Posts Tagged ‘research’

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Multiple Yellow Pages Performance Indicators Moved Up in 2009

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Dr. Dennis Fromholzer, president of CRM Associates, has been following Yellow Pages usage for many years. He sent to me this week some thoughts that sum up recent data regarding print usage. Thanks to Dennis for sharing his expert opinion with us.

A number of businesses, bloggers, media commentators, and even public officials are accepting or propagating the myth that “no one uses the print Yellow Pages anymore.”  These statements typically are made based on personal experience or conversations with a few friends, and are largely made data-free.  The usage and call tracking data tell just the opposite story.   Data from multiple studies show that while print usage did drop in the past few years due to the recession, print directories are still widely used.  In fact, as the economy has started to recover, usage of Yellow Pages has started to increase – completely contrary to the popularly held myth.

This post provides a high-level summary of the multiple studies of the trends in usage and in call response to Yellow Pages ads.  The fact that multiple measures point to the same conclusion suggest that the result is real and not an aberration or artifact from a single study.

Several studies since the beginning of the year prove that Yellow Pages remain a vibrant, essential tool for consumers looking to find businesses.  In a nutshell:

  • Print usage Reach and Frequency increased throughout 2009 by about 15% (Burke 2010 YP Usage Study).
  • IYP usage Reach and Frequency increased throughout 2009 (Burke 2010 YP Usage Study).
  • Total calls to Yellow Pages increased for both print and IYP in 2009 (CRM Associates 2010).
  • Calls per advertiser increased in 2009 for print display, space, and trade ads and for IYP ads (CRM Associations 2010 Metered Ad Study)
  • Calls either grew or were stable for 72% of top headings in 2009 compared with 82% of headings that showed a negative trend in 2008. (CRM Associates’ 2010 Metered Ad Study)
  • Compared with 10 years ago, 43% of the top 660 headings received at least as many references from print as 10 years ago; 33% (one third) of the headings received 20% or more print references than 10 years ago. (Knowledge Networks/SRI, CRM Associates)

The growth in usage of hundreds of headings clearly contradicts the suggestion that “there is a systematic migration of usage away from the print directories,” or that the Yellow Pages medium is “dying,” or that “no one uses the Yellow Pages anymore.”  Rather, the fact that so many headings have experienced increased usage shows that the medium remains vibrant and relevant to today’s shoppers.

June 29, 2010 | 1 Comment
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Golf Drives Yellow Pages Searches in June

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

In June, some of the most popular Yellow Pages headings have to do with a favorite pastime – golf. Golf enthusiasts across the country look to our directories for golf-related searches, more specifically “public courses” and “golf equipment,” before making a purchase.

A review of the data show that:

  • Of those who purchased golf equipment after their search, 73% were new customers to where the purchase was made
  • 30% of customers who make a purchase at a public golf course after referencing Yellow Pages directories are new to the point of purchase
  • With an average sales return on investment for local display ads of between 2-to-1 and 4-to-1, public course and equipment shop owners turn to Yellow Pages to help generate qualified sales leads that can lead to long-term relationships
  • Nearly three-quarters of users indicated they were looking for local golf equipment and supplies businesses vs. chain stores

As this data indicates, popular pastimes such as golf continue to generate significant business leads for our clients.

For more information, read our press release about the golf headings.

June 15, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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Theater-Goers Make the Most of Yellow Pages in January

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

With all the hustle and bustle and entertaining of the holidays, it’s no surprise many of us don’t make it to the December movie blockbusters. Research tells us that many Americans turn to the Yellow Pages for help researching local theaters in January in an effort to catch up on the movies they missed – without the lines. The “Theaters” heading makes its second biggest splash of the year in November.

It should come as no surprise that “Theaters” is the 20th most referenced heading of more than 4,000. According to the 2008 Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Theatrical Statistics Report, the theater industry is a nearly $10 billion industry domestically. One thing you may not know however is that the motion picture community comprises primarily of small businesses and entrepreneurs. Of the over 115,000 businesses nationwide, 81 percent employ fewer than 10 people, according to an MPAA economic impact report, which is probably why so many consumers turn to the Yellow Pages for local listings. I imagine that percentage drastically increases when referencing performing arts and children’s theaters.

Some interesting findings on who is searching for theaters:

  • Over 96 million searches per year
  • Prior to opening the Yellow Pages, 43% of the users had a decision to make – that is, 16% did not have any name in mind and 27% had two or more names in mind (notably higher than the all-heading average)
  • Almost all (98%) of the references in this heading are for personal reasons
  • 88% percent of consumers referencing the heading follow up with a ticket purchase
  • Finally, good news for theaters, the average Yellow Pages consumer spends $71 at the point of purchase

January 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment
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BIA/Kelsey: Local Search via Mobile Grows

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Recently, we’ve talked about the growing importance of mobile and social media platforms in the local search space.

