Strategic intelligence

In a global context marked by rapid geopolitical shifts, major economic transitions, increased competition and unprecedented information volatility, business leaders and investors must make increasingly complex decisions within ever tighter deadlines. Uncertainty has become a constant factor. It is in this demanding environment that strategic intelligence comes into its own.

Our mission: to reduce uncertainty for decision-makers by providing them with concrete, verified, contextualised and actionable analysis. To do this, we use a method developed by ESL and Next Step Influence:

Our consultants will conduct in-depth and extensive research in the various electronic sources available on the subject throughout the area covered by the project: legal, financial or corporate documentation, legal or official information from public and semi-public bodies, official reports or expert studies or broker notes, corporate and legal databases, general and specialised press (local and international), social networks and Web 2.0. We will supplement these investigations by gathering HUMINT information through discreet approaches to sources belonging to the immediate environment of the stakeholders in the various areas relevant to the scope of the project. Approaches will be conducted discreetly through the ESL and Next Step Influence network, whose quality of access and relevance of analysis have been validated over the years. ESL will intervene directly and will simultaneously use separate sources acting in a complementary manner. This will allow us to cross-check information and mobilise contacts in different environments and at various hierarchical levels.

Our strategic intelligence expertise

• Mapping influential players (KDM & KOL)

We identify, analyse and map key decision makers (KDMs) and key opinion leaders (KOLs) involved in a given sector, project or specific issue. This work provides a better understanding of the dynamics of influence, opinion leaders, critical stakeholders and networks of alliances or blockages. This mapping is a decision-making tool that can be used to adapt an influence strategy, anticipate power relations or secure a sensitive operation.

• Support for mergers and acquisitions (M&A)

In the context of external growth operations, we carry out strategic and reputational due diligence to assess the real environment of a target: its reputation, networks, formal and informal governance, interactions with regulators, and non-financial vulnerabilities. We use human intelligence (HUMINT) techniques, conducting anonymous interviews (verbatim) with key players: former employees, customers, suppliers, competitors, partners, or institutional players.

• Decoding business environments

We conduct in-depth analyses of the economic, political, regulatory, societal and competitive environment in which a company, sector or specific operation operates. These analyses are particularly useful for:

• Preparing to enter a new market
• Anticipating regulatory change
• Understanding the players involved in a strategic sector
• Identifying the reputational or societal risks associated with a project
• Defining a positioning or advocacy strategy

• Strategic monitoring and alerts

We set up targeted monitoring systems (markets, competitors, regulations, influence, reputation) backed by alert systems. These systems enable our clients to anticipate rather than react to weak signals, disruptions, threats or opportunities.

• Country and regional risk analysis

Our teams analyse the geopolitical, institutional and social risks that may affect an international establishment, investment or activity. These analyses combine open data, feedback from the field, local expert analysis and political readings of situations.