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The companies both specialise in data supply and management, but have virtually no geographical overlap. They are targeting end-user clients and agencies with the service, which provides prospect data, data management, database hosting and cleaning, e-marketing, mailing and fulfilment.

David Coupe, managing director of Experian Marketing Services, said the service would overcome the current difficulties of executing pan-European campaigns across diverse postal and regulatory jurisdictions.

"Multi-territory campaigns are costly, cumbersome and inconsistent in both data and regulations," Coupe said. "Companies who are doing multi-country direct marketing now are doing it piecemeal. With our service they will be able to do it with just one point of contact and guaranteed quality of service."

Attending the launch were BCA, WWAV Rapp Collins, Chemistry, Capital One and Readers Digest.

Coupe said the partners had a hit list of 100 potential clients across different sectors currently involved in pan-European campaigns, including insurance, automotive, fmcg, and travel.

German-based AZ Direct is part of Arvato Direct Services, a division of media giant Bertelsmann. Heinz Dollmer, president of AZ Direct, said the company had wanted to expand and that the best way was across frontiers.

"We've been searching for a long time for a complementary partner," Dollmer told DM Bulletin. "We are experienced in Austria, Switzerland, France and Germany and Experian is involved in other countries. Now we can serve our clients on a global basis."

Existing clients of Experian in the UK, Spain, The Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland would have their contract with Experian. AZ Direct clients in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland would contract with the German company. New clients would contract with the supplier that covers the majority of a campaign's territory.

The Experian and AZ Direct agreement is not a legal entity. "We were advised that this wasn't necessary," Coupe said.

Experian is owned by home-shopping giant GUS plc. Its annual sales exceeded £1.2bn in 2002.

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