Toronto, ON - ESRI Canada and Environics Analytics announced a partnership where ESRI Canada will provide Environics Analytics' PRIZM CE data, as well as current and projected demographics and household expenditure data for 2006, as a part of their business solutions for Canadian organizations. PRIZM CE is a consumer segmentation system that classifies Canadians into one of 66 lifestyle types. The Environics system is a leading edge Canadian clustering model that links geodemographics to psychographics, incorporating social value data with demographics and product preferences to explain consumer behaviour. Combined with ESRI Canada's geographic information system (GIS) solution, Canadian organizations will have access to a complete solution for targeting Canadian consumers.

Environics Analytics' PRIZM CE targets Canadian consumers using a cluster analysis of 2001 census demographics and extensive survey data on how Canadians spend their time and money. The system can be used to improve the execution of many business strategies: customer profiling and acquisition, cross-selling and site selection, strategic planning, and media buying. It has wide application for marketers in a variety of industries, including financial services, packaged goods, retail, telecommunications, government agencies, not-for-profits, media, and automotive industries.

ESRI's GIS technology enables organizations to go beyond standard business data analysis by offering tools to integrate, view, and analyze geodemographic data. Using GIS technology, organizations can easily see the PRIZM CE data in a spatial context, allowing organizations to make faster and more informed business decisions based on this integrated view of the data.

"We are very excited about the opportunities that exist between ESRI Canada and Environics Analytics," said Alex Miller, President ESRI Canada. "By using geodemographic data within a GIS, business and government organizations will have a more accurate way of targeting their products and services to their customers. "

"This partnership helps us bring our demographic, household spending and segmentation databases to the desktops of GIS analysts across the country. We are pleased to be working with ESRI Canada - not only because of the breadth of their user base but also because of the leadership position that ESRI has maintained as innovators in the GIS industry for over 20 years," said Jan Kestle, President of Environics Analytics.

In creating and describing the 66 PRIZM CE segments, Environics Analytics also tapped a number of authoritative data resources, including Statistics Canada for census data, the Print Measurement Bureau and BBM Canada (RTS) for media behaviour and product preferences, Canadian Financial Monitor for financial behaviour, and Environics Research for social values and vehicle ownership data. In addition, clients can select names from both InfoCanada and Cornerstone's lists of Canadian households, according to their PRIZM CE lifestyle type, for direct marketing programs.

About Environics Analytics:
Environics Analytics Group Inc. is a Toronto-based marketing services company that specializes in geodemographics-based cluster analysis, site evaluation modeling and custom analytics. The company's flagship product is a cluster system called PRIZM CE, which helps marketers understand and communicate with 66 distinct types of Canadians reflecting their lifestyles, purchase behaviors and social values. PRIZM CE is also available for use with key Canadian media, marketing and GIS databases and tools -- from Environics, Statistics Canada, PMB, BBM Canada, NADbank, Canadian Financial Monitor, Polk Canada, InfoCanada, Cornerstone, ESRI Canada, TeleAtlas, Rogers Publishing, CSCA, C4SE and Canada Post. Environics Analytics is part of the Environics group of companies that also includes Environics Research and Environics Communications Inc. To learn more about Environics Analytics and its services, visit its website at http://www.environicsanalytics.ca/.

About ESRI Canada:
Established in 1984, ESRI Canada is a Canadian owned company specializing in geographic information systems (GIS) solutions. We distribute the world's leading GIS software solutions from ESRI Inc., Miner and Miner, and Azteca. In order to provide organizations with complete industry-specific solutions we have established an extensive business partner program that includes more than 125 Canadian organizations. ESRI Canada also provides professional services including consulting, training, technical support, and enterprise GIS implementation. We are leaders in providing world-class enterprise GIS solutions for many industries including local government, utilities, public safety and defence, business demographics, education, natural resources, and transportation. ESRI Canada has thirteen regional offices across the country, with headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. For more information, please visit http://www.esricanada.com/ or call 1-800-447-9778.

Media Contacts:
Heather Adams
Communications Specialist
ESRI Canada
T: 416-386-6463
E: hadams@esricanada.com
W: http://www.esricanada.com/
 


Jan Kestle
President
Environics Analytics
T: 416- 969-2834
E: Jan.Kestle@environicsanalytics.ca