24/7 Media Takes its E-mail Marketing to Europe

Ad network 24/7 Media announced plans Monday to expand its email marketing division, 24/7 Mail, to Europe early next year, building on the relationships it has developed at 24/7 Europe.

The company will offer such services as list management, list brokerage, a list-sharing alliance, technology to send and track email marketing messages, and an ad network for newsletters.

“E-mail has clearly become one of the most successful channels for for advertisers and the direct marketers in the United States,” says Michael Rowsom, senior vice president and general manager of 24/7 Mail.

“We are looking forward to helping international marketers take advantage of this exciting and powerful medium.”

Europe is widely considered to be the second most mature (behind the United States) global advertising market and therefore the next best place for direct marketing to take hold. But many in the industry say expanding globally should be done cautiously, keeping local culture and customs in mind.

“You can’t just muscle in with an ‘ugly American’ blast to everyone’s computer,” said Tom Ferrell, director of corporate communications with Message Media, which put together a joint venture with @viso (itself a joint venture between Vivendi and Softbank in October to tap the European market. “We felt it was very important to have a local partner.”

24/7, too, has something of a local partner. 24/7 Europe was formed in January when 24/7 bought a majority stake in London-based InterAd Holdings Ltd., an international Internet advertising sales firm, and re-named the company. The company hopes to tap that expertise, and that sales force, when launching the new email services in Europe.

The company says it’s launching the service, both as a way of capitalizing on this emerging market and because its current US customers are looking for a way to be more pro-active in reaching European customers.

24/7 says it’s also busy planning new initiatives in other countries around the world.