Recycle Your Phone Book and Get a $10 Coupon

Wouldn’t you like to be in a win-win situation?  Well, here’s your chance! If you live in the state of Maryland, make sure you participate in the Recycle As You Shop (RAYS) Program initiated by Publisher, RR Donnelley and others which kicked off November 1st. 

Twenty-five participating Office Depot stores throughout the state of Maryland will place in-store recycling containers displaying signage that says “Don’t Come in Emply Handed”.  This will encourage shoppers, both business and consumer, to do their share in helping the environment, plus you’ll have the opportunity to receive a $10 coupon for use in the Office Depot Store.  You can’t beat that!  If you’re like me, you can always use another toner cartridge, file folders or something for the home office, so go shopping and remember to recycle.

We really hope the residents of Maryland will do their part as their participation could lead this pilot program to roll out to additional areas in the country.

By the way, don’t forget………November 15, is America Recycles Day (ARD) and you don’t have to live in Maryland to participate.  This deal is for everybody so do your part and recycle.  Be sure to reference the Yellow Pages “Recycling Centers”, to find a location near you!

Hey, guess what? People are still using the phone book!

Okay, I’m climbing back up on my soapbox.  I’ve been meaning to address this issue, yet again, for a while now but an article recently forwarded to me reminded me that it’s time to put the gloves back on and duke it out with you Yellow Pages nay sayers. 

First of all, let me state for the record that I am a proponent of the Internet.  I love it!  I’m on it all day long, for personal and professional reasons.  On those rare occasions I am unable to get online I’m not a happy camper.  But as much as I love you Google, MSN and Yahoo, you have done me wrong from time to time and have lead me down the wrong path, causing me extreme frustration.  I know you’re taking steps to clean up your databases and make the search function a more user-friendly and relevant experience but you could learn a thing or two from my good friend the phone book.  Advertisers in the Yellow Pages pay to make sure their information is correct and it’s updated at least once a year.  You’re not likely to find advertising for a company that’s gone out of business.  And if you do, you’d better believe it’s going to be cleaned up by the time the next issue publishes.  And yes, I sell national Yellow Pages advertising for a living so you may think I’m biased.  I prefer to think of myself as an open-minded sorta gal.  Like I said, I’m a big fan of the Internet, and I sell advertising space there, too, so it certainly wouldn’t behoove me to discount the value of Search Engine Marketing and Local Search.  But don’t diss the print directory!

I could throw a bunch of stats at you and if you’d like to contact me I’d be happy to provide you with all the data and research your little heart desires.  But for the sake of keeping this short and sweet I’m going to leave you with this simple, yet powerful stat…85% of the U.S. population used a Yellow Pages directory last year.  85%! 

I know folks want (and are using) the phone book and I have to look no further than my neighbors to help me back up that statement.  I live in an apartment complex.  In the past our directory publisher AT&T delivered the books to our front doors.  This year they decided to give folks the option of receiving the books.  Instead of dropping them off on every door step they built shelves in the lobby of each building.  If the residents want a book they simply have to help themselves.  Because I do what I do for a living I have a particular interest in that stack of phone books.  And guess what…I’ve watched the stack get smaller and smaller every day until the supply had to be replenished…more than once.  So there you have it…the books are not forced on anyone, yet the demand is there.  Proof that people still use and rely on their print directories!

 

 

Print Yellow Page Users Take Action

Posted October 28th, 2008 by Jack Loechner

According to new research by Knowledge Networks on behalf of the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP), the ADP National Yellow Pages Study shows that 85% of the U.S. population used a printed directory last year. Independent publishers (those not affiliated with local telephone companies) enjoyed a strong share of this consumer usage, with 40% of overall Yellow Pages look-ups going to independent directories.

Larry Angove, ADP President & CEO, says that “The usage share number confirms that independent publishers still have growth opportunities in print… the fact that independents are responsible for 40% of overall directory usage… indicates to national advertisers and their CMRs that independent directories are a choice for their national placements.”

