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Birds of a Feather
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Business New Haven
11/12/2001
By: Susan Cornell
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What you need to realize about “You Are Where You Live” is that, while the Web site (www.yawyl.claritas.com) may not capture the true you, it is an entertaining way of describing one's environs - or that of the person in the next office, your spouse's hometown, or so on. And according to Steve Moore, public relations director for Claritas Inc., the San Diego marketing firm behind the Web site, that's okay.
Claritas uses what it calls PRIZM, a model that classifies families and neighborhoods into one of 62 categories based on census data, consumer surveys and other sources. “PRIZM operates on the principle that 'Birds of a feather flock together,'” the company says on its Web site. “It's a worldwide phenomenon that people with similar cultural backgrounds, needs and perspectives naturally gravitate toward one another. They choose to live in neighborhoods offering affordable advantages and compatible lifestyles.”
Giving the Web site a test-drive, we plugged in the ZIP code for Business New Haven, 06511. This part of New Haven, the results reveal, is mainly populated by the following types of folks:
No. 12 - Upward Bound. These people are described as young upscale, white-collar families, between 35 and 54, professionals with an average annual household income of $62,100. This PRIZM cluster is most likely to be very brand-loyal, buy a new station wagon, have a 401(k) plan, watch The Tonight Show and read Vogue.
No. 32 - Middleburg Managers. These are mid-level, white-collar couples between 35 and 44 and over 65. They are most likely to jog or run, own a laptop computer, have a home equity loan, watch the QVC channel and read PC Magazine.
No. 33 - Boomtown Singles. Middle-income young singles, professional/white collar folks who paint, draw or sculpt, have a safe-deposit box, have a school loan, watch The X-Files and read Rolling Stone.
No. 34 - Starter Families. Young, middle-class families who belong to a book club, are boxing fans, use caller ID, watch Nightline and read Bride's Magazine.
No. 51 - Southside City. African-American service workers who are most likely to be pro wrestling fans, buy gospel music own a Mazda, watch BET, and read GQ.
To corroborate this analysis, we called New Haven City Planner Karen Gilvarg, who says that she has seen many studies using Claritas, PRIZM and similar databases for analysis of things that can be purchased.
“Our 1999 Housing market study used it,” Gilvarg explains. “So did the International Festival of Arts & Ideas' original market study. Though the descriptions are amusing and rather subjective, I think the information is pretty accurate as far as it goes.”
Adds Gilvarg: “In addition to basic census information, I imagine they get a lot information from retailers and credit-card copies. Remember your credit card has your ZIP code on it. Think how many times you've been asked for your ZIP code or telephone number - using a reverse phone book they can quickly get to your address and zip code from your phone number. So they can compile huge databases of what people living in 06511 buy - whether it's in person, online or mail order.”
However, she adds, “Now, think about who gets left out. All cash purchases? No telephone? No address? Certainly any homeless people would probably not figure in their equation. So I think they are very useful databases for purchases, leases and disposable income, but they are not as complete as the census.”
Moore says his company's Web site represents “a thumbnail offering of our signature product called PRIZM. It's promotional access to our descriptions.” The Web site is not for launching a new Starbucks, for example, “but is a smattering of the levels we go to for segmentation. It whets your appetite. Colleges use it in marketing classes for segmentation lessons.
“This is aggregated information,” Moore adds. “You'll have clusters that have nothing to do with where you live. You can't judge it in exact terms. On the whole, you're going to get the kinds of population living there. Purchasing data are generated through survey data, [while information about] who lives there is generated by census data.”
Moore acknowledges there will be users who say, “That's not me at all.” “It's not going to be everybody because the census is inexact. Whenever you rely on people to give you info, it's inexact.”
Can “You Are Where You Live” be used for site selection or launching a new business? “God, no!,” Moore said. “We'd be giving it away for nothing.” Claritas has 20,000 clients, and serves predominately the Fortune 500. Obviously, they're not giving the best stuff out for free.
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