Younger, middle income group and less credit-worthy

This group is evenly split by gender, which is similar to the online population. Their age skewed younger, with 18-34 year-olds making up the largest share of visits and the greatest difference versus the online population. This audience also skewed younger when compared to the visitors to the Retail 500 during this time.

Source: Experian Hitwise
Demographic summary  Black Friday shoppers for the week ending November 26, 2011

In terms of income, the highest concentration of Black Friday shoppers was in the $30-$99k income range, and they over indexed versus the online population in terms of visits from the $60-99k income bracket. This skews less affluent when compared with the Retail 500, which over indexes on visits from those with household incomes of $100k+.

With regard to Vantage Score, the concentration is fairly evenly distributed amongst those with scores of B, C, D and F, while the smallest share comes from A, the most credit worthy group. Black Friday shoppers over-indexed slightly in visits from the least credit worthy groups versus the online population. This is also in contrast to Retail 500 shoppers – 44% of them are in the A or B Vantage Score range while just 35% of Black Friday 2011 shoppers fell within those groups.

Concentrated in large DMA markets and Midwest

Source: Experian Hitwise
Demographic summary  Black Friday shoppers for the week ending November 26, 2011

Geographically, the highest concentration of visits comes from large DMA markets and states – CA, NY, TX and IL. Among the top 10 states by visits share, those with the highest index versus the online population were from Ohio and North Carolina. Overall the highest index of Black Friday shoppers was from Kentucky and West Virginia.

Lifestyle segmentation of Black Friday shoppers

To learn a little more we’ve looked at the Mosaic® USA groups of Black Friday shoppers the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, along with the index for each group against the online population.

Source: Experian Hitwise
Demographic summary  Black Friday shoppers for the week ending November 26, 2011

The Family Union group accounts for just over 9% of the Black Friday 2011 shopper segment and over-indexes against the online population – the segment is 31% more likely than the online population to fall within this Mosaic group. Family Union is described as mid-scale, middle-aged and somewhat ethnically diverse families who work in blue collar occupations. This group is value conscious and financially cautious.

We also see Group B – Flourishing Families – at the top of the list with the highest index versus the online population. These folks are more affluent than their Family Union counterparts, although they are similarly middle-aged. While this group is brand aware and financially secure, they too are deal seekers when it comes to holiday shopping.

Watch our recent webcast with Black Friday and Cyber Monday insights as our experts shared traffic drivers, search trends and critical insights that will improve your ability to target and engage high value consumer segments. Learn more about what, how and when consumers search and buy online during the holiday season.

There was never really any question that the Olympics would attract a rich and demographically diverse audience of consumers. A more pressing question for Olympics sponsors and advertisers is “how good of a match is the audience with respect to the characteristics of my potential brand users?” In other words, “to what extent will I be reaching the type of consumer who is most likely to be interested in my brand?” Tools like the Experian Ad Relevancy Score help to answer these questions. The score, developed from television viewing behaviors and purchase data collected by Experian Simmons, is derived from profiles of actual brand users compared to the corresponding profile of the Summer Olympics television viewing audience. The higher the score the more benefit and overall sales lift that can be hypothetically derived by the advertiser from placing spots that reach this audience. Think of the score as a general measure to quantify the degree to which the ad will be seen by an audience that is most appropriate and relevant for the brand being advertised. Scores are benchmarked against an average of 100.

After applying the Experian Ad Relevancy Score to a subset of key Summer Olympics sponsors and advertisers, we found that the highest scores are attributed to airline brands. The top five include United Airlines (142), American Airlines (133), American Express (129), Delta Airlines (128), and Citibank (126).

United’s investment in the Summer Olympics appears to be a match made in heaven. The brand’s top score of 142 means that the Summer Olympics viewing audience is 42% more likely to be comprised of consumers who are United flyers. United has been the official airline of the U.S. Olympic team since 1984 and clearly has a nice marketing match with this global event. Nike and McDonald’s, also official sponsors of the U.S. Olympic Team, had scores of 109 and 107, respectively.

A more in-depth analysis and profile of Summer Olympics enthusiasts provides further evidence of a strong connection between interest in the London Games and airline travel. Experian’s Mosaic® USA lifestyle segmentation solution shows that consumer segments including Kids and Cabernet, Jet Set Urbanites and Silver Sophisticates, are among those with a 50% or greater likelihood to be avid fans of the Summer Olympics. Consumers from all three of these segments also have a high propensity to be frequent flyers.

Interested in ad relevancy? Take a look at posts comparing advertisers to audience for these events:

NCAA Tournament

Academy Awards

Super Bowl

The Olympic teams’ site visitors tend to be men.  The swimming site attracted the largest share of male visitors at 60%. Basketball and track & field close behind with 58% of visitors being male.

