SOUTHFIELD, MI -- R. L. Polk & Co. yesterday announced the introduction of the Polk Center for Automotive Studies, a division that will provide comprehensive analyses and insight based on national or local Internet consumer polling and empirical Polk data. Findings from the Polk Center for Automotive Studies will provide customers and the media with a deeper understanding of social, economic and marketplace issues affecting the automotive industry.

With the help of Database Sciences, Inc. based in Paramus, NJ, consumer polls will be conducted nationally and in specific markets, and findings will be reported within 48 hours of study inception.

The division will be led by Lonnie Miller, director of Polk's Analytical Solutions and Jeff Martini, Polk OEM vice president.

"R. L. Polk & Co. excels in helping our automotive customers with intelligence and insight into what is selling, who is buying and how to reach them. Based on the consultative nature of our business, this endeavor is a natural fit for Polk," said Miller. "The Polk Center for Automotive Studies will provide the industry with yet another level of understanding about the car-buying public."

"We will capture and benchmark public opinion on issues that are timely and relevant in the automotive industry," said Martini. "We will investigate consumers' viewpoints on important topics to the industry such as 'what economic and personal news most influences consumers purchase decisions?' and 'how do automakers best appeal to diverse consumer groups in the U.S.?' The combination of rapid survey development, instant response technology and our analytic capabilities are unique, and will provide the industry and media with exclusive insight."

For more information about Polk, go to: www.polk.com.

For more information about Database Sciences, please visit: www.databasesciences.com.

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