In my last article, I discussed how real-time data is a game-changer in automotive which you can check out here . And it is, but what does it look like to take real-time data to the next level? It’s one thing to be able to tell you that someone is shopping for a car or looking to service, but what if you could see the identity of that shopper? What if you could see what car they currently have in their garage and accurate contact information to target them with marketing? With identity data, you can. By harnessing identity-level intent data, businesses can now delve deeper into the minds of consumers, gaining valuable insights into their preferences and needs. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of identity data and how it is revolutionizing the way we understand car buyers.

The internet has transformed the way people shop for cars. Gone are the days of wandering from one dealership to another. Today, a vast majority of consumers begin their car-buying journey online. 66% of car buyers across all age groups are turning to online tools for researching a vehicle purchase*. This shift has created an ocean of data waiting to be explored. Every click, every search, and every interaction leaves a digital footprint. In essence, identity data is the activation of that digital footprint, empowering businesses to resolve the identity of the individuals behind their digital interactions. It includes demographic details, online behavior, and preferences, all of which are instrumental in understanding consumer habits. In the context of car shopping, this data can reveal whether a person is casually browsing or actively looking to make a purchase. By analyzing and activating this data, businesses can understand their market and customers in ways they never thought possible.

One of the key advantages of harnessing identity data in the car shopping process is the ability to personalize the customer experience. Imagine receiving recommendations for cars that align perfectly with your preferences, budget, and lifestyle. This level of personalization not only simplifies the decision-making process but also enhances customer satisfaction. Businesses can create targeted marketing campaigns, offer personalized discounts, and provide relevant information, ensuring that customers feel valued and understood.

The power of identity data allows businesses to see the most current personally identifiable information for customers in their database. Personally identifiable information, or PII, is any information that can be connected back to a unique individual and can be used to deanonymize their identity. Instead of wasting ad dollars focusing on old contact information, identity data can be utilized to clean and replace old data with the most recently captured PII for your customers. To go a step beyond just replacing data, you can also use this information to merge your data into unified customer profiles. Unified customer profiles consolidate a vast array of customer data into a single data point, cleaning your database of duplicates with different contact information and merging a customer’s transaction and engagement history with your business. Using identity data, dealers can merge all of their existing customer data points into one, succinct profile. This enables marketing efficiency by not targeting multiple email addresses or phone numbers for the same consumer, but only engaging them with only their most accurate information.

At the forefront of most dealers’ minds is ensuring they are compliant with their data and not putting themselves at risk for costly violations. Identity data allows dealers to see the person behind the device and actively check whether they are on any current DNC lists. Dealers marketing to cookies or devices put themselves at risk by not knowing the critical PII of a shopper showing their eligibility for targeting. Rarely are the most efficient and safest options available in business – but with identity data, you get the best of both worlds. The most accurate data available, while also being the safest data available.

Identity data has ushered in a new era of understanding in the world of car shopping. By leveraging this data effectively, businesses can provide unparalleled personalized experiences, build trust, and mitigate the risk of compliance violations. As businesses continue to harness the power of identity data, the future of car shopping promises to be not just convenient, but also deeply personalized and profoundly customer-centric.