Subprime Marketing Group

What Subprime Marketing Group does

Subprime Marketing Group (also operating as EasyDrive Auto) is a Holland, Michigan-based marketing services firm that specializes in customer acquisition programs for auto dealerships operating Special Finance Departments. The company is led by founder Denny Long, who brings over 30 years of subprime auto-marketing experience, and was founded in 1994. Its core product suite is purpose-built for the subprime car-buyer segment and centers on five interlocking offerings: the EasyDrive™ Platinum Card (a flagship branded credit/payment instrument), the Know Before You Go™ credit-prescreening platform (delivered as an embeddable iFrame for dealer websites), the Daily Active Subprime Shoppers "Triggers" program, a Fresh Bankruptcy program, and an Increased Credit Score program. Underlying technology relies on credit-bureau data integrations and prescreening pipelines rather than disclosed AI/ML models.

The business model is a subscription/recurring-revenue service sold per dealer campaign. Pricing observed across case studies ranges from approximately $654 to $2,400 per month per dealership, with the company monetizing both the dealer client and the affiliated subprime lender network (Prestige Financial Services, Tidewater Finance, CPS, and United Auto Credit Corporation). Go-to-market combines a direct sales force with a distributed sales-agent network recruiting representatives across the United States. Customers are auto dealers — predominantly single rooftop and small dealer groups — with named engagements spanning multiple states including Ohio (Vandarea CDJR), Idaho (a Boise dealership), New Mexico (Albuquerque) and others such as Beau Townsend Nissan and World Hyundai.

The company operates as a privately held, founder-controlled micro-organization with 1–10 employees, no disclosed outside funding, and a 30-year operating history. Its defensible position rests on proprietary trademarked product IP, a curated subprime shopper data set, and a national sales-agent distribution footprint rather than scale advantages.

Name

Subprime Marketing Group

Legal name

Subprime Marketing Group

Website

https://subprimemarketinggroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Subprime Marketing Group is a Holland, Michigan-based marketing firm that provides subscription customer-acquisition products and credit-prescreening tools to auto dealerships with Special Finance Departments serving subprime car buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Holland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Marketing Services Subscriptions: Ongoing marketing programs sold to auto dealerships including Daily Subprime Shoppers, Bankruptcy Programs, and Credit Score Increase Programs. Programs include lead generation, live call center services, training, and follow-up systems. Pricing appears based on market size and program scope.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Subprime Marketing Group is a marketing services firm that sells recurring lead generation programs to auto dealerships targeting subprime (credit-challenged) consumers. Its core offerings are the EasyDrive™ Platinum Card direct mail/email program and the Know Before You Go™ credit prescreening platform, supported by trigger-based programs for active subprime shoppers, fresh bankruptcy filers, and consumers with rising credit scores. Each program combines creative, First Class Presort mail production, a 24/7 live call center with warm transfers, CRM lead delivery, and dealership sales training.

Product overview

Subprime Marketing Group provides a unified marketing platform with EasyDrive™ Platinum Card as the core product, which incorporates the Daily Subprime Shoppers Trigger Program, Weekly Fresh Bankruptcy Program, and Increased Credit Score Program as integrated sub-modules. This is complemented by the standalone Know Before You Go™ credit prescreening platform that feeds prequalified leads into dealership CRM systems. All programs include multi-channel delivery (direct mail and email), live 24/7 call center support with warm call transfers, and comprehensive training to help dealerships convert leads into sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EasyDrive™ Platinum Card: Daily Subprime Trigger Program that targets subprime consumers in the market today. Includes features that help convert subprime leads generated into sales.
• Know Before You Go™

