Auto Finance Firm, Detroit Area Marketing Agency Team Up With Starbucks At National Auto Dealers Confab In San Fran

    SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30 -- Faced with the daunting task of a
national rollout of their vehicle loan decisioning engine at the National
Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Conference at the Moscone Center here
Jan. 31-Feb. 3, 2003 with no booth at the Show, Bankers Integration Group
(BIG) and their advertising and marketing firm Duffey Petrosky & Company of
Southfield, MI did the next best thing: turn to their favorite coffee shop
Starbucks.
    "Obviously, we would have preferred to have had a nice booth on the NADA
Show Floor," explained Ted Cunningham, Bankers Integration Group vice chairman
and director of sales and marketing.  "But NADA had a waiting list of 150
companies to be in the Show.
    "Jack Oliver, our Midwest Sales Manager, loves Starbucks and suggested we
contact them.
    "Starbucks was more than helpful in accommodating our needs, and for those
NADA auto dealers looking for Bankers Integration Group, they can find us at
the Starbucks, 730 Howard Street, adjacent to the Moscone Center."
    Bankers Integration Group, which will roll out its BigFNI(TM), a new
Internet based decisioning engine software for vehicle loans, will staff the
Starbucks at 730 Howard Street with its sales personnel, provide
demonstrations how the BigFNI works and pay dealers to use the system, and of
course offer dealers a free cup of Starbucks.
    According to Joe Petrosky, principal, DP & Company of Southfield, which is
handling a national trade print advertising and direct marketing campaign for
BIG, the Starbucks trade show site for BIG also presented challenges of
spreading the word to Dealers at NADA.  "Our BIG account supervisor Greg
Krisko and our creative department put their heads together and put together a
direct mail campaign to dealers, plus Starbucks store signage and advertising
in Show publications.  This was executed in one week!"
    "We didn't want to be shut out from NADA, so we feel we have the next best
thing: a Starbucks/BIG information center near the NADA Show and a cup of the
country's most popular coffee, Starbucks."