Friday Holdings Investment in Brownbook the Free Local Business Directory That Anyone Can Edit, Will Help Growth in UK and International Markets


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: http://blog.brownbook.net.

For more information about Friday Holdings Ltd and Brownbook.net please
contact David Somerville on +44(0)1273-837733 or email
david.somerville@friday-ad.co.uk.

© PR Newswire Association LLC.

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