Database of the Month: Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS)

Looking to advertise your product, or learn more about potential target markets? Need marketing data for a class assignment? Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) delivers the information you need to help with researching these questions:

• Local Market Audience Analyst (LMAA): Datasets and analyses related to demographics, consumer behavior and market segmentation, using variables including the industry-standard DMA (Designated Market Area; a geographical area that roughly corresponds to the federal Statistical Metropolitan Area)
• Advertising Source databases: Directories, current advertising rates and market analysis for domestic and international media types including print, digital, broadcast, newspaper and direct marketing
• Tools for media campaign planning

Local Market Audience Analyst (LMAA) LMAA replaces the printed book Lifestyle Market Analyst and is a powerful tool that can be explored by DMA/County, Lifestyle Category, Lifestyle Behavior, Demographic characteristic, PRIZM Social Group, and PRIZM Lifestage Group. These data, combined into detailed statistical reports including Count, Index, and % Penetration columns (among others), can be useful for such pursuits as: targeting new markets for existing products, customizing advertising and sales for individual markets, developing opportunities for cross-sales, and targeting specific geographic markets based on their penetration for specific PRIZM Social or Lifestage groups.

• Market Profile Reports: Search by DMA or County for a Demographic Overview of your selected area, or combine a DMA with a Lifestyle Category operator to view a Lifestyle Ranking Index.

• Lifestyle Analysis Reports: Select a single Lifestyle Behavior and combine with a Lifestyle Category to view a Lifestyle Ranking Index in light of an entire category, or choose a single Lifestyle Behavior and view its Market Potential within individual DMAs.

• Demographics Report: Choose a 2010 demographic variable to view Demographic Concentration DMA data by count, market penetration and index.

• PRIZM Reports: View this segmentation data by Social Group (urbanicity and wealth traits) and/or Lifestage Group (family composition and wealth traits). Choose one of these targets to view the PRIZM Target Group Concentration using DMA data, or choose a Social or Lifestage group, combine it with a Lifestyle category, and view aggregate lifestyle behaviors via the PRIZM Target Group Lifestyle Report.

Reports can be sorted by column heading, and printed or pasted into spreadsheets. Step-by-step and interpretive help pages are available for each report. In addition, profile maps of the selected data are available for download. Advertising Source databases Five databases, separated by media type, provide information about advertising rates and procedures: Business Media, Consumer Media, Newspaper, Radio, and TV/Cable. Business Media and Consumer Media contain information about domestic and international print sources (and related Web sites, if any). Searching by keyword, title, or industry classification code yields advertising information including ad rates, publication closing dates, special feature issues and circulation figures. Direct marketing opportunities are also included. Newspaper, Radio, and TV/Cable are searchable in various ways depending on the environment in which each operates. These databases also offer Market Analysis reports that combine demographic data with proprietary data gathered by Claritas, Inc. and Nielsen Media Research to rank geographic markets. DMA factsheets are available in PDF format and can be downloaded from the rankings table. Other Tools SRDS also offers other helpful tools: the Tablet Media Library, a directory of mobile applications (apps) for various publications; Media Planning & Buying Calculators; and a collection of advertising and marketing industry/trade association links.

For further information on this resource, please consult the links to written help guides and video tutorials. Please view the SRDS database here. A complete listing of the Bentley Library's databases is available here. 

Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk.  If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.