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I manage all of our efforts to attract new clients into the business, and we are very active in doing that.

We have pitched roughly 10 new accounts in the past year and in every one of those we have used Mintel services. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Mintel to be the very first place we go to absorb the knowledge we need to pitch.

From consumer packaged goods to quick service restaurants, to technology to telcos, there is a vast spectrum of categories we need to learn about quickly and we have been fortunate to have Mintel’s insights to leverage in achieving that.

A big part of what we bring to our clients, especially in business development, is fresh thinking. Even amplified more than in a traditional, ongoing relationship, new business prospects are looking for us to offer a fresh perspective they may not have right now.

To do that, we have to really understand not just the dynamics of the business but also what’s going on around it from a cultural point of view. We are trying to intersect brands with culture, and knowing what is going on there is vital to helping us find the white space.

As we look to do that on an ever-more abbreviated calendar, it’s really useful to have a resource like Mintel available to us, giving us access to innovative thinking and innovative people.

The biggest value we get out of the resources at Mintel is the regularity and thoroughness of the reporting on these categories, and the ‘above and beyond’ you offer too.

I feel a tremendous sense of partnership with Mintel. When we call and have questions that go beyond what is in a report, they are always willing to help and hook us up with the author or a category expert.

We use the reports and we also utilise the services of the analysts.

It’s not uncommon for us to hop on the phone with a report author or category expert to get a perspective from them – there’s so much more we get through that additional conversation.

One of the biggest challenges we face is the need to get smart on a business or category real quick.

We are talking to clients who live and breathe their category every day and the expectation is that we will be able to get caught up very quickly, and bring the thinking that can help them.

We need to do that often in a matter of days, so it’s not a small ask. Mintel gives us a very articulate view of category conditions and does so at the speed we need it.