantage for your company, please visit Insights in Marketing.

About Insights in Marketing, LLC:
Insights in Marketing, LLC (IIM) is a research-based marketing consultancy dedicated to maximizing your brand's impact by providing complete consumer understanding. IIM's experienced consultants deliberately leverage qualitative, quantitative and psychology-based research approaches that start with the consumer and lead to success. For more information about IIM, visit the IIM website, blog, LinkedIn, Facebook page and Twitter feed.