Market Segmentation

Introduction

This page provides frequently asked questions on the Sport England Sports Market Segmentation web tool. This help section is split into four parts:

• ‘How do I…?’ tips to answer common questions and basic help using the tool
• Background information about the 19 segments
• Detailed information about the maps, sports groups and other technical information
• Troubleshooting

If you cannot find the answer to these questions on this page or these guides, then please get in touch with us at activeliveshelp@sportengland.org. You can contact us:

• to report technical issues or problems
• with your comments and feedback on how to make the site better
• if you would like to take part in surveys to help shape future enhancements of the site

Please note that Sport England cannot undertake research and analysis on your behalf. Please also note that sometimes you may find results on the web tool that are counter intuitive or do not provide the detail that you would like. In some cases there may be errors on the site, in which case we want to know about them and will endeavour to put them right, or in other cases it may be that we do not have sufficient data to provide an accurate picture at a very local level.

This tool is based on a modelled dataset, which shows the likelihood of different sections of the adult population to display certain characteristics and should not be taken as an exact measure or reflection of things ‘as they really are’. The segmentation data and the web tool should not be the sole basis for investment or strategic decisions and should be used in conjunction with your own local intelligence and market knowledge.

How do I? Common questions and basic help using the tool

Which is the dominant segment in my area (local authority, region, etc)?

From the ‘segments’ page, click the box that says ‘dominant segments’. Once selected, the box will have an orange border. Next choose your area of interest from the location options at the bottom of the screen (local authority, region, or county sport partnership) and click ‘search’. This will create map, chart and table outputs. By default you will be presented with a map of your selected area with different colour shading overlaid to show the dominant segment for that section of your area. Click ‘view bar chart’ to see a population profile. Click ‘view tabular data’ for a simple count summary showing the estimated population within each segment in that area.

How can I look at the catchment area of a sports facility or location?

Each search page (segments, sports and characteristics) includes a ‘set location / area of interest’ option. Once the segment, sport or characteristic option has been defined the area of interest can be set. On entering a sport facility name, which searches the Active Places facility database, a ‘catchment area radius’ option will automatically appear. Set the distance (for example 5km). Alternatively, enter the full unit postcode of your facility (for example OX1 2EP). Only if a full unit postcode has been entered will the catchment area radius option appear. Enter a distance value, click ‘search’ and you will see a map with your catchment area marked. If you want to change the size of the catchment then click on ‘Refine search’ (in the map view) and select from there.

I want to target a particular segment, how can I find where they are likely to live?

From the ‘segments’ page, choose the segment you want to target by clicking on it (once selected, the box will have an orange border), and select the location that you are interested in from the options at the bottom of the screen. Click on ‘search’ and you will be presented with a map of your selected location, shaded to show areas where the chosen segment is more densely concentrated. If you choose the chart or table, you will see the estimated number of that segment within your selected geography.

I am interested in two or three segments combined, how can I find out more?

From the ‘segments’ page, choose the segments you want to target by clicking on them (once selected the boxes will have an orange border). To deselect a segment simply click on a selected segment and the orange border will disappear. Click on ‘search’ and you will be presented with a map of your selected location The map will show the combined density of the two or three selected segments For example if you have chosen ‘Brenda’ and ‘Norma’, the percentages shown on the map will be of those two segments combined (and will be higher than if you had chosen just one segment). The charts and tables will show the estimated numbers of your selected segments separately.

How can I find out which segments are most likely to play a particular sport?

From the ‘sports’ page, select the sport you are interested in from the drop down lists. You can either choose:

• Individual sport - which broadly match Sport England’s funded sports (with some exceptions)
• Groups of sports - which tend to be unfunded sports or individual sports where the results are too small to be reported individually (so they have been grouped together)
• Types of sports - which are based on where the sport is typically played, whether the sport is played in teams or groups, and the playing environment. These types include the sports within the previous two sections (i.e. football will be included in ‘team sports’ and ‘outdoor pitch’)

The titles should be self-explanatory, although there is further detail on what is included in the ‘detailed information’ section

Once you have selected the sport or sports you are interested in, select the geographical area you want and click ‘search’. The map will show your chosen location, shaded to show the density of the population which plays that sport. This is calculated by combing the results for all the segments in an area, so if an area has a higher number of segments that are likely to play a particular sport, then the shading will indicate a higher density. The charts and tables will show the results for your area broken down by segment.

Please note that for sports and characteristics searches, the map output may show a single colour across all areas with no variation. This may be because the number of people playing that sport on a national scale is relatively low, or because there is little difference between participation in that sport across geographical areas, or between segments. In this case the chart and table will be useful as they will show the difference in participation in that sport between the segments.

