Equifax Marketing Tool Helps Publishers Attract Automotive Advertisers

ATLANTA, April 3 -- Equifax Inc. today announced the availability of its 2006 version of MatchMAKER(R), a proprietary research tool that arms publishers with the most recent market data to help attract automotive advertising. Containing more than 11 million records for new cars and trucks purchased between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2005, MatchMAKER 2006 provides the latest, most relevant data available to publishers and agencies.

With MatchMAKER, publishers gain valuable insight into subscribers' recent automotive purchases as well as their demographics, attitudes and lifestyles. MatchMAKER delivers a comprehensive picture of vehicle purchases in the most recent model year, revealing the latest consumer trends and behavior. Since MatchMAKER reports are based on actual vehicle registrations, publishers gain hard, conclusive data for making informed advertising decisions.

"In the automotive industry, consumer choice and accountability drive market developments," said Owen Flynn, group executive, Equifax Marketing Services. "Equifax MatchMAKER arms today's publishers with the same information that manufacturers rely on to show automotive advertisers how they can deliver an increased return on their investment."

MatchMAKER customized reports are created by matching subscriber names to millions of new state motor vehicle registrations, showing the actual number of subscribers that bought specific new makes and models of cars and trucks. Delivered as easy-to-use spreadsheet files and as hardcopy, MatchMAKER demonstrates marketplace patterns and behaviors based on aggregate statistics. To protect consumer privacy, the report does not divulge the buying and leasing behaviors of individual consumers.

With every MatchMAKER report, Equifax offers a detailed subscriber study, called a FOCUS(TM) report. FOCUS provides insights into the demographics, purchasing behavior, and lifestyles of magazine and newspaper subscribers -- criteria which are critical in proving to advertisers how they will reach target audiences and increase the effectiveness of their media buys.

"Shortly after Star magazine became a glossy magazine, it ran its first ever automotive advertisement. Using MatchMAKER, we proved our value by showing that the number one model purchased by subscribers was the very same car we advertised," said David Forier, vice president of corporate research, American Media, Inc., the nation's largest publisher of celebrity, health and fitness, and Spanish language magazines. "MatchMAKER is the perfect way to measure the impact of automotive ads on magazine readership."

While MatchMAKER's primary application is in the publishing market, Equifax also can develop a report for any database that contains at least 50,000 names and addresses. MatchMAKER users can run a report on Web site visitors, cell phone subscribers, tradeshow and event registrants to determine the appropriateness of an audience for automotive marketing.

Equifax MatchMAKER is part of Equifax's portfolio of marketing services designed to empower businesses to maximize their marketing efforts and manage and grow their customer bases. With the country's largest database of online and offline direct marketing information, Equifax is equipped to identify and deliver information to address specific marketing needs. For more information on MatchMAKER and other Equifax marketing offerings, visit www.equifaxmarketingservices.com.

About Equifax (www.equifax.com)

Equifax Inc. is a global leader in turning information into intelligence. For businesses, Equifax provides faster and easier ways to find, approve and market to the appropriate customers. For consumers, Equifax offers easier, instantaneous ways to buy products or services and better insight into and management of their personal credit.