Essential Work Samples to Evaluate AI Skills in Competitive Marketing Intelligence

In today's rapidly evolving marketing landscape, competitive intelligence has become a critical function that separates market leaders from followers. The integration of artificial intelligence into competitive intelligence workflows has revolutionized how companies gather, analyze, and act upon competitor data. Organizations now need marketing professionals who can not only understand competitive intelligence fundamentals but also leverage AI tools to extract actionable insights at scale and speed previously unimaginable.

Evaluating a candidate's proficiency in AI-powered competitive intelligence requires more than reviewing their resume or asking theoretical questions. The complexity of this skill demands practical demonstration through carefully designed work samples that simulate real-world scenarios. These exercises reveal how candidates approach problems, their technical capabilities with AI tools, and their ability to translate data into strategic recommendations.

The most effective marketing intelligence professionals combine technical AI knowledge with strategic marketing thinking. They understand how to select appropriate AI tools, design effective data collection frameworks, interpret AI-generated insights, and communicate findings in ways that drive business decisions. Traditional interviews often fail to assess these multifaceted skills adequately.

By implementing the following work samples, you'll gain visibility into how candidates actually perform tasks central to AI-driven competitive intelligence. These exercises evaluate candidates' abilities to plan AI implementations, execute technical tasks, analyze competitive landscapes using AI tools, and leverage AI for predictive market analysis—all essential components of modern competitive intelligence.

Activity #1: Competitive Intelligence Dashboard Design

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to strategically plan an AI-powered competitive intelligence system. It reveals their understanding of key competitive metrics, data sources, and how AI can transform raw data into actionable intelligence. This planning exercise demonstrates whether candidates can think holistically about competitive intelligence needs and AI capabilities.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with a brief describing your company, key competitors (3-5), and primary business objectives.
• Include information about your current competitive intelligence processes and challenges.
• Allocate 45-60 minutes for this exercise.
• Prepare a computer with presentation software or whiteboarding tools.
• Have a marketing leader and a data/AI specialist present to evaluate the response.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Design a comprehensive competitive intelligence dashboard powered by AI.
• Specify what metrics and data points should be tracked for each competitor.
• Identify which AI technologies or approaches would be used to gather and analyze each type of data.
• Explain how the dashboard would automatically update and what alerts or triggers should be implemented.
• Outline how this dashboard would directly support the company's business objectives.
• Present your design in a 15-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the dashboard design (e.g., "Your inclusion of sentiment analysis for competitor social media was particularly insightful").
• Offer one area for improvement (e.g., "The dashboard could benefit from more specific KPIs tied to business outcomes").
• Allow the candidate 5-10 minutes to revise their approach based on the feedback, focusing specifically on the improvement area.

Activity #2: AI Tool Selection and Implementation Plan

This tactical exercise assesses a candidate's practical knowledge of AI tools available for competitive intelligence and their ability to implement them effectively. It reveals their technical understanding of AI capabilities and limitations in real-world marketing contexts.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a scenario document describing a specific competitive intelligence challenge (e.g., "We need to monitor competitors' product pricing changes across 50+ SKUs in real-time").
• Provide a budget constraint and timeline for implementation.
• Include any technical constraints or existing systems that need integration.
• Prepare a list of 3-5 questions to probe the candidate's reasoning during discussion.
• Allocate 45 minutes for this exercise.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the competitive intelligence challenge provided.
• Research and recommend specific AI tools or platforms that could address this challenge.
• For each recommended tool:
• Explain its core AI capabilities and how they apply to the specific challenge
• Outline implementation steps and timeline
• Identify potential integration challenges
• Estimate costs and resource requirements
• Prepare a 1-2 page implementation plan document.
• Be prepared to discuss your recommendations and reasoning.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their tool selection or implementation approach.
• Offer constructive feedback on one area that could be improved (e.g., "Your timeline might be optimistic given the data integration challenges").
• Ask the candidate to verbally revise their implementation timeline or approach based on your feedback.

