Headed up by Research Director Charles Ilsley, the former Managing Director of NOP, the competitive intelligence report series will utilise Thomson Intermedia’s unrivalled wealth of Advertising Research Tools (ART) along with the internal research team’s knowledge and experience in transforming raw data into competitive intelligence with a sector focus of emerging markets, new technology and new distribution channels. ART are tools that provide the ability to monitor advertising in the press (ART PRESS product), direct mail (DART), online (ART INTERNET) and outdoor (ART OUTDOOR).

The first report to be launched is an in-depth study on the Internet banking industry. As with all forthcoming reports, the investigation provides intelligence and interpretation of the communications strategies, target audiences and media plus media spend. In this instance it will be those of standalone Internet banks and the Internet services of high street banks from the end of 1998 through to the end of 2000. Extensive appendices give examples of the major players’ advertising creative executions, graphical analysis and the difference between traditional and online spends.

According to Sarah Jane Thomson, Joint CEO at Thomson Intermedia, "Over the past four years, Thomson Intermedia has opened up the media monitoring market to clients and agencies alike. The Competitive Intelligence Report series demonstrates the sophistication of Thomson Intermedia’s products. These form the basis of the most tailored, real time and dynamic media monitoring solution in the UK, and it made sense to marry this expertise with that of the new research team. We are greatly excited about the forthcoming programme of studies and look forward to it helping to consolidate our position as a leading syndicated report specialist."