To clarify the clarificating of the clarifications….my previous comments were about the advertising. In terms of the product, which is a different subject entirely, like any mass medium, it lives and dies by it’s ability to deliver the right level of response (right numbers of the right people), at the right price, with the right intention. In the ad, they’re implying that they can deliver on a cost per response metric. Personally, I’m a cost per acquisition kind of gal when that is the goal. Does YP do either? I would imagine it depends (right people, right price, right intention…).

No doubt for many, the price is too high (because there is too much wastage etc) and for others (depending on their target market and offer), the price will be right.

For the record I don’t own a copy of the YP either. I also don’t listen to Alan Jones, watch Australia’s Funniest Home Videos or listen to new music on Myspace.

In fact I don’t even use Yellow Pages Online because it’s so difficult to find what you are looking for and they just keep shoving paid adverts in front of you.

If your business targets 60+ people, the book would work for you. But I would like to see a study showing how many under 30′s have even opened a Yellow Pages book in the last 5 years.

It’s over priced and it under delivers. Even if they have testimonials from 50 different business people, that’s just a drop in the ocean when compared to how many other people have used it and it’s not worked.

Regarding the “rate based on reach” issue, isn’t this a lot like the difference between CPC and CPA in the online world? It’s not how they set the ratecard, it’s how much they charge that is the issue. At the right price I’d buy a medium that would reach all 21.5m people – you’d be mad not to as you just never know who might be interested in your brand, product or service.

A little maths. Typical click-through-rate is 0.3%. With around 7.25m households and 21.5m people, you would only need 21,750 households around Australia or 64,500 people to “act” and you’re on par.

real people real books

By being front of mind, your debate has achieved one small, positive outcome for the brand. When I got home last night, there was a large pile of Yellow Pages Local sitting in my building’s mail room. For the first time in the two and a half years I’ve been in the country, I took one.

Cheers,

Tim

We seem to be talking about different things, which i have tried to show.
I wasn;t referring to Yellow pages ad..which i said is great creative etc etc.

Each of those[real] people in the ad pays to advertise in the YP.
That amount is based upon the reach, so my point is YP has massively overstated reach as they deliver YP books to all households and businesses if they want them or not. Therefore inflating the real numbers of people the person business will reach.
So businesses are paying a premium they dont need to.

Secondly i was calling the Yellow pages the the yellow dinosaur NOT you,meaning the print version is extinct.

Independent thinking…i have no problem with, but we were talking about different topics.

you the ad , me the ad rates charged to customers by yellow pages. clear

Coupla things.

The ad focuses on response, not reach as a metric, which is something I fundamentally agree with and I think somewhat lessens the impact of your argument.

Secondly, like I said, I don’t have anything to sell that might lead me to use words like ‘dinosaur’ or ‘spin’ in relation to this conversation. I was trying to take the conversation away from the barrow pushers and inject some independent critical thinking.

And you?

sorry I think you missed what i was saying. We are not in disagreeing.

I was saying people like you have wised up.Why pay inflated ad rates when it doesnt deliver clients. [in your case WOM]

Or they may deliver 8 million books. [so you pay to advertise to that many people] when only a fraction of those are actually used.

My point was people have now have so many more channels and options than 10 years ago.

I think we are really talking about two different things.

“…most people reading this” are not the target market as per the point I made above about specific business examples. If you’re reading this you probably don’t run a local driving school or contract out mini-skips. I’ve run my own business and for me YP weren’t relevant because all my business came from personal referral as I would expect from the industry I’m in.

No one said local paper or YP are the only options for small business. Not even the ad says this. To clarify, the ad is targeting listings and I think reflects the demographic of the user. Obviously, thats not you.

I get these books wrapped in plastic dumped at my door each year and i guess that proves reach when your selling ad space.

But like most people reading this, it goes in the bin[recycling after plastic removed]
This year i even emailed the dont send me one next year list..I wonder if I’ll still get one?

Keep the spin going, but i think little businesses are getting smarter and dont just have local paper and yellow pages to promote their business any more.