Source4 has designed a personalized direct mail response marketing program for LendingTree.com. LendingTree is a nationally recognized online interchange connecting consumer borrowers with consumer lenders and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

LendingTree receives online inquiries from consumers and transmits this information to suitable lenders in the consumer's geographic region. Within an hour, usually four lenders respond back to the consumer electronically through LendingTree's interchange with rate bids on mortgages, home equity and refinance loans. These bids reside in a personalized secure online access point for the consumer to retrieve. The consumer receives an e-mail informing them of the responses, and is left to make the next move. The consumer can take several actions, and only one of these is beneficial to LendingTree. LendingTree only receives a commission on the transaction of information if the consumer closes a loan with a LendingTree member.

In order to increase their bottom line, LendingTree must increase the number of closed loan transactions through its portal. National print, radio and television advertising has propelled LendingTree into a well recognized household brand name. However, these mediums are non-personal in nature and can not speak directly to an individual about their specific needs. LendingTree utilizes personalized e-mail messages to tailor information to the consumer's needs and has experienced good results with this medium. However this message only reaches the consumer if the consumer takes the time to check e-mail. Also, most consumers do not immediately act with this type of financial commitment and need additional information to reinforce the benefits of making the decision to purchase. A single solution was developed to solve both issues and reaches the consumer through a third medium with a personalized direct mail marketing follow up to the consumer.
LendingTree called upon Source4 to fulfill the third tier of their marketing efforts.

Source4's local Charlotte representative Tom Caruso worked directly with LendingTree's in-house marketing department to produce marketing collateral that is used in the campaign. The pieces were printed at Souce4's Chicago commercial printing and distribution center on Heidelberg presses. On a daily basis, the same Chicago plant receives data files containing the consumer's mailing address information, type of loan information requested along with the four lender names, lender contacts, and lender phone numbers from the previous days interchange activity. By utilizing the same facility to print, personalize and distribute, LendingTree eliminated freight, multiple vendors and can closely manage the marketing activity through a single point of contact.

Before Source4 creates personalized letters to the consumers, the data is analyzed against postal software to update any incorrect or inconsistent address information. Any addresses that can not be corrected are eliminated from the mailing eliminating the waste of LendingTree's marketing resources. Source4 then manipulates the data into personalized letters to the consumer and adjusts the body of the letter according to whether the consumer is searching a mortgage, home equity or refinance loan. These letters include the names of the lending institutions, the lenders representative's name and phone numbers. The personalized letters are imaged at Source4 Chicago's digital document imaging center on XEROX imaging equipment. The letter is then matched with additional specific marketing information about their type of loan which educates the consumer and reinforces the benefits of that loan type. The letters are then entered into the postal system the same day the data is received with reduced rate first-class pre-sort postage discounts.

The consumer receives a very tailored message and specific marketing collateral that reinforces the personalized e-mail marketing efforts undertaken by LendingTree directly to their place of residence. Source4 has been an integral part of their marketing plan and has assisted in increasing LendingTree's close rate on lending transaction information. Additionally, LendingTree's cost of sourcing has been reduced by utilizing a single source to fulfill the entire program. After completing three weeks of a 12 week test market campaign, LendingTree contracted Source4 for an additional 6 month program.

For more information on LendingTree visit www.lendingtree.com. For additional information on the specifics of this Source4 marketing program e-mail Tom Caruso at thomas.caruso@source4.com or Keith Weil at keith.weil@source4.com.