How can I find out which segments are most likely to play a particular sport at the national level?

From the ‘sports’ page, choose England as the geographic area. The map produced will be less detailed, but the charts and tables will allow you to determine the segments that currently play, or would like to play, that sport.

How can I find out which segments would like to play a sport?

The web tool also includes information on ‘latent demand’ from our Active People Survey. Latent demand is based on all respondents who would like to play more sport, and asks these people which one sport they would like to play more of. From the ‘sports’ page, select the sport or groups of sports that you are interested in, but click the button that says ‘would like to play’ rather than ‘currently play’, then click on ‘search’ to display your results.

How can I find out further detail about the characteristics of my catchment area, for instance motivations and barriers, age etc?

On the ‘characteristics’ page you can select a range of other characteristics, such as age, gender, ethnic origin, sports behaviour (e.g. participation levels, sports volunteering, sports club membership), motivations and barriers (‘reasons for doing less sport’). Once you have selected the characteristics you wish to view, choose the geographic location click on ‘search’. The map displayed will show the prevalence (density) of that characteristic across the geographical area selected. The charts and tables will show the results for the selected geographical area by segment.

I know which segment(s) I want to target, how can I find out more?

On the ‘segments’ page, position your mouse over the word ‘profile’ in the top right-hand corner of the segment you are interested in. A box will appear listing further details about that segment including the relevant ‘full profile’ pdf document. This provides a more detailed overview of each segment including alternative names, the sports they are most likely to play, motivations and barriers and ideas for how to reach them.

I have completed my search but want to change the segment or geography

From the map page, click the ‘Refine search’ button above the map and amend your search from there. Alternatively, click ‘segments’ to go back.

I don’t just want to see the map, I want to see the underlying data

From a map output page , click on the ‘chart’ or ‘table’ buttons underneath the map to switch between map, table and chart view. Please note that the chart and table show the estimated population showing that characteristic in the selected area and not percentages.

How can I change the way I see the map?

You can zoom in and out or scroll north, south, east and west, using the bar at the top left-hand corner of the map. Or, position your mouse on the map and click, hold and drag the map in the direction you wish. If you want to change the way the map looks, click ‘Display options’ above the map. Here you may change the way you view the map output, by:

• Turning the catchment highlight on or off (i.e. to show or hide the red boundary line around your geographical selection)
• Selecting boundary overlays (i.e. to show or hide Local Authority or County Sport Partnership boundaries)
• Choosing to show or hide Active Places facilities on the map from the box called ‘sports facilities’
• Showing the shading as polygons or pixels. Polygons are coloured geographical area boundaries over the map, whereas pixels show a ‘hotspot’ output, (see ‘detailed information’ section for more detail). Note, pixels cannot be chosen for dominant segment maps.
• Adjusting the polygon scheme to Census or Postal geographies (the types of geographical areas shown within your catchment)
• Changing the way the map appears (‘off’ will just show the shading, ‘50%’ will show a lighter map, ‘100%’ is the default and will show a solid map).

When I hover over the map I see some text, what does it mean?

After performing a search and displaying the map, hovering over different parts of the map will display a box in the bottom right-hand corner, showing the geographical area ) and the percentage score for that location. This provides a more detailed value than indicated by the map legend, and displays the differences between areas. The hover information also appears for sport facility sites, if they have been set to display on the map.

What do the colours mean?

There are two types of shading used in the maps:

• Dominant segment shading – where we have used a consistent colour for each one of the 19 segments (i.e. ‘Tim’ (segment 6) is shaded yellow)
• Population shading (for both polygon and pixel options) – where colours are used to show where a segment or characteristic is more or less concentrated. For polygon outputs colours range from red for the highest concentration through to purple and finally black for the lowest concentration. For pixel outputs colours range from white for low concentration through to blue and purple of high concentration.

The legend on the left hand side shows the colours used.

What does the legend mean?

The legend usually shows:

• Details of the current search that you have performed
• An explanation of the colours you are viewing
• The geographical area that you are looking at (defined as the ‘catchment area’)

Note: some of these may be altered using the ‘Display options’ button above the map.

How do I print?

Click on the print icon at the top right hand corner of the page. The print layout is landscape with the legend on the left-hand side of the map window. However, your default printer settings are likely to be configured for portrait printing. You therefore may get better results if you check your local printing preferences and choose landscape layout. If you cannot print on one page, use the ‘Export results’ option (see below) to save an image which can then be imported to PowerPoint, Word or another application.

How do I export a map, chart or tabular data?

