Equifax National Decision Systems And Advo, Inc. Team Up To Provide New Level Of Target Marketing

New Program Combines Market Segmentation System, Direct Mail

SAN DIEGO, June 4, 1996 - Targeted mailing programs now can reach new levels of accuracy and efficiency as a result of an agreement between San Diego-based Equifax National Decision Systems and Connecticut-based ADVO, Inc. The agreement allows the enhancement of ADVO's direct mail and merchandising programs by applying Equifax National Decision Systems' consumer segmentation system, MicroVision, to ADVO's national address files.

MicroVision uses demographic data and aggregated consumer demand data at the ZIP+4 level of geography to classify every household in the U.S. into unique market segments. Each segment consists of households that share similar interests, purchasing patterns, financial behavior and demand for products and services. MicroVision, the most widely used segmentation system in the marketplace, enables marketers to target those prospective customers who are more likely to purchase products or services in their product or service category or for a specific product spending pattern. In addition to the standard version of MicroVision, industry-specific and custom versions also are available.

In the agreement, ADVO now may apply MicroVision to addresses by ZIP code, carrier route and ZIP+4. Mailing programs then can be directed to only those neighborhoods within MicroVision segments that are most likely to respond.

"Our relationship with ADVO will benefit many of the two companies' mutual customers by enabling them to direct their messages to the right customer segments," said Stephen Nye, general manager of Equifax National Decision Systems. "The joint program will provide retailers with much more leverage than they have had using each company's products and services separately."

Robert Muzzy, ADVO's vice president of microtargeting, said, "Our vision to be the targeter of choice for response-oriented advertisers drives us to find strategic new ways to service and add value to our clients. This new agreement with Equifax National Decision Systems will clearly enhance our offerings to our mutual clients. They will be better served with more specific and more efficient targeting capabilities."

More information on the program is available from Equifax National Decision Systems, 5375 Mira Sorrento Place, Suite 400, San Diego, CA 92121, telephone 800-866-6510, Internet Home Page, http://www.ends.com, or from ADVO, One Univac Lane, Windsor, CT 06095-0755, telephone 860-285-6205.

ADVO, headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, is the nation's largest microtargeting services company, with annual revenues of more than $1 billion. ADVO specializes in targeted shared and solo direct mail services to provide customized targeting solutions for its clients' needs. The company's Mailbox Values brand shared mail program is distributed nationally to more than 61 million households weekly. ADVO also offers limited transportation services and has 20 mail processing facilities and 70 sales offices nationwide.

Equifax National Decision Systems is the nation's leading value-added marketing information company, specializing in marketing decision support services, delivery systems and quality data. The company services businesses in the real estate, retail, restaurant, banking, insurance, investments, utilities, telecommunications, cable, consumer products, publishing and other industries. It has offices in San Diego, New York City, Vienna, Va., Atlanta and Chicago.

The company is a subsidiary of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX), a leading provider of information services to businesses around the world. Established in 1899 in Atlanta, Equifax today employs more than 14,000 people in North and South America, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Revenues for the 12 months ended March 31, 1996, were more than $1.7 billion.