World of marketing information comes alive on www.ends.com

Web-site visitors can play lifestyle-segmentation game

SAN DIEGO, November 11, 1996 - Marketers visiting Equifax National Decision Systems' newly animated and interactive Internet Web site at http://www.ends.com can experience consumer segmentation firsthand by simply entering a ZIP code and playing ``The Lifestyle Game.''

The ``game'' showcases MicroVision, the most widely used lifestyle-segmentation system in the United States. Following the assumption that ``birds of a feather flock together,'' MicroVision clusters each U.S. household into one of 50 segments based on census demographics, interests, purchasing patterns and financial behavior.

Businesses use the system to segment and target customers and prospects down to the ZIP+4 level of geography.

After visitors to the ``World of Marketing Information'' Web site enter a ZIP code in ``The Lifestyle Game,'' photos and descriptions of the three most dominant MicroVision segments in that ZIP code will appear.

The site offers Netscape 2.0 users access in both high and low bandwidths, with animation provided on high bandwidth with Shockwave software (downloadable from the site).

In addition to MicroVision, the site spotlights all of Equifax National Decision Systems' data and software products. A special feature called Fast-Facts provides current data tidbits from the company's more than 65 databases, ranging from demographic to business to consumer-demand data for a variety of products. New facts will be added regularly.

Equifax National Decision Systems, with headquarters in San Diego, is the nation's leading 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.

The company is a subsidiary of Equifax Inc , 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 in September 1996 exceeded $1.7 billion.