Bigfoot Interactive Launches Japanese E-mail Marketing Venture

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Direct email marketing company Bigfoot Interactive this week said it will offer services in Japan through a joint venture.

Through terms of the four-way agreement -- with New York-based venture capital firm GLQ Entrepia, a subsidiary of IT, trading and heavy industry giant Nissho Iwai; Japanese relationship marketer Bluestar Corp.; and email advertiser Mailnews Corp. -- Bigfoot Interactive will launch Bigfoot Japan in Tokyo to offer email marketing services and applications similar to those provided domestically.

Bigfoot Interactive, which focuses on customer retention rather than acquisition, said it hopes to leverage the local marketing experience of its partners in the new venture.

"Its presumptuous to assume that a company can directly translate their service and products without the insights of companies local to that country," said Bigfoot Interactive co-founder and chief executive officer Jim Hoffman.

"Bigfoot Japan Corp. brings together a diverse set of resources, including the strength of Japanese-based companies combined with specific relevant experience in e-marketing."

In addition to its American counterpart's email consultation, analytical and rich media creative services, the partners said Bigfoot Japan will offer the U.S. company's iRMA email delivery platform, which handles mailings in Japanese, among other languages.

"Bigfoot Interactives direct e-marketing expertise has a proven track record of helping marketers succeed", said GLQ Entrepia CEO Gene Kawaratani.

"By leveraging Bigfoot Interactives services and state-of-the-art email application, iRMA, we feel we are best positioned to provide marketers in Japan with the ability to deliver personalized customer interactions through email and other electronic channels."

Company executives said they see few barriers to entry, and instead view the Japanese market as having great potential.

"The Japanese market presents significant advantages over other foreign marketplaces. In Japan, there is no Internet technology legacy to prevent the rapid adoption of new technologies," said Bigfoot Interactive chief technology officer Don Oakes.

"Early insights into 3rd generation Internet services in this marketplace are evidenced by the over ten million subscribers of NTT DoCoMos iMode phone, which drives wireless access to the Internet."

Financial specifications of the deal were not disclosed.