A lifestyle and psychographic look at site visitors shows varying profiles for the fans of each sport.  Using Experian’s Mosaic USA lifestyle segmentation solution, we are able to better understand what the fans of each sport are all about. The following are the top lifestyle segments driving traffic to the respective websites.

At the top of the podium for the USA swimming site is the Booming with Confidence target:

• Prosperous, established couples in their peak earning years living in suburban homes. This group is upscale, experienced travelers, brand-aware, loyal and sports enthusiasts.

For track & field, the Promising Families group leads the way:

• Young couples with children in starter homes living child-centered lifestyles. They have solid incomes and busy lives. They are young and active – especially with child centric activities, team sports are a big part of their lives as well as other activities for the children.

And the USA basketball site has two groups that are most interested in the latest dream team – Booming with Confidence (described above) and Suburban Style.

• Middle-aged, ethnically-mixed suburban families and couples earning upscale incomes. Suburban Style have rich leisure lives and enjoy family centric activities and sports. They are community minded and brand conscious.

Segmenting the lifestyle of a website’s visitors helps to us to create a rich profile of each site’s audience. For advertisers, it presents an opportunity to target audiences that are most relevant to their product or service and create timely, tailored campaigns for each segment.

Related posts: Track ahead of the competition – who will make it to the finish line?; Let the marketing games begin

Fast Track Couples consist of young couples and families already on the road to upward mobility. Although 90% are under the age of 35, most are married, work at good jobs and own their homes. About one-third of Fast Track Couples have already started families, and others might look to start one soon. Other key characteristics that describe this segment include the following:

• Nearly all have at least some college education, which has helped them obtain decent-paying jobs in sales, white-collar professions and technology. More than half of these households have dual workers in the labor force.
• These young couples live comfortably in homes valued close to the national average, though they have yet to sink deep roots. Most have lived at the same address for fewer than three years.
• Fast Track Couples are informed customers, not impulse shoppers. They’re acutely aware of demands on their budgets, and they want to make sure they get good value for any purchase.
• Fast Track Couples are focused on their careers. A significant number are entrepreneurial and dream about starting their own business.
• They are mostly novices when it comes to financial investments and have not saved much money nor invested in many stocks, mutual funds or bonds. A high percentage have 401(k) accounts, and those with young children have started 529 College Savings Plans. Their balances, however, are still relatively modest.
• Many members are comfortable with debt. They’re still paying off student loans and have added auto loans and first mortgages to their liabilities.
• Fast Track Couples lead socially active lifestyles. They enjoy going to bars, movies, comedy clubs and rock concerts.
• They prefer their vacations to be filled with heart-pounding sports, including skiing, scuba diving, water skiing and backpacking.
• Self-described early adopters, they like filling their homes with the latest customer electronics and technology.

The best channel to reach Fast Track Couples is the Internet. They are highly receptive to digital advertising via online search and sponsored links. Few segments spend more time in cyberspace. They are enthusiastic Internet users, going online to simplify their lives. They use the Internet to manage their financial affairs, make travel arrangements and check out new job, car and home listings. They also use the Internet as their chief form of entertainment, downloading music, listening to Internet-only radio stations, watching videos and sharing digital photographs. In addition, they’re comfortable telecommuting and shopping online. Having grown up with communication on demand, they don’t care how they get their Internet access. They bounce seamlessly between cell phone, laptop and wireless connections. Although they dislike email ads, they respond to sponsored Websites and links — especially when doing product comparisons. They like shopping for games and software to improve their online experience. In a list of popular Websites, it’s difficult to find any that they don’t visit, opening up many possible touchpoints for marketers looking to engage this segment.

Data from Experian Simmons demonstrates the effect certain attitudes can have on back-to-school shopping behavior. When moms were asked how strongly they agreed with the statement “I find it hard to resist my kids’ request for non-essentials,” we noticed an increase in the percentage who agreed beginning around the end of June.

The increase is especially pronounced from the middle of July to the end of September. This happens to coincide with the heart of the back-to-school shopping season when moms are most likely to be keeping an eye out for special offers and promotions. The data also provides some evidence that moms are likely to be prime targets for spending on their children earlier in the back-to-school season than marketers might currently think.

But it isn’t really possible to know what all of your prospective customers are thinking. Unfortunately, you can’t speak to each and every mom or dad of school age children in a personal fashion – but neither should you treat your entire back-to-school audience the same way.

