Metrics and analytics tracking consumers are all the rage nowadays. You can’t make big decisions without being backed by data and all the new savvy startups and entrepreneurs are quick to jump on the bandwagon of refining that model. But think back a bit to the days of COMM 101 and the introduction of those acronyms you once thought were absolutely useless. Think back to SWOTs and the PESTs, when you actually thought about all the other external pressure on a business. Well that’s what these guys did.

There are tons of ways to get insights from consumers, but stop to think about all the other parties influencing a business. Competitors, pressure groups and oh wait, that’s right, the government. Each business is affected by laws that govern their industry and really, each business is essentially at the mercy of these laws. What if there was a way to get valuable information about legislation currently in motion? What if you could get stronger insights into bills about to be passed before they go through? Imagine the implications of knowing political changes before they even happen. Tightening up sustainability requirements and getting ahead of the curve before competitors even get wind of change. Improving cost structures before tariffs on exports right as your competitors sign that brand new contract with that foreign wholesaler.

In this day and age, information is power. Exploring each and every single type of information that can be made available to you is really just the logical next step.