Friday, March 16, 2018

Data Brokerage Firm, information retrievals services database & information products

Question:
I have a student seeking information about data brokerage and credit scoring companies in Canada.

He has been able to find some information via the Canadian Contract History Database, the codes he is examining there are D317B, D317E, T001 group, 

He would like to find a list of the companies, and statistic information about these companies in Canada.  By data brokerage firms he means, database companies, list companies, survey companies, credit scoring companies, industry research companies and so on.

How would you go about finding the NAICS codes that best describe this kind of company and/or related companies that compile data and resel as products.  The Classic companies are Environics Analytics in Canada, internally Axciom, Oracle, etc.

Answer from DLI member:
A significant number would, I think, fall under 541910 - Marketing research and public opinion polling (of course the 6-digit is Canadian industry only, so maybe better to go with 5-digit). 

From the NAICS 2012 definition, this includes:
  • broadcast media rating services
  • market analysis or research services
  • political and public opinion polling services
  • public opinion research services
  • sampling services, statistical
http://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3VD.pl?Function=getVD&TVD=118464&CVD=118471&CPV=541910&CST=01012012&CLV=5&MLV=5

Answer from subject matter:
“Is this client a federal or provincial government? If they are not, then we will be unable to provide them with any specific microdata information about these companies. We could only give them aggregate information based on the NAICS they are looking for. ISED and other websites do have some information on registered and incorporated businesses but they would not be able to get this information from StatCan.

As for the NAICS for these businesses, the website is the best way for clients to look up NAICS. From the information the client has given you, I would estimate that they are looking at businesses in NAICS 541910 – Marketing research and public opinion polling, however, depending on the business, you could see other NAICS in the 541 subsector.”

This is the link on the STC website: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/subjects/standard/naics/2017v2/index