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A Comprehensive List of Industries for your CRM

30th June 2023

If you’ve ever been stumped when trying to categorise a prospect or client within your CRM, this extensive guide aims to help, providing a practical list of industries for your CRM. So, get ready as we delve into the definitions, classifications, and the nuanced distinctions between industry groups and market sectors!

What Is an Industry Group?

Let’s break it down. An industry group is a cool way to classify companies or stocks based on what they have in common – their line of business. It’s like sorting out your music playlist, but instead of songs, we have companies. This way, you can easily keep tabs on the performance of stocks across different groups. So, let’s say you’re an investor (or a curious reader), understanding industry groups can offer you a treasure trove of insights into broader trends within sectors and even uncover potential investment opportunities.

The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS)

Now, this wouldn’t be a comprehensive guide without mentioning the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS). Considered the mother of all classification systems especially in the United States, GICS was born out of a collaboration between MSCI Inc. and S&P Dow Jones Indices. This standardised approach to classifying companies has become so popular that everyone from asset managers to brokers and even stock exchanges have embraced it, further solidifying its status as a global standard.

Let’s Dive into the GICS Industry Groups

By now, you’re likely just wanting to copy & paste a list of industries. As promised, here is our detailed “list of industries” or industry groups to help you gain a comprehensive understanding of them:

  1. Automobiles and Components
  2. Banks
  3. Capital Goods
  4. Commercial and Professional Services
  5. Consumer Durables and Apparel
  6. Consumer Services
  7. Diversified Financials
  8. Energy
  9. Food, Beverage, and Tobacco
  10. Food and Staples Retailing
  11. Health Care Equipment and Services
  12. Household and Personal Products
  13. Insurance
  14. Materials
  15. Media and Entertainment
  16. Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Life Sciences
  17. Real Estate
  18. Retailing
  19. Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
  20. Software and Services
  21. Technology Hardware and Equipment
  22. Telecommunication Services
  23. Transportation
  24. Utilities

Understanding Business Sectors and Industrial Sub-Sectors

The nuanced difference between business sectors and industrial sub-sectors might seem slight, but it is essential to grasp. The Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) classifies stocks into 11 primary business sectors, which tend to be more encompassing than industrial sub-sectors. Interestingly, some sub-sectors like utilities, materials, and energy also serve as independent business sectors. A more detailed explanation of these classifications can be found on Investopedia.

The analogy of a music album and its constituent songs serves as a fitting illustration of the relationship between business sectors and industrial sub-sectors. The album (business sector) contains a range of diverse songs (industrial sub-sectors), and grasping this structure can enable more precise interpretation of market trends and comprehensive market analysis.

Looking for a more comprehensive list of industries for your CRM

Not a problem, we have tried using the above GCIS list ourselves and felt it a little restrictive even for our limited needs for categorisation. Maybe the below list of 134 industry groups might be more your line of thinking?

  1. Agriculture
  2. Apparel & Fashion
  3. Automotive
  4. Aviation & Aerospace
  5. Banking
  6. Biotechnology
  7. Broadcast Media
  8. Building Materials
  9. Business Supplies and Equipment
  10. Chemicals
  11. Civic & Social Organisation
  12. Civil Engineering
  13. Commercial Real Estate
  14. Computer & Network Security
  15. Computer Games
  16. Computer Hardware
  17. Computer Networking
  18. Computer Software
  19. Construction
  20. Consumer Electronics
  21. Consumer Goods
  22. Consumer Services
  23. Cosmetics
  24. Dairy
  25. Defence & Space
  26. Design
  27. E-Learning
  28. Education Management
  29. Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
  30. Entertainment
  31. Environmental Services
  32. Events Services
  33. Facilities Services
  34. Farming
  35. Financial Services
  36. Fine Art
  37. Fishery
  38. Food & Beverages
  39. Food Production
  40. Fundraising
  41. Furniture
  42. Gambling & Casinos
  43. Government Administration
  44. Government Relations
  45. Graphic Design
  46. Health, Wellness and Fitness
  47. Higher Education
  48. Hospital & Health Care
  49. Hospitality
  50. Human Resources
  51. Import and Export
  52. Individual & Family Services
  53. Industrial Automation
  54. Information Services
  55. Information Technology and Services
  56. Insurance
  57. International Trade and Development
  58. Internet
  59. Investment Banking
  60. Investment Management
  61. Journalism
  62. Judiciary
  63. Law Enforcement
  64. Law Practice
  65. Legal Services
  66. Leisure, Travel & Tourism
  67. Libraries
  68. Logistics and Supply Chain
  69. Luxury Goods & Jewellery
  70. Machinery
  71. Management Consulting
  72. Maritime
  73. Market Research
  74. Marketing and Advertising
  75. Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
  76. Media Production
  77. Medical Devices
  78. Medical Practice
  79. Mental Health Care
  80. Mining & Metals
  81. Motion Pictures and Film
  82. Museums and Institutions
  83. Music
  84. Nanotechnology
  85. Non-profit Organisation Management
  86. Oil & Energy
  87. Online Media
  88. Outsourcing/Offshoring
  89. Package/Freight Delivery
  90. Packaging and Containers
  91. Paper & Forest Products
  92. Performing Arts
  93. Pharmaceuticals
  94. Philanthropy
  95. Photography
  96. Plastics
  97. Primary/Secondary Education
  98. Printing
  99. Professional Training & Coaching
  100. Program Development
  101. Public Policy
  102. Public Relations and Communications
  103. Public Safety
  104. Publishing
  105. Railroad Manufacture
  106. Ranching
  107. Real Estate
  108. Recreational Facilities and Services
  109. Religious Institutions
  110. Renewables & Environment
  111. Research
  112. Restaurants
  113. Retail
  114. Security and Investigations
  115. Semiconductors
  116. Shipbuilding
  117. Sporting Goods
  118. Sports
  119. Staffing and Recruiting
  120. Supermarkets
  121. Telecommunications
  122. Textiles
  123. Think Tanks
  124. Tobacco
  125. Translation and Localisation
  126. Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
  127. Utilities
  128. Venture Capital & Private Equity
  129. Veterinary
  130. Warehousing
  131. Wholesale
  132. Wine and Spirits
  133. Wireless
  134. Writing and Editing

