Glossary of Entity Classifications
Carbon Arc’s Entity Framework powers all data structuring across our platform. This glossary provides definitions and examples of the key terms, categories, and classifications used to organize data entities, brands, products, locations, and services.
About This Glossary
Carbon Arc’s Glossary of Entity Classifications provides a shared reference point for understanding how data is structured across the platform. The below tables break down the core terminology behind our Entity Framework—covering how brands, products, companies, and locations are categorized, enriched, and used to drive insight. This glossary defines each term with precision and includes real-world examples to help users quickly orient themselves across diverse datasets.
This glossary is essential for anyone building queries, interpreting dashboards, or developing on Carbon Arc. It ensures consistency in how entities are classified, reduces ambiguity across teams, and aligns technical and non-technical users around a common language. Whether you’re analyzing spend by brand, tracking engagement by artist, or mapping geographic trends, this guide helps you understand exactly what each classification means—enabling faster, more accurate insight generation across the platform.
Entity Frameworks
| Term | Industry | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity | -- | Described as either a Brand, Company, Location, or Persona. | Brand: Google, Company: Alphabet, Location: New York, NY, Persona: Taylor Swift Concert Cohort |
| Entity Type | -- | Classifies entities into broad categories: Goods, Services, POI, Geographic, Content, Financials, Healthcare, IEU, etc. | Brand: Goods or Services; Location: Geographic or POI |
| Entity Domain | -- | Classifies an entity based on its industry or domain knowledge. | A Content Brand may belong to the music, entertainment, or sports industry. |
| Ticker | -- | A publicly traded company’s ticker symbol. | Apple = AAPL |
| Company | -- | The parent company a brand rolls up to. | Apple Music (Services Brand) rolls up to Apple (Company). |
| Brand | -- | An entity with enough differentiated perceptions to warrant segmentation as a separate entity. | Cheerios, Oreos, Huggies |
| Product | -- | A line-item product provided by a Brand. | A clothing product at Aritzia. |
| Event | -- | A distinct combination of event-type, time, location, and brand-entity relationship. | Taylor Swift’s 3 NYC concerts are 3 events. |
Brand-Type Classifications
| Term | Industry | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| App | All | A digital web or mobile application. | Spotify, Microsoft Outlook |
| App Publisher | All | A brand entity responsible for multiple apps as a developer or parent brand. | Google Classroom (App) rolls up to Alphabet. |
| Website | All | Websites serving as a product or service. | IMDB |
| Artist | Music | A person or music group performing under one name. | Drake, Black Eyed Peas |
| Actor | Entertainment | Actor/Actress. | Brad Pitt |
| Song | Music | A recorded sound mapped to an Artist. | Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi |
| Genre | Entertainment | Music, film, theatre, or TV genre. | Pop (Music), Romance (Film) |
| Title | Entertainment | Combination of location, time, and name of a film, show, or play. | Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone |
| Franchise | Entertainment | A series of titles with similar themes and characters. | Harry Potter, Star Wars |
| Director | Entertainment | Names of film directors. | Quentin Tarantino |
| Sport | Entertainment - Sports | Organized competitive physical activity. | Tennis, Soccer, Football |
| Sports Team | Entertainment - Sports | Sports team names across all sports leagues. | Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Ravens |
| Sports League | Entertainment - Sports | Sports leagues. | MLB, NBA, MLS |
| Service Brand | Consumer Services | Hospitality, Health & Education, Business & Finance, and IT. | Hilton Honors, University of Michigan |
| Retailer Banner Brand | Consumer Goods Retailers | Physical/e-commerce retailer brands distinct from the parent company. | Walmart, Sam’s Club |
| Product Brand | Durable & Non-Durable Consumer Goods | Private label brands within a retailer. | Better Homes & Gardens (Walmart), Goodfellow & Co (Target) |
| Vehicle Make Brand | Consumer Durable Goods | Car brands. | Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet |
| Vehicle Model Brand | Consumer Durable Goods | Model lines under one brand. | Cadillac CT6, Deville |
| Vehicle Trim Brand | Consumer Durable Goods | Feature-based versions of a model. | CT6 vs. CT6-V |
| Music Distributor | Entertainment - Music | Names of music distributors. | Sony Music |
| Music Label | Entertainment - Music | Names of music labels. | Sony Classical |
Location-Type Classifications
| Term | Industry | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Location - Geographic | A nation with its own land and government. | United States of America |
| State | Location - Geographic | US states and Washington, D.C. | New York |
| DMA | Location - Geographic | Designated Market Area by Nielsen. | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| MSA | Location - Geographic | Metropolitan Statistical Area, 50,000+ population. | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington |
| CBSA | Location - Geographic | Core-Based Statistical Area. | New York City |
| Postal Code | Location - Geographic | Mailing zip code. | 10011 |
| Venue | Location - POI | A location where events are held. | Metlife Stadium |
Service Brand-Entity Category Hierarchy
| Category | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Category 0 | Identified as a Service. | Services |
| Category 1 | Combination of multiple GICS sectors. | Financial & Business Services |
| Category 2 | GICS Sector. | Financials |
| Category 3 | GICS Industry Group. | Financial Services |
| Category 4 | GICS Industry. | Capital Markets |
| Category 5 | GICS Sub-Industry or Carbon Arc deep level. | Investment Banking |
Goods Brand-Entity Category Hierarchy
| Category | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Category 0 | Identified as a Good. | Goods |
| Category 1 | Non-Durable, Durable, and Retailer division. | Durable Goods |
| Category 2 | GICS Industry Group. | Consumer Durables |
| Category 3 | GICS Industry. | Household Durables |
| Category 4 | GICS Sub-Industry. | Consumer Electronics |
| Category 5 | Carbon Arc deep level. | Cameras |