Automotive Study Suggests Online Auto Information Fastest Growing Source Among Car Buyers; Moms Most Likely Group to Utilize Web

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - January 22, 2008) - A four year trend among automotive buyers suggests that the Web is the fastest growing source of vehicle information prior to buying a vehicle, according to Experian Research Services.

Download a free automotive map from Experian Research Services, charting the DMAs of moms using the Internet: http://www.smrb.com/?c=AutoXpert

This growth is contrary to other resources like word-of-mouth, television and automotive magazines, which have remained stagnant over the last four years. Additionally, among consumers with the highest intent to purchase a vehicle in the next two years, moms were most likely to rely on the Internet as part of their decision to purchase or lease.

The study is part of Simmons surveys conducted across the nation which measure car buying activity among consumers.

Chris Wilson, president of Experian Research Services, explained that this information illustrates how imperative it is to understand online consumer activities and behaviors within the automotive sector. "If your audience is changing media sources and buying behaviors, you need to change your tactics to complement theirs."

According to Mario Murgado, president and CEO of Miami Automotive Retail, Experian automotive data has been a great reference. "It condenses a vast amount of information into orderly reports that are easy to manipulate, use and share," said Murgado.

Watch Ellen Romer, senior vice president of Experian Research Services, explain how media companies, advertisers and automotive dealers can reach and target auto buyers via AutoXpert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9luBYcJ6Ys

AutoXpert is an application that provides insights into automotive buying behaviors and media usage. It geographically maps out automotive dealers' trade areas to help identify prospects and pinpoints which media channels are best to reach those consumers, enabling advertising agencies, media companies and dealerships to analyze automotive consumer data.

Experian Research Services (ERS) is ranked one of the fastest growing market research companies by Jack Honomichl, the leading market research authority. ERS, a part of Experian, is comprised of Simmons, a full service, consumer research organization that has been The Voice of the American Consumer for more than 50 years, and Vente, a real-time online quality lead generation service. For more information, visit www.smrb.com.

Contact Information: For more information contact: Valerie Jennings