Digital marketing agency FCR Media acquires Youvia business.

Description

Digital marketing agency FCR Media is acquiring the business Youvia, enabling geographic expansion in the Dutch market. The acquisition was a logical step, as the businesses of FCR Media and Youvia share a great strategic fit. Both companies help SMEs and independents increase their success by making their businesses optimally findable on the Internet with professional digital marketing and social media tools and services. In addition, both agencies manage their country's largest business directories - both FCR Media and Youvia the digital version of The Yellow Pages and Youvia The Phone Directory.

FCR Media is the No. 1 digital marketing company for the self-employed and SMEs and has 250 employees in Belgium. To expand in the Netherlands, FCR Media acquired Dutch Youvia. The businesses had a very similar scope in the past: they both offer a one-stop shop of digital marketing solutions and provide advice to SMEs on how to win new customers and increase their business success. To this end, they have a wide range of products that help SMEs with the entire process of digital marketing, including websites & web shops, SEO, SEA, social media marketing and review management. The two businesses also regularly offer the same tools for this purpose.

"The mission of both companies is similar: We support both businesses to be successful in the digital age with its countless and continuous changes in media and marketing. We want to ensure that an SME or business is found where potential customers are looking for a provider of the desired products or services. Combined and taking advantage of our synergies, we can serve our markets even better," said Jon Martinsen, CEO of FCR Media. "So this acquisition was a logical step for both businesses. We at FCR Media are very much looking forward to this geographical expansion and to working with our new colleagues to assist Dutch and Belgian entrepreneurs even better in their digital marketing."

"We would like to thank Raymond van Eck and his management team as well as all employees for their tremendous contributions to Youvia during the ownership of European Directories. Triton Fund III acquired a group of businesses in European Directories in 2012 and we see this as an opportune time for a new strategic owner to continue its development. As a market leader in Belgium, FCR Media is a good partner for Youvia with competencies and ambitions to continue its growth," said Marcus Englert, Chairman of the Board of Directors of European Directories Midco S.à r.l.

"We are very pleased that Youvia will become part of FCR Media. This gives us the opportunity to add value to our proposition and accelerate our digital ambitions. We also thank European Directories and Triton Partners for the past 10 years of continuing our market leadership in the Netherlands and look forward to the next chapter working with our Belgian colleagues in the future," said Raymond van Eck, CEO of Youvia.

Jon Martinsen, CEO of FCR Media said, "We are very pleased with this acquisition and believe that we can learn a lot from each other and support SMEs even better. Youvia and FCR Media have a good strategic fit and work with the same tools. Moreover, we have the same background: like FCR Media, Youvia owns the national business directory: the Telefoongids, just as we own the platform goldenguide.be."

Corona crisis reinforced need for online marketing

The corona crisis has accelerated the transition to the online environment and encouraged entrepreneurs to offer their products online and increase their online presence. More and more small and medium-sized businesses are now seeking professional advice on how best to use the many digital tools and portals to reach their existing and potential customers. For experienced and competent agencies like FCR Media and Youvia, this is a great opportunity to increase revenue and market share.

About Youvia

Youvia, formerly DTG (The Telephone Directory & Yellow Pages), provides appropriate online marketing for various SME businesses. The business works on their clients' online presence, online findability, online reach and online reputation.

About FCR Media

FCR Media has operations in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Croatia and Romania. In fact, FCR Media is Belgium's largest digital marketing agency for SMEs and the self-employed. By making businesses optimally findable on the Internet and social media, they stimulate sales. FCR Media has years of experience in the SME market. A team of experienced experts creates and optimizes websites, Google and Facebook ads and much more on a daily basis. FCR Media has partnerships with Microsoft, Bing & Google. Customers can rely on the expertise of certified specialists and a team of digital experts who optimize businesses' online presence on various platforms, including their own such as goldenguide.be. Thanks to a customer and results-oriented approach of 270 employees, they have a total of about 26,000 satisfied customers.

Guidance Factor

Factor Business Acquisitions acted as adviser throughout the process on behalf of Youvia's former shareholder, European Directories Midco S.à r.l. (part of Triton).