Click on the ‘Export results’ button at the top right-hand corner of the page. You will then have the option to select either the map, table or chart to export. Click on the option you want, which will then open in a new window. The map and chart are exported as ‘png’ image files which can be imported into other applications (PowerPoint, Word etc). Tables are exported as ‘csv’ files which can be saved in Excel.

How can I access raw data?

Click on the ‘raw data’ heading at the top of the screen, and follow the steps provided to access wizard tables, index tables or raw data to use in your own systems. After selecting your chosen ‘raw data’ and submitting your e-mail address you will be sent an e-mail with a link to download the data. Please note the terms of use and copyright information relating to these. This link will expire after one day. There is no limit on the number of ‘raw data’ requests that can be made.

About the 19 segments

How were the segments created?

The segments were created by Experian, using their own population, demographic and other indicators, as well as ‘Active People Survey’ data, ‘Satisfaction with the Quality of the Sporting Experience’ survey data and ‘Taking Part’ survey data. They employed a process to analyse this data and to identify groupings that exist in the population according to sport and active recreation behaviour and attitudes.

Each of these population groupings or segments has an average value for each of the key sporting variables. Households are assigned to one of these groupings or segments according to how close it is mathematically to these average values.

What method did Experian use to make the segments?

A proprietary technique known as Mosaic-Pixel grid (MPG) methodology was used to create the original propensity models. This technique has been successfully employed by Experian for many years and on hundreds of other person-level segmentations, and is based on the principal that within tightly defined lifestyle and lifestage groups people do display similar traits. Mosaic identifies the postcode-based socio-demographics whilst Pixel is a person level combination of key variables for over 40,000,000 adults across England, which makes you different and unique to your partner, spouse, children and neighbours. A number of key variables were identified and used including Age, Gender and marital and employment status.

For the refresh project the original MPG was reapplied to the adult population of England to check that the segmentation was still valid. This then allowed for respondents to the most recent Taking Part, Active People and Satisfaction surveys to be assigned a Sport England segment code. From these surveys updated and new indices were created for each segment to reflect their individual sporting preferences and behaviours. The active people survey was the largest with 164,597 records successfully coded with a Sport England segment and so the majority of the refreshed variables are derived from these responses.

How accurate are the segments?

The concept of “accuracy” is inappropriate when assessing these segments. If, for example, you are interested in looking at 18-24 year old men, then raw demographic data will outperform a segmentation tool. However if one wanted to look at 18-24 year old men who are more likely to play rugby union and have access to the internet, the segments can tell you the postcodes where they are more likely to live. Moreover the analysis includes other information about these people such as shopping patterns or readership that can be invaluable in finding the most effective way to communicate with this group.

It is more appropriate to assess the segments in terms of “performance” and not accuracy, i.e. how much more effective will our investment be in achieving our business objective of increasing participation in sport by using these segments compared to not using them? The segments have the potential to lead to more sophisticated targeted approaches.

Are all the segments the same size?

No – the segments represent different proportions of the adult population.

Isn’t this just stereotyping people?

We recognise that people are unique but research shows that people with similar lifestyles, social and personal characteristics are more likely to have similar attitudes towards sport and active recreation. This allows us to group people into these segments. If we did not group people together in this way we would, in the most extreme case, need to provide bespoke interventions for all 40 million adults in England. This is not a realistic or effective business strategy.

If you look at all 19 segments there will probably be one which better reflects you or your target group more than any other. You or your target group won’t necessarily have all of the attributes of that segment, but there will be many attributes that you or your can target group do relate to.

You just said that each person is unique, so how can the segments be used to help target individuals and increase their participation?

While not every individual within the segment will have all the attributes of that segment, they will have more characteristics of that segment than any other. The pen portraits each outline “typical segment member(s)” purely hypothetical examples to which individual cases will relate to varying degrees. For example, not all ‘Chloes’ will go to the gym or respond to a gym campaign, but you are more likely to be successful in changing the behaviour of Chloes if you offer her this sport than if you offer her football, where they have a very low index. The market segments are about probabilities, not an exact science. The pen portraits are not intended to bear a relation to any living person, and any resemblance is coincidental.

How were the pen portraits created?

The pen portraits were designed to help users understand the essence of each of the 19 Sport England segments. Each portrait highlights the key factors which makes each segments distinctive and which would be useful when devising communication or strategies targeted at them. These are necessarily interpretive descriptions that are intended to highlight key characteristics rather than be comprehensive.

How were the segment names chosen?