Print Yellow Pages provides advertisers with consumers who take action after referencing a directory, says the study, with 78% of directory users contacting an average of two businesses:

• Telephone contact is the most common action taken (93%)
• In-person contact (31%)
• Online contact (10%)
• Mail (1%)

Thanks to my Flashlight, Candles and White Pages Phone Book

Well, it was a Sunday evening and I was catching up on some reading while my husband eagerly awaited the Browns Game.  Right about the time to get the game underway, it happened.  The effects of Hurricane Ike were felt all the way from Texas to Ohio.  It had been extremely windy all day anyway and a “wind warning” was actually in affect.  The lights flickered a couple times and then the power went out.

 

Reading by candlelight/flashlight wasn’t what I’d envisioned for the evening, but that’s how things turned out. (Can’t tell you how aggrevated my husband was about the game.)  Anyway, routine activities like viewing my favorite Search Engines, connecting with others on LinkedIn, and working on my laptop weren’t going to happen. 

 

One thing we did do, though, was find our local White Pages Directory in the kitchen cupboard to search for the telephone number for our local electric company.  (Thank goodness for cell phones, because our home phone system is electrical too, so there was no land-line phone).  With flashlight in hand, we called to report the power outage.  Help was on the way!

 

Turns out, the power was off for about 26 hours (not as bad as some in our area) but the phone directory certainly came in handy.  So, it’s my opinion that the print directory and Internet Yellow Pages both have a place in the world of search to help you find what you’re looking for.

 

Finally, just a side thought, when’s the last time you checked your inventory of 9V batteries, matches, flashlight and candles?  I recommend stocking up!

 

Common Headings For Print and Internet Yellow Pages and the IYP User Profile

So, the stats are in!  It’s been determined which headings are most searched by consumers looking for products and services online through Internet Yellow Pages (IYPs).  On August 4th, the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) released the Top 10 IYP headings based on consumer usage according to research firm Knowledge Networks/SRI.  They are:

 

1. Restaurants
2. Physicians & Surgeons
3. Hotels
4. Auto Repairing & Service
5. Florists-Retail
6. Auto Dealers-New & Used
7. Dentists
8. Auto Parts & Supplies – New & Used
9. Beauty Salons (tie)
10. Hospitals (tie)

 

Not only were top headings revealed, but also the profile of IYP users.

This is really something to think about.  If you offer a product or service in these categories, and others for that matter, but haven’t developed your IYP presence, you could be missing out on a huge piece of the pie.  The IYP profile reflects that over 60% of IYP users are female, many of which are college educated and very stable in their lives.  It’s become very evident that females represent a large segment of buying power and are the decision makers in many households.  So why not reach out to the IYP customer?  If you’ve already developed an online presence, great!  Hopefully, you’re tracking your campaigns with test lines at various headings to analyze what’s working and what’s not.  If you haven’t implemented a targeted, strategic online program, get going!  If you’re a little timid about the whole online thing, just get your feet wet.  Start slowly, perhaps with a 3-6 month campaign integrating test lines and monitoring the campaign’s effectiveness.

 

One thing is for sure, consumers are using Print and Internet Yellow Pages to find the products and services they need.

Not Knowing What Your Customers Want Can Be a Big Problem

So, you’ve just taken a long trip, you’ve arrived at your hotel tired and hungry and all you’re really interested in at that moment is knowing which restaurants are near your hotel. You’ve experienced this, right?  You get checked in, and begin searching your night stand for the print Yellow Pages.  What?  No Yellow Pages?   Well, according to an article that recently ran in USA Today, a number of hotel chains will no longer provide print directories for their guests.

 

I don’t think that’s a move in the right direction.  Aren’t we, as businesses in dealing with our customers, supposed to focus on customer service and strive to give the customer what he wants?   Maybe the hotels need to review the 2007 Simmons data below shared by Dennis Fromholzer, Ph.D, CRM Associates, that clearly shows that people who travel frequently are much more likely to reference the print Yellow Pages in a given month than people that don’t.

