Comments on: Print Yellow Page’s Basement Full of Water Scenario http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/ Consistently against torture. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Yellow Pages Water in Basement Scenario Goes International | The Deets http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/#comment-11670 Yellow Pages Water in Basement Scenario Goes International | The Deets Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:50:53 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3432#comment-11670 [...] written before about the recurring justification trotted out by people working in the slowly-dying print yellow pages industry in response to people stating they no longer find print yellow pages [...] [...] written before about the recurring justification trotted out by people working in the slowly-dying print yellow pages industry in response to people stating they no longer find print yellow pages [...]

]]> By: YP Atheist http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/#comment-10970 YP Atheist Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:13:57 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3432#comment-10970 If my basement is full of water, the yellow pages wouldn't do me any good, cause they're in a corner on the basement floor. Now waterproof yellow pages, I'd opt in for those. If my basement is full of water, the yellow pages wouldn’t do me any good, cause they’re in a corner on the basement floor. Now waterproof yellow pages, I’d opt in for those.

]]> By: Ed Kohler http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/#comment-10967 Ed Kohler Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:35:46 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3432#comment-10967 @Jim, I agree that businesses benefit from a media mix. Especially a media mix that reaches people who are receptive to marketing messages in that form. Perhaps we can agree that the yellow pages industry's advertisers are poorly served by companies that deliver books to people who've proactively unsubscribed from a form of advertising they no longer find valuable? The YP industry would be in better shape today than it is if your statement about shifting from print YP to online YP were accurate. Sure, it's happened to some degree, but online ad dollars are not replacing print ad dollars at anywhere close to a 1:1 rate. Most business related queries online happen outside of YP sites. For example, <a href="http://siteanalytics.compete.com/yellowbook.com+yelp.com/" rel="nofollow">Yelp.com dwarfs yellowbook.com</a>. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the legal requirements of phone book deliveries are tied to WHITE pages, not yellow pages. I'm not disputing that yellow pages work. But help me out with this: Who benefits from the distribution of yellow pages to foreclosures (and other vacant properties) and homes that have unsubscribed from the print spam? I could care less which brand of yellow pages spam was the incumbent. They're equally worthless and wasteful to me. You're giving yellow pages too much credit while discounting the value of yellow pages at the same time in your last statement. The original search engine was word of mouth. And reminiscent justifications for "the original" does nothing to help justify why people would choose to use them once they're accustomed to more efficient options. @Jim, I agree that businesses benefit from a media mix. Especially a media mix that reaches people who are receptive to marketing messages in that form. Perhaps we can agree that the yellow pages industry’s advertisers are poorly served by companies that deliver books to people who’ve proactively unsubscribed from a form of advertising they no longer find valuable?

The YP industry would be in better shape today than it is if your statement about shifting from print YP to online YP were accurate. Sure, it’s happened to some degree, but online ad dollars are not replacing print ad dollars at anywhere close to a 1:1 rate. Most business related queries online happen outside of YP sites. For example, Yelp.com dwarfs yellowbook.com.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the legal requirements of phone book deliveries are tied to WHITE pages, not yellow pages.

I’m not disputing that yellow pages work. But help me out with this: Who benefits from the distribution of yellow pages to foreclosures (and other vacant properties) and homes that have unsubscribed from the print spam?

I could care less which brand of yellow pages spam was the incumbent. They’re equally worthless and wasteful to me.

You’re giving yellow pages too much credit while discounting the value of yellow pages at the same time in your last statement. The original search engine was word of mouth. And reminiscent justifications for “the original” does nothing to help justify why people would choose to use them once they’re accustomed to more efficient options.

]]> By: The Other Mike http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/#comment-10958 The Other Mike Sun, 19 Jul 2009 03:22:18 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3432#comment-10958 Jim, it is very simple why it bothers us so much--unlike you, WE DERIVE ZERO VALUE, nay, WE DERIVE NEGATIVE VALUE FOR ANY YP. Jim, wouldn't that bother you to receive something 3 times per year that you did not ask for, in fact you specifically asked NOT TO GET? In what world does that not bother you? Stop thinking with your one-way mind. Who gives a damn about 'media mix' in your neighborhood? YP is not on TV or radio where a click of a button gets rid of the problem. YP is not TV or radio where the ad comes on waves in the air, instead it comes with an environmental footprint. Wake up! Jim, it is very simple why it bothers us so much–unlike you, WE DERIVE ZERO VALUE, nay, WE DERIVE NEGATIVE VALUE FOR ANY YP.

Jim, wouldn’t that bother you to receive something 3 times per year that you did not ask for, in fact you specifically asked NOT TO GET? In what world does that not bother you?

