Yellow Book No1 in usage in key Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, and Illinois markets; race tight in Chicago. Yellow Book consistently delivers leads for less in markets nationwide - 26 January 2006
Yellow Book is the most used yellow pages directory in Philadelphia and other major markets, according to Yellow Pages Market Reporter (YPMR) - the new yellow pages usage study developed by Knowledge Networks/SRI, the survey research firm hired by the yellow pages industry to provide syndicated usage studies. Yellow Book announced these results today from Laguna Niguel, CA, where it is hosting an industry conference for national yellow pages advertising agencies.Based on the YPMR reports released to date, in addition to edging out the competition in the nations 4th largest DMA (Designated Metropolitan Area), Philadelphia (44% versus 43%), Yellow Book leads in Lubbock, TX (48% versus 42%) and in Lehigh Valley, PA (51% versus 43%) where three competitive books are needed to match the geography of the Yellow Book product.
In Chicago, the nation’s 3rd largest DMA, the Yellow Book share is only 8 points off the lead (41% versus 49%) and Yellow Book also achieved near-parity with the competition in Cedar Rapids, IA (48% versus 50%) and in Middlesex, NJ (40% versus 40%) where three competitive directories are needed to equal the scope of the Yellow Book product.
Strong second place finishes were also registered in 2005 in Des Moines, IA (41% versus 50%) and in South Orange County, CA (36% versus 44%), for the two Yellow Book directories in this Directory Distribution Area.
The research confirms what Yellow Book customers across the country have known for years: that Yellow Book generates lower-cost new business leads than the incumbent yellow pages directories. Because Yellow Book typically prices its ads at about half what the incumbent directories charge, it consistently delivers lower-cost, high-value leads in markets - even those where it has only recently entered.
"This is a great day for the industry," said Joe Walsh, president and CEO of Yellow Book USA. "We're pleased that syndicated research has been accepted and we hope that industry support for it will continue. We're gratified to see the tremendous results that Yellow Book has achieved in our markets, in terms of both usage and delivering leads for less to advertisers."
"All yellow pages advertisers will benefit from the greater transparency this research brings," Walsh continued. "This is the beginning of the end for the dueling pie charts of proprietary research, and it will help the entire yellow pages industry to grow. We hope to see this program continue to expand in the coming months and years and eventually become truly nationwide."
Yellow Book's price advantage and compelling return on investment make Yellow Book a better buy for customers when they consider the all-important metric of cost-per-lead. The following example helps to illustrate the power of Yellow Book's lower cost-per-lead model:
Example: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Yellow Book
· Unit of Advertising, Half Page – $341
· Approximate Usage Share – 48%
· Example Leads – 100
· Leads per Publisher – 48
· Cost per Lead – $7.10
Dex Media
· Unit of Advertising, Half Page – $616
· Approximate Usage Share – 50%
· Example Leads – 100
· Leads per Publisher – 50
· Cost per Lead – $12.32
"Considering that our main competitors have been publishing in the surveyed markets for many more decades than Yellow Book, we are excited about the momentum this research shows for the usage of our directories," Walsh added. "Our growth is a testament to the power of competition and choice. We look forward to continuing to compete on an even playing field with the incumbent directory publishers in the future."
