The deal

Cross-border transaction for Lifecycle Marketing

We’re pleased to have supported Lifecycle Marketing Ltd, a leading parenting network and owner of popular UK pregnancy and parenting brand Emma’s Diary, in its sale to Everyday Health Group Pregnancy & Parenting (EHG P&P).

The deal brings one of the UK’s most popular pregnancy and parenting platforms into EHG P&P’s global network of digital platforms and online communities, further expanding the US company’s global presence and enhancing its leading market position.

EHG P&P is a division of Everyday Health Group (EHG), which is owned by NASDAQ listed digital media company, Ziff Davis, and is headquartered in New York.

Founded in 1991, Emma’s Diary will join EHG P&P as part of the acquisition. A market-leading channel in the UK mother and baby sector, Emma’s Diary provides pregnant women and new parents with information and support from pregnancy to birth and beyond. Its multi-channel digital resources, including a top-rated parenting app, reach more than 90 per cent of expectant parents in the UK.

The acquisition of Lifecycle Marketing will also add consumer brands Families and Health Professional Academy, an educational resource for healthcare professionals specialising in pregnancy, pediatric and family health, to the EHG P&P portfolio.

Bilal Hasan and Simon Davies from our Corporate Finance team acted as sell-side advisers to Lifecycle Marketing. Other advisers on the deal included Jeremy Parkes and Rachael Maunder of Field Seymour Parkes, who provided legal advice to the shareholders, and Sara Valentine of Osborne Clarke, who provided legal advice to the buyers.

The deal forms part of a busy and successful period of growth for FRP Corporate Finance and represents the third transaction completed by the team in the digital marketing sector within the last year.

Nick Watts, Managing Director of Lifecycle Marketing, said: “We are delighted to become part of the Everyday Health Group’s Pregnancy & Parenting family. Our vision has always been focused on delivering support and reassurance to new parents through our extensive content and vast social communities, whilst delivering market-leading campaigns for our brand partners. EHG P&P has recognised these synergies and together we look forward to evolving and growing our multi-channel programme for the benefit of both parents and our partners. We are glad to have appointed Simon and Bilal as our advisors. Not only did they find us the right partner, they expertly guided us through the process helping navigate through any issues that arose along the way.”

Nick Wells, exiting chairman, said: “Simon and Bilal at FRP know their craft and worked diligently and tenaciously during this process. Inevitably during transactions there are challenges and FRP helped find resolutions that worked for both seller and buyer.”

Bilal Hasan, Director at FRP Corporate Finance, said: “This deal represents the start of an exciting new era for Lifecycle Marketing’s ever popular digital platforms, which play such an important role in supporting pregnant women and those with young children on their early-stage parenting journeys. It also brings instant benefits in the all-important UK market to EHG, and we wish the enlarged group all the very best of success for the future. Demand among both trade and private equity buyers is expected to remain strong throughout 2022 and we expect to see more deals involving disruptive digital specialists like Lifecycle throughout the year.”