 

Below are some stats, taken from the 2007 Spring Simmons data.  I define a “heavy YP print user” as one who uses YP print directories on average at least once a week.

 

·         Those who have stayed at a hotel/motel in the past 12 months are 1.8 times more likely to be heavy YP print users while on the road than those who have not.

 

·         Those who are members of hotel frequent guest programs are 1.4 times more likely to be heavy YP print users while on the road than those who are not.

 

·         Those who stay at hotels 3 or more times per year are 1.6 times more likely to be heavy YP print users while on the road than those who do not stay at hotels or who stay only 1 or 2 times per year.

 

·         53% of those that stay at hotels 11 or more nights per year have used YP print directories in the past month at home;  24% have used YP print while traveling or for business.   Compare this to:  37% of those that have not stayed at hotels in the past year have used YP in the past month at home, and 11% have used YP print while traveling or for business (17% for those that stay only 1 or 2 nights per year).   Bottom line:  those that travel a lot are 40-100% more likely to use YP print directories in an average month than those that do not travel much.

 

·         Similarly, 53% of frequent “guest” program members have used YP print for personal purposes in the past month (vs. 45% of non-members); 25% of frequent guest program members have used YP print in the past month for business/travel purposes (vs 16% of non-members). 

 

These data would suggest that continuing to provide directories in hotel rooms amounts to good customer service.  As Stephanie Hobbs of the Yellow Pages Association notes in the article:  “The move will upset many guests. “You have to ask what your customers want, not what’s easier for hotels.”

 

My hope is that this initiative won’t be adopted by most hotels.  I need my Yellow Pages to find the nearest steak and baked potato!

Yellow Pages and Summer Time Fun

So, it’s that time of year!  Our older kids are home from college, tots and tweens are out of school and it’s time for some family outings.  Why not turn to the Yellow Pages to help your family plan for fun in the summer, even it means staying close to home. 

 

According to the Yellow Pages Association these headings are most impacted by individuals looking for fun but staying close to home based on relevancy.

Enjoy the warmer weather and don’t forget to make good use of the Yellow Pages for your summer plans!

Yellow + Green = Reduced Environmental Impact

The Yellow Pages Association (YPA) and the Association of Directory Publishers (ADP) recently sent information to their members announcing their plans to showcase the Yellow Pages industry’s adoption of environmentally-friendly practices.

The two organizations announced joint environmental guidelines that focus on source reductions; such as communicating flexible directory distribution policies that allow end users to request additional directories or to opt out from receiving future directory deliveries.  Other issues addressed include recycling opportunities and efforts to minimize the Yellow Pages industry’s environmental impact. 

Additionally, the associations unveiled a unique environmental seal that directory publishers may use to demonstrate their commitment to the specific environmental guidelines adopted by both organizations. 

This joint venture should instill confidence in consumers and businesses alike that their local directory publishers are proactively taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.

For more information about YPA and the Yellow Pages industry’s proactive environmental activities, visit YPA’s “Yellow is Green” website at www.yellowisgreen.org. 

Yellow Pages Beat Google – One User’s Experience

I recently stumbled across this blog post from a frustrated Google user.  It simply confirms what we here in the Yellow Pages industry have been so vehemently arguing for the past few years, that consumers are still using the Yellow Pages print directory and they do find value (and accuracy!) in the phone book.

http://davekauffman.blogspot.com/2008/04/yellow-pages-beat-google.html

An exercise in creativity is needed to keep print customers in the phone book

Who suffers when an advertiser decides to cancel his ad in a Yellow Pages directory?  The way I see it, everyone does; the publishing company who prints the book, the CMR who receives a commission from the publisher for that ad and the (now former) advertiser.  Obviously the publisher and CMR will lose money.  But how will the advertiser who believes he’ll be saving money by cutting that Yellow Pages ad lose?  He may shave a buck or two off his advertising budget but the phone calls that would have been generated by that ad will now be delivered to his competitor and he will ultimately lose a potential sale.  So is that really money saved?