Each postcode in England has been assigned a segment. Experian Business Strategies matched the postcodes and segments to the electoral roll providing a list of names. The segment name was taken from one of the top five forenames for each segment according to the electoral roll. We have also included alternative names for the segments, to broaden the relevance of the segments and to include names from a range of diverse backgrounds. The names attached to the segments help make them more memorable and to bring the segments to life. The strap line for each segment is a quick summary of some of the key characteristics of each segment.

Do the segments change from place to place?

No – the segments remain the same at all geographic locations. What changes is the proportion of segments within any geographic area (i.e. the segment profile for an area). It is always useful to compare your area to another area, such as another local authority, a region, a County Sports Partnership or to the national picture. This allows you to gain an understanding of how similar or different your area is to others and what these differences are.

Why do the segments not look at young people aged below sixteen?

The segmentation model is based on Active People Survey data and Taking Part survey data. Both of these surveys only collect data from respondents aged sixteen and over. Therefore the under sixteens are not included in the segment profile.

Why do the segments not cover sixteen and seventeen year olds – aren’t they covered by the Active People Survey?

This is because Experian Business Strategies does not collect data on this age group. Therefore it was not possible to build segments for this age group as the additional information was not available.

How have you addressed hard to reach groups?

In the 2010 refresh we have tried to address this issue and have included more detail about ethnic origin (using Experian’s origins database) for a range of origin groups that have been developed in consultation with Sporting Equals. Please note that Experian’s ‘origins’ analysis is based on forenames only and so may not be as accurate as information from National Statistics data. We have also included alternative names that are relevant to the origins of each segment, which are included in the pen portraits. We have not changed the original 19 main names to maintain consistency with the original work. Within the pen portraits we have included information on the proportion of each segment with a limiting disability.

Detailed information about the maps, sports groups and other technical information

Which surveys and data contributed to the creation of the segments?

The segments were created by Experian using their proprietary tools and modelling. Sport England provided the sporting data that was overlaid onto the 19 segments using:

• Active People Survey for the 12 months to April 2010
• Satisfaction with the Quality of the Sporting Experience survey 2010
• DCMS/Sport England Taking Part Survey 2010 and 2006 (for motivations and barriers information)

Due to small survey sizes we combined results for APS1 with the April 2009 to April 2010 results for the following sports:

• Angling
• Baseball
• Rounders
• Rugby League and Union
• Volleyball

What sports disciplines are included in the list of sports on the sports search page?

• Angling: fishing, fishing – sea, wheelchair sports – fishing
• Archery: archery, wheelchair sports – archery
• Athletics: athletics – field, athletics – track, running – track, jogging, running - cross country / beach, running – road, running - ultra marathon
• Badminton
• Baseball and softball
• Basketball
• Bowls: bowls - crown green, bowls - flat green outdoor, bowls - flat green indoor, bowls - short mat, bowls – carpet
• Canoeing: canoeing, kayaking, kayaking – whitewater, canoe polo
• Cricket: cricket (outdoors) – match, cricket (indoors) – match, cricket (outdoor) - nets / practice, cricket (indoors) - nets / practice, cricket – other
• Cycling: bmx, cyclo-cross, mountain biking, cycling, recreational cycling
• Dance exercise: movement and dance
• Equestrian: horse riding, horse riding – dressage, horse riding - pony trekking, horse riding - show jumping, horse riding - three day eventing, polocrosse, trotting
• Football: football (indoors) – small sided (e.g. 5-a-side), football (outdoors) – small sided (e.g. 5-a-side), football (indoors) – other, football (outdoors) – 11-a-side, football (outdoors) – other
• Golf: golf / pitch and putt / putting
• Gymnastics and trampolining
• Hockey: hockey – field
• Mountaineering; climbing – indoor, climbing – rock, mountaineering, mountaineering - high altitude, hill trekking, walking - hill walking, bouldering, mountain walking (uk), climbing – solo, climbing – sport
• Netball
• Rounders
• Rowing
• Rugby league: league - 13 a side game, rugby league - tag rugby, rugby league - touch rugby, rugby league – other
• Rugby union: rugby union - 15 a side game, rugby union – sevens, rugby union - tag rugby, rugby union - touch rugby, rugby union – other
• Sailing: windsurfing or boardsailing, jet ski-ing, sailing – dinghy racing (inc. Multihull), sailing – dinghy cruising (inc. Multihull), sailing – keelboat racing, sailing – keelboat cruising, sailing – yacht racing (inc. Multihull), sailing – yacht cruising (inc. Multihull)
• Shooting: shooting, shooting - air rifle, shooting - clay pigeon, shooting - pistol
• Snowsport skiing, ski-ing - barefoot snow, ski-ing – extreme, ski-ing – free, ski-ing - grass or dry ski slope, ski-ing – mono, ski-ing – parachute, ski-ing – ribbing, ski-ing – speed, snowboarding
• Squash and racketball
• Swimming: swimming - deep water, swimming - open water, swimming / diving (outdoors), diving - deep water / free, swimming / diving (indoors), water polo
• Table tennis: table tennis and wheelchair sports - table tennis
• Volleyball: outdoors and indoors
• Weightlifting: weightlifting (olympic) - snatch / clean & jerk, powerlifting, paralympic - bench press, weight training (free weights) - for specific sport

Which sports are included in the ‘groups of sports’?

