Ever wish your Demographic Data and Mapping service would integrate with Google Earth?  You spend time analyzing data, creating maps, uploading data (you can upload custom data with Research360) and then you do it all over again in Google Earth.  Stop the madness!  Wouldn’t it be easier if you could just click a button?  You can!  The following 4 screenshots will show you the basics.

To request a live demonstration call 888.848.4436 ext. 4 or click here for our online request form.

First, we create a map in Research 360 and click the “Other Views” button.

Map of Petco Park in San Diego, Themed by Median Household Income ('09) -- CLICK TO EXPAND

Other Views Window

Second, choose between Google Earth; Google Maps; Virtual Earth; or Yahoo! Maps.  You can also specify what data you want to bring over.  You can use standard demographics or view your own data.

Once you click OK, Google Earth (or other option you chose) will open and your data from Research360 will be in there waiting for you.

Google Earth - Displaying a Site, Trade Area, Median Household Income Theme and a simple ZIP Code Flash Report - CLICK TO EXPAND

Now you can manipulate Google Earth to display the data the way you prefer.  From here you can really customize the final output with Google Earth’s editing capabilities.  Change the angle of your view, utilize the 3D Buildings (available in several major cities) or dive right down to a street view.

Unique "Birds Eye View" of your Site and Trade Area - CLICK TO EXPAND

If you are interested in learning more about this feature please contact Geographic Enterprises, 888.848.4436 or request a live demonstration today by clicking here.

Did you know that you can cut the entire United States into ZIP Based Territories of Populations of 250,000 in only minutes?  This is just one simple example of how powerful the Research360 Territory Manager is.

Research360 Territory Manager is a web-based solution for aligning territories to improve the return on sales and service resources. It  works with Strategy Map, is simple to use and is scaled to manage territory hierarchies from the smallest to the largest national salesforces.

For more information: contact Geographic Enterprises @ 888.848.4436 x4

To schedule a live demonstration:  Click Here

Or…Watch this quick 97 second video to learn more.

How many of us have scribbled directions on a napkin or scrap piece of paper to help us get to a place we aren’t very familiar with. I have – and I am sure you have to. Did you draw any streets on your paper?  Or did you just write turn left here, right there and it’s the 3rd building on the left.  Just scribbling down some directions are just that… directions.  So what would make it a map?

GeoTopic of week: Definition of a map

Maps come in many varieties. Typically in Research360 you will see site, thematic and territory maps. I will cover more on those in a moment.  Based on my professional map drawing experience, yes, I was a cartographer* for AAA, maps require a few items to be called a map.  Remember, these “rules” are not set in stone. To me, if you draw some lines and arrows and it helps me get from point A to point B, I say that qualifies as a map.  Who am I to say what your map MUST have.  The most important and only thing it MUST do is get a message across to the user.  Technically speaking your map will need a title, legend, scale and a north arrow.  Sounds simple enough right?

I am sure you have all created or used a site map, a map representing a location that you are interested in viewing its surroundings.  Let’s say you were opening a coffee shop and you have a site available to you. You create a map with that site but you may want more info. You probably want to make sure you are in a busy area with plenty of people driving by to stop at your location. If this is the case you can add traffic counts to your map. You may also want to make sure there aren’t any Starbucks close by (that is pretty difficult since they seem to be everywhere…they are the cockroach of the retail industry right?…yes, I am a coffee addict.) so locating your competitors and adding them to your map is key.  All this data will help you make a decision based on your surroundings.   As to other data, such as the type of clientele you are after, you will have to create a thematic map.

Thematic maps will allow you to display data that you don’t have as a point or site. Hopefully you know what demographic you client will be. A thematic map will allow you to find those areas that have high densities of your client base. One example of a thematic use the color range “red is hot, blue is not” to show you where your ideal areas are. Now you may be asking, “Why can’t I have all this info on one map?” You can!  It’s very simple to incorporate both maps and can be done in Research360.

To sum it all up, maps need to convey a message. Whether it is directions from your house to your kid’s little league game across town or a thematic site map showing adult population distribution and traffic counts around your soon to be opened coffee shop, your map is a geographical story.

Don’t be afraid to ask for directions,

rich@geo-e

*Cartographer: one who draws maps.