Now a new study from BIA/Kelsey and ConStat shows significant increases in the number of local product and service searches conducted via mobile devices. Interestingly, local searches on mobile devices now exceed out-of-market searches by a wide margin.

According to the October study, 18.5% of those surveyed searched the mobile Internet for products or services in their local area, up from 15.6% in 2008. Additionally, 15.9% obtained information about movies or entertainment, while 13.3% obtained information about restaurants or bars. This compares to the 11.1% of consumers who searched the mobile Internet for products or services outside their local area.

The study also shows large growth in mobile social networking: 16.7% of those surveyed connected with a social network such as MySpace or Facebook on their mobile devices, up from 9.6% in 2008.

These rapid increases in local searches via mobile and mobile social networking are driven primarily by the proliferation of smartphones in the U.S. market, the study found. The report also noted that growth in mobile-optimized websites, the rapid implementation of the Google Android OS mobile software, and Google’s planned acquisition of mobile ad network AdMob are driving mobile Internet use and advertising growth.

As this data clearly shows, small businesses and local search directories must embrace the mobile and social media space in order to adapt to changing user habits and benefit from new growth opportunities. We’ll continue to keep our eye out for good examples of Yellow Pages companies taking advantage of these exciting new mediums and share them here.

December 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Simmons Findings Show Value in Print Directories for Hotel Guests

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

While a number of hotel chains have discontinued the practice of providing Yellow Pages directories in each room, a newly released report from CRM Associates would indicate that this might be the wrong move.  Data from Simmons Spring, 2009, suggests that frequent hotel guests are significantly more likely to use print directories than the average consumer.

Some of the findings from the Simmons data include:

  • Those who have stayed at a hotel/motel in the past 12 months are 30% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who have not and 54% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past 12 months.
  • Members of hotel frequent guest programs are 20% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who are not and 22% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past month.
  • Those who stay at hotels three or more times per year are 40% more likely to be print yellow pages users than those who do not stay at hotels and 84% more likely to have used print yellow pages for business or travel purposes in the past month.
  • 42% of those that stay at hotels 11 or more nights per year have used print yellow pages directories in the past month at home; 20% have used print yellow pages while traveling or for business.

The message is clear: hotel guests, particularly frequent hotel guests, are above average users of print directories both personally and for business travel purposes.  Not providing access to print directories in the hotels is likely to be a disservice to the hotel’s best customers.  And who can afford poor customer service when business is slow?

October 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Digital YPA ELITE® System Increases Efficiency and Cuts Waste

Monday, July 27, 2009

As some of you may be aware, the Yellow Pages Association owns and operates proprietary industry software called YPA ELITE® that’s used by publishers and Certified Marketing Representatives (CMRs) to facilitate Yellow Pages advertising orders, graphics, and artwork transmittal transactions.   Our partner in hosting and maintaining this software is the B2B e-commerce solutions provider GXS.

As the sole processing system for national orders, YPA ELITE® executes over 6.1 million transactions each year. Just 15 years ago, this was a completely paper process – requiring prints, Veloxes, faxes, mailing and myriad labor-intensive steps to go from sales and design to final ad placements.  But with the help of GXS, we have gradually digitized the transaction process over the years, increasing the efficiency, accuracy and environmental safety of the system. This might sound small, but the migration to a paperless system has really added up.

According to the latest data from GXS, the Yellow Pages Association eliminated 55.39 metric tons of paper usage in 2008 through the YPA ELITE® System.   This translates to a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the Association.  By migrating to a totally electronic system, the YPA ELITE® system in 2008 succeeding in:

  • Saving 201 tons of wood, or the equivalent of about 1,391 trees.
  • Cutting consumption of 2,292 million BTUs of energy which is the equivalent of the energy used by 25 homes each year.
  • Eliminating 341,141 lbs (170 tons) CO2 equivalent, which is the amount of CO2 emitted by approximately 31 cars yearly.
  • Avoiding the creation of 135,630 pounds of solid waste, the equivalent of 4.85 full garbage trucks.

Partnering with GXS has really paid off in savings and quality.  And this is just one small part of bigger steps the Yellow Pages have taken to reduce the environmental impact of the industry.

July 27, 2009 | 4 Comments
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Forbes Points Small Business Owners to Yellow Pages Association Data

Monday, July 20, 2009

I ran across some good advice from Forbes magazine’s entrepreneurial expert Kern Lewis on Friday, “Market Research On The Cheap” advising business owners to act smart when their budgets tighten, and seek free data to keep sharp.

The article – the first of a two-part column – offers some practical advice to entrepreneurs on the value of “actionable data” and where to find it.   Lewis cautions that because a market can change quickly, savvy marketers need to keep an eye on demographics, measurable preference data and behavioral trends in order to stay competitive – all things that the Yellow Pages industry has been tracking for years.

