Segments
How to read and interpret segment profiles
Use Segments to explore the full behavioral profile of any PersonaLive group or segment—demographics, visitation, spend, interests, and media habits. Open a profile after you identify top segments in Explore or Analyze, or browse directly when you need creative inspiration or market context.
Segment profiles at a glance
Each profile has a vertical section nav on the left. Use it to move between these views:
| Section | What it shows | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Description, demographics summary, live social topics, top retail and restaurant visitation, top interests, channel preferences | Quick summary before diving into detail |
| Geography | ZIP-level concentration map and highest-scoring markets | Market concentration and expansion planning |
| In-Store Visitation | Top overall visitation and category-level store visits | Physical retail patterns and top index stores |
| Live Data | Live social topics, in-store visitation ticker, and brand trend chart | Real-time behavior and visitation trends |
| Overall Spend | Category- and subcategory-level credit card spend (requires the Strategist plan) | Where the segment spends across categories |
| Brand Spend | Brand-level purchase stats, share of wallet, and trends over time (requires the Strategist plan) | Brand affinity and competitive positioning |
| Interests | Top overall interests and interest categories | Lifestyle and messaging angles |
| Social Following | Brand Influence, Channels, and Influencers tabs | Media planning and partnerships |
| Demographics | Person, household, housing, work, education, and related charts | Audience sizing and local market differences |
| Campaign Brief | Segment identity, lifestyle imagery, interests, brands, and campaign inspiration | Creative and media planning |
Spend sections
Overall Spend and Brand Spend appear only on the Strategist plan.
Open a segment profile
In the left sidebar, click Segments. The page has two tabs:
- PersonaLive — the 17 groups (for example, A: Ultra Wealthy Families) and 80 segments. Expand a group or search, then click a segment tile to open its profile.
- My Segments — custom segments you create by blending PersonaLive segments. Click Create Segment, then enter a Name, optional Description, and Source Segments.
The profile opens on Overview; use the section nav on the left to switch views. Custom segments hide Live Data and Campaign Brief.
Groups vs segments
PersonaLive organizes households into 17 groups and 80 segments. Groups roll up segments with similar demographic profiles; segments capture finer behavioral differences within a group.
Overview
The Overview section is a high-level summary. It includes the segment description and household count, a Demographics Summary (age, income, education, and related attributes—with hover charts on supported fields), live social media topics, Top Retail Visitation, Top Restaurant Visitation, Top Interests, and Channel Preferences.
Retail and restaurant tables show Index and Count columns. Sort by either column to emphasize relative preference (index) or visit volume (count).
How to read an index
An index of 100 is average likelihood, 200 is twice as likely, and 300 is three times as likely. A segment may be three times more likely to visit a given store than the national average without having the highest total volume there—a mass-market retailer may still have more visits overall.
Geography
Geography shows where the segment is concentrated. A ZIP-level choropleth map highlights concentration by market; zoom in to see ZIP detail. An overlay lists Highest Scoring Markets so you can quickly see where the segment over-indexes.
In-Store Visitation
In-Store Visitation covers physical retail patterns. Top Overall Visitation lists the segment's top brands across all categories. Below that, category cards (such as apparel, automotive, convenience, fuel, entertainment, and financial) break visitation down by subcategory.
Each card shows the top 10 brands for that view. When more brands are available, click the expand icon (View all) on the card to open the full list in a side panel. The panel includes its own search so you can filter within that list.
Each table includes Index and Count—sort by either column depending on whether you care about relative preference or volume. Use Search brands at the top of the page to find a retailer across the full brand lists—not just the top 10 shown on each card. Selecting a result opens the matching full list with that brand highlighted. Filter by region, state, or DMA in the header to compare a local market against national patterns.
Live Data
Live Data surfaces near-real-time behavior:
- Live social topics — trending social conversation for the segment
- Live in-store visitation ticker — brands with recent visitation momentum
- Live In-Store Visitation chart — monthly visit trends for up to four brands you select for comparison
This section focuses on signals over time, not historical spend totals.
Overall Spend
Overall Spend (requires the Strategist plan) shows credit card spending for the segment. Choose a category or subcategory, then switch metrics such as Percent Purchased, Avg Yearly Spend, Avg Ticket, Frequency, or Total Spend. Filter by geography when you want a regional view instead of national.
Brand Spend
Brand Spend (requires the Strategist plan) focuses on one brand at a time. Select a brand to review Percent Purchased, Annual Spend, Avg Ticket Size, Annual Frequency, and Revenue Share, each with index comparisons to the national base where available.
The Share of Wallet donut shows how the segment distributes spending across categories. Share of Wallet Over Time charts how that mix has shifted over the past 12 months—useful for brand affinity and competitive positioning.
Interests
Interests shows what the segment cares about based on social behavior. Top Overall Interests ranks the strongest interests across all categories; category cards below go deeper (arts and culture, automotive, books and publishing, and more).
Each card shows the top 10 interests for that view. When more interests are available, click the expand icon (View all) on the card to open the full list in a side panel. The panel includes its own search so you can filter within that list.
Use Search interests at the top of the page to find an interest across the full lists—not just the top 10 shown on each card. Selecting a result opens the matching full list with that interest highlighted. Filter by region, state, or DMA to see whether local passion points differ from the national profile.
To explore interests further at a geographic level, see the FollowGraph dataset.
Social Following
Social Following has three tabs:
- Brand Influence — brands the segment follows or engages with
- Channels — media and information channels they use
- Influencers — creators and personalities they follow
Filter by gender when you want to compare male, female, or all genders. Search is available within each tab.
Demographics
Demographics includes detailed charts for attributes such as income, wealth, household composition, housing, work, and education. Sections scroll vertically on one page.
Filter by region, state, or DMA to view demographics regionally. The same segment can look different by market—for example, higher income in one DMA than another.
Campaign Brief
Campaign Brief turns profile insights into creative direction. It includes:
- Segment identity and Demographics Summary
- Lifestyle Imagery — visual reference for the segment's lifestyle and aspirations
- Top overall interests and overall top brands
- Campaign Inspiration — example campaigns that have resonated with similar audiences
Share the brief with your creative team when building campaign assets. See Personalizing creative by segment in the Marketing Activation workflow for how this fits into a full campaign.
Related guides
- Explore — Identify top customer segments for a brand using credit card, mobile, or social data.
- Analyze — Rank segments from trade areas, mobile visits, or uploaded customer lists.
- Marketing Activation — Turn segment insights into audiences and campaigns.
- Site Selection — Use segment profiles to find and validate new locations.
- FAQ — Indexes, Live Data, Channels, Interests, groups vs segments, and more.
- Dataset Structure — Full segment and group code table.