So everyone loses, yet I’ll wager it’s happening every day.  Blame it on the popularity of the Internet or a poor economy.  I’m not trying to dispute the fact that online usage is outpacing the print product.  But what are CMRs and publishers going to do to help demonstrate the value of the print directory while continuing to hold on to the advertisers that have been so loyally placing their ads in the phone book year after year?  We need to be proactive, not reactive, here.  Once gone, it’s highly unlikely those advertisers are coming back.

The publishers are good at putting together some very attractive ongoing incentives for advertisers willing to increase their spending in their directories.  The problem I have with this is that they are asking an advertiser who may be on the verge of canceling his ad altogether to spend more money in order to get that incentive.  Where is the sense in that?   I’m not naïve.  The Yellow Pages industry is not a not-for-profit industry and we do need to make money.  But how much money are we making when that advertising is cut?

Why aren’t we offering up more multi-year partnership agreements with long-term incentives not only for increased spending, but also for at least maintaining the current spend?  We need to start looking at the incentives for the Yellow Pages advertising budget as a whole, not just on a book by book basis.  And these agreements need to be offered and executed before the cuts take place, because believe me, they will take place.

I would like to recognize one publisher, and Guillermo Gonzalez of Idearc Media in particular, for hearing my cry for help and offering up a solution that will benefit everyone.  Without going into the details of the agreement, it’s an extremely attractive offer and one I cannot imagine any advertiser would refuse.  In exchange for a signed agreement with Idearc to spend X amount of money over the next few years, the advertiser will receive some great discounts, not only on new ads but current ads as well.  The execution of the agreement ensures Idearc guaranteed revenue from the advertiser, the CMR has a multi-year, nontransferable contract with the customer, and the customer gets some incredible deals on his advertising.  Now THAT sounds like a win-win to me.

So to the rest of the Yellow Pages publishers, I respectfully ask you to wake up!  Nationwide, people are spending less.  Belts are being tightened and marketer’s budgets are spread way too thin.  Unless you want your piece of the advertising pie to be gobbled up by some other form of media you need to relax your stringent rules and reward your advertisers for, at the very least, maintaining their current spend.   Print revenue growth may not be a reasonable expectation at this time, but surely advertiser retention is not too lofty a goal.  Is it?

Just Returned from Yellow Pages Association Convention & Exhibition

Have you ever eagerly anticipated an event only to realize it has come and gone?  Well, that’s exactly how I feel about the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) Conference held in Las Vegas, Nevada April 6-8.  After the initial continental breakfast, the conference kicked off with a high-energy, Gloria Estefan look-alike and we knew the sessions were going to be upbeat!  The theme for this conference, “New Tools-New World” was definitely a good fit.  This year’s agenda answered a lot of questions relative to topics such as the status of Yellow Pages print usage, the impact of online marketing, how local mobile search fits in the marketing mix and the state of the Yellow Pages industry as a whole.  It’s an exciting time in the Yellow Pages world and certainly a time for change!

In moving forward and applying what we heard, we realize we need to continue to build on the core business model of the print directory while utilizing some of the new opportunities, tools and vertical market applications for businesses to reach their customers.  That might mean referencing the print book for a mover, searching online for a restaurant or something to do, accessing a marketing message via an online video, or receiving coupons on your cell phone.   It’s all about connecting quicker and in ways that satisfy consumer needs.  It’s about having options and accessing information when and where potential customers want it.

The conference was great and we’re looking forward to doing our homework.  We will continue to find new ways and new tools to maximize our strengths.  It was a pleasure to see old friends and contacts while developing some new relationships as well.

An interesting side note…..when we checked in at the YPA registration desk, we were asked if we wanted to provide our cell phone number and contact information to one of the speaker companies.  We were told that this would be a great platform to “test” their product.  Well, I did participate and received key conference reminders on my cell throughout the entire conference and got an online coupon to Starbucks as a “thank you” for participating.  You can’t go wrong with that!   And that’s the forward-thinking we all need to exercise to stay a step ahead of our competition.  Give your customer what they want, even if they don’t realize they want it….just yet.  Then, they’ll wonder how they ever lived without you!