To find that important trend information, Lewis suggests general searches, government databases, and trade associations.  And with that, I was jazzed to read his advice, saying:

Some associations are better data trackers than others, but be sure to browse what they do have. I’ve used information compiled by the Yellow Pages Association to advise my clients on the relative merits of advertising in print or online Yellow Pages.

All of us at YPA have been working with our members for a long time to support small- and medium-sized businesses.  We are proud to be referenced here and will continue to provide consumer information and business data to American entrepreneurs.  We know that data and metrics mean better ROI, and have built our industry around gathering and interpreting data to best serve our customers’ bottom line.

July 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Consumers focus on their pets most in the summer

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The pet industry is a $45 billion retail industry. Consumers, especially women, love to spoil their pets whether it’s on grooming services or supplies- we’re always looking for the next way to show our furry friends we love them.

According to the 2009/2010 National Pet Owners Survey, 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 71.4 million homes. The APPA shares, “growth in total pet spending has grown at a pace equal to or greater than most other retail segments and in many cases people will cut back in other areas sooner than cutting back on their pets.”

YPA data indicates that the months of July and August garner the highest frequency of pet searches with “Pet Grooming” seeing the most traction in July and “Pet Supplies & Foods” making its mark in August.

The goods are in the yellow.

The ROI on advertising in these headings is lucrative. Display ads in the “Pet Supplies & Foods” heading generate $18 in revenue for every $1 invested on Yellow Pages advertising.  Ads in the “Pet Grooming” heading generate $2 for every $1 invested.

Some interesting findings on who is searching pet headings:

“Pet Grooming”

  • Sees 58 million references per year, making it the 35th most frequently referenced heading
  • The most usage comes from 50-to-64 year-old women with incomes above $60,000
  • 86% of headings users are looking for a local groomer as opposed to a national chain
  • 41% of heading users end up choosing a groomer who they have previously never done business with

“Pet Supplies & Foods”

  • Sees about 23 million references per year
  • The most coming from 35-to-49 year-old women who have lived at their current address less than three years
  • 43% of all searches are for various pet accessories, such as leashes, harnesses, clothing, aquariums, and cat towers
  • The consumers searching this heading for pet food (22%) are usually looking for specialty dog food, such as biscuits or bones with no meat byproducts

June 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment
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Independent Survey Indicates Phone Directories Are a Popular Resource on Mobile Phones

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The mass adoption of smart phones and other handheld devices has opened up some exciting new opportunities for local business search, and so I was interested to see some new data from Forrester Research. 

According to Forrester’s North American Technographics® Benchmark Survey 2009, which provides insights on the habits of over 41,000 US adults with a mobile phone in their household, 5% of respondents use their phones to search telephone directories.

That compares favorably with other top consumer smart phone activities, including searching for general information (8%) and accessing social networks (5%).

Here are some highlights from the survey results:

  • 44% of US adults who have mobile phones in their homes say their phone can access the Internet.
  • 15% of US adults who have mobile phones in their homes go online with their phones, up from 11% in 2008.
  • 10% of US adults with access to a phone check the weather, 14% play games, 8% search for information. 5% search telephone directories, 5% access social networks, 2% research products for purchase and 1% receive coupons/promotions.

May 20, 2009 | 2 Comments
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2008 YPA Industry Excellence Awards Cap Off Conference

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Amidst the changes and challenges of 2008, Yellow Pages industry experts continued to create, innovate and change the way we do business. Last night’s annual YPA Industry Excellence Awards highlighted the change agents and mavens in our field with awards going to companies – big and small.

As Neg Norton put it in his toast to the group, “we honor the dreamers and visionaries” who have been busy creating the art, technology and platforms to move Yellow Pages advertising into the New World.

Take a look at the full list of our 2008 honorees.

In addition, we honored three individuals for their contributions. The Stuart Stanze Award went to Maggie Stonencipher, AVP Print and Delivery Services, R.H. Donnelley, for her tireless efforts with legislative and environmental groups. She ably makes the case, on behalf of R.H. Donnelley, that the Yellow Pages industry is responding to changing consumer needs and a good corporate citizen in the communities where they operate. The entire industry has benefited from her work in this area.

Jim Logan former (past president of YPPA and former president of U.S. West Direct) and Herb Gordon, (president of the Association of Directory Marketing and former president of Yellow Pages Division at Ketchum Communications, Inc.) both received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their commitment and contribution to the Yellow Pages industry. With a long history of service and leadership, they are stand-outs in an industry of high-achievers.

The Three Heads, an LA band, rocked the entire show and our own Coach Yellow, Steve Hochman did a great job of getting the audience and the winners completely engaged. Betty Brown, National Yellow Pages Media, said, “My table had a ball! We were cheering the winners and enjoying the evening.”

YPA thanks attendees for making this a great show!

April 29, 2009 | 1 Comment
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