Stop thinking with your one-way mind. Who gives a damn about ‘media mix’ in your neighborhood? YP is not on TV or radio where a click of a button gets rid of the problem. YP is not TV or radio where the ad comes on waves in the air, instead it comes with an environmental footprint. Wake up!

]]> By: Jim Niarchos http://www.thedeets.com/2009/07/17/print-yellow-pages-basement-full-of-water-scenario/#comment-10950 Jim Niarchos Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:49:39 +0000 http://www.thedeets.com/?p=3432#comment-10950 I don't understand why all this bothers you so much? Have you ever heard of a media mix? Businesses use a variety of advertising platforms to attract customers. On a local basis, very few businesses rely on only one medium. I remember when videos, DVD's, pay-per-view, etc. were going to put movie theaters out of business. Well, they are busier than ever. Old habits are hard to break. Humans are creatures of habit. There is a comfort level that folks do not want to let go of. All traditional media (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines, Billboards, Direct Mail) have diminished results compared to years ago. Media today is so fragmented. Consumers have many more choices than ever before. That has contributed to decreased usage of the print Yellow Pages (including all traditional media) more than anything else. A a matter of fact, whatever usage has been lost by the print yellow pages has been replaced by the on-line yellow pages owned by the same publishers. Why? People know the Yellow Pages and when they are on-line they naturally are comfortable with trying the on-line version. These yellow page publishers have also been selling web sites and pay-per-click for years. They offer bundling to their clients that bring the advertiser a complete suite of products at a reasonable price. In my opinion, the worst thing that ever happened to the yellow pages was the fact that all these bogus impersonators (like Yellowbook) started flooding people with books. The utility company publishers (in other words the legitimate phone directories) were unintended victims of people's frustration with all the waste. If folks just received one phone book, from the phone company (the most comprehensive one anyway) there would not be as much of a backlash. It is the only one that has the most thorough distribution because the telephone companies are governed by the PSC (Public Service Commission). They have to do a good job by law. The reason that al these other books are out there...get ready for this.....is because the yellow pages as a medium work! They have a certain amount of usage! That is why so many companies want to get into the yellow page business. They want to try to snare some of the usage that the Yellow Pages owns. By the way, consumers use the Yellow Pages for much more than just plumbers. Your view of the span of usage is quite myopic. The attorney headings, all the physician headings, Air Conditioning/Heating, Adoption, Accountants, Tailors, Spas, etc. It goes on and on and on. The bottom line? Don't worry about the Yellow Pages. If they bring the business they will survive; if they don't, they won't. The Yellow Pages are a part of Americana. The original Search Engine! I don’t understand why all this bothers you so much? Have you ever heard of a media mix? Businesses use a variety of advertising platforms to attract customers. On a local basis, very few businesses rely on only one medium. I remember when videos, DVD’s, pay-per-view, etc. were going to put movie theaters out of business. Well, they are busier than ever. Old habits are hard to break. Humans are creatures of habit. There is a comfort level that folks do not want to let go of. All traditional media (TV, Radio, Newspaper, Magazines, Billboards, Direct Mail) have diminished results compared to years ago. Media today is so fragmented. Consumers have many more choices than ever before. That has contributed to decreased usage of the print Yellow Pages (including all traditional media) more than anything else. A a matter of fact, whatever usage has been lost by the print yellow pages has been replaced by the on-line yellow pages owned by the same publishers. Why? People know the Yellow Pages and when they are on-line they naturally are comfortable with trying the on-line version. These yellow page publishers have also been selling web sites and pay-per-click for years. They offer bundling to their clients that bring the advertiser a complete suite of products at a reasonable price. In my opinion, the worst thing that ever happened to the yellow pages was the fact that all these bogus impersonators (like Yellowbook) started flooding people with books. The utility company publishers (in other words the legitimate phone directories) were unintended victims of people’s frustration with all the waste. If folks just received one phone book, from the phone company (the most comprehensive one anyway) there would not be as much of a backlash. It is the only one that has the most thorough distribution because the telephone companies are governed by the PSC (Public Service Commission). They have to do a good job by law. The reason that al these other books are out there…get ready for this…..is because the yellow pages as a medium work! They have a certain amount of usage! That is why so many companies want to get into the yellow page business. They want to try to snare some of the usage that the Yellow Pages owns. By the way, consumers use the Yellow Pages for much more than just plumbers. Your view of the span of usage is quite myopic. The attorney headings, all the physician headings, Air Conditioning/Heating, Adoption, Accountants, Tailors, Spas, etc. It goes on and on and on. The bottom line? Don’t worry about the Yellow Pages. If they bring the business they will survive; if they don’t, they won’t. The Yellow Pages are a part of Americana. The original Search Engine!

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