Our response to this wave of unprecedented change is a living segmentation – one that never goes out of date and constantly refreshes itself.

Monday, 29 March 2021

London, 29 March, 2021– Hall & Partners, the strategic brand consultancy owned by Omnicom, has launched the world’s first ‘living’ market segmentation tool. Referred to as A(i)LIVE, the tool is designed to remove long-standing constraints of existing static services that often hinder market researchers from making informed decisions due to working with obsolete data.

Market segmentation tools help create subsets of information based on a range of psychographic or behavioural criteria, such as demographics, common interests, lifestyle choices and purchasing habits, to help businesses optimise audience targeting.

A(i)LIVE uses behavioural and survey data from Dynata, the world’s largest first-party data and insights platform, and technology from Powr of You, a consumer intelligence tool.

It augments the segmentation process using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to continually process live data. Hall & Partners’ new software tool transforms a traditional, static segmentation into something living and refreshable, while delivering precise insight, helping anticipate and predict consumer behaviour with greater accuracy.

Vanella Jackson, Global CEO of Hall & Partners, said: “Everything businesses and brands have grown to understand and trust about customers is being brought into question. Our response to this wave of unprecedented change is a living segmentation – one that never goes out of date and constantly refreshes itself. ‘A(i)LIVE’ living segmentation helps brands adapt to shifting environments, needs, and motivations as and when they happen. It helps brands engage with audiences in truly personalised ways, in tune with what people want right now.

“Our partnership with Dynata has helped inspire this new approach and capability. I am excited and confident that this will become a key tool for the dynamic and ever-changing times we are living in”.

“Such a drastic shift in consumer behaviour and attitudes serves as a stark reminder that change is constant, and decisions based on static, in-the-moment segmentations are increasingly unwise. Segmentation data needs to evolve at the pace of consumers,” continued Jackson.

A(i)LIVE captures what people are seeing, feeling, thinking and doing. It looks at underlying motives and connects these to fast changing consumer behaviour and attitudes. This lets brands accurately pinpoint, prioritise and target their most valuable customers, as their values shift, and behaviours change.

This new approach breaks down the constraints of traditional, one-dimensional segmentations, utilising a three-stage approach.

Firstly, it observes real-life behaviours within a category, using social data, natural language analysis and self-ethnography. It connects attitudinal, behavioural and customer data using advanced analytical clustering and distancing techniques, creating richer segment profiles.

Then, it uses ML and AI algorithms to continually re-profile, re-shape, and re-size the segments.

Finally, A(i)LIVE brings refreshable segments to life in fresh and vivid ways that help clients continually inform and inspire their organisations.

Michel Guidi, Managing Director, International for Dynata, said: “The ability to connect data sources provides the foundation needed to truly optimise the customer experience. Bringing to life the survey data connected to behavioural data, captured with Powr of You’s technology, helps Hall & Partners ensure that it can create segmentation for its clients to better react to changing consumer trends and events.

“This is an extension of our connected data strategy, where we look to connect our own proprietary fully-permissioned first-party data set with second- and third-party sources to create a complete picture of a market or consumer segment, helping organisations better understand and engage with their most important audiences.”

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About Hall & Partners
Hall & Partners is a global insight agency inspiring growth. Powered by full-service market research, connected data, and strategic consultancy, we challenge traditional thinking and take the lead in innovation. From FMCG to oncology, public policy to technology, we deliver brand performance tracking, customer segmentations, customer and brand experience, predictive modelling, insight engagement platforms, as well as communications and advertising strategy.

Hall & Partners is a part of Omnicom’s Brand Consulting Group. For more information, visit www.hallandpartners.com.

Media contact
Marcus Edgar
Associate, Eureka Communications
t. +44 (0)1420 564 346
m. +44 (0)7810 876 077
e. marcus.edgar@eurekacomms.co.uk

Company contact
James Gambles
Director, Global Marketing & Communications
Hall & Partners
Bankside 2 » 100 Southwark St. » London » SE1 0SW
t. +44 (0)7809 492 184
e. j.gambles@hallandpartners.com