At a high level, the groups comprise the following, while there is more detail in the paragraphs further below:

• Keep fit and gym group (includes aerobics, yoga, classes, exercise machines, skipping, weight training)
• Motor sports group (includes go karting, motor racing, motorcycling, rallying, speedway)
• Martial arts/combat sports group (includes judo, taekwondo, fencing, ju-jitsu, tai chi)
• Other water sports group (includes surfing, sub aqua, paragliding, underwater hockey, dragon boat racing, kite surfing,)
• Rollersports group (includes roller hockey, roller blading, skateboarding, in-line skating)
• Winter sports group (includes skiing and snowboarding, biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, luge, tobogganing)

Keep fit and gym: aerobics, aquafit / aquacise / aqua aerobics, body attack, body balance, body combat / cardio kick, body jam, body pump, body step, body vive, boxercise, pilates, yoga, gym, body building, conditioning activities / circuit training, cross training, exercise (floor/standing/at home/flexibility classes), exercise bike / spinning class, exercise machine / running machine / treadmill, health and fitness, keep fit / keep fit / sit ups, powerlifting, powerlifting - special Olympians, rowing machine / indoor rowing, skipping, step machine, weight training (resistance machines) - for specific sport, weight training (free weights) - general fitness, weight training (resistance machines) - general fitness

Motor sports: auto cross, autotest, drag racing, go karting, karting, motor racing, motor sprints, motorcycling - drag/sprint, motorcycling – enduro, motorcycling – motocross, motorcycling - off road, motorcycling – rallying, motorcycling - sidecar racing, motorcycling - super moto, motorcycling - track racing, motorcycling - trail riding, motorcycling - trials riding, rally cross, rallying, road racing (motors), speedway

Martial arts/combat: aikaido, ju-jitsu, karate, kendo, martial arts, martial arts – Chinese, sombo, tai chi, tang soo do, wrestling

Other watersports: body boarding, dragon boat racing, hockey – underwater, kite surfing, life saving, octopush, paragliding, rafting, snorkelling, sub aqua / scuba diving / scuba diving, surf life saving, surfing

Rollersport: hockey – roller, roller blading / roller skating, skateboarding, skating - in-line

Winter sports: biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, hockey – ice, ice skating, luge, ski flying, tobogganing

Which sports are included within the different environments?

Sports hall environment (including pool): badminton, basketball, boccia, bowls, cricket (indoor), fencing, indoor football, gymnastics/trampolining, handball, judo, modern pentathlon, dance exercise, netball, squash/racketball, table tennis, taekwondo, indoor volleyball, weightlifting, wheelchair basketball, wrestling, keep fit and gym group, martial arts/combat sports, underwater hockey, life saving

Water: angling, canoeing/kayaking, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing, swimming, triathlon, waterskiing, other water sports (group)

Non specific: athletics, cycling, mountaineering, orienteering, triathlon, motor sports, winter sports, rollersports

Outdoor pitch: baseball/softball, boccia, bowls, cricket, football (outdoors)

Specialised: archery, wheelchair archery, track and field, boxing, equestrian (horse riding - dressage, horse riding - pony trekking, horse riding - show jumping, horse riding - three day eventing, polocrosse, trotting), golf, modern pentathlon, shooting, skiing/snowboarding, motor sports, other winter sports, roller sports

Tell me more about the sporting behaviour characteristics

These are taken from our Active People Survey (12 months to April 2010):

• At least once a month participation in sport (30 minute, moderate intensity)
• At least once a week participation in sport (30 minute, moderate intensity)
• At least 3 sessions of sport per week (30 minute, moderate intensity, used for Sport England’s 'one' million indicator)
• Adult participation in sport and active recreation (NI8)
• At least 3 sessions of sport or physical activity per week (known as KPI1)
• At least 5 sessions of sport or physical activity per week
• Volunteering - any in the past 4 weeks
• Club member to play sport (KPI3)
• Received coaching in the past year (KPI4)
• Taken part in competition in the past year (KPI5)

What is the “Sport Facility” dataset used within the website?

