New data system matches credit offers to serious buyers

Abusiness alliance provides dealers with pre-approved lending targeted for new- and used-car buyers as they enter the shopping process.

PolkOne uses Polk's automotive Garage Predictor products and One2One's credit solutions data to create 11 marketing options.

Says Andrew Price, vice president of Polk's Dealer Direct Team, “There are three key areas in finding valid prospects - credit ranking, timing, (that is, who is looking for a vehicle) and their brand preference. PolkOne is able to target those customers who are eligible in all three areas.”

Polk, because of recent privacy legislation, can no longer provide detailed motor vehicle registration data to marketers.

As a result, the company used statistics to create probability-based models of vehicle ownership instead of direct knowledge to develop its Garage Predictor products, according to Stephen R. Polk, the company's CEO and president.

“The new restrictions caused us to look for other ways we could extend our data,” Price explains.

The models use neighborhood vehicle distribution and household demographic data to predict which households are likely to be in the market for either a used or new vehicle and what brand they may desire.

That information is then matched with credit information developed by the One2One Group.

“Matching firm credit offers to specific customer groups as they are entering the car shopping process significantly reduces marketing costs for automotive retailers,” says One2One Group CEO David Bailey. “At the same time, it provides consumers with a valuable piece of the car shopping puzzle - pre-approved financing.”