FCR Media expands into Dutch market through acquisition of Youvia
With this acquisition FCR Media becomes the largest digital marketing player in the Benelux
Antwerp/Amsterdam, 14 March 2022 - Digital marketing agency FCR Media is taking over the company Youvia, allowing for a geographical expansion into the Dutch market. The acquisition was a logical step, since the businesses of FCR Media and Youvia have a great strategic fit. Both companies help self-employed people and SMEs increase their success by making their businesses optimally findable on the Internet offering professional digital marketing and social media tools and services. Moreover, both agencies manage the largest business directories of their countries – both FCR Media and Youvia the digital version of De Gouden Gids and and Youvia of De Telefoongids.
FCR Media acquires Dutch Youvia
FCR Media is the number 1 in digital marketing for independents and SMEs and employs 250 people in Belgium. FCR Media will shortly be taking over the Dutch company Youvia. The companies had a very similar scope in the past: they both offer a one-stop shop of digital marketing solutions and give advice to SMEs how to win new customers and to 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 online listing, websites & webshops, SEO, SEA, social media marketing and review management. The two companies also regularly offer the same tools for this purpose.
“The mission of both companies matches: We both support SMEs or businesses to be successful in the digital age with its countless and continual 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," says Jon Martinsen, CEO of FCR Media. "So this acquisition was a logical step for both companies. We at FCR Media are very much looking forward to this geographical expansion and to working together with our new colleagues in order to even better assist Dutch and Belgian SMEs in their digital marketing."
"We would like to thank Raymond van Eck and his management team as well as all the employees for their great contributions to Youvia during European Directories’ ownership. Triton Fund III acquired a group of companies in European Directories in 2012 and we view this as an appropriate time for a new strategic owner to continue the development. Being a market leader in Belgium, FCR Media is a good partner for Youvia with competencies and ambitions to continue the growth ", says Marcus Englert, Chairman of the Board at European Directories Midco S.à r.l.
“We are very excited that Youvia will be 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 in which we have been able to continue our market leadership in The Netherlands and are looking forward to our next chapter work with our Belgian colleagues in the future”. says Raymond van Eck, CEO of Youvia
Jon Martinsen, CEO of FCR Media: "We are very pleased with this acquisition and believe we can learn a lot from each other and guide SMEs even better. Youvia and FCR Media have a great strategic fit and work with the same tools. Additionally we have the same background: like FCR Media, Youvia owns the national business directory: the Telefoongids, just like we own the platform goudengids.be."
Corona crisis has intensified the need for online marketing
The coronacrisis has accelerated the transition to the online environment and stimulated entrepreneurs to offer their products online and increase their online presence. More and more SMEs are now seeking professional advice how to best 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 shares.
About Youvia
Youvia, formerly DTG (De Telefoongids & Gouden Gids), offers suitable online marketing for various SMEs. The company works on the online presence, online findability, online reach and online reputation of their clients.
About FCR Media
FCR Media has activities in Belgium, Czech, Croatia & Romania. FCR Media is even the largest Belgian digital marketing agency for SMEs and the self-employed. By making companies optimally findable on the Internet and social media, we boost their sales. FCR Media has years of experience in the SME market. A team of experienced experts creates and optimises websites, Google and Facebook ads and much more every day. We have partnerships with Microsoft, Bing & Google. Customers can rely on the expertise of certified specialists and a team of digital experts who optimize the online presence of companies on various platforms, including our own platform like goudengids.be. Thanks to a customer and result-oriented approach of 270 employees, we have a total of some 26,000 satisfied customers.
