CTRS Market Intelligence Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT MARKET INTELLIGENCE
What is the difference between market intelligence and market research?
Market research answers a specific, defined question at a point in time. Market intelligence is an ongoing function that continuously monitors the external environment and converts findings into decision-relevant insight. Market Intelligence is also inherently forward looking. Market research is a useful input to an MI function - it is not a substitute for one. Most organizations that think they have a market intelligence capability actually have a market research function with a different label.
Read more: ctrs.co/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-market-intelligence
What is HUMINT and why does it matter for market intelligence?
HUMINT stands for Human Intelligence - investigative, phone-based research rooted in the disciplines of journalism and law enforcement. It means picking up the phone, tracking down knowledgeable sources, asking better questions, and validating what is actually happening on the ground rather than relying solely on published data. Most North American research firms have moved away from this approach. CTRS has not, because the most valuable market signals are rarely in a report - they are in a conversation with someone who has direct knowledge of what is actually happening in a market.
What is OSINT?
OSINT stands for Open Source Intelligence - the collection and analysis of information from publicly available sources, combined with advanced analytics to identify patterns, quantify shifts, and synthesize large volumes of market signals. CTRS combines HUMINT and OSINT because neither is sufficient on its own. HUMINT provides ground-level validation that data alone cannot. OSINT provides scale and pattern recognition that individual conversations alone cannot.
How is market intelligence different from a Google search or a syndicated report?
A Google search returns publicly available information with no interpretive layer - no context, no connection to your specific decision, and no analytical judgment about what it means for your organization. A syndicated third-party report is someone else's information, interpreted for a general audience rather than your specific business context and competitive position. Market intelligence takes those inputs and adds the work that actually changes decisions: synthesis across multiple signal types, interpretation in context, and a clear answer to the question your organization actually needs to make.
Which types of decisions benefit most from market intelligence?
Market intelligence delivers the most value for high-stakes, high-uncertainty decisions where the cost of being wrong is significant. The strongest use cases are market entry and expansion, product development and launch, pricing strategy, capital expenditure validation, M&A due diligence, competitive positioning, and resource allocation. Decisions that are primarily operational, values-driven, or crisis-response-oriented typically benefit less.
Read more: ctrs.co/post/how-market-intelligence-drives-better-business-decisions
How do I know if my organization has a market intelligence problem?
Five patterns consistently indicate an MI deficit: strategy meetings are driven by opinion rather than evidence, competitor moves consistently catch the organization off guard, major strategies rest on assumptions that have not been tested in over a year, customer behaviour is shifting, and no one knows why, and high-stakes decisions are being made on conviction alone. If two or more of these are recognizable, the gap is already producing costs - most organizations experiencing them have never connected the pattern to a market intelligence deficit.
Read more: ctrs.co/post/5-signs-your-business-is-making-decisions-without-enough-market-intelligence
WORKING WITH CTRS
Who does CTRS work with?
Large organizations, government agencies, crown corporations, and nonprofits making high-stakes strategic decisions - typically involving millions in capital or revenue - use CTRS CORE.
CEOs, founders, and leaders of growing SMEs who need professional market intelligence without enterprise consulting overhead use CTRS GROW.
Market research firms and embedded research teams that need overflow capacity, specialized capabilities, or white-label deliverables use CTRS PRO.
If you are not sure which applies to your situation, the Contact page is the right starting point.
How does an engagement with CTRS work?
Every engagement starts with the decision, not the data. Before any research is designed or scoped, CTRS works to understand what specific question needs to be answered and what intelligence would most directly reduce uncertainty around that decision. From there, a research plan is designed around that question - combining primary and secondary methods appropriate to the scope. Deliverables are designed for the audience that needs to act on them, not for a general readership.
How long does a typical project take?
It depends on the solution tier. CTRS CORE engagements involve comprehensive primary and secondary research and require a minimum of three months. CTRS GROW is a fixed-scope, fixed-price assessment delivered in 30 days or less. CTRS PRO timelines are project-dependent and scoped based on your specific requirements.
How much does it cost?
CTRS GROW is fixed-price and designed to be accessible for SMEs and growth-stage companies without enterprise research budgets - roughly $7,000. CTRS CORE is proposal-based with a minimum research investment of $30,000, designed for organizations making decisions where that investment is a fraction of the capital at stake. CTRS PRO is custom-priced based on scope.
Do you work across industries?
Yes. CTRS has completed 1,000+ projects across technology, life sciences, finance, retail, energy and utilities, manufacturing, government, post-secondary education, and nonprofit sectors. Cross-industry experience is one of the more underrated inputs in market intelligence - patterns visible in one sector often appear in another 18 to 24 months later.
Can you work with our internal research team rather than replacing them?
Yes - this is specifically what CTRS PRO is built for. Research firms and embedded teams use CTRS for overflow capacity when client work exceeds current bandwidth, for specialized MI capabilities not available in-house, and for white-label deliverables that integrate seamlessly with client work. If your team is overextended or a project requires methods outside your current capability, CTRS PRO is the right conversation.
Do you work with organizations outside of Canada?
CTRS is based in Canada and primarily serves North American organizations, but has supported projects for clients and markets globally. Geographic scope is scoped project by project depending on the market being assessed and the decision being supported.
GETTING STARTED
How do I know which solution is right for us?
The fastest way to figure this out is to start with the decision you need to make, not the budget. If the decision involves millions in capital or revenue and requires comprehensive due diligence, CTRS CORE is the right fit. If you need professional market intelligence to inform an important decision but cannot justify a $35,000+ investment, CTRS GROW is built for that. If you are a research firm or embedded team looking for a reliable research partner, CTRS PRO is the conversation to have. If you are still unsure, the Contact page has a no-obligation path to a direct conversation.
What should I bring to the first conversation?
The most useful thing you can bring is a clear description of the decision you are trying to make - not a research brief, not a list of data you want, but the actual strategic question you are facing. What are you trying to decide? What would you do differently depending on what the research finds? What is the cost of getting it wrong? Those three questions shape everything from research design to deliverable format, and the clearer you can be on them upfront, the faster and more useful the engagement will be.
What happens after I submit a contact form?
The team reviews the context you provide and responds with a recommended next step - typically a short conversation to understand the decision, scope, and timeline before any proposal or pricing is discussed. There is no obligation at that stage.