Most research projects have a geographical dimension - be it a geographically defined survey universe, geographical sampling locations or geographical analysis of the results. In this chapter, we show how knowledge of geography may be applied or can provide added value. Geodemographics first developed in the United Kingdom, based on the Census of Population, and the United States, based on the Bureau of the Census. The first part of this chapter, by Barry Leventhal, therefore describes geodemographics and deals with its development and uses within the context of the United Kingdom; the final part, by Jonathan Reynolds, describes how the principles and applications of geodemographics have spread, especially in recent years, to many other countries.
Geodemographics may be described as the applied statistical study of the geographic distribution of population characteristics. The topic of this paper relates specifically to the application of geodemographics classification systems, to marketing questions in general, and to media analysis in particular. By way of further clarification, geodemographics classifications are neighbourhood classifications based on statistics relating to the population characteristics of each residential neighbourhood, derived from comprehensive published and publicly available sources such as census statistics. This paper considers the early development of geodemographics and neighbourhood classifications in Great Britain, where most of the pioneering work took place in respect of marketing applications of such systems. The media and marketing applications of geodemographics that have been developed will be discussed, as well as more recent developments in what has now emerged as a geodemographics industry in Great Britain. The status of the parallel developments of similar systems in a number of European countries will be outlined, as well developments in North America.
Gallup International was commissioned by Hakuhodo Inc., acting on behalf of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, to conduct a survey on the Image of Japan in Europe today. Approximately 1000 people were interviewed by the Gallup affiliates in each of the following five countries: Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. A feature of the survey was the use of standardised demographics across all five countries in order to facilitate comparable analysis for each country.