Activity #3: AI-Powered Competitor Analysis Role Play

This role play evaluates how candidates use AI tools to analyze competitor actions and communicate insights to stakeholders. It demonstrates their ability to extract meaningful intelligence from AI-generated data and translate it into business recommendations.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset of competitor information (can be anonymized from real data or created for this purpose).
• Set up access to an AI analysis tool like Crayon, Kompyte, or even a simplified version using ChatGPT.
• Create a scenario where a significant competitor has made several recent moves (product launches, pricing changes, messaging shifts).
• Assign an executive stakeholder role to an interviewer who will ask challenging questions.
• Allow 30 minutes for preparation and 20 minutes for the role play.

Directions for the Candidate:

• You'll be given access to competitor data and an AI analysis tool.
• Analyze the data to identify key competitor moves and potential strategies.
• Use the AI tool to generate deeper insights about competitor intentions and likely next moves.
• Prepare a 10-minute briefing for a marketing executive on:
• What the competitor is doing
• Why they're likely making these moves
• How your company should respond
• What to monitor going forward
• Be prepared to answer questions and defend your recommendations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• The executive role player should provide feedback on one strength of the analysis and presentation.
• They should also identify one area where the analysis could be deeper or recommendations more actionable.
• Give the candidate 5 minutes to revise their key recommendation based on the feedback.

Activity #4: AI-Driven Market Trend Prediction

This forward-looking exercise tests a candidate's ability to use AI for predictive competitive intelligence. It reveals how they leverage AI to anticipate market changes rather than simply react to them—a critical skill for advanced competitive intelligence professionals.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a dataset containing historical market trends in your industry (12-24 months).
• Include competitor actions, market share shifts, and external factors (economic indicators, technology changes, etc.).
• Provide access to an AI prediction tool or platform (can be as simple as Excel with forecasting functions or as complex as a dedicated AI platform).
• Allocate 60-90 minutes for this exercise.
• Have a senior marketing or strategy leader available to evaluate predictions.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the historical market data provided.
• Use the available AI tools to identify patterns and generate predictions for the next 6-12 months.
• Create a competitive intelligence forecast that includes:
• Predicted competitor moves and market share changes
• Identification of emerging competitive threats
• Key market inflection points to monitor
• Confidence levels for each prediction
• Recommendations for how your company should position itself based on these predictions
• Prepare a 2-page executive summary and supporting visualizations.
• Be prepared to explain your methodology and how AI enhanced your predictive capabilities.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their predictive approach or insights.
• Offer constructive feedback on one area where their predictions could be more robust or actionable.
• Ask the candidate to revise one specific prediction or recommendation based on your feedback, explaining how they would incorporate additional data or different AI approaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

How technical should candidates be with AI tools to perform well in these exercises?

Candidates should understand AI capabilities and limitations, but don't need to be data scientists or programmers. They should be able to select appropriate AI tools, interpret AI-generated insights, and direct AI implementation—even if they would work with technical specialists for the actual deployment.

What if we don't have access to sophisticated AI tools for the exercises?

Many exercises can be adapted using widely available tools. For example, ChatGPT can analyze competitor content, Excel has predictive analytics features, and free trial versions of competitive intelligence platforms are often available. The focus should be on the candidate's approach rather than the specific tools.

Should we expect candidates to complete all these exercises?

No, select the 1-2 exercises most relevant to your specific needs. A typical interview process might include one strategic exercise (like the dashboard design) and one tactical exercise (like the competitor analysis role play).

How do we evaluate candidates who approach these exercises differently than expected?

Focus on the quality of thinking rather than specific outputs. Strong candidates might propose unexpected approaches that are equally or more effective. Evaluate their reasoning, how they leverage AI capabilities, and whether their solutions address the core business needs.

How much preparation time should we give candidates for these exercises?

For exercises requiring research or tool familiarity, provide the scenario 24-48 hours in advance. For role plays or analyses using provided data, 30-60 minutes of preparation time during the interview is typically sufficient.

What if a candidate has limited experience with competitive intelligence but strong AI skills?

Focus on exercises that test their ability to apply AI thinking to competitive scenarios. Their fresh perspective on AI applications might actually bring innovative approaches to competitive intelligence challenges.

The integration of AI into competitive marketing intelligence represents a significant evolution in how companies understand their competitive landscape. By using these work samples, you'll identify candidates who can not only leverage AI tools effectively but also translate AI-generated insights into strategic advantage. The right talent in this space can transform your competitive intelligence from reactive reporting to predictive strategy.

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