The Output Area Classification or OAC is a free product provided by the Office for National Statistics. Based on the 2001 Census it categorises small geographic areas according to common population characteristics. It can be used to profile areas and target customers.

The aim of this course is to equip delegates with the ability to conduct customer and area OAC geodemographic profiles, calculate market or behaviour values for customer groups or specified areas and the ability to consider different ways of visually representing this.

The course will be a practical, small-group session, delivered by Martin Callingham, Visiting Professor at Birkbeck College and Visiting Professor at the University of East London. Martin is also a member of the OAC User Group. Delegates will be provided with all necessary data and a training manual.

Reasons for attending

• Understand what OAC is, its advantages and disadvantages over other systems.
• Be able to profile a customer post-coded file, calculate indices (relative propensity) and chart.
• Use a market research table to estimate absolute propensity for OAC groups
• Be able to estimate behavioural values (for example, income) for a customer group
• Be able to profile a bespoke geographical area and model a market estimate for it (either relative or absolute).
• Be able to map market estimates and debate the relative merits of using different ways of expressing the market value (index per person, sales by area, sales per unit area).
• Understand the opportunities of accessing an open geodemographic system.
• Understand how to access the OAC community through the OAC User Group and its website.