How to Use Segment People Groups | Insights Help Center

What are Segment People Groups?

Segment People Groups allow you to use panel data to learn more about the different segments of respondents from a survey. When a subset of panelists are surveyed, those panelists can then be used to create custom segments based on both purchase behavior and/or survey responses. Before a segment group can be created, a survey would need to have been run first.

Segments are a sample of the total universe of category buyers and represent only a portion of the static panel. Segment People Groups would be used differently than People Groups that are created from the full 200k panel. To get more information on having segments created please contact your Numerator contact.

How are Segment People Groups Different?

Segmentations are typically more targeted than a people group, which would be built on demographic or psychographic attributes. Segmentations usually include a combination of attitudes, behaviors, needs, perceptions, and spend on a specific category universe. Segments focus on why people buy, how they behave, and how to reach them effectively.

Segment people groups are from a point in time and from a more condensed universe of buyers than a people group from the full panel. People groups from the total panel have the ability to be dynamic or static, while segment people groups are only static. We cannot compare panel people groups to segment people groups because they are coming from a different set of buyers.

Do's and Don'ts Using Segments

Do	Don't
Use metrics and observe behavior within segments. Compare segments to each other or the total segment universe, and over time.	Use Household Penetration or projected metrics (such as projected households, sales, or trips) directly from the platform, as they will always be understated. Size the segments from the sample within the platform

Comparing Segments

Segments are a sample of the total universe of category buyers and represent only a portion of the static panel. Comparisons can be made between segments and to the total segment universe, but comparisons cannot be made to the total panel. In order to select metrics for segments vs total panel, the Total People Group that is provided should be used to make a proper comparison.

Metrics to Use with Segments

Segments (People Groups) may be used in nearly any Numerator report. There are some metrics that can always be used with segments as they are calculated within the segments. Because segments are a portion of the overall buying population some metrics would need to be used directionally. Other metrics utilize the total panel in their calculations and should not be used with segments.

Note: Profiling information like demographics, psychographics, and media generally should be used at the point in time the segments were classified, as those aren’t expected to change in the panel over time.

Should I Trend Data using Segments?

The segmentation survey sample includes active panelists that were past 12 month buyers of the category. Backward trending can be done to understand directional changes so long as the group of panelists within the segment were active in the entire time period. It is recommended not to trend backward any further than 24 months as the sample size and active panelists would likely decrease significantly past that point.

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Last Updated 8/12/2025