
Experian is excited to introduce our new Geo-Indexed audiences. Our Geo-Indexed audiences use a new advanced indexing classification technology to identify and reach consumers based on their geo-regional attributes. These audiences can help you discover, segment, and craft messaging for consumers without the use of sensitive personal information, so you can confidently reach your target audience without sacrificing data privacy.
In this blog post, we’ll review how our new Geo-Indexed audiences can help you reach your audience while balancing data privacy and accuracy.
How we collect and use data is changing
The AdTech industry is undergoing a transformation as various forces shape its trajectory. One significant factor is legislation, with as many as 26 states currently considering data privacy laws. Consumer preferences also play a crucial role, as more individuals look to brands for responsible and ethical data handling practices. According to Forbes, 82% of people view brands positively when they consciously opt to refrain from using personal data for personalized ads. Major players in the field such as Apple and Google are actively pushing for a shift away from traditional methods like cookies and other identifiers in data collection and usage. These developments mark a considerable shift in how we use data.
Many brands are seeking a few solutions to continue to find and reach their target audience online, but at Experian, we see a great opportunity for innovation and impact within geo-based targeting solutions.
“We predict that over the next year, you will begin to see innovations in geo-based targeting methodologies that satisfy the industry’s need for audience targeting with responsible data strategies. By embracing innovations in geo-based targeting and adhering to responsible data strategies, you can not only comply with these laws but continue to reach your intended audiences effectively.”
jeremy meade, vp, marketing data & operations
Introducing Experian’s Geo-Indexed audiences
Geo-Indexed audiences from Experian allow brands to reach consumers and households based on geographic regions that over-index for a common set of attributes.
Our Geo-Indexed audiences give brands the ability to:
- Stay connected: Maintain a touchpoint with consumers as other audience targeting solutions disappear or reduce scale due to new legislation.
- Expand your audience reach: With our sophisticated geo-indexing methodology, you will be reaching your target audience’s circle of influence within the geo-region.
- Execute where you want: By linking our Geo-Indexed audiences to Experian’s persistent identifiers, you can activate these audiences on the shelf of your platform of choice.

As a part of the release of Geo-Indexed audiences, we will be rolling out three main categories:
- Language
- Ethnic Group
- Demographics which include:
- Education
- Household Income
- Marital Status
- Occupation
- Presence of Children
Over the next year, we will continue to release new audiences within Geo-Indexed audiences.
How you can use Geo-Indexed audiences
An Auto brand has a new corporate policy restricting the use of sensitive personal information in audience targeting but would like to reach high-income earners. To reach their target audience they use the Geo-Indexed audiences to reach households who are in geographic regions that index highly for income ranges ‘$175,000 – $199,999’ and ‘$200,000+.’
Prioritize privacy without sacrificing accuracy with Experian’s Geo-Indexed audiences
Our Geo-Indexed audiences are available in most major data and demand-side platforms. Visit our partner page for more information.
Don’t see our audiences on your platform of choice? We can help you build and activate an Experian audience on the platform of your choice.
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Same-sex marriage is a hot button topic no matter on which side of the issue you stand. But there can be no denying that same-sex couples are finding an expanding number of options in the U.S. and abroad should they decide to legally wed. The 2010 LGBT Consumer Report explores the household arrangements and behaviors of America's LGBT consumers—in particular, those associated with marriage—compared to America's heterosexual population. You will learn that despite being less than half as likely to be married, lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are 22% more likely than their "straight" counterparts to have recently wed or to be planning nuptials for the next year. Looking for that perfect gift for the newly wed couple? You will also get some shopping tips for identifying favored retailers of lesbian, gay and bisexual shoppers. We'll start by sizing the LGBT market. An estimated 3.7% of the non-Hispanic adult population (7.1 million adults) self-identifies as LGBT, which can be broken down as follows: The average heterosexual adult lives in a household with 1.9 other individuals, including adults and kids. By comparison, the average lesbian shares her home with only 1.6 other people. Gay men live in the smallest households, sharing their home with only one other person, on average. Over a third of gay or bisexual men (38%) share their home with at least one other adult male, compared with only 24% of heterosexual men who live under the same roof as another adult male. Thirty-five percent of gay or bisexual men say they live with one (and only one) other adult male, a living arrangement that has a higher chance of consisting of a same-sex, co-habiting couple. Over half of lesbians or bisexual women (53%) share their home with at least one other adult female, compared with only 23% of heterosexual women who live under the same roof as another adult female. Forty-three percent of lesbian or bisexual women say they live with one (and only one) other adult female, a living arrangement that has a higher chance of consisting of a same-sex, co-habiting couple. Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual adults (LGB) as a group are less than half as likely as heterosexuals to be married. Only 26% of LGB adults are wed, compared with 57% of “straight” adults. Of all LGB adults, bisexuals are the most likely group to be married, with over 4 in 10 reporting they are presently wed. Lesbians are more than four and a half times more likely than gay men to be married, with 23% of lesbians having tied the knot versus only 5% of gay men. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults as a group are 22% more likely than heterosexual adults to have either tied the knot in the last 12 months or have plans to wed in the coming year. 5.7% of lesbian, gay or bisexual adults are newly weds or “soonly” weds vs. 4.6% of heterosexual adults. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults are twice as likely to shop at Neiman Marcus, making the department store the number one retailer with a wedding registry program among LGB shoppers. With many retailers ending their registry programs in favor of gift cards, we looked at how stores without registry programs stack up among lesbian, gay and bisexual shoppers. LGB adults are almost twice as likely to shop at J. Crew, making the store the number one retailer without a wedding registry program among LGB shoppers.

