UK regional press launches Fish4 Internet brand

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Wednesday 13 October 1999

The UK's regional press today launched a new Internet brand and three market-leading consumer web sites.

Fish4cars, Fish4jobs and Fish4homes mark a major investment into creating full service sites in motors, jobs and homes.

Representing 80 per cent of the UK's regional newspapers through its membership, the Fish4 sites aim to be the leading sources for finding cars, jobs, and homes.

Fish4cars (www.fish4cars.co.uk) carries the largest database of used cars in the country averaging between 180,000 and 200,000 vehicles at any one time. This is supported by new and used car road tests, finance and insurance information.

Fish4jobs (www.fish4jobs.co.uk) holds between 25,000-30,000 jobs from across the country, drawn extensively from the member newspapers, and making it the largest service of its kind in the UK. It also offers daily jobs news, and hints and tips for job seekers.

Fish4homes (www.fish4homes.co.uk) will launch with up to 30,000 properties in seven key regions. The number of properties will grow rapidly over the coming months as further areas are brought online to achieve total UK coverage. The service is expected to grow to more than 50,000 properties by Christmas.

The Fish4homes service includes daily property news, mortgage information, an estate agents' directory and locator mapping for properties.

Fish4cars and Fish4jobs launch with a simple, quick and easy-to-use common design style. Fish4homes launches in a separate style, but will be upgraded by the end of October to the "family" look and feel.

Further enhancements to the functionality and content of the web sites will be rolled out rapidly during the coming months. All the sites carry advertising content from the regional newspapers, and are updated daily.

The Fish4 sites have been developed by six regional newspaper groups: Newsquest Media Group, Northcliffe Newspapers Group, Trinity Mirror, Regional Independent Media, Bristol United Press, Guardian Media Group Regional Newspapers. They will also provide services to, and from, nine additional subscriber newspaper groups.

Jonathan Turpin, chief executive of This is Britain, which is managing the roll-out of the Fish4 services, said: "Our aim is to make the Fish4 sites the leading interactive services in the areas of motoring, homes and jobs."

The Fish4 shareholders will be investing more than £30 million in funding and £30m in regional press marketing in the Fish4 joint venture over the next three years, and will be recruiting a team of over 40 people in the next six months to run the Fish4 businesses, so our commitment is very substantial.

Fish4 is planning possibly the largest regional press marketing campaign ever more than £10 million in value over the next 12 months, supporting a national spend of more than £5 million.

The Fish4 sites have been developed out of the ADHunter sites: AutoHunter, JobHunter and PropertyHunter. The sites will become one-stop shops, moving away from classified advertising listings to full service sites.

ICL is the technology partner for Fish4, hosting the sites and working in partnership with the in-house team on building applications and developing the platforms for the services.

Background: This is Britain

This is Britain was set up by four of the UK's largest regional newspaper publishers: Newsquest Media Group, Northcliffe Newspapers Group, Trinity Mirror and Guardian Media Group Regional Newspapers and Associated New Media, publisher of This is London, UK Plus and This is Money. The four regional publishers are shareholders in the Fish4 venture, and This is Britain is managing the rollout of the Fish4 services.

TIB will launch its This is Britain hub by the end of October, creating a national gateway linking to an unrivalled network of 60-plus "This is..." regional sites. The TIB service and regional TIB sites will support the distribution and marketing of the Fish4 services.

For further information/photography contact:
Lisa Cross/Cara Tavinor
Marbles
Tel: 01491 411789
E-mail: lcross@marbles.co.uk

Sue Falcke
This is Britain Ltd
Tel: 0181 956 2266
E-mail: admin@thisisbritain.co.uk