Novus Group outlines how earned-media insight turns marketing constraint into competitor advantage.
Marketing budgets aren’t bouncing back. They’re tightening. Gartner’s latest CMO Spend Survey shows budgets have flatlined at 7.7% of company revenue, the same level as last year. Every rand now needs to prove its value.
That’s why more marketing leaders are turning to competitor intelligence by using earned-media data to see what’s working in the market before spending a cent. Instead of guessing, teams can base decisions on what’s already proven to drive attention and sales.
“You can’t outspend competitors in 2026 but you can outlearn them,” says Joe Hamman, Director at Novus Group. “That’s what competitor intelligence does. It helps teams see where others are winning attention, so you can move faster, spend smarter, and plan with confidence.”
Media monitoring isn’t just about tracking mentions or managing crises anymore. It’s about understanding the stories, keywords, and journalists shaping your category and using that insight to guide marketing, product, and PR strategy.
Novus Group’s analysis goes beyond tracking mentions. It identifies the stories and topics competitors are owning, shows which journalists and channels drive the most impact, and reveals how your visibility, sentiment, and share of voice compare across traditional and digital media.
According to Grand View Research, global demand for media-monitoring tools is growing rapidly as businesses use them for competitive intelligence, not just reputation tracking. The market is expected to grow from $5.41 billion in 2024 to more than $16 billion by 2032, driven by the need for cost-efficient, data-led decisions.
Companies using structured competitor insight have seen conversion rates improve by more than 20% within a year, as sales and marketing teams align around data instead of assumptions.
In real estate, tracking global development and property trends helps South African firms localise emerging ideas before rivals do. In service or product businesses, media analysis exposes where competitors are shifting from product-led to service-led models which are insights that can guide pricing, messaging, and future positioning.
When done right, media monitoring pays for itself through avoided mistakes, smarter content, and faster response times.
Novus Group consolidates cross-media monitoring into decision-ready intelligence. From daily or weekly briefings, journalist and outlet mapping, keyword trend mentions, and benchmarks that show where you are winning or losing attention. These insights feed directly into strategy sessions, budget planning, and campaign refinement.
“In tough economic conditions, insight beats spend,” Hamman adds. “When you know what competitors are saying — and what’s being said about them — you can plan smarter and avoid expensive missteps.”
To explore how competitor intelligence can sharpen your decision-making, contact Novus Group for a tailored briefing.