With the 82nd Academy Awards® just around the corner and only days before final voting ballots are due back to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, Experian Simmons is taking a close look at the American movie-going population. In any given month, over 56 million adults (26% of the adult population) make a trip to the cinema to take in a film. Movie-going typically reaches its peak in mid-summer, and 2009 was no exception. Experian Simmons DataStreamSM reports that in July of last year, 32% of adults went to movies, the highest level observed at any point in the year. In October of the same year, the percentage of past-month adult cinema-goers had dropped to just 19%, the lowest point observed in all of 2009. In this month’s Consumer Insights report, Experian Simmons sizes the movie-going audience, examines their receptivity to cinema ads—including pre-show commercials and product placement within films—online movie searches as well as Americans’ penchant for tuning into the Academy Awards. All data comes from the Simmons Summer 2009 National Consumer Study. Two-thirds of the adult population have gone to the movies at least once in the last 6 months. Nearly half (46%) have been in the last 90 days and a quarter (26%) have been in the last month. Young adults are, as expected, more likely to go to the movies than older adults, but adults over 50 outnumber young adults when it comes to raw number of movie-goers as you will see in the following chart. Over 147 million individuals have gone to the movies at least once in the last 6 months. With 20.8 million adults ages 18 to 24 going to the movies in the last 6 months, this age group accounts for only 14% of the movie-going population. Adults ages 50 and over, on the other hand, account for 37% of the movie-going population with over 55 million adults in this age group going to the theater at least once in the last 6 months. Among all adults who had been to the movies at least once in the last 6 months, 68% have been at least once in the last 30 days. Many movie-goers (39%) have been only once in the last month and only 7% have been four or more times. Young adults ages 18 to 24 are much more likely than the average movie-goer to have been to the theater in the last month with 75% reporting having been at least once and 10% having been 4 times or more. Experian Simmons DataStreamSM reports similar trends in past 30 day movie-going for 2008 and 2009 with the peak for this behavior occurring in both years on almost the exact same date. During the week of July 22, 2009 32% of adults reported having been to the theater during the last 30 days and during the week of July 21, 2008, 29% reported going. Cinema Blockbusters that month in ’09 included Bruno and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. In July of ’08, Mama Mia and The Dark Knight were released. When it comes to product placement in movies, frequent cinema-goers are most likely to respond. In fact, 41% of adults who went to the movies 4 or more times in the last 90 days are classified by the Simmons Movie Product Placement segmentation system as “Emulators,” those consumers who notice, remember and are driven to buy products placed into the context of a film. By comparison, only 28% of consumers who went to a movie only once in the last 90 days are Emulators. Forty-eight percent of Horror film fans say they often pay attention to commercials that show along with movie previews in movie theaters making them the most receptive to cinema advertisements followed by Romantic Comedy fans and Family movie fans. Only 39% of Foreign Language or Independent film fans say they pay attention to such ads. Nearly a quarter of all movie-goers get movie information, reviews or show times online in any given month. Aside from the obvious movie sites, you are likely to find movie information seekers on these sites: Californians like foreign language and independent films, whereas New Englanders have more of a penchant for Comedies and Southerners are among the most likely to see Horror films. Below are the top 5 metro areas for finding adults who say they usually see the three selected movie genres when they go to the theater. One-in-seven American adults tuned into the last Academy Awards® ceremony on ABC, including many non-movie-goers. Nine percent of adults who had not been to the movies even once in the past six months tuned into the last awards show and ultimately comprised 19% of all 2009 Oscar® viewers. Still, the more frequently a consumer goes to the movies, the more likely he or she is to watch the annual Academy Awards® ceremony.