Salsaga Blog

BRIGHTON, England, June 4 /PRNewswire/ — Friday Holdings Ltd, one of the UK’s leading online and offline publishers of classified and vertical lifestyle businesses, has announced a major investment in the groundbreaking online local business directory Brownbook.net.
Brownbook.net was launched in February this year and has over 2.2 million businesses already listed, with hundreds being added every week by its users.
What sets Brownbook apart from other online directories is that users can both add listings themselves and also add photo and video reviews about businesses listed as well.
Rob Paterson, group managing director for Friday Holdings Ltd said: “Our investment in Brownbook.net extends our development of our online businesses. We operate over 50 different web businesses and Brownbook.net was a strong fit in terms of its future advertising base and technology.
“Existing media businesses will continue to be challenged by new entrants to the market, the business directory market, characterised by companies like Yellow Pages, Yell, BT Phonebook, Thompson Directories, is no exception. What particularly appealed to us about Brownbook.net was it’s true engagement with the best of the web - an open approach, user generated content by wiki and belief in the community.
“Brownbook.net is so much more than a online business directory; it offers consumers the ability to inform others about good or bad service and it allows any business from a dog walking service to a multinational to list who they are and what they can offer, complete with photos and videos.
“With this approach Brownbook.net will grow the market and provide an invaluable service to consumers.”
Marc Lyne COO of Brownbook.net said: “We see this joint venture with Friday Holdings Ltd as a fantastic opportunity to dramatically extend our reach to consumers and businesses.
“This is a win-win relationship with Friday Holdings Ltd which will see Brownbook leveraging existing, distribution, sales and marketing resources, and further developing their mission to connect buyers with sellers.
“The joint venture will explore similar opportunities with publishers in other countries as we roll out Brownbook to the rest of the World, starting with Canada, US and Australia over the next six weeks.”
Friday Holdings Ltd currently operates 51 online businesses, which account for 12 percent of all online traffic within the UK.
Notes to editors:
1) The Brownbook was founded by two directory industry executives who saw that local businesses needed a faster and cheaper way to promote their businesses and their reputations online and to get found by ever more discerning consumers.
2) There’s more on the ethos and beliefs behind The Brownbook on the blog: .
For more information about Friday Holdings Ltd and Brownbook.net please contact David Somerville on 44(0)1273-837733 or email .
Brownbook.net and Friday Holdings Ltd

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