Is your decision not to advertise in that phone book based on fact or emotion?

     Yellow Pages advertising doesn’t work, right?  Wrong!  But don’t just take my somewhat biased word for it.  When in doubt test, test, test!

     Do you know how many phone calls your Yellow Pages ad is generating?  Do you REALLY know?  Does every single employee within your organization ask every single caller, every single time that phone rings how they heard about your business?  And if they do manage to get a “the Yellow Pages” response from the caller, does your employee take it a step further and ask which phone book they are talking about?  Here in Cleveland, for instance, we have three major Cleveland phone books, published by AT&T, Yellow Book and User Friendly.  If you’re advertising in all three directories how do you know which book is responsible for that phone call, and quite possibly, new customer?

     Yellow Pages publishers realize the uphill battle they are facing.  Every day I hear some radio DJ or news reporter talking about the impending extinction of the phone book.  Yes, yes, yes, online spending and usage is growing, we all know that and I’ve even written about that recently (see my entry dated March 15, 2008) but the phone book isn’t going to disappear tomorrow and it is still an extremely cost-effective way to bring ready-to-buy consumers to your doorstep, especially when you compare its ROI to other forms of media.

     Many publishers are willing to put their money where their mouth is in an attempt to prove the value of their directories.  Ask for a remote call forwarding telephone number (RCF).  This is a unique telephone number that will publish only in that phone book.  The number is then rerouted to your business telephone number and the caller is none the wiser.  You, however, will get reports summarizing the caller activity; such as the number of phone calls your ad generated, the days and time of the calls, the number of times your phone rang before the call was picked up, busy signals and so on.  Use this information to determine whether or not the phone book is driving customers to your business and then ask yourself again…is my decision not to renew my ad in the Yellow Pages print directory an educated one?    

No tree died for your phone book!

Okay, I’m the first to admit that I’m not the most environmentally conscious person in the world.  It may not sound like much to those of you who make recycling a common practice, but I recently put a box under my desk and marked it “Save a Tree!” in an effort to remind myself to take my paper to the recycle bin.  And a couple of weeks ago I forked over $1.99 a piece for the reusable Giant Eagle grocery bags.  I estimate, based on my twice weekly trips to the grocery store, that at least a dozen plastic bags have been spared thanks to those frighteningly obvious bright blue bags.  Although not a pretty accessory, it is a practical one and it helps in my effort to become more environmentally conscious.  I realize I have a long way to go but, hey, baby steps…and every little bit helps, right? 

Everyone seems to be going “green” these days and the Yellow Pages industry has received a lot of negative press lately.  I bet most of you will be surprised (and pleased ) to learn that your phone books are printed from recycled material that sits on your curbsides and waste products from the lumber industry.  So, my treehugger friends, rejoice!  No tree was killed for your phone book! 

For more info check out this article published by YP Green.http://ypgreen.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/how-many-trees-does-the-yellow-pages-industry-destroy-for-its-paper/ 

The Value of Yellow Pages in a Competitive Media Market

value-of-yellow-pages-in-a-competitive-media-market.pdf

A 2007 Media Impact Study conducted by TNS courtesy of the Yellow Pages Association.  See how Yellow Pages stacks up against various media to influence ready-to-buy consumers.

Yellow Pages Usage Grows Overall, Fueled By Online

The following article is courtesy of btobonline.com and the Yellow Pages Association. Yellow Pages usage grows overall, fueled by online Story posted: February 26, 2008 – 12:54 pm EDT

Berkeley Heights, N.J.—The Yellow Pages Association Tuesday released industry research that shows combined Yellow Pages usage online and off grew to 17.2 billion searches last year, from 16.7 billion in 2006.That number combines 3.8 billion Yellow Pages searches online, measured by comScore, and 13.4 billion print searches, measured by Knowledge Networks/SRI. Print usage remained stable, while Internet Yellow Pages searches increased 15%, according to the respective researchers.