Competitive intelligence from trademark data? Insights on what trademarks can reveal about firms

Firms increasingly rely upon intelligence exercises to inform their strategic decisions. While patents are by now an established data source for competitive intelligence focused on technologies, trademarks are only emerging as data for competitive intelligence focused on markets. To promote information from trademarks being translated into strategic knowledge for companies, this paper takes stock of management research that has exploited trademark data to operationalize organizational constructs. The review finds that trademarks can allow capturing assets, market strategies and capabilities of firms. Trademark-based intelligence can develop even further and the paper indicates specific opportunities regarding data and conceptual refinements.