The website uses Sport England’s Active Places sport facility database. The database currently contains site (i.e. venue) and facility (i.e. pool, sports halls etc) data.

There are currently 40,000 sites and 64,000 facilities in the database. The full list of facility types held on the database is as follows:

• Athletics Tracks
• Golf Courses (including driving ranges)
• Grass Pitches
• Health & Fitness
• Ice Rinks
• Indoor Bowls
• Indoor Tennis
• Ski Slopes
• Sports Halls
• Swimming Pools
• Synthetic Turf Pitches

Each site can be used for a Location Search whilst individual facility types can be set to display on the map through map ‘Display options’. Note, multiple facilities are those with more than one will contain one or more facilities.

This dataset is currently a snapshot from August 2010.

What is the difference between a polygon and pixel map results?

A ‘polygon’ map will show a set value for each geographic boundary within a dataset. For example, the percentage of Bens per Local Authority. These values are grouped according to the legend classification to show areas of higher or lower concentration.

The ‘pixel’ output shows a pattern of distribution that is not constrained by set geographic boundaries. The pixel output may also be known as a density surface, hotspot or heatmap. The density surface indicates the approximate density of people matching the query at each pixel location, with colour shading within a continuous range showing its relative position in a high to low density range.

Note, the pixel maps will be heavily influenced by areas of high population concentration.

Tell me more about the Census and Postcode geography Polygon Schemes

Census geographies have been designed by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to improve the reporting of small area statistics in England and Wales. They are known as Super Output Areas (SOAs) and were developed as an alternative to Wards for calculating small area statistics. Unlike Wards and Postcode geographies, all SOA represent a similar number of people allowing for comparability across smaller geographic areas. The SOA layers form a hierarchy based on aggregations of Output Areas (OAs), as below:

SOA and OA level	Minimum population	Mean population	Households	Constrained by	Number of records in England and Wales
OA	100	300	80	LSOA	~175,000
Lower SOA	1000	1500	400	Local Authority Wards	32,482 in England 1896 in Wales
Middle SOA	5000	7200	2000	Local Authority Boundaries	6,780 in England 413 in Wales

Postcode geographies have been designed by the Royal Mail a UK-wide system to identify postal delivery areas. There are approximately 1.7 million postcode units in England, Scotland and Wales with each acting as a unique reference to identify an average of 15 addresses. In some cases, where an address receives a substantial amount of mail, a postcode will apply to only one address (a large user postcode). The maximum number of addresses in a postcode is 100. The following table lists the four hierarchically structured geographic units of the postcode:

Postcode level	Posstcode example	Number of records in the UK (approx.)
Postcode Area	KY	125
Postcode District	KY12	3,000
Postcode Sector	KY12 8	11,500
Postcode Unit	KY12 8UP	1,780,500

What is the source and currency of the reference datasets?

The table below outlines the reference datasets used and how recent each one is. All reference datasets bar the Ordnance Survey basemaps will remain static.

Dataset	Used for	Data source	Data currency
MarkerMap	Postcode Unit, Sector and District aggregations within the web tool	Landmark Information Group and Dotted Eyes	March 2010
Code-Point® Open	Raw data download of segmentation population counts at unit postcode	Ordnance Survey	August 2010
Boundary-Line™	Local Authority, derived County Sport Partnership boundaries and raw data download	Ordnance Survey	August 2010
2001 Census Output Area geographies	Output Area, LSOA and MSOA aggregations within the web tool and raw data download	Office of National Statistics	2001
Ordnance Survey basemap	Contextual maps for web mapping interface	Ordnance Survey (OpenSpace API)	2010

What contextual map data is used within the mapping interface?

The market segmentation interactive mapping tool uses the Ordnance Survey’s OpenSpace API. This uses a range of Ordnance Survey raster map data each of which displays at set zoom levels:

• Great Britain overview
• MiniScale®
• 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster
• 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster

For more information see the OpenSpaces website.

Note that the export functionality uses versions of these maps obtained either under the OpenData licence or the Pan-Government Agreement.

What are County Sports Partnership areas?

There are 49 County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) covering England representing local networks of:

• Local Authorities
• National Governing Bodies (NGBs) for sport
• Clubs
• Schools and School Sport Partnerships
• Primary care trusts

The also include other local agencies committed to working together to increase participation in sport and physical activity. CSPs are led by a central team of people whose job it is to provide leadership and co-ordination of the network.

For more information see - http://www.cspnetwork.org

Are there restrictions on the use of raw data?

