There are lots of ESPs. Some have a particular focus on specific vertical markets. Others focus on offering more than just email and become integrated marketing solution providers. Still others are leaders in social email marketing. And there are those whose email marketing platforms become marketing automation platforms.
You have local players and regional players. And then you have those that don’t think local or regional but global.
Competition is increasing in this last category. The battle of the big ESPs seems to be partially a battle for global expansion and a presence in the main markets.
I just posted about Experian’s acquisition in Japan but there are more. Let’s take Emailvision for example. In December the company opened an office in Milan, Italy.
A few years ago it bought Barnes & Richardson, thus acquiring a Belgian operation. The ESP was present then in France, Germany and the UK.
During 2008 and 2009, Emailvision launched six more subsidiaries: in the U.S., Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and Italy.
And again, Experian and Emailvision are not the only ones. My guess is that we’ll see more international moves by the main players. However, not only by them.
Having some contacts in Europe, mainly the Benelux and Scandinavia, I know that some smaller local players are preparing to go international too.
So there will certainly be more announcements in this new year that, although hardly started, already has its first international expansion by an ESP. And the year that just ended, ended with an international expansion too!
I hope they don’t do it all at the same time, sometimes it’s tough to keep up.
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