UK Geographics

Which one should you use?

Geodemographic Segmentation —— Definition

“Geodemographic segmentation refers to a range of methods used for classifying and characterizing neighbourhoods or localities based on the principal that residents living near each other are likely to have similar demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics. It is used for a wide range of purposes including direct marketing, retail location, service area analysis, housing market analysis, and public service targeting.”

Definition Source:

Encyclopedia of GIS, Shekhar Shashi, Xiong Hui, Springer US, 8 2008-01-01, A Troy, Austin, P 347-355

There are number of commercial and open source Geodemographic classifications. We DO NOT endorse any of them and this article is a simple summary of the available Geodemographic classifications in the UK. If you would like to talk to us about geodemographics, or other market discriminators or any other data please feel free to email at [email protected].

 

Creating a Geodemographic Classification

1. Use clustering method to assess number of potential clusters Geodemographic classification should have.
2. Decide on the geographical area you are going to use in clustering
3. Decide on the set of key variables for the geographical areas you are planning to cluster
4. Prepare data for clustering (transformations, standardisation, checking for outliers)
5. Decide on the number of clusters
6. Calculate and compare characteristics of the clusters, write pen-portraits for each cluster and assign names to each cluster.

 

Evaluating Geodemographic Classifications

All geodemographic classifications are based on the number of subjective decisions related to its creation (selection of variables or number of clusters). It is difficult to find an objective method of assessing how good one Geodemographic classification is compared to another. Ideally we would like to have a sample of each classification in order to assess which one will best serve user’s objectives.

 

Output Area Classification (ONS) 2011

Free geo-demographic classification from ONS.

• Data source: Census 2011
• Created by: ONS and UCL
• Year of release: 2014
• Coverage: UK
• Type: Three-tiered hierarchical geodemographic classification at Census 2011 Output Area Level
• Structure:   8 Supergroups,   26 Groups   and  76 Subgroups.

 

Groups(26)

SuperGroups(8)

1a-Farming Communities 1b-Rural Tenants 1c-Ageing Rural Dwellers 2a-Students Around campus 2b-Inner-City Students 2c-Comfortable Cosmopolitans 2d-Aspiring and Affluent 3a-Ethnic Family Life 3b-Endeavouring Ethnic Mix 3c-Ethnic Dynamics 3d-Aspirational Techies 4a-Rented Family Living 4b-Challenged Asian Terraces 4c-Asian Traits 5a-Urban Professionals and Families 5b-Ageing Urban Living 6a-Suburban Achievers 6b-Semi-Detached Suburbia 7a-Challenged Diversity 7b-Constrained Flat Dwellers 7c-White Communities 7d-Ageing City Dwellers 8a-Industrious Communities 8b-Challenged Terraced Workers 8c-Hard-Pressed Ageing Workers 8d-Migration and Churn

1-Rural Residents 2-Cosmopolitans 3-Ethnicity Central 4-Multicultural Metropolitans 5-Urbanities 6-Suburbanities 7- Constrained City dwellers 8-Hard-Pressed Living

 

ACORN

Commercial Geodemographic classification from CACI.

• Data source: Census 2011, Open data, commercially sourced data, Proprietary data
• Created by: CACI
• Year of release: 2013
• Coverage: UK
• Type: Three-tiered Geodemographic classification at unit postcode level
• Structure:   6 categories,   18 groups and 62 types

 

Categories (1-6) /   Groups (A – R)

1-Affluent Achievers

A-Lavish Lifestyles

B-Executive Wealth

C-Mature Money

2-Rising Prosperity

D-City Sophisticates

E-Career Climbers

3-Comfortable Communities

F-Countryside Communities

G-Successful Suburb

H-Steady Neighbourhoods

I-Comfortable Seniors

J-Starting Out

4-Financilaly Stretched

K-Student Life

L-Modest Means

M-Striving Families

N-Poorer Pensioners

5-Urban Adversity

O-Young Hardship

P-Struggling Estates

Q-Difficult Circumstances

6-Not Private Households

R-Not Private Households

 

MOSAIC

Commercial Geodemographic classification from Experian.

• Data source: Census 2011, Open data, commercially sourced data, Proprietary data
• Created by: Experian
• Year of release: 2013
• Coverage: UK
• Type: Two-tiered Geodemographic classification at unit postcode level
• Structure: 15 groups and 66 Types

 

Groups (15)

A-City Prosperity

B-Prestige Positions

C-Country Living

D-Rural reality

E-Senior Security

F-Suburban Stability

G-Domestic Success

H-Aspiring Homemakers

I-Family Basics

J-Transient Renters

K-Municipal Challenge

L-Vintage Value

M-Modest Tradition

N-Urban Cohesion

O-Rental Hubs

 

PERSONICX

Commercial Geodemographic classification from Acxiom.

• Data source: Census 2011, Open data, commercially sourced data, Proprietary data
• Created by: Acxiom
• Year of release: 2014
• Coverage: UK
• Type: One tier Geodemographic classification at unit postcode level.
• Structure:   55 clusters

 

Lifestage	Affluence	Digital	Age ranking & Cluster Code
Y = Young Adults	L = Low	1 = Always on	1 = Youngest (18-30)
F = Families with Children	M = Medium	2 = Fully Connected	2
X = Empty nesters	H = high	3 = Browser Open	…
R = Retirees		4 = Emerging Users	26
		5 = Seldom Online	…
			54
			55 = Oldest (55+)

 

 

Example:               Cluster description

CLUSTERCODE	NAME	LIFESTAGE	AGE	AFFLUENCE	HH INCOME	DIGITAL
YL101	Born digital	Young adults	18-30	Low	£15K-£35K	Always On
FH223	Smart Money	Families with children	40-55	High	£35-£75K	FullyConnected
RM550	Active Grandparents	Retirees	60+	Medium	£5-£25K	SeldomOnline

 

 

CAMEO UK

Commercial Geodemographic classification from Callcredit.

• Data source: Census 2011, Open data, commercially sourced data, Proprietary data
• Created by: Callcredit
• Year of release: 2013
• Type: Two-tiered Geodemographic classification
• Coverage: UK
• Structure:   10 groups and 68 categories

 

CAMEO UK Groups (1-10)

1-Business Elite

2-Prosperous Professionals

3-Flourishing Society

4-Content Communities

5-White Collar Neighbourhoods

6-Enterprising Mainstream

7-Paying the Mortgage

8-Cash Conscious Communities

9-On A Budget

10-Family Value

 

 P²-People and Places

Commercial Geodemographic classification from Beacon Dodsworth.

• Data source: Census 2001 and Lifestyle data
• Created by: Beacon Dodsworth
• Year of release: N/A
• Coverage: UK
• Type: Two-tiered Geodemographic classification
• Structure:   13 Trees and 40 Branches

 

Trees ( A- M)

A-Mature Oaks

B-Country Orchards

C-Blossoming Families

D-Rooted Households

E-Qualified Metropolitans

F-Senior Neighbourhoods

G-Suburban stability

H-New Starters

I-Multicultural Centres

J-Urban Producers

K-Weathered Communities

L-Disadvantaged Households

M-Urban Challenge

U-Unclassified