Community Research Partners

Scan/US -- demographics

Scan/US, Inc. supplies desktop mapping and demographic solutions to consultants, businesses and organizations that need user-friendly software access to consumer markets, and characteristics that drive them. Scan/US for Windows combines mapping software and demographic databases into a seamless solution to evaluating retail sites or trade area dynamics. 

IICM uses Scan/US software for the production of updated demographic data for defined levels of geography such as census blockgroup, census tract, zip code, city or town, county, MSA or other standard geographies.  IICM uses the following Scan/US datasets:

1990-2000 Key Demographics Census 2000 Population and Housing (SF1) Census 2000 Detailed Demographic Profile (SF3) Census 2000 Ancestry, Language, Foreign Born (SF3) Census 2000 Language, Ancestry, Foreign Born Detail (SF3) Census 2000 Work Status & Employment Census 2000 Housing Profile (SF1) Current and Projected year Detailed Demographic Updates & Trends Current year Consumer Expenditures Current year MOSAIC Neighborhood Profile

 Scan/US is a major supplier of demographic data for the Missional Culturescape iGIS website.

IICM Specialized Datasets:  NeoTribal CultureDentity^™

IICM has partnered with one of the top demographic companies in the country to develop specialized datasets that are needed in the missional task.

Hawaiian CultureDentity^™
Segmentation Dataset

The NeoTribal CultureDentity™ Hawaiian Edition (CDHI) is a segmentation of the population that live on the Hawaiian Islands into 5 major lifestyle groups and 32 lifestyle segments.  The segmentation was developed using a number of census variables from the 2000 census as well as current population estimates.  All of the data can be mapped down to the census block group level.  The CDHI arranges these lifestyle groups and lifestyle segments along two continuums:  Social Identity and Socioeconomic Strata.  The social identity continuums measure two associated bipolar constructs: multilinguistic presence - monolinguistic unity and multi-ethnic diversity - monocultural enclaves.  The Pacific Mix segments have the greatest multilinguistic presence as well as the greatest multi-ethnic diversity.  Here Asians (that includes Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, as well as Vietnamese first generation immigrants) mix with Filipinos, Samoans and other Pacific Islander groups. Many different languages are spoken in these neighborhoods.  At the other end of the spectrum are the monocultural, English and Spanish speaking neighborhoods. One should also note the follow specialized terms:  "Hawaiians" refers to people who are known as "locals" in Hawaii (not the ethnic Hawaiian people group); Pacific Islanders includes those with Polynesian, Filipino and other Pacific Island backgrounds; Post-ethnic refers to a high concentration of "ethnically ambiguous" -- mixed heritage families; Haole is a non-pejorative, Hawaiian-language term referring to Anglo/White or Euro-American heritage peoples.  The socioeconomic strata continuum places the segments along a continuum that is divided into three sectors:  downscale (lower middle and lower incomes), midscale (middle and upper middle incomes), and upscale (high and wealthy incomes). 

Hispanic CultureDentity^™
Core Demographic Dataset

IICM has partnered with one of the top demographic companies in the country to develop Hispanic Demographic datasets with Hispanic Only data (other races & ethnicities have been filtered out). 

Core Demographic Dataset
This dataset includes a wide range of core demographic variables of Hispanic only data based upon the decadal census and the annual American Community Studies conducted by the US Census Bureau.  Making extensive use of the Census base information in the 2000 SF1 and SF3 data release, the Hispanic CultureDentity^™ covers four broad topic areas:  population, households, income & poverty, and housing.  This Hispanic only data is available at block group, census tract, zip code, place, county, MSA and state levels of geography.

Experian - MOSAIC segmentation

MOSAIC US is a geodemographic segmentation system developed by Experian. Each of nearly 8.4 million census blocks is classified into twelve lifestyle groups and sixty lifestyle segments on the basis of a wide range of demographic characteristics. The basic premise of geodemographic segmentation is that people tend to gravitate towards communities with other people of similar backgrounds, interests, and means. MOSAIC is linked to the systems in other nations through the Global MOSAIC classification, which consists of ten market segments found in every modernized country.  Along with the international experience applied in this product, some of the most experienced geodemographers in North America were involved with the development of MOSAIC. The MOSAIC assignments are updated annually by incorporating updated AGS demographics into the segmentation model, ensuring that the assignment is as accurate as possible given shifts in local area demographics. Neighborhood classification or segmentation is one of the cornerstones of geodemographic analysis and is used in a wide range of applications, including: neighborhood description, prospect analysis, facility planning, advertising, and direct mail. The attractiveness of neighborhood segmentation stems from the analytical performance and inherent simplicity and understandability of the technique.  Over 600 variables were used in the creation of the MOSAIC US typology including: race and ethnic origin; age; family status; non-family household types, including college dormitories and military quarters; travel to work; education; employment by industry and occupation; income; forms of income; housing tenure; housing type; vehicle ownership; household size; age of dwelling and tenure.

