The Nostalgia Network: A Case Study of Friends Reunited

Abstract

In the early years of the new millennia Friends Reunited became a dramatic addition to the popular culture of the United Kingdom. Friends Reunited was launched with minimal funding from a back room in London in 2000 offering a website which put old friends back in touch with each other. After a slow start growth was dramatic and Friends Reunited received wide coverage in the UK media. By 2005 it had 12 million members and was sold to the UK broadcaster ITV for £120 million. The case study analyses the entrepreneurs behind Friends Reunited, its start-up and rapid growth, the challenges it has faced and its future prospects. Analysis of the case requires the use of theory from strategy, entrepreneurship, economics and e-commerce