A Comprehensive List of Industries for your CRM

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.