Casting a wide net to capture a faceless target audience used to work pretty well when I was a kid a few decades back. It was really a matter of which advertiser shouted the loudest and with the biggest hook. Not only that, but when Sears and Kmart were the only retailers in town, my mom didn’t have much of a choice. And how many marketers really bothered to target dads with back-to-school promotions back then?

Today, there are lots of ways to dissect the back-to-school market. Sure, we can describe households with kids using the usual demographics including age of parents, number of kids, age of children, household income, etc., but that doesn’t really capture the true essence of the back-to-school market. Why? Because demographics alone don’t paint a very interesting or clear picture of how to attract shoppers who are searching for all kinds of back-to-school merchandise and, at the same time, getting bombarded with multiple offers.

So let’s study the market more closely. I like to define the back-to-school audience in multi-dimensional terms. By doing this, we can develop specific lifestyle segments that can be targeted with the most relevant back-to-school offers and promotions. Here are some examples taken from Experian’s Mosaic® USA lifestyle segmentation solution:

• Babies and Bliss
• Families Matter Most
• Sports Utility Families
• Picture Perfect Families
• Kids and Cabernet
• Hispanic Harmony
• Cul de Sac Diversity

Based on an analysis of purchase and shopping data from Experian Simmons, we can see that these seven segments are quite unique in terms of their shopping attitudes and behaviors. Let’s take a look at some examples:

About 39% of adults who are parents with children living at home agree with the statement “I prefer to shop with my family.” But the percentage who agreed with this statement varies significantly when looking at our seven targeted segments. Cul de Sac Diversity and Hispanic Harmony are much more likely to agree. This could reflect cultural differences and their impact on shopping behavior. In this case, shopping is a family event. By contrast, some of the more affluent segments are less likely to agree. Consumers from the Kids and Cabernet and Picture Perfect Families segments might be more apt to be doing their shopping with fewer family members in tow.

Now take a look at how children have an influence on brands shopped.

Here, the influence of children on brands purchased is most pronounced for segments such as Kids and Cabernet and Babies and Bliss. Shoppers from the Hispanic Harmony and Cul de Sac Diversity segments also have an above average likelihood to say their children influence the brands they choose, but the influence is not as strong. The key take-away here is that certain segments are more brand-conscious than others and, where possible, the power of the brand should be leveraged when developing marketing campaigns that are targeted to these particular segments.

When we look at the influence of the Internet on shopping behavior, a different pattern emerges.

Consumers from the Babies and Bliss segment are most likely to agree with the statement “I often use the Internet to plan my shopping trips.” At the opposite end of the scale, Families Matter Most and Hispanic Harmony are not as likely to use the Internet to help plan their shopping. Clearly, these segments do not behave the same way.

The collective findings from these three statements alone mean we need to develop a unique back-to-school marketing plan for each of the segments. For example, we might target the Cul de Sac Diversity segment with display ads and emails emphasizing a wide selection of brands that kids like. This could be coordinated with certain in-store events and promotions that are designed to appeal to the entire family.

Now let’s look at who the bargain hunters are.

Somewhat surprisingly, Picture Perfect Families are 21% more likely to agree that they shop around to take advantage of special promotions and bargains. I say “surprisingly” because they are one of the more affluent consumer segments out of our targeted audience. This indicates that they are actively seeking out and searching for good deals. Consumers from Babies and Bliss and Cul de Sac Diversity also have an above average propensity to be looking out for special deals.

But notice when asked if they have used a coupon either online or from an email promotion, it’s Sports Utility Families and Families Matter Most who are most likely to agree. Consumers from both of these segments didn’t particularly stand out in terms of their likelihood to use the Internet for planning their shopping trips but they are highly responsive to targeted promotions. This could be an indication that they are less proactive in seeking out special deals but highly reactive when approached with a compelling offer they can’t refuse.

For more information, watch our recent webinar about planning your back-to-school marketing campaigns in style. You’ll see more information on what’s outlined above as well as informative stats around search behavior and how to target the lucrative college student market.

This segment consists of young couples and families already on the road to upward mobility. They enjoy vacations filled with heart-pounding sports, including skiing, scuba diving and backpacking. They are also self-described early adopters, and like to stay on top of the latest consumer electronics and technology.

I really enjoyed this video by Rick Erwin, President of the Data and Analytics Division of Experian Marketing Services. He provides some interesting details about Fast Track Couples and how retail marketers can best connect and engage with them

For more facts about Fast Track Couples and “New American Consumer,” download our 2012 Digital Marketing Report.

