Objective
To form homogeneous groups of objects of some kind (e.g., people, brands, markets).
Examples/Applications
- Market segmentation
- Clarification of perceptual maps
- Market typologies
- Store typologies
Assumptions
- The dimensions on which clustering is done are the important ones, and usually equally important
- Variables are (relatively) uncorrelated
Mechanics
- Derivation of similarities
- Correlations
- Distances
- Hits
- Cross-products
- Types
- Hierarchical build-up (Johnson)
- Hierarchical build-down (AID, CHAID)
- Bump and push (Singleton-Katz; Howard-Harris)
- Clumping
Seminal Articles/Texts
- P. H. A. Sneath and R. R. Sokal; Numerical Taxonomy; W.H. Freeman, 1973
- John A. Hartigan; Clustering Algorithms; Wiley & Sons, 1975