First Data and Donnelley Marketing Launch Credit Card Marketing Packages.

OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 1996--First Data InfoSource, a leading information management company, and Donnelley Marketing, Inc., a leader in consumer information services, have joined forces to launch a series of solution-based packages to help credit card issuers increase the effectiveness of cardholder marketing programs.

Bill Bak, president of First Data InfoSource, described the partnership as vital in addressing the key issues that card marketers face in the areas of acquisition, attrition, activation and usage. "Credit card issuers realize that they don't just need more marketing programs; they need more effective ones. By combining Donnelley's direct marketing experience and high quality databases with InfoSource's data management and financial services expertise, issuers can obtain more targeted and valuable prospect lists, higher response rates, and ultimately more profitable cardholders," Bak said.

The suite of marketing tools is geared toward solving acquisition, retention, activation, and usage problems, and is the first to offer a single source for every element of effective card marketing. These packages include the most advanced data scoring and database management techniques. As a result, issuers can manage every step in a card marketing program from strategic planning, through mail execution, to response tracking and analysis, and ultimately to on-line decision support.

Bak said that issuers will significantly benefit from the "one-stop shop" approach to marketing. "The typical acquisition program requires six to eight weeks lead time. By teaming up, Donnelley and InfoSource will significantly reduce lead time, providing issuers with more immediate response and the ability to carry out a greater number of high quality, effective campaigns."

Bob Sher, president of Donnelley Marketing, said that the unique requirements of card marketing programs demand unique solutions. "Effective card marketing programs require a high level of ongoing analysis and measurement. Donnelley and InfoSource will offer unmatched control in both pre-mail targeting and post-response analysis," Sher said.

Sher illustrates, for example, that the offerings can help issuers target acquisition efforts more effectively by pre-screening mailing lists against a variety of data including bankruptcies, tax liens, and civil judgments; creating advanced scoring and predictor models; using customized offers to incent response; and providing guidelines for future programs based on predicted and actual response rates.

Donnelley Marketing, Inc. (DMI), founded in 1917, is the nation's leading supplier of consumer information, marketing database services, research and analytical consulting, computer services, merge/purge and lettershop. DMI maintains the nation's most extensive consumer information databases with demographic, lifestyle and purchase behavior data on more than 96 million households and 170 million individuals. Donnelley Marketing is owned by employees and a private investment group.

First Data InfoSource offers database marketing services, electronic information solutions, and electronic directory assistance to financial institutions, retail credit grantors and collections organizations. First Data InfoSource is a business unit of First Data Corporation (NYSE:FDC).

FDC is a leading provider of information and transaction processing services - converting information into value. Services include transaction processing and back office support for card issuers; merchant and consumer payment services; debt collection and accounts receivable management; mutual fund processing; health care claims administration; data imaging and information management; and other related services.

CONTACT: Mike Geppert, First Data InfoSource, 402-498-6151

Sophie Miller, Donnelley Marketing, Inc., 708-637-1000