The best way for marketers to reach Fast Track Couples is through the Internet, as few demographic segments spend more time in cyberspace. Fast Track Couples:

• Are highly receptive to digital advertising via online search and sponsored links
• Use the internet to manage their financial affairs, make travel arrangements and check out new job, car and home listings
• Use the internet as their chief form of entertainment, downloading music, listening to internet-only radio stations, watching videos and sharing digital photographs
• Are very comfortable telecommuting and shopping online

Having grown up with communication on demand, Fast Track Couples bounce seamlessly between cell  phone, laptop and wireless connections. Although they don’t really like email ads, they do respond to sponsored websites and links — especially when doing product comparisons. They like shopping for games and software to improve their online experience, and in a list of popular websites, it’s difficult to find any that Fast Track Couples don’t visit, including Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Best Buy and eBay.

Get more facts about Fast Track Couples and all of the “New American Consumer” Mosaic^® USA segments in our 2012 Digital Marketing Report.

What would a Hart surname say about you?  Using Experian’s Mosaic^® USA Consumer Lifestyle Segmentation solution, we constructed a hypothetical  Hart family tree.

Hart households appear to have a sweet spot for raising families.  It must be true.  Home is where the “Hart” is.  Households with a surname of Hart are 1.79 times more likely to be found in a segment called No Place Like Home.  This is the second most over-penetrated Hart family tree segment.  In first place is Picture Perfect Families.  Other family-oriented segments that are over 1.5 times more likely to contain a Hart include Stockcars and State Parks, Family Fun-tastic, and Sports Utility Families.

Baby boomers are well represented too.  Boomers and Boomerangs, a segment consisting of boomer-aged parents who are sharing their home with grown-up children (now that’s true love), are 1.77 times more likely to contain Harts.  Other boomer segments that are overly saturated with Harts include Aging of Aquarius (1.60 times) and Unspoiled Splendor (1.56 times).

Some Members of the Hart Family Tree

Mosaic^® USA is a household-based consumer lifestyle segmentation system which is proprietary to Experian Marketing Solutions, Inc. and that classifies all U.S. households and neighborhoods into 71 unique segments/types which aggregate into 19 overarching groups, providing perspective on consumers’ household demographic composition, choices, preferences and habits to enhance the understanding of households’ lifestyles. The data and insights from this summary report are based on an aggregation of households that are statistically representative of the target audience.  No individual-level data or personally identifiable information has been released, used, or incorporated into the analysis. The data is presented “AS IS” and Experian does not warrant nor guarantee the data or information presented herein.

Who is the primary decision maker in a multigenerational household?

This dynamic can pose a challenge for marketers when developing targeted marketing campaigns.  For example, who is the primary decision maker in a multigenerational household?  Who else within the household has an influence on product purchase decisions?  What are the most effective marketing channels for reaching members of multigenerational households?  How is product consumption different in a multigenerational household compared to more traditional household types?  What new products could be developed that have broad appeal to household members from widely different age ranges?

As an example, some home builders have capitalized on the trend for multigenerational family living by offering models that feature second master bedrooms, kitchenettes, and separate entrances.  Regional factors might also play a role when developing a strategy to meet the needs of multigenerational households.  Specifically, the incidence of multigenerational families within a retail trade area could be an additional factor to consider when making merchandising decisions for a particular store.

Consumer segmentation systems like Experian’s Mosaic USA, help marketers to identify areas of the country most likely to have multigenerational families.  A recent Mosaic analysis focused on specific consumer segments that best represent the most common scenarios leading to the formation of a multigenerational household.  The segments include (1) “Boomers and Boomerangs” (households with a high propensity to contain boomerang adult children), (2) “Generational Soup” (households with a high propensity to contain an elderly parent), and (3) “No Place Like Home” (households with a high propensity to contain either a boomerang child, elderly parent, or both).  The results were summarized within each segment for counties with a population of 75,000 or more.  Here is a detailed breakdown:

Top Counties for “Boomers and Boomerangs” (based on percentage of adult population)

Top Counties for “Generational Soup” (based on percentage of adult population)

Top Counties for “No Place Like Home” (based on percentage of adult population)

Top Counties for Multigenerational Segments Combined (based on percentage of adult population)

One driver behind the increased visits to the Retail 500 is the audience, which over-indexes against the population for the most affluent Mosaic Groups: Power Elite (over-indexes for household incomes of $125k and up), Flourishing Families (over-indexes for household incomes between $75k and $250k), Booming with Confidence (over-indexes for household incomes over $75k), Suburban Style (over-indexes for household incomes of $75k to $175k). These 4 Mosaic Groups represented 28% of the visits to the Retail 500 for the 12 weeks ending October 22, 2011. While there may be anxiety around consumers’ ability to spend during the holidays, purchases from affluent segments may help offset the decreased buying power of those with lower household incomes.