APPIANO GENTILE - F.C. Internazionale have agreed a three-year deal with Japanese communications company Dentsu for the development of the club's business in Japan.
The agreement was presented by Inter Active CEO Jeff Slack and Dentsu Football Business chiefs Takehiro Usami, Shuji Komori and Tetsuya Murakami at a press conference in Appiano Gentile this afternoon. Mr Usami met Inter chairman Massimo Moratti this morning.
In line with Inter's globalization strategy, Dentsu will represent Inter to develop all aspects of the club's business in the Far Eastern country, such as marketing and promotion, sponsorship, online and offline publishing, fan development, tours and player marketing. The agreement excludes merchandising rights in Japan.
"Inter has chosen Dentsu for a number of key reasons," explained Jeff Slack. "Italian football has an international appeal, while Inter has a global brand and internationally famous stars. Asia in general and Japan in particular are key markets for us."
Dentsu's track record speaks for itself. The number one Japanese communications company with over 12,000 employees worldwide, Dentsu has handled sports marketing projects for a number of football properties, including the 2002 World Cup and the J-League. Dentsu also hold exclusive Japan and China marketing and TV rights for Euro 2004.
Slack added, "Our objective is to take Inter and the players over to Japan, but this clearly depends on existing playing commitments. It would definitely be a key move in promoting our brand over there."
When asked if the club intends to buy a Japanese player in the future, the Inter Active CEO replied, "Inter chairman Moratti met our Japanese guests this morning and he expressed his esteem for Nakata and Nakamura. But these decisions are made by the technical staff. In the commercial department, we don't have anything to do with this at all."
