• by Wayne Friedman , April 24, 2007

Automotive publisher J.D. Power and Associates and Mediamark Research will offer some new, much-in-demand, research data on new-vehicle buyers starting next month.

Mediamark will provide, for the first time, product-specific psychographic research data for new-vehicle buyers. Psychographic data--which micro-targets consumers in terms of age, gender, income, location, occupation, lifestyle, attitude--is the basis of a twice-a-year study Mediamark provides its advertising and media clients.

Automotive marketers have never had this level of research detail to use for their campaigns. Previously, much of the buyer profile was done via guesswork. The new data will be achieved through the sometimes-controversial statistical technique known as data fusion, where two different samples are merged.

The MRI Psychographic Supplement to the J.D. Power report will be available in May, as well as being included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 online media study that will be released in August.

MRI has been increasing its psychographic data in its "Survey of the American Consumer" over the last few years, providing more granular knowledge about consumers' preferences. These findings go far beyond the demographics of age, gender and income.

MRI publishes its survey twice a year, questioning 26,000 people about media, products they purchase, and their lifestyles and attitudes.