Marketers wanting to reach the quintessential American test market should look no further than Albany, NY, which ranked first out of 150 U.S. metro areas in a report released today by Acxiom Corp.
Acxiom's “Mirror on America” ranked the 150 metropolitan statistical areas based on household-level life-stage data from the company's Personicx product. This is the first time Acxiom has created such a list.
Personicx is a system that places each U.S. household into one of 70 segments based on its consumer and demographic characteristics such as newly married, new parents, change of residence and retirement. The 70 clusters have descriptive names including thrifty elders, savvy singles, early parents, married sophisticates, rural parents, first mortgage and so on.
Personicx is driven by InfoBase, Acxiom's consumer database of 111 million households, and was launched in May 2002. Using the system, Acxiom created the list with the No. 1 city bearing the greatest likeness to the overall U.S. population. With a correlation score of .90904, Albany was the closest to a score of 1, which would signify a perfect match.
“Traditionally the adage has been, 'if it plays in Peoria it will play anywhere,' but what I think is reflected by Albany as No. 1 is changes in the U.S. consumer landscape,” said Tiffany Weatherly, product leader at Acxiom Corp., Little Rock, AR. “You can't always go by the old rule of thumb.”
Peoria, IL, ranked 37th on the list.
As a microcosm of the United States, Albany lets a marketer do a broad stroke test to learn which Personicx clusters their products appeal to, Weatherly said. The segments that work could be rolled out nationwide for marketing efforts.
The rest of the top 10 included Rochester, NY; Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, NC; Birmingham, AL; Syracuse, NY; Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC; Nashville, TN; Eugene-Springfield, OR; Wichita, KS; and Richmond-Petersburg, VA.
New York City came in last on the list with a correlation score of -.0647.
Acxiom will compile the ranking annually, Weatherly said.
Top Test Markets for the 150 Largest MSAs:
1. ALBANY-SCHENECTADY-TROY, NY; 56 (population rank)
2. ROCHESTER, NY; 46
3. GREENSBORO/WINSTON-SALEM/HIGH POINT, NC; 36
4. BIRMINGHAM, AL; 54
5. SYRACUSE, NY; 59
6. CHARLOTTE-GASTONIA-ROCK HILL, NC-SC; 33
7. NASHVILLE, TN; 38
8. EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD, OR; 123
9. WICHITA, KS; 77
10. RICHMOND-PETERSBURG, VA; 50
11. DAVENPORT-MOLINE-ROCK ISLAND, IA-IL; 114
12. LEXINGTON, KY; 85
13. CHARLESTON-NORTH CHARLESTON, SC; 76
14. MACON, GA; 124
15. JACKSONVILLE, FL; 45
16. GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON, SC; 51
17. LITTLE ROCK-NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR; 73
18. EVANSVILLE-HENDERSON, IN-KY; 131
19. HARRISBURG-LEBANON-CARLISLE, PA; 66
20. CINCINNATI, OH-KY-IN; 23
21. KANSAS CITY, MO-KS; 25
22. SAVANNAH, GA; 133
23. BOISE CITY, ID; 96
24. JACKSON, MS; 95
25. INDIANAPOLIS, IN; 28
26. AUGUSTA-AIKEN, GA-SC; 86
27. TULSA, OK; 58
28. NEW LONDON-NORWICH, CT-RI; 132
29. CHATTANOOGA, TN-GA; 89
30. FORT WAYNE, IN; 81
31. ALBUQUERQUE, NM; 61
32. MOBILE, AL; 78
33. LANCASTER, PA; 88
34. MONTGOMERY, AL; 121
35. KNOXVILLE, TN; 62
36. OMAHA, NE-IA; 60
37. PEORIA-PEKIN, IL; 116
38. STOCKTON-LODI, CA; 75
39. GRAND RAPIDS-MUSKEGON-HOLLAND, MI; 47
40. MEMPHIS, TN-AR-MS; 43
