Procter & Gamble vs Unilever: A Case of Corporate Espionage

Fuld described CI as a technique of applying industry/research expertise to analyze the information available on competition from public sources and draw conclusions based on this data. A typical CI activity involved collection, organization, analysis, and utilization of business-related data of competitors to make informed decisions (See Exhibit III for the steps in a CI cycle).

Explaining the rationale behind CI practices, Bill Waite, Managing Director and Senior Counsel, Risk Advisory Group, a leading CI consultancy in Europe, said, "The fundamental is that there are huge amounts at stake when you make business decisions these days. The more you know, not only about your own strengths but about your competitors', the more likely it is that you will reach a positive business transaction rather than a negative one."7