I Hate the Yellow Pages
Many, many years ago, my brother sold advertising in the Yellow Pages. As a result we have a number of lively conversations, about the value of the publication. ( Ok, so maybe they were arguments) You see, I hate the yellow pages.
I think it is crazy to spend money to drive consumers to a vehicle where they can find information on your competitors. The yellow pages, as a printed medium is a dying advertising tool. More and more, consumers are going on line, or to their smart phones to find goods and services. So in most cases, I think the same money would be much more effective talking to a more targeted audience, but there are exceptions.
If you are in a business like emergency repairs, it is less likely you will have long term relationships with clients the Yellow Pages may still fill a need for a few more years. But as you are renewing your advertising contract, remember pricing is negotiable.
They like to tell you it is hard and fast, but the truth is, if you move to a larger size, it is always a better deal then if you try to scale down. So how do you improve your chances of getting a good deal? Share you quotes, with other companies in your area. I had six clients do this last year. They all took the lowest quote back to their rep, demanding the same pricing. It was effective.
Color cost more, but isn’t always more impactful. A strong black and white design, will stand out just as well, or better, then a cluttered color design. So spend a little more on the design, and less on the ad itself.
Invest in the online version of the directory. Make sure the web site you link to will help you close the sale. Make sure it looks good on a smart phone as well!
Yellow pages are big business, but the directories are getting smaller, and less valuable as more people simply put them in the closet, and hop on line to find what they need. Make sure you are where they can find you !
So true, so true. A number of years ago I worked for an ad agency in Chicago that had a yellow pages division. Miserable, horrible, awful business. Making sure people understand the value of design was the biggest hurdle. Bigger was not always better. And the premium for color advertising couldn’t possible pay for itself. Plus the reproduction of 4-C advertising on what is effectively tissue paper is poor in the first place. Great post.
I have always loved good, simple, black and white design – something you rarely find in Yellow Page ads, but which always draw my attention
Yellow Pages is the worst company I have to deal with. My impression of them is that they know the end is near and that somebody, high up, made the decision to screw their ever shrinking client base for all they’re worth before it’s all over. They charge many times what the ad is worth, I hardly ever speak to the same employee twice, they promise all kinds of things but later the promise is pulled back and we get punished for the misunderstanding. I now only communicate with them by fax and cc a copy to the Better Business Bureau. I just know that the whole thing will have to be handled through them when all I want is a simple change in the ad.