Sociodemographic indicators provide information about a certain social situation.
The sociodemographic adjective is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ). It is possible to understand its meaning, however, by paying attention to the terms that allow its development.
Social refers to that linked to society : the group of individuals who live in the same territory and respect common rules. Demographics , meanwhile, are associated with demography , which is the study of a human group from a statistical perspective, focused on its evolution or a specific period.
Sociodemographic indicators
A sociodemographic indicator , in this way, is data that reflects a social situation. This information can be obtained through surveys, censuses or figures recorded in different ways by state agencies.
It can be said that sociodemographic refers to the general characteristics and size of a population group. These traits shape the identity of the members of this group.
It is important to note that these indicators can affect the sensitivity of people who do not identify with binary gender values ("man" or "woman"), unless the surveys consider all the variables recognized so far. Whether a transgender or non-binary person, among other possibilities, in many countries there is still no acceptance of their freedom , and they are forced to register their data in a closed system that does not represent them at all.
Sociodemographic targeting
Age , gender , work activity and income level , for example, are sociodemographic data. From marketing , to mention one case, these types of issues are analyzed for the so-called sociodemographic targeting , which serves to create advertising based on these criteria and thus successfully reach the target group.
This analysis is crucial for most advertising campaigns and, therefore, for the products and services of companies that aim to achieve high visibility . Gone are the days of small merchants who place on their shelves the products that they "know" their customers will buy: today it is not even enough for a product to be a basic necessity, since the large volume of competition It becomes imperative to attract the consumer through other means, and to do so you have to know them in depth.
Sociodemographic profile
A sociodemographic profile , on the other hand, is drawn based on the knowledge obtained about the social situation and demographics of a group of people. The sociodemographic profile of the students of a given university degree, to mention one possibility, shows an average age, reveals where the majority of students reside, indicates whether those who work or those who only study predominate, etc.
Gender and age are sociodemographic data.
We could say that the sociodemographic profile is a complementary analysis to targeting , or at least that it serves to study the situation from the opposite point of view. While the latter starts from a market or an activity and focuses on discovering who its customers are, the previous one tries to find out who they could be and then shape its offer.
Put together, both tactics can be used over the years to maintain a company in a good position within the market: before launching an innovative or unprecedented offer, sociodemographic targeting is advisable; After some time in circulation, thanks to the elaboration of the profile it is possible to know if the interested public agrees with the previous estimate . By comparing both results, and through their cyclical repetition, it is possible to adjust products and services to achieve greater success each year.