41. LOUISVILLE, KY-IN; 49
42. RENO, NV; 119
43. PORTLAND, ME; 147
44. PORTLAND-VANCOUVER, OR-WA; 22
45. ST. LOUIS, MO; 18
46. FRESNO, CA; 53
47. BILOXI-GULFPORT-PASCAGOULA, MS; 113
48. COLORADO SPRINGS, CO; 80
49. SPOKANE, WA; 98
50. ROCKFORD, IL; 110
51. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK; 48
52. SALINAS, CA; 102
53. CANTON-MASSILLON, OH; 100
54. RALEIGH-DURHAM-CHAPEL HILL, NC; 40
55. BEAUMONT-PORT ARTHUR, TX; 106
56. LAS VEGAS, NV; 31
57. BAKERSFIELD, CA; 64
58. DES MOINES, IA; 90
59. TUCSON, AZ; 57
60. ROANOKE, VA; 150
61. ORLANDO, FL; 27
62. CHARLESTON, WV; 141
63. HARTFORD, CT; 41
64. BATON ROUGE, LA; 69
65. COLUMBUS, OH; 32
66. TOLEDO, OH; 68
67. PHOENIX-MESA, AZ; 14
68. SPRINGFIELD, MO; 122
69. READING, PA; 109
70. SAN LUIS OBISPO-ATASCADERO-PASO ROBLES, CA; 145
71. NORFOLK-VIRGINIA BEACH-NEWPORT NEWS, VA-NC; 30
72. DAYTON-SPRINGFIELD, OH; 52
73. LANSING-EAST LANSING, MI; 92
74. SACRAMENTO, CA; 24
75. ATLANTA, GA; 11
76. AUSTIN-SAN MARCOS, TX; 37
77. APPLETON-OSHKOSH-NEENAH, WI; 115
78. YORK, PA; 107
79. PROVIDENCE-FALL RIVER-WARWICK, RI-MA; 39
80. BINGHAMTON, NY; 140
81. MINNEAPOLIS-SAINT PAUL, MN-WI; 15
82. HUNTSVILLE, AL; 117
83. DALLAS, TX; 9
84. ERIE, PA; 135
85. BUFFALO-NIAGARA FALLS, NY; 42
86. SPRINGFIELD, MA; 71
87. COLUMBUS, GA-AL; 136
88. LAKELAND-WINTER HAVEN, FL; 83
89. SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, LA; 104
90. SANTA BARBARA-SANTA MARIA-LOMPOC, CA; 103
91. YOUNGSTOWN-WARREN, OH; 70
92. HOUSTON, TX; 10
93. ALLENTOWN-BETHLEHEM-EASTON, PA; 65
94. HICKORY-MORGANTON, NC; 118
95. PENSACOLA, FL; 99
96. ODESSA-MIDLAND, TX; 149
97. LINCOLN, NE; 144
98. SOUTH BEND, IN; 137
99. CLEVELAND-LORAIN-ELYRIA, OH; 16
100. SAN ANTONIO, TX; 29
101. MODESTO, CA; 93
102. FAYETTEVILLE, NC; 129
103. KALAMAZOO-BATTLE CREEK, MI; 91
104. NEW ORLEANS, LA; 34
105. DETROIT, MI; 8
106. DENVER, CO; 19
107. MILWAUKEE-WAUKESHA, WI; 26
108. PITTSBURGH, PA; 21
109. LUBBOCK, TX; 148
110. MADISON, WI; 97
111. VISALIA-TULARE-PORTERVILLE, CA; 112
112. SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-EVERETT, WA; 13
113. SAN DIEGO, CA; 17
114. SAGINAW-BAY CITY-MIDLAND, MI; 101
115. KILEEN-TEMPLE, TX; 127
116. TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER, FL; 20
117. FORT COLLINS-LOVELAND, CO; 142
118. NAPLES, FL; 143
119. SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE/HAZLETON, PA; 67
120. UTICA-ROME, NY; 130
121. WEST PALM BEACH-BOCA RATON, FL; 44
122. FORT PIERCE-PORT ST. LUCIE, FL; 125
123. FAYETTEVILLE-SPRINGDALE-ROGERS, AR; 128
124. MELBOURNE-TITUSVILLE-PALM BAY, FL; 87
125. LAFAYETTE, LA; 105
126. CORPUS CHRISTI, TX; 108
127. FORT MYERS-CAPE CORAL, FL; 94
128. WASHINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV; 4
129. DAYTONA BEACH, FL; 82
130. HUNTINGTON-ASHLAND, WV-KY-OH; 126
131. SALT LAKE CITY-OGDEN, UT; 35
132. SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL; 72
133. JOHNSON CITY-KINGSPORT-BRISTOL, TN-VA; 84
134. DULUTH-SUPERIOR, MN-WI; 146
135. MIAMI, FL; 12
136. CHICAGO, IL; 3
137. BOSTON, MA; 7
138. LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA; 2
139. ANCHORAGE, AK; 138
140. PHILADELPHIA, PA; 6
141. EL PASO, TX; 63
142. COLUMBIA, MO; 79
143. TALLAHASSEE, FL; 134
144. BROWNSVILLE-HARLINGEN-SAN BENITO, TX; 120
145. PROVO-OREM, UT; 111
146. OCALA, FL; 139
147. McALLEN-EDINBURG-MISSION, TX; 74
148. HONOLULU, HI; 55
149. SAN FRANCISCO, CA; 5
150. NEW YORK, NY; 1
