Webstakes, TKAI Partner to Take Online Promotions to Japan

Online promotions company Webstakes on Wednesday joined forces with Japanese e-commerce firm TKAI to create a Japanese version of the sweepstakes portal and market promotions to companies in Japan.

The move represents Webstakes’ first step into the global arena, and the company says it has plans to continue expansion. First, the company intends to take on several Asian markets, which it says account for 22 percent of the world’s Internet users, and other English-speaking countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

“We are committed to investing the resources to build a leading position for Webstakes in emerging global Internet markets,” says Steven Krein, chairman and chief executive officer of Webstakes.

“Growing markets such as Japan, where companies effectively use traditional promotions, represent significant business opportunities for our company.”

The agreement with TKAI calls for the Japanese company to manage the launch of Webstakes Japan, which will include the development and launch of a Japanese version of the Webstakes.com promotions portal. It will also help Webstakes market its permission-based direct marketing product, and its promotion outsourcing services to Japanese companies.

Webstakes expects the deal will make its database more valuable to marketers by increasing the number of its international demographic profiles.

TKAI has client relationships with companies doing business in Japan, including Amazon.com, British Telecommunications, Cyberian Outpost, JC Penney, Nokia Corp., and Peoplesoft.