A marketing information system can be used operationally, managerially, and strategically for several aspects of marketing.
We all know that no marketing activity can be carried out in isolation, know when we say it doesn’t work in isolation that means there are various forces could be external or internal, controllable or uncontrollable which are working on it. Thus to know which forces are acting on it and its impact the marketer needs to gathering the data through its own resources which in terms of marketing we can say he is trying to gather the market information or form a marketing information system. This collection of information is a continuous process that gathers data from a variety of sources synthesizes it and sends it to those responsible for meeting the market places needs. The effectiveness of marketing decision is proved if it has a strong information system offering the firm a Competitive advantage. Marketing Information should not be approached in an infrequent manner. If research is done this way, a firm could face these risks: 1. Opportunities may be missed. 2. There may be a lack of awareness of environmental changes and competitors’ actions. 3. Data collection may be difficult to analyze over several time periods. 4. Marketing plans and decisions may not be properly reviewed. 5. Data collection may be disjointed. 6. Previous studies may not be stored in an easy to use format. 7. Time lags may result if a new study is required. 8. Actions may be reactionary rather than anticipatory.
The total information needs of the marketing department can be specified and satisfied via a marketing intelligence