NEWS
1 June 2010
John Brown and Urban Connections announce the launch of joint venture:
John Brown Japan
London-based content agency John Brown (http://www.johnbrownmedia.com) and Tokyo-based communication services firm Urban Connections (http://urbanconnections.jp) have announced the formation of a joint venture to be known of as John Brown Japan as of 1 June 2010. The new company markets and produces customer magazines and other customer communication media for Japanese firms to the high-quality standards set by John Brown using the sales and marketing skills of Urban Connections. John Brown Japan is headed up by Larry Greenberg, CEO of Urban Connections, and based in Shibuya, Tokyo.
John Brown has grown to become one of the world’s top publishers of customer magazines. With 220 employees at offices in London and Capetown, and partner companies in Berlin, Zurich, Istanbul and Moscow, John Brown is seeking to open further foreign markets to the revenue increasing possibilities of its customer-targeted content. Urban Connections is a leading language service provider in Japan with clients ranging from the central agencies of the Japanese government to major multinational companies. Through being dynamic and flexible with its clients, Urban Connections has cultivated relationships of depth and trust with Japanese companies intent on getting their messages across accurately and attractively.
Urban Connections CEO Larry Greenberg: “For more than 20 years we have been localizing content for Japanese corporations and government agencies. Over the years we have worked with most of the major creative agencies, and more and more they have come to resemble each other. For several years now we have been looking for something new, something so dynamic and innovative that it would make people stop and take notice. The first time I saw the creative output of the John Brown team I knew right away that I had found what I was looking for. The Urban Connections sales and marketing team is very excited about this opportunity to bring the passion of the John Brown creative team to Japan, and looks forward to building long-term relationships with clients here in Tokyo and elsewhere around the country.”
John Brown CEO Andrew Hirsch: “As the second strongest economy in the world with a population of 120 million discerning customers Japan has always been a priority target for us. Naturally we have worked with Japanese clients from our base in London but we knew that was not enough. You’ve got to be right on the ground with your clients wherever they are. That is why when I saw the professional commitment that the Urban Connections team brings to each and every one of its clients I was immediately sure that this indeed was the right partner for us work with to build out our brand in Japan.”
With this new opening, retailers across Japan now have direct access to the world’s top producer of customer magazines and customer-focused content. John Brown Japan looks forward to a bright future, with content that engages customers and thus increases revenues for retailers across Japan.
Core services:
Magazines: customer, B2B and staff magazines, newsletters, copyrighting, direct mailings
Catalogs: catalogs and brochures, concept and design, photography production, print management, point of sale
Digital: interactive solutions, creative content, graphic design and production, 3D rendering, video production
Kids: children’s magazines, part works/continuity series, books, websites, educational materials, concept creation
Company name: John Brown Japan
Office location: Yushin Bldg. Shinkan 12F, 27-11 Shibuya 3-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
CEO: Larry Greenberg
Invested capital: ¥10 million
For further information, please contact sales@johnbrownjapan.jp or feel free to contact either of John Brown Japan’s parent companies below:
Urban Connections
Yushin Bld. Shinkan 12F,
27-11 Shibuya 3-chome
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002
Tel: +81-3-5467-4721
Fax: +81-3-5467-4722
E-mail: greenberg@urbanconnections.jp
John Brown
136-142 Bramley Road
London
W10 6SR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7565 3000
Fax: +44 (0)20 7565 3060
Email: andrew.hirsch@johnbrownmedia.com