Marketing intelligence in SMEs: implications for the industry and policy makers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to demonstrate empirically the relationship between firm characteristics and information use within a small and medium sized enterprises (SME) context, proposing that firm characteristics are a catalyst of information use. With marketing information it is intended all data usable within for a marketing purpose. Design/methodology/approach – First, firm characteristics and their impact on information use amongst SMEs were identified in the literature. After that, a quantitative study was performed analysing the data through multivariate data analysis techniques, specifically principal component analysis (PCA), canonical correlation analysis and regression. The results of the analysis are discussed and the paper ends with the conclusions, implications for practitioners and policy makers, limitations of the study and indications for future research. Findings – The results of this study show the importance of the association between firm characteristics and information use amongst SMEs, demonstrating that strategic approach, firm size and resources allocation are catalysts of information use. Originality/value – Different firm characteristics have an impact on information use. Understanding better what firm characteristics are potential catalysts of information use may empower practitioners’ with better marketing intelligence and policy makers with a measure to assess potential risk when subsidising small businesses.