Products and services

• EasyDrive™ Platinum Card Flagship subprime automotive marketing program for auto dealerships featuring a custom embossed EasyDrive™ Platinum Card with the consumer's name and the dealership's exclusive toll-free number, distributed in a Peek-A-Boo Double Window Envelope to increase open rates. Combined with multi-channel marketing (direct mail and same-day email), a 24/7 live call center with warm transfers to the dealership BDC, and an automated lead follow-up system to convert subprime leads into vehicle sales.
• Know Before You Go™ Credit Prescreening Platform Proprietary credit prescreening platform that allows subprime consumers to get prequalified and view their credit score instantly by entering name, address, and the last 4 digits of Social Security Number. Delivers leads with credit score range, prequalified interest rate, open auto loan information, demographic data, and vehicle ownership information directly into the dealership CRM. Designed for website iFrame integration, showroom prescreening, and service lane customer conversion, enabling dealers to prioritize leads before follow-up.
• Daily Active Subprime Shoppers Program (Triggers) Subprime trigger marketing program that identifies and targets subprime consumers actively shopping for vehicles today, including those who recently visited dealerships not equipped to help them, and redirects them to participating client dealerships. Designed to deliver real-time, in-market subprime leads to dealership Special Finance departments.
• Weekly Fresh Bankruptcy Program Weekly marketing program targeting consumers who have recently filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or been discharged from Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. Delivers high-quality subprime leads to dealership Special Finance departments using first-class mail and professional offer creative, pairing with recommended specialty subprime lenders (e.g., Prestige Financial, Tidewater, CPS, United Auto Credit).
• Increased Credit Score Program Targeted marketing program that identifies subprime consumers with significant credit score increases in the last 12 months, segmented by point increase tiers (25-49, 50-74, 75-99, 100+). Designed to reach subprime consumers easiest to finance, with stated potential for 33% closing rates and 50% gross profit increases for dealerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20%-30% lead closing ratio vs. 2-3% industry average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• Prestige FinancialsupportingOthersSpecialty subprime lender referenced in marketing guidance for targeting recently discharged bankruptcy consumers. Subprime Marketing Group's programs are designed to work with lenders like Prestige Financial to facilitate financing for bankruptcy consumers.
• TidewatersupportingOthersSpecialty subprime lender referenced as a resource for dealers targeting recently filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcies alongside other specialty lenders.
• CPS (Consumer Portfolio Services)supportingOthersSubprime auto lender included in recommended lender network for dealers working with recently bankrupt consumers.
• United Auto CreditsupportingOthersSubprime lender network recommended for dealers targeting bankruptcy and subprime automotive consumers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VinSolutions (Cox Automotive): VinSolutions is a Cox Automotive-owned CRM and marketing automation platform for auto dealers, with email, SMS, and lead management capabilities. It competes with Subprime Marketing Group across multiple marketing channels but is not specialized in subprime or credit-challenged consumer targeting.
• Cars Commerce: Cars Commerce operates Cars.com and accompanying dealer marketing technology, including digital advertising, lead management, and CRM tools. It is a broad incumbent competing for dealership marketing share, with partial overlap on consumer credit prescreening and lead generation.
• DealerSocket (Solera): DealerSocket is a full-suite automotive CRM, marketing, and desking platform used by thousands of dealerships nationwide. It is a broad incumbent that competes with Subprime Marketing Group on CRM-integrated lead management, multi-channel marketing, and dealership workflow, though it serves all dealer segments rather than specializing in subprime.
• AutoTrader (Cox Automotive): AutoTrader is a leading automotive marketplace with dealer marketing and listing products. While not subprime-specialized, it competes for dealership marketing budgets and increasingly offers credit prescreening and shopper engagement tools that overlap with SMG's Know Before You Go™ offering.

Emerging players

• PureCars: PureCars provides digital advertising, marketing intelligence, and shopper engagement tools for auto dealers. It is comparable to SMG as a dealership-focused multi-channel marketing provider but competes primarily through digital channels rather than direct mail.
• LotLinx: LotLinx is an AI-driven digital marketing platform that helps auto dealers optimize vehicle merchandising and advertising spend. It overlaps with SMG on multi-channel dealership marketing but focuses on general digital advertising rather than subprime-specific direct mail and credit prescreening.
• Dealer Inspire: Dealer Inspire is a Cox Automotive sister brand providing dealer websites, digital marketing, and inventory merchandising. It competes with SMG on dealer-facing digital marketing infrastructure and is increasingly bundling credit and financing engagement features into its platform.

Direct peers

• AutoUSA: AutoUSA is a subprime auto lead generation network that connects credit-challenged consumers with dealerships and finance companies. It is directly comparable to Subprime Marketing Group in business model (subprime auto lead aggregation and delivery), target segment, and dealer-side value proposition.
• MotoInsight: MotoInsight is a digital marketing platform purpose-built for automotive dealerships, including subprime and special finance segments. It overlaps with Subprime Marketing Group on multi-channel dealership marketing and lead generation, though with a stronger digital-first orientation versus SMG's direct mail heritage.
• Auto Credit Express: Auto Credit Express is a direct-to-consumer subprime auto loan request platform that delivers prequalified subprime leads to a network of dealer lenders. It competes with Subprime Marketing Group in the same subprime auto lead generation category with overlapping target customers (credit-challenged consumers) and dealer clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SubprimeMG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/subprimemarketing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Subprime Marketing Group