Executive Insights on Information Services Needs

Survey on the usage of the Information Services & Market Research solutions

In May 2024, Dialectica sourced the opinion of top management executives globally on their needs for Information Services & Market Research solutions to support more accurate decision-making.

The sample covered major industries globally, and consisted mainly of C-level management, or executives reporting directly to C-level professionals. Experts were included from crucial functional verticals of companies covering revenue sizes from $1m to over $100 bn.

Frequency of Usage

As a first result, companies with larger revenues tend to use information and research services more frequently. As their decisions tend to have greater impact, a data-driven higher level of certainty is often crucial.

Taking a deep dive into the industry verticals of the respondents, one could observe that Financial Services and Consumer Goods companies were the most frequent users of research and insights solutions, followed by Biotech, TMT, and Retail organizations.

Financial Services companies rely heavily on data to navigate complex markets and manage risk, while Consumer Goods companies legevare expert-led insights to understand market trends and consumer behavior.

Following closely, Biotech, Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT), and Retail organizations also showed a significant reliance on research and insights solutions. For Biotech companies, research is critical for innovation and development in a highly regulated environment. 

TMT organizations depend on data to stay ahead in a fast-evolving sector where technology advancements and media consumption patterns are constantly changing. Retail companies use insights to optimize supply chains, enhance customer experiences, and adapt to shifting market demands.

Applications

When survey participants were asked about the potential applications they might have for Information & Research services, there was a mosaic of answers. Respondents were mostly interested in insights on the Market, the Customer, or the Organization. Other applications were related to Product and Innovation or Growth, with other popular answers being Technology & AI implementation and Costs & Pricing.

Cross-examining their most frequent and probable application of Information & Research Services, the view was also driven by the particular industrial vertical.

While Retail companies were more keen to use the services to answer Market, Competition, and Customer related questions, Biotech and Healthcare companies had more applications around Product Development. These companies often require specialized insights to drive their research and development efforts, making data and research services indispensable.

Solutions

The most frequent solutions that top management professionals in corporations currently use or would consider using in order to achieve their strategic goals include Reports -Broad Industry, for Competitive Intelligence, or for particular segments of their market-, and Expert Consultations (through Information Services firms) to gain access to domain knowledge and expertise.

Priorities

On the question of the single most important priority for senior executives where Information & Research Services can help their company, the two most frequent answers were data for their Market & Growth, with second options Customer & Competition.

Other popular answers included Technology & AI implementation, and Costs & Pricing.

So, when leaders wake up to have their morning coffee and are thinking about a decision that will probably have an organization-wide impact, or have a brilliant idea that might change the direction of their entire company for the next decade, one could consider a strategic thought partner such as Dialectica that will be able to provide real-time insights and empower better decision-making on daily shifting needs.