Advertisers are seeing Red in the Yellow
I went to take my dog out for a walk this morning and guess what was at the top of my driveway? A yellow pages book from Dex. A “Special Community Edition” no less. 
Unless your audience is above the age of sixty, there is no reason for advertisers to spend good money on this dying medium. Case in point - I looked in the cabinet where my wife keeps these books. We have eight of them:Yellow Pages, White Pages, North Scottsdale addition, Scottsdale Addition, Business Addition, Scottsdale Business Addition, North Scottsdale Business Addition, Central Phoenix (I use to live there) and of course another Special Community Edition. When I asked why we keep them, she couldn’t give me an answer other than, “I thought that we might need them one day.” My response: “Have we ever opened them in the 5 years we have lived here?” The answer is no. The spines on those books are as perfect as the day they arrived. Look, Dex, I never asked for these things to be delivered. I don’t use them and I don’t appreciate the wasted energy and resources used to create them. Advertisers take heed, and put your advertising dollars to better use.
5 comments so far
Rebecca Seymann says:
I agree wholeheartedly. In this day and age when everyone is trying to "go green," why are we still getting countless phone books each quarter. Especially when you can browse for a number on your Blackberry or free 411's from Google (http://www.google.com/mobile/default/sms.html)???
Here's an interesting link about a purported "Yellow Page Opt-Out" movement - http://www.thedeets.com/2008/10/06/yellow-pages-discussing-the-opt-out-movement/.
Ahh well, for now, my collection of unused YP's are going straight to the YP Recycle dumpster in the sky.
Eric Reid says:
I've been trying to figure out why these books keep being delivered to me every year for a while. The best guess I can make is that if they keep sending them out - whether people want them or not - they can lay claim to a massive distribution list. Like an e-mail list that has thousands of people on it, none of whom can opt out.
Except, of course, that e-mails don't eat trees.
Brian Renner says:
I have a client who picked up the phone number of a former competitor who went out of business but was kind enough to tip my client off to the newly available number which has some yellow page advertising left in it. My client said these people are more difficult to deal with than his Craigslist leads (he runs a moving company).
Whereas Craigslist leads are typically looking for the cheapest route, they at least have computer access and the ability to research the website information before calling. Yellow Pages people begin with the salutation "Yeah" and then explain they "want a truck out to move stuff." I think Jeff Foxworthy might be able to exit ?retirement? for one last joke...you might be a redneck if you use the Yellow Pages.
Jasper says:
Hi everyone. Illusions are art, for the feeling person, and it is by art that you live, if you do.
I am from Norway and learning to write in English, give true I wrote the following sentence: "Flea beetles emerge from overwintering in mid to late spring, laying eggs as most obvious sign of flea beetle damage is called."
With respect :-), Jasper.
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