HI: Spotlight
Our blog shines a spotlight on different topics of interest to our community, including how we approach questions from clients, research tips and tricks, celebrating HelloInfo milestones, and more!
Say Hello to Irida!
HelloInfo is proud and excited to announce that we have a new team member joining us. With 8+ years of extensive experience in market intelligence and strategy, Irida Koco is joining HelloInfo as a Senior Consultant. She has worked primarily with B2B customers,...
HelloHow? What is a bubble chart and how do I use one?
When asked to list examples of traditional charts and graphs, most people will name bar, line or pie charts. Rarely do people list radar charts, histograms, or bubble charts, but these types of charts can be exceptionally useful when needing to visualize data with...
HelloHow? The love / hate relationship with pie charts
Introduced in 1801 by Scottish engineer, William Playfair, pie charts are a very common, but controversial way to visualize data. While pie charts are often depicted as simple and easy to create statistical tools the pie chart has become a divisive tool that many...
HelloHow? War Gaming as a tool to predict competitor actions
In a competitive marketplace, knowing your competition’s next move can give your organization an advantage. War gaming is an effective means to establish how your competitors will react to changes in the market. When conducted properly war gaming can deliver insights...
HelloHow? Using customer journey maps for qualitative data visualization
Have you ever wished that you could walk a mile in your customer’s shoes? Imagine how much insight you could gain if you had a step-by-step overview of a customer’s use of your product. While you might not literally be able to walk a mile in their shoes, you can do...
HelloHow? Using heat maps for qualitative data visualization
Many professionals, including engineers, doctors, marketers, and researchers, utilize heat maps to visualize data sets and turn them into comprehensive, actionable takeaways. As part of our series on qualitative data visualization, dive in with us as we explore this...
The benefits of diversity in business and competitive intelligence
When launching HelloInfo, founders Tanya Humphrey and Nicolle McKinnon had several key foundational values they wanted to build the business on. One of these was clear – they wanted to create an organization that brings together a myriad of voices, backgrounds, and...
HelloHelp! How do I ensure I am conducting ethical competitive intelligence?
Competitive intelligence (CI) is the systematic collection and analysis of information on an enterprise’s marketplace from a wide variety of sources, to aid an organization in making informed choices for their future. According to Gartner, “CI business goals may be...
HelloHow? Using infographics for qualitative data visualization
At some point in our professional or academic lives we have all sat through a presentation where the speaker shows a PowerPoint deck with nothing but block text on every slide. By the time the speaker reaches the third slide, most of the audiences’ attention spans...
HelloHow? Using Venn diagrams for qualitative data visualization
Presenting data in a comprehensive and compelling way to your audience is a key skill for intelligence professionals. While many clear rules exist for quantitative data analysis, data visualization for qualitative data sets takes more effort and thought to execute...
HelloHow? Use competitor data points to understand company strategy
When researching your competition, the number of competitor data points available is almost never-ending. Website updates, job postings, new marketing material – the list goes on and can be updated daily. While a single data point, such as a change to your...
HelloHow? Sources for competitive intelligence research
In the Information Age, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the vast quantity of data at your fingertips. The proliferation of open-source information has further contributed to this issue. For anyone conducting research for competitive intelligence this can cause both...
HelloHow? Structured Analytical Techniques (SATs)
Structured Analytical Techniques (SATs) are necessary methods for analysts to create better insights that combat inherent biases. The RAND Corporation describes SATs as “methods of organizing and stimulating thinking about intelligence. ” The added rigor and structure...
HelloHow? Compete more effectively in a crowded market
“How can I stand out from competitors with a similar product?” is a recurring question for businesses of all sizes as they look to compete more effectively. A new company will want to have a strong impression on its potential buyers, and not blend in with existing...
HelloHow? Using a competitor’s website to support intelligence projects
Competitive intelligence research can be an overwhelming endeavor in today’s Information Age, with many possible research avenues to explore, and countless sources to potentially use. When undertaking a competitive intelligence research project, a great place to start...
Say Hello to Matthew!
HelloInfo is proud and excited to announce that we have a new team member joining us! Matthew is a new graduate with a B.A. In History and an M.A. in Intelligence and Security Studies. He has experience researching, analyzing, and writing...
Say Hello to Miya!
HelloInfo is proud and excited to announce that we have a new team member joining us! Miya has over 3 years of experience in the both the public and private sectors, conducting research, analyzing policy and leading research teams. Miya is...
Thank you to our co-op student, Rachael MacIntosh-Douglas
HelloInfo is committed to providing learning opportunities for students and others looking to enter the workforce. For the fall school term (September – December) we had a co-op student join our team. We enjoyed having Rachael on our team and appreciate her...
HelloHow? Conduct impactful needs assessments for strategic research projects
If your company has questions that it needs to have answered, looking to your competitors or customers for insights is often a great start. However, it may be daunting to know where to begin, which is why beginning with a needs assessment (also referred to as a needs...
Fun and inspiration at the 2021 WBE Conference
Did you know that less than 5% of corporate and government contracts are awarded to women-owned businesses? This past week, the core HelloInfo team was fortunate to attend and exhibit at the 2021 Women Business Enterprises (WBE) Conference, aptly titled Moving Forward...