This article explains the differences between primary and secondary industry classifications and between top-level industry and sub-industry classifications.
Primary and Secondary Industry Classifications
Industry classifications describe a company’s different lines of business from the company’s perspective.
A primary industry represents a company’s main or largest business area. A secondary industry represents additional lines of business. Each company in the Demandbase database can have one primary industry and multiple secondary industry classifications.
For example, Apple’s primary industry might be Mobile Communication Devices, reflecting products such as the iPhone and iPad. Its secondary industries might include software platforms, networking solutions, and applications.
A company’s primary business can be classified at either the industry or sub-industry level. For example, Demandbase’s primary business is Internet Information Services, a sub-industry within the Media industry.
Top-Level Industry and Sub-Industry Classifications
Top-level industry and sub-industry classifications group companies according to standardized industry definitions. Unlike primary and secondary classifications, which describe a company’s internal lines of business, these classifications describe the company’s overall business using industry standards.
Demandbase combines the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), British SIC, and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) with proprietary classifications. These classifications consolidate global standards into 30 top-level industries and 708 sub-industries.
| Top-Level Industry | Associated Sub-Industries |
|---|---|
| Banks | Central Banks, Commercial Banking, Regional Banks |
| Transportation | Airports and Terminals, Bus Services |
| Telecommunications | Data Network Operators, Data Services |
Demandbase is classified under the Computer Software top-level industry and the CRM sub-industry, formerly known as Sales Intelligence Software.
These classifications let Demandbase users group target companies broadly or narrowly. For example, you can group Demandbase, Salesforce, and Adobe together under Computer Software, or narrow the results to companies in the CRM sub-industry.