Just a few day ago a client removed the Yellow Page functionality from its Adbuilder website for its dealers. That makes two that I know of since January. It’s not that the print yellow pages don’t have any readers. They still do, but it’s less and less each day.
Yellow page spending continues to go down by double digits, sinking 14% this year and 10% in 2010. It was down 6% in 2008 to make matters worse. This according to Jack Meyers Media Business Report, “Advertising & Marketing Investment Forecast 2008-2010.
The same report has Local online search is forecast to be up 8% (in this economy) and rebound to 14% growth in 2010. Folks, SEM didn’t exist a decade ago.
According to a Feb.2009 Nielsen Online Survey, 50% of consumers surveyed reported they use online search engines to find local businesses, followed by yellow page directories at 24% and internet based yellow pages at a paltry 10%. It’s pretty clear that consumers feel comfortable clicking versus thumbing through a thick yellow book.
The only puzzling question is when will more big companies get the hint and encourage their retailers to spend their co-op funds more wisely?