October 9, 2008

I cant stand phone books. As soon I get them on my porch they go right into recycle bin.

In 20 years we are going to be saying, "hey, remember when we used to get those huge phone books?"

I totally agree with Al.

I don't make use of the phone books anymore. As soon as they are delivered, they get put into recycling.

I make use of the online directories, or do a random google search.

I find the phone to be a great tool when it comes time to buy products or services in my local market. I only use the internet to do research and find it filled with useless information normally and it can take hours to find what I want.

The dynamics of local search are certainly shifting, and Yellow Pages publishers are moving right along with it, making local listings available to consumers in print, online, and via mobile devices. Note that when you combine the second and third points in the survey results, Yellow Pages plays a huge role in local search … and truth be told, is often the backroom for the first one. Full disclosure, I work for the Yellow Pages Association.

What a wonderful idea. I hate clicking on a link only to discover that it has the keywords I'm looking for, but nothing to do with the topic I searched for in the first place. I'm all in. Do they have an affiliate program for Chunk it? I have a funny feeling Google will feel a little pressure from this company.

How was this study conducted? Was it an online survey? If yes, then the results would lean heavy toward search. Not saying it isn't accurate, but I have found the opinion of yellow pages usage of the "online world" to be very different from those who have yet to really, truly "plug in".

They might as well drive the phone books right to the recycling plant and save the gas money of having it spend the night in my driveway.

I have to disagree with TMP with that 30% of users are still accessing the print directories for their products or services.

I had the wonderful experience with working with TMP and I know first hand that they are a die hard print agency that don't want to move their clients print spends to the new yellow pages(Online advertising).

Agencies such as TMP are doing a disservice to franchises and their franchisees. This isn't what someone told me, it was what I experienced. They are creating programs sufficient to the needs of their clients.

I wanted to respond to this because I have been in the Yellow Pages industry over 22 years. I have evolved in to becoming a specialist in online internet advertising. I have personal experience with TMP and I do know that they are holding on to the print as long as they can due to fear and inadequate AE's & AM in some of their regions. With this being said I know they are doing a disservice to some of their franchises and franchisees because of the misunderstanding they have with print holding 30% as to how users locally are searching for businesses in their local areas.