MultiEmedia Moves Into Australian Infomediary Market

Under the new partnership agreement, MultiEmedia will provide all technical support and e-commerce solutions for Brands Online, with particular emphasis on ensuring secure online information.

In return, Brands Online will offer consumers a range of incentives to interact with major brands over the Internet.

MultiEmedia's joint managing director, Geoff McLeod Smith, said the decision to partner with Brands Online would fuel the company's overseas expansion.

"The Brands Online business model is particularly appealing as it can be replicated in overseas markets and this is congruent with MultiEmedia's overall global investment strategy," he said. "Consumer data can be traded as a commodity throughout the world and therefore provides a very attractive revenue stream for our company".

The infomediary model works by developing a site where consumers can register their personal details along with attitudes and opinions on a variety of products and services. By authorising distribution of the information to sponsoring companies, consumers receive various benefits including discounts, sample packs and incentives.

Brands Online chief executive officer Joseph Ebbage said the decision to ally itself with MultiEmedia was based on the company's standing as a e-commerce developer.

"Brands Online has spent significant time researching the Australian Internet market," Ebbage said. "By selecting MultiEmedia, we have partnered with a company that has the required mix of technical expertise and business acumen".

"Although the Australian infomediary market is in its infancy, we are confident that through our association with MultiEmedia, we can develop an online application that is far superior to any traditional method for collecting data on consumers' brand and lifestyle preferences," he said.

MultiEmedia's partnership with Brands Online follows the recent announcement of its alliance with ANZ Bank to develop e-commerce services for the bank's customers.