Yellow Pages

While the Yellow Pages are an excellent reference t???(missing content) less well when considered as an advertising medium. For one thing, consumers expect and even welcome advertising clutter when consulting the Yellow Pages.

Yellow Pages advertising is one of the most venerable forms of promoting a company available; the first business directory appeared in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878, and the first Yellow Pages about five years later in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For decades, there was little change in the Yellow Pages industry due to telephone monopoly. However, after the breakup of the Bell System in 1983, a new era of competitive pressure began.

Since then, the Yellow Pages have undergone some changes to make them more competitive and useful to consumers. Indeed, it is no longer accurate to speak of “the” Yellow Pages; many metropolitan areas now have several Yellow Pages sources competing for space on that shelf under the telephone. Advances in printing have not only improved artwork reproduction, but also enabled the use of color in ads to a degree far beyond the traditional red accents.

A particularly important new development in the Yellow Pages industry is the advent of syndicated, objective, third-party research to track and rank Yellow Pages usage. NFO AD:IMPACT, supplies ratings to the industry, with coverage of most major or US markets.

While the Yellow Pages are an excellent reference tool, they fare less well when considered as an advertising medium. For one thing, consumers expect and even welcome advertising clutter when consulting the Yellow Pages-one study revealed that two thirds of respondents felt their directories carried “just the right amount” of ads, and an additional 12% wanted to see more advertising !’ This ad clutter may suit shoppers, but it also means your ad is less likely to stand out. Moreover, a Yellow Pages ad is only seen after shoppers have already made a purchase decision and are comparison shopping.

Perhaps most significant, Yellow Pages publishers are facing competition from “electronic Yellow Pages” on the Internet. These companies’ directories offer such features as user-customizable listings, real-time updates of advertiser information, precise tracking of who accesses an ad, and more – features that the traditional print book can’t match.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Widespread: Almost every home in America (96.9%) and business has at least one copy of “the book.”2 Usage: Almost three out of five (58%) of all adults say they check the Yellow Pages for a phone number and/or address at least once per week, with 77% using the book monthly. Reference Tool: The Yellow Pages serve as a directional reference for consumers who already have decided to purchase a product or service; of the consumers who use the Yellow Pages, 57% do not know from which store or business they will buy prior to looking in the directory. Emergency Reference: Consumers often rely on the Yellow Pages during emergency situations. Targets Consumers: Ads primarily target consumers already interested in purchasing your product or service.

Limited Exposure: Just over half of U.S. adults 18+ refer to the Yellow Pages in the average week. The other 42% will not see your ad.5 Minimal Consumer Awareness: Since the Yellow Pages are typically used after the decision to buy has been made, top-of-mind awareness must be built in other ways. As products continue to proliferate and the retail market becomes saturated, you need to create demand for your products before the buying decision has been made. Ad Clutter: Your ad is lumped in with all the others for the same product, where shoppers can compare. Inconvenient: Phone books tend to be big! They’re bulky, hard to store, and not readily available to consumers outside of the home or office – which is where most purchases are made. How many pay phones have you seen that have a complete phone book? Inflexible: Most directories are published once a year, and advertising must be purchased well in advance of the publication date. You can’t make corrections or changes resulting from constantly changing business conditions. Audiotex does allow some upgrading, but many shoppers have never heard of Audiotex. Too Many Books: In many communities there are several different directories all soliciting for your listing. Who reads them all? Who needs them all? Encroaching Competition from the Internet: Yellow Pages-like services on the Internet are springing up; their supporters promise a more logical organization of data and the capability to update information more often.