Raw market segmentation data can be used free of charge for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. When using the data Sport England and Experian should be acknowledged with a simple statement such as the following:

“Sport Market Segmentation Source: Sport England and Experian Ltd (2010)”

Market segmentation raw data contains derived OS OpenData. Therefore, the OS OpenData licence, which corresponds to the terms used for data available from www.data.gov.uk, should also be adhered to. The OS OpenData licence allows the full reuse of the data for commercial and non-commercial use without restriction. Please use the following acknowledgement when making use of market segmentation data at the ONS Census geographies and County Sports Partnership (CSP) level:

“Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database rights 2011.”

Market Segmentation data at the unit postcode level includes use of Code-Point® Open data, and so the following additional attribution statement also applies:

“Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2010.”

To read the full licence terms see the OpenData licence.

What participation data is used to estimate numbers of those who ‘currently play’ and ‘would like to play’ a particular sport?

When you search by sport, you are asked to choose whether you are interested in people who currently or would like to play the sport(s) that you have selected. If you select ‘currently play’, the results shown relate to all those who have played that sport at least once in the past month (moderate intensity and over 30 mins?). This data is taken from the Active People Survey for the 12 months to April 2010.

If you select ‘would like to play’ the results are based on the ‘latent demand&rsquo question contained within the Active People Survey, which asks whether people would like to do more sport. Of those who answer ‘yes’ to this question (roughly 50%), these are then asked which one sport they would like to do more of. The answers given to this part of the latent demand question have been used to estimate the latent demand for particular sports, within the market segmentation web tool. Please note that people who say they would like to do more of a certain sport, could already be playing that sport, but want to do more of it. They can only choose one sport that they would like to do more of, so the ‘would like to play’ values tend to be lower than ‘currently play’.

I want to know more about the marketing information in the pen portraits

Each pen portrait contains a page titled ‘how to reach...’. This contains ideas and suggestions about how to best market to and reach a particular segment.

‘Most responsive to...’ is to do with how well a segment recalls advertising and how likely they are to respond to an advert when they see it in a certain place. For example, a segment may be most likely to respond to adverts that they watch on the television.

Preferred Information Channel - this is the ways that people like to receive information; the way in which they prefer organisations and companies to contact them and send them information. For example, a segment may prefer to receive information via SMS Text.

Preferred Service Channel - this is the type of media the segment is most likely to use to find out information, to communicate and interact with others, to access service and so on. Social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook are included within the ‘internet’ category.

Decision Styles

Accepting - will take things at face value and is open to advice and opinions of other people

Adamant - has set ideas on what they like based on first-hand experience or trusted opinions from friends and family

Experimental - open to new ideas and offers if they are presented in an original and entertaining way

Perfectionist - will base decisions on value and expert opinion

Inquiring - will make decisions that are based on research from either first or second-hand sources

Intuitive - prefers simple but straightforward messages and doesn’t like to be overwhelmed by facts and figures

How does the market segmentation data compare to Active People Survey results? Why are there some discrepancies between the two?

The Active People Survey is Sport England’s main measure of sports participation and the market segmentation data and tool should not be used in place of this. The market segmentation is based on a modelled dataset and therefore will tell us about people’s likelihood or propensity to play certain sports. For example, market segmentation tells us that a certain percentage of Bens play football nationally, and we can also estimate the number of Bens in a local area. In this way, we are able to estimate local participation numbers in football by this segment. By adding up the different segments and their propensity to play football, we can also estimate potential demand in an area from all 19 segments combined.

You will find that Active People Survey results differ from the national market segment participation estimates for individual sports. There are three main reasons for this: firstly because Experian were not able to allocate locational data to all Active People Survey responses, as not all APS respondents provided postcodes. Therefore those respondents who did not provide postcode data are not included in market segmentation. Secondly, for some sports the number of participants picked up by the 2010 Active People Survey was not sufficient to create meaningful market segmentation data. In these cases, responses from APS1 were added to APS3/4 in order to boost the numbers of participants. Thirdly, within market segmentation all the segments have national characteristics, so for example Ben has the same propensity to take part in sailing or rugby league no matter where he lives. However, we know that proximity to facilities, or the local popularity of certain sports, are also important factors influencing participation levels in a sport, but we were not able to incorporate these factors into the segmentation tool.

We recommend that NGBs and those working on particular sports use the segmentation data to identify the most relevant segments to work with and to estimate relative demand in a certain area, for example in a local authority or catchment, the distribution of the segments is likely to make certain places more attractive than others. The tool enables you to estimate current propensity to play a certain sport, or demand for a certain sport (based on the latent demand question in APS), but you should not use this as a definite number of participants. Market segmentation results should not be a substitute for the Active People Survey results, and you should always use these estimates of demand for sport with caution and informed by your own intelligence.

