The Identity Resolver
How we know two records are the same person.
Activator's Identity Resolver links records only when a name and a contact point both agree, then keeps the best way to reach each person current.
A person split across ten disconnected records isn't ten opportunities. It's one opportunity, lost nine times over.
Two signals, never one
A name and a contact point must both agree before two records are linked. A shared surname isn't enough. Neither is a shared ZIP, or a shared email on its own, because couples routinely share an email, a phone and an address.
Mike Johnson and Michael Johnson on the same phone → one person
Jon Smith and John Smith at the same email → one person
Formatting rarely breaks a match, (555) 123-4567 equals 555-123-4567.
Then it picks the contact that will actually reach them
Primary Channel Scoring, updated daily, not set once at onboarding.
Best email
Scored on behavior, a click last week beats an open last month. Hard bounces and unsubscribes are disqualified outright.
Best mobile number
An opted-in number that replied recently outranks a silent one. An SMS opt-out removes it from consideration entirely.
Best mailing address
Scored on freshness and re-evaluated automatically as addresses age, so mailers stop going to a previous address.
It runs daily. Every contact point is re-scored on every pass, so a person who changes email in March is reached at the new one in April, and invalid, spam-trap and opted-out contacts are suppressed before every send, protecting deliverability for everyone else in it.
Best data wins, and gaps get filled
When records group into one identity, it keeps the highest-scoring email, phone and address found across every source. Just as important, it fills what any single record was missing: a record that arrived with no email inherits a verified one from another source, and a new source can add a contact point the identity never had. Every gap filled is another person you can reach. This keeps improving as new data arrives.
What changes downstream
Counts without duplicate inflation
Duplicates inflate every audience count and denominator. Resolution groups them, so the numbers tie out.
A known customer is never a new lead
Because the CRM lead and the DMS record are one identity, a loyal service customer stops being mistaken for a stranger.
Credit follows the resolved identity
Sales and service credit the identity and household on the resolved record, not whichever duplicate got the send.
Resolution at platform scale
8.7M
source records under management
1.45M
records grouped into resolved identities
15M+
usable contact points
954K
opt-outs flagged before outreach
Platform totals are current figures from the Activator Data Quality dashboard, aggregated across dealers under management.
Frequently asked questions
Data Management Layer and identity resolution, in plain terms.
What is a data management layer for a dealership?
It is the layer that brings a dealer's DMS, CRM and website records together and resolves them into one accurate identity per person and household, so every audience and report is built on one record instead of scattered ones.
How does Activator know that two records are the same person?
The Identity Resolver links records only when a name and a contact point both agree, so formatting differences like (555) 123-4567 and 555-123-4567 still match.
What happens to duplicate customer records?
They are grouped into one resolved identity before anything is counted, so a count of 10,000 customers means 10,000 real people, not the same person listed several times, and the open and click rates measured against that count hold up.
How does identity resolution improve marketing?
When a CRM lead and a DMS record become one identity, a loyal service customer stops being mistaken for a new stranger, so campaigns reach the right person on a contact point that is current.
How does Activator keep contact information current?
Records are re-evaluated every day. A newer address or contact point from any source replaces an older one, and each person's best email, phone and address are re-scored, so messages go to the contact most likely to reach them.
Does the Data Management Layer check data quality, like whether an email address is valid?
Yes. Email verification is part of the layer. New and changed emails are validated daily and invalid or spam-trap addresses are flagged, so sends go to addresses that can actually receive them.
How does Activator handle opt-outs?
An SMS opt-out removes a number from consideration entirely, and unsubscribed or opted-out contacts are suppressed before any outreach.
What data sources does the Data Management Layer connect?
It brings together the dealer's own DMS, CRM and website records and resolves them into one identity per person and household.