Engagement methods
Community profiling: consumer classification
Community profiling is not confined to the public sector. Commercial organisations have a strong interest in understanding consumers, and to use consumer classifications to identify need, target information, and promote products and services. In the UK, the two leading classification tools are:
Mosaic: www.business-strategies.co.uk
Acorn: www.caci.co.uk
Both tools build on census and other government data, and enhance it with other data from lifestyle surveys, commercial and financial databases, house price and council tax information, and other sources. In addition, both products have created segmentation typologies and detailed descriptors, which provide socio-cultural insights into the behaviours and aspirations of different section of the community. Detailed descriptions of the segmentation typologies can be downloaded from the respective web-sites.
Within the policing sector, there is a growing use of these products. The two key advantages they offer are the additional layers of information, which can be translated into a more insightful understanding of communities, and the ease of use of the data, analysis tools, and mapping tools.
Some public sector organisations feel that the segmentation labels are too focused on marketing objectives, and are therefore not entirely suitable for public sector organisations. In general, however, the underlying data and segmentation methods are seen as valuable.
Customer classification map of the Liverpool 8 areaThe Liverpool 8 area of the city is where the majority of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in Liverpool live. |
Example, taken from User Power - The participation of users in public services, National Consumer Council, 2004
One relatively simple classification model was produced by the National Consumer Council. This model categorises different types of users of public services, and made an assessment of the relative percentages of each type. The study defined five types of participant:
- Habitual participants: these are people who have a culture of participation
- Scrutineers: tend to be interested onlookers rather than very active
- Campaigners: these are organised and very active
- Marginal participants: sporadic and low levels of participation
- Foot soldiers: tend to fundraise and deliver leaflets
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