How is Sport Market Segmentation different from other segmentation datasets such as MOSAIC?

Sport England's Sport Market Segmentation focuses specifically on grouping the adult population into defined segments based upon their sporting attitudes and behaviours. No other segmentation data has used the Active People, Taking Part and Sports Satisfaction survey's as inputs to their segmentation therefore other products are not able to offer the same level of detail when segmenting a population based on sport participation.

Sports Market Segmentation defines many different characteristics of the segments including several of those defined within MOSAIC. However, it will not be as wide ranging as other segment products, which therefore could be used in conjunction with the Sports Market Segments to understand other characteristics of the population. One of the key linkages between these different segments products will be the geographic location of the area of interest.

MOSAIC categories are applied to the index table available from the raw data page.

Troubleshooting

Why does it take a long time to load and draw the maps?

Unfortunately some web-browsers, particularly older ones, were not designed with sites like this one in mind and therefore you may experience noticable delays in during the drawing of the polygons on the maps. This will be a greater problem if you are running the browser on a slow computer or are viewing areas containing many detailed region boundaries, such as London.

Action that may help with performance include:

• Ensure your computer is not busy performing other demanding tasks
• Use an alternative web-browser if you you have one installed on your computer
• Upgrade to a more modern web-browser

Note that the pixel-based map results available via the ‘Display options’ button above the map generally draw much faster than the polygon-based map results.

If you are using a modern web-browser and are experiencing performance problems, please let us know, outlining the issue and the version of the web-browser that you are using.

Why is my map result shaded all the same colour?

For some ‘sport’ and ‘characteristic’ searches, the maps may show little difference between the segments (i.e. the shading on the map will be all the same colour). This could be because the proportions of each segment having that characteristic are relatively low (for instance sports with low levels of participation), or because there is little difference between the various segments’ propensity to do a certain sport. In these cases the interactive 'hover' feature may be of use, as well as the charts and tables.

Also if you select a large number of segments (e.g. clicking on all 19 in the ‘segment’ search page) you will get a result that shows the whole adult population, which will show a high percentage and shading all one colour. If you look at the chart and tables, you will see the breakdown by segment which should be useful here.

I can’t find a London borough?

These are preceded by ‘London’ in the search.

I can’t select a segment?

You have selected a segment if the border is orange. Click once to select, click again to deselect. The map output will show which segments you have chosen.

Map is too small

Zoom in and out or move using bar at left of the map.

I see the map but no shading

Wait for the overlay to appear (it can take some time, especially on older web-browsers).

When I try to use the print option in my browser, it doesn’t fit on a page or the shading doesn’t show

We have limited control over how your internet browser will print a page, and so would suggest you use page set up to resize or turn the page into landscape. We provide an 'Export results' option that you can use to create an image or PDF of your map, which you can load using another application and then have more control over printing.

Why does my link to the raw data not work?

Once you have submitted an online form requesting your raw data, a link will be sent to your inbox, and clicking on this link will let you access the raw data you have asked for. This link will expire after 24 hours, and after this you will need to request the raw data again. There is no limit on how many times you can request the same data, but to avoid having to do this you should save the raw data to your local drive the first time you access it.

When searching for a dominant segment in my area, why is the map mainly one colour?

When you search for a dominant segment in your local area, you may find that the map produced is mostly one colour. This may hide the fact that although one segment is dominant in your area, there could be large numbers of other segments that are not showing up on the map (as a segment would in theory only need to include 1% more people than another to be classed as ‘dominant’).

To get a better picture of the different segments present within your local area, and how prevalent these are in relation to one another, you should look at the bar chart and tabular data. These will give a better picture of whether the dominant segment is much larger than all of the other 18, or whether a second segment is only slightly less prevalent in your area than the dominant segment, yet not showing up on the map.

I am searching for data for a small catchment area or postcode, why are there no results?

Searching for a particular segment, dominant segment, sport or characteristic for an area that is either very small, or very rural, may return no results. This is because the population in that area for which we have data, is too small to give an accurate result. Where this is the case, the bar chart will show blank and the tabular data will return a count of zero for all segments.

One of the raw data tables is very large (24MB), how can I download this?

Raw data table number 2 contains market segmentation population counts for unit postcodes, as such is a very large file (24MB) which is too big to be opened using Excel 2003. Users wishing to view this data should open the data using Access instead, or more recent versions of Excel should be able to open the file.

How can I increase the size of the web tool map display?

The web tool does not provide an option to increase the map size. However, it is possible to enter a “Full Screen” mode for the web browser by pressing F11 on your keyboard. This will maximise the display to fill your whole computer screen and thereby also increase the size of web page.