Experian Launches Auto Prospect Online Credit

Proactive Marketing Tool Combines Data Modeling and Credit Scoring to Bring Qualified, Targeted Customers Into Dealer Showrooms

COSTA MESA, Calif., April 12 -- Experian(R), a global information solutions company, today announced the launch of Auto Prospect Online Credit(SM). Designed specifically for automotive lenders and their dealer networks, the solution helps pinpoint vehicle shoppers who are currently in the market to purchase a vehicle, then prequalify those customers for financing using credit criteria established by the lender. This new credit-based direct marketing tool enables lenders to drive highly targeted prospects to dealers, giving lenders an edge to forge value-added marketing partnerships with dealers.

Auto Prospect Online Credit (APO Credit) delivers lenders a powerful tool to increase overall loan volumes and strengthen indirect lending partnerships. The solution can be implemented by a lender under their own brand and made available to dealers via the Internet. Dealers with access to a lender's site can launch a pre-approved direct marketing campaign by simply choosing the vehicle they plan to market, geography, mail quantity, and desired credit selects made available by the lender. Once a given campaign is initiated, mail piece fulfillment can be handled either by the lender or Experian.

"Our finance customers are looking for ways to become a lender of choice with dealerships," said Scott Waldron, president of Experian Automotive. "APO Credit can help lenders win market share by giving dealers what they want most -- qualified showroom traffic."

In a recent series of prescreen campaigns initiated by several independent used car dealers, the overall buy rates for the targeted audience averaged over 10%. Out of more than 8,000 prospects included in these campaigns, over 830 vehicles were purchased after a ninety-day period.

The true value of Auto Prospect Online Credit is created by leveraging the power of Experian's unique information assets, including Experian's National Vehicle Database, INSOURCE(SM) consumer demographic database, and FileOne(SM) consumer credit database. Once a campaign request is initiated, a demographic "owner profile" is dynamically generated within a dealer's local market for a type of vehicle. Experian then uses this owner profile to find consumers within the dealer's market who match the owner profile. Next, matching consumers are screened against Experian's consumer credit database based on a lender's pre-established credit criteria. Qualified consumers are then ranked by Experian's In-the-Market(SM) score which predicts their likelihood to be in the market for a vehicle. Finally, credit offers are mailed to all qualified consumers who are directed to the dealer's showroom for auto purchase and final loan arrangements.

  
   
   About Experian

Experian(R) is a global leader in providing information solutions to organizations and consumers. It helps organizations find, develop and manage profitable customer relationships by providing information, decision-making solutions and processing services. It empowers consumers to understand, manage and protect their personal information and assets. Experian works with more than 50,000 clients across diverse industries, including financial services, telecommunications, health care, insurance, retail and catalog, automotive, manufacturing, leisure, utilities, e-commerce, property and government. Experian is a subsidiary of GUS plc and has headquarters in Nottingham, UK, and Costa Mesa, Calif. Its 12,000 people in 27 countries support clients in more than 60 countries. Annual sales exceed $2.5 billion.

For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.experian.com.

The word "Experian" is a registered trademark in the EU and other countries and is owned by Experian Ltd. and/or its associated companies.