BUS602: Marketing Management

Newspapers, websites, blogs, wikis, podcasts, videos, news sites, newsletters, magazines, books, book reviews, presentations, reports, surveys, interviews, seminars, chat rooms, trend observers, advertisers, philosophers, sociologists, management gurus, consultants, researchers, experts, and universities are all possible sources of information. 

Unfortunately, intuitive recognition of a source as useful is not a transferable decision rule. So, in the best tradition of expert systems analyses, ask what is the purpose when choosing sources? To which the shortest possible answer is probably, "identifying opinion leaders". Because our current social construction grants credibility to intellectual adventuring within formal structures, such as science, we label those opinion leaders "experts". As innovative social and cultural ideas and behaviors challenge the status quo with the potential for transformation, they are generally marginalized - hence the usual scanning label of "fringe" for sources on emerging issues among youth, artists, social movements, the underclass, etc. 

'Good scanners concentrate on identifying anomalies and patterns from their daily scans with a detailed knowledge of where information resides using proprietary and utility technology to find the best material versus source categorization. Scanners need to be open-minded, able to see opportunities and threats in changing phenomena, and recognize entirely new areas for investigation within and far beyond their core interests. 

Look for material that expresses: 

• New: novel, advance, innovation, renovation, fashion, latest, renew, innovate, newness, fresh 
• First: inception, conception, initiative, beginning, debut, onset, birth, infancy, start, dawn, commencement 
• Idea: notion, belief, apprehension, thought, impression, ideation, point of view, standpoint, theory, prediction 
• Change: alteration, mutation, permutation, variation, modification, inflexion, mood, deviation, turn, inversion, subversion, forecast 
• Surprise: marvel, astonish, amaze, wonder, stupefy, fascinate, dazzle, startle, take-aback, electrify, stun, bewilder, boggle, wildcard 
• Opportunity: chance, opening, crisis, juncture, conjuncture, favorable, high time 
• Threat: future, prospect, anticipation, perspective, expectation, horizon, outlook, look-out, coming, forthcoming, imminent, approaching, fear, uncertainty 
• Unprecedented: no precedent, unparalleled 

Choose sources by identifying opinion leaders in specific sectors. Apply robust decision rules to choosing sources, ensuring that they incorporate both the latest high quality evidence and identify weak signals from fringe sources. Use evaluative modulators to help see patterns and gaps such as relevance, likelihood, controversy, speed, time horizon, and geographic spread. 

Therefore, while initially tagging an Insight as having been sourced from an amateur, or the fringe, the task is to strengthen and broaden hits in order to improve source attributes towards professional and expert. If this cannot be achieved the priority rating given to an issue would be suitably reduced.