Understanding customers using Experian Mosaic Segmentation

A briefing on the new Experian UK Mosaic customer profiling

I recently attended the re-launch of Experian’s UK 2014 Mosaic Segmentation. I thought it would be useful to share a summary which I hope will be useful for marketers, who have been working with it and those who are new to what I have found is a fabulous segmentation tool.

If you don't know it, Mosaic is a consumer classification tool that benchmarks the UK population on over 450 data variables. According to Experian,

"Mosaic is our most comprehensive cross-channel consumer classification, built for today’s hyper-connected world. Using new data and analytical methods, organisations get deeper insights on consumer lifestyles and behaviour to help you make more informed marketing decisions".

They go on to explain that they see Mosaic as more than a socio-demographic segmentation and they believe it is even more relevant today than when first created over 30 years ago. By giving marketers a clear picture of who consumers are, where they are and what they want, organisations are able to obtain actionable consumer insight that is focused on the individual, rather than the channel.'

Details about the Mosaic, access to the webinars, the interactive segmentation tool itself and supporting content can be found on the newly launched Experian's microsite.

This summary brochure and Mosaic segmentation guide summarizes the methodology and available insights.

Four developments with Mosaic

In this post I'll cover 4 enhancements to Mosaic.

1. Introduction of updated and enriched 15 Mosaic segments with a total of 66 types as well as added digital consumer behaviour data through a new layer of Hitwise online data that also revealed some new segment characteristics driven by changing digital behaviour.
2. Improved functionality to filter and correlate the data in real time on screen, simplified navigation structure and interactive video for each segment provide a much better usability.
3. Key Consumer Trends were summarized and revealed along with the launch presentations.
4. Changes in access to the Mosaic segmentation tool.

Theme 1.  New Data Quality and Source

The introduction of new data sources has updated the segmentation and increased the granular level of insights within each segment by consumer, household and post code level. The consumer view database comprises of 49 million individual contacts.

The data is consisting of transactional, demographic, psychographic and behavioural data.

To name a few new data sources has been enriched with Tenure & Property data from Rightmove and National Register of Housing and Census 2011, Broadband speeds at post code level from OFCOM and Streetview (Google) for the location detail.

The addition of Hitwise Online Search and Clickstream data has massively extended the data set around online behaviour, attitudes, device adoption and channel preferences have been specifically researched and added to the mosaic insights.

The capability of correlation was previously available on individual request, but not part of the Mosaic self service segmentation platform. A white paper about the new cross channel segmentation capability can be requested by signing up with contact details and provides more detail.

Key Take Aways: For very specific consumer segments we can now analyse from one set of data. What they do online, what visitors a company has and how they think, in which channels they can best be reached.

Theme 2. New Data Presentation and User Support

• Multiple filter and correlation options that can allow the user to model the details of a mosaic segment or type in real time provide an instant view.

A new Compare function lets the user look at all segments in one view and compare their concentration for each dimension.

• The Family Tree view of segments and types and their concentration within each Mosaic group is an interesting new view of the mosaic and can be filtered by multiple insight dimensions.
• Overall the navigation and filter panel has been simplified with clearer structured filter options, which makes it easier to find and drill down on a specific data points for a segment group or type or for all segments within a post code.

The geographic concentration map has been upgraded  and is now supported by a Google Street View plug in.

• An embedded video summary of each segment creates a more interactive feel and summarizes the key facts for each segment. The video is streamed in from YouTube also includes Social Share buttons for Twitter, Facebook and Google +, which can be seen when taking the full screen view. The summary videos for each Mosaic segment can be viewed online in the Experian Resource Centre.

Here is an example video for Segment B - Prestige Positions

Key Takeaways: All in all this is a very user-friendly self service segmentation platform hosting the probably richest data set in the market. And for all that requires an expert to help, there is a dedicated product and account management team to help with access, training and generation of specific customized insights.

Theme 3:  Key Consumer Trends

Key trends across the UK population have been summarized in the UK Mosaic Infographic.

• Changing shopping behaviour

The Discount Shopper and the rise of Middle Britain - this audience is embracing online discount offers to a tremendous extend. This is most visible through the growth of online pound shops, social shopping sites as well as the ever so popular voucher and cash back sites. Through overlaying Hitwise online traffic data with Experian Mosaic profiles the Experian team has found concentrations in 3 segment types within the Middle Britain cluster, that enable businesses in this field to specifically target them. More in this blog post from Danny Thompson - Product Marketing Manager, Data and Analytics, Experian Marketing Services.

• Where and how we live

Rising renting and delayed purchase: How renting has become more important and diverse, share of renting population is growing and specifically concentrated in young and upcoming segment types that have not left home yet or cannot afford an own place, so share a rented property or rent alone in low cost housing.

Segmented city: How our cities have divided into widely differing neighbourhoods. 3 mosaic types, who could not be more different, are found living in cities and large urban areas which makes them a distinct target for specific products and services, these are Type A01 World Class Wealth, UniLand and Nurbs - New Urban Settlers.

Spreading suburbs: The suburb has spread all the way out to remote rural areas. As a contrast to the urban concentration there is also a new segment of Ruburbs, who stretching out across large areas that are not quite urban and nor suburb, but right in between.

Ranging retirement: Retirement increasingly means differing things to different people. Here we have a new trend of retires who don’t go to the sea-side resort or off shore properties, but instead settle in historic market towns with flair and culture - the Smarties – Senior Market Town Retirees.

Further details for each of the new trend segments can be found in this Whitepaper, which can be requested by signing up with contact details.

Key Take Away: The Mosaic department of data and correlation across dimensions allows to identify and describe larger changes in consumer socio-demographic and psychographic structure and behavioural changes and enables to anticipate trends.

Theme 4:  How to get access

Marketers can get access to the new 2014 Mosaic portal via registration and are now required to have personal log in details.  Marketers/companies, who have an account managed relationship with Experian can request log in details from their account manager for a 14-day-trial account (set up within a day) and have access to all segments, views and filter/correlation dimensions. Longer term access has to be requested thereafter, presumably at a cost.

Source: Experian Mosaic UK

The old 2009 Mosaic portal is still available to access upon company registration, without a personal log in.

Thanks to Andrea Leupold for sharing her thoughts and opinions in this blog post. Andrea is the Owner and Lead Consultant at dots and letters marketing consulting based in Kent. She is passionate about customer-driven marketing strategies and an advocate of digital experience excellence. Prior to starting her consultancy career she worked for more than 13 years in business development and product marketing, most recently as EMEA Marketing Manager for Prepaid Cards at a global  Travel and Financial Services provider. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter @AndreaLeupold.