In today's marketplace, up-to-the-minute information is power. Companies – large and small – often misread competitors, customers and market trends, leading to flaws in strategic planning and mistakes in day-to-day market maneuvering.  The President and CEO of the Kellogg Company, the world’s leading producer of convenience foods and breakfast cereals, put it this way: "The big payoff for competitive intelligence is that it reveals the weaknesses you have just inherited as a direct result of a competitor's newly developed strengths. Companies that don't engage in strategic intelligence will fall flat on their faces."  The director of corporate strategy at Wal-Mart expressed it in a similar way: “Competitive intelligence is the gathering of actionable intelligence to help you outwit, outmaneuver and outperform current, emerging and potential competitors. At Wal-Mart, we know that it’s indispensable to our success.”  If you or your business associates find yourselves with unanswered questions about competitors, about potential business partners, about customers, or about leading industry practices and technologies, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.   Sand Hill Partners can provide whatever market or competitive information you need – quickly and cost-effectively. Not stale, outdated information, but up-to-the-minute intelligence gained through primary research, focused interviewing, industry networking, and concentrated exploration. Our goal is to be a side-by-side business partner, working closely with you to develop a better current understanding of your markets.