Market Research Partners

IICM uses market research that is tied to the MOSAIC segmentation much differently than the purposes for which the marketing industry intends it to be used.  Missional congregations do not try to “sell Jesus” nor do they attempt to “attract” people to their institution and its programming.  Rather, they reach out to build relationships, demonstrate the love of Jesus, share the gospel and disciple all kinds of groups of people.  IICM uses market research data to better understand the lifestyle choices of the MOSAIC segments as a basis for intentional relational evangelism.

Mediamark Research, Inc. (MRI)       
-- consumer behavior

Mediamark Research has a singular goal: to provide the sharpest picture possible of American consumers – who they are, what they buy, what they think - and how to reach them.  For more than 25 years, MRI has been the dominant voice in media and consumer research in the United States. No other organization – not even the Census Bureau – knows more about American consumers. 

MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer™, used in most media and marketing plans in the country, is the primary source of audience data for the U.S. consumer magazine industry and the most comprehensive and reliable source of multi-media audience data available. The Survey’s multi-dimensional database provides marketers with a high resolution view of audiences of all major media, their demographics and lifestyles, actions and attitudes, product usage and brand loyalty.  All the research MRI conducts – the Survey of the American Consumer™and associated surveys and reports, Media Day™, The American Kids Study™, Teenmark®, online panels and custom research from our Market Solutions division – reflects a steadfast commitment to provide the most reliable and actionable information for measuring, evaluating, tracking and getting to know the world’s most dynamic consumer market.  [Summary from their website]

Simmons Market Research Bureau (SMRB)
-- consumer behavior 

Founded over 50 years ago by legendary market researcher Willard Simmons, Simmons Market Research Bureau today is the nation's leading authority on the behavior of the American consumer.  Today Simmons is a subsidiary company of Experian Marketing Solutions, enabling Simmons to combine its comprehensive information on consumer behavior, including media consumption and product preferences, with Experian's advanced data assets and analytical solutions. Simmons' customers can experience the power of the combined data assets of Simmons and Experian by targeting consumers across multiple channels, using a common currency to analyze those consumers.

Simmons research -- on everything from the products we buy and the brands we prefer to our lifestyles and media preferences -- is used by virtually every major marketing firm and advertising agency in the U.S. Our research data is the standard for planning, product development, brand building, consumer profiling and differentiating programs and products from the competition. No other syndicated service measures the American household like Simmons, as a unit where each person has the opportunity to report preferred products, media and ideas. And no other research company has more analytic tools and segmentation models to bring a client's marketing information to life.  [Summary from their website] 

Religious Research Partners

American Church Research Project -- church data

The American Church Research Project seeks to provide accurate religious research for a comprehensive picture of the church today.  Most of the research is not readily available anywhere, let alone gathered together in one place.  Dave Olson is the director of the American Church Research Project at www.theamericanchurch.org, and as a hobby has been collecting research data for the last 15 years.  This research grew out of Dave’s frustration that no one really know who the American Church was doing, and instead Christian leaders were often making wild guesses and declarative statements based on inaccurate hearsay.  Exaggerating the challenges, overestimating the progress or ignoring reality have been common Christian responses to the missional challenges for Christians in the United States.  This research was undertaken because we cannot know where to go and how to get there until we find out where we are and why we are in that situation.  [Statement from website].

Glenmary Research Center -- church data

The Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) coordinates the collection and presentation of data and holds the copyright to the decadal study, Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States.  Glenmary Research Center collects the Catholic data and publishes and distributes the book, CD-ROM and wall maps.  The project itself receives major funding from the Lily Endowment.

IICM uses the 2000 study along with the enumeration by region, state, and county based on data reported for 149 religious bodies.