Maybe you’re looking for a nested list of industries for your CRM

Given the extensive list of industry groups, we’ve attempted to classify the above groups under the relevant GICS Industry Categorisation to give you a sense of how they nest. Please note that the above groups can often be categorised under multiple industry categories depending on the specific businesses they contain. For instance, ‘Banking’ can also fall under ‘Diversified Financials’ if it includes investment services and other financial offerings. Similarly, ‘Automotive’ could be a part of ‘Consumer Durables and Apparel’ if it pertains to consumer-facing businesses. This mapping will vary based on specific business activities and the structure of the company, but should give you a head start if a nested solution (where you opt for multiple layers of industry categorisation).

  1. Automobiles and Components:
    • Automotive
    • Industrial Automation
    • Machinery
  2. Banks:
    • Banking
    • Investment Banking
    • Financial Services
    • Investment Management
  3. Capital Goods:
    • Building Materials
    • Machinery
    • Industrial Automation
  4. Commercial and Professional Services:
    • Business Supplies and Equipment
    • Civic & Social Organisation
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Professional Training & Coaching
    • Management Consulting
  5. Consumer Durables and Apparel:
    • Apparel & Fashion
    • Consumer Electronics
    • Consumer Goods
    • Luxury Goods & Jewellery
    • Textiles
  6. Consumer Services:
    • Consumer Services
    • Leisure, Travel & Tourism
    • Restaurants
    • Recreational Facilities and Services
  7. Diversified Financials:
    • Financial Services
    • Investment Management
    • Venture Capital & Private Equity
  8. Energy:
    • Oil & Energy
    • Renewables & Environment
  9. Food, Beverage, and Tobacco:
    • Food & Beverages
    • Dairy
    • Food Production
    • Tobacco
  10. Food and Staples Retailing:
    • Supermarkets
    • Food Production
    • Dairy
  11. Health Care Equipment and Services:
    • Health, Wellness and Fitness
    • Hospital & Health Care
    • Medical Devices
    • Medical Practice
  12. Household and Personal Products:
    • Consumer Goods
    •  Cosmetics
    • Household and Personal Products
    • Furniture
  13. Insurance:
    • Insurance
  14. Materials:
    • Building Materials
    • Chemicals
    • Mining & Metals
    • Paper & Forest Products
    • Plastics
  15. Media and Entertainment:
    • Broadcast Media
    • Media Production
    • Motion Pictures and Film
    • Music
    • Online Media
    • Publishing
  16. Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Life Sciences:
    • Biotechnology
    • Medical Devices
    • Pharmaceuticals
    • Research
    • Nanotechnology
  17. Real Estate:
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Real Estate
  18. Retailing:
    • Consumer Goods
    • Luxury Goods & Jewellery
    • Retail
    • Supermarkets
  19. Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment:
    • Semiconductors
    • Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
  20. Software and Services:
    • Computer & Network Security
    • Computer Games
    • Computer Software
    • Information Technology and Services
    • Internet
  21. Technology Hardware and Equipment:
    • Computer Hardware
    • Computer Networking
    • Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing
    • Information Technology and Services
    • Wireless
  22. Telecommunication Services:
    • Telecommunications
    • Wireless
  23. Transportation:
    • Aviation & Aerospace
    • Logistics and Supply Chain
    • Railroad Manufacture
    • Shipbuilding
    • Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
  24. Utilities:
    • Utilities

Wrapping Up: The Significance of Industry Groups for CRMs

The relevance of industry groups for CRMs cannot be overstated. Categorising prospects or clients according to industry groups in your CRM system allows for more precise targeting and segmentation, enabling bespoke marketing and sales strategies for each group. It provides essential insights into the business landscape of each client, paving the way for personalised interactions, product recommendations, and service offerings. This strategic categorisation also aids in performance tracking, analysis of industry trends, and identification of potential growth opportunities. In essence, understanding and utilising industry groups within a CRM system can substantially enhance the overall effectiveness of your business strategy and client relationships.


Has something in this article peaked your interest? We’re never more than a few clicks or a quick call away so please don’t hesitate to get in touch!

30th June 2023
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