September 1, 2003
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in this issue
-- Where Should I Advertise?
-- Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser
-- Recommended Reading
-- This Week in Pictures
-- Baby Face . . . You've Got the Cutest Little . . .
-- Payless . . .Get Less
-- Open Range . . . Insert Chicken
-- Brought to you by the Ad Council
-- Crime Spree
-- This Week's Brainteaser
-- Norton to Head YPIMA

Where Should I Advertise? back to top
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Business owners often ask my opinion which telephone directory they should advertise in.

I find that comparing telephone directories to outdoor advertising makes the process a little easier to understand. Here's what I tell them.

Selecting a telephone directory for your message is like selecting where to put a billboard for your company.

Advertising in an overscoped (wide distribution) directory is often like placing a billboard on the major freeway that encircles the metropolitan area. Because of the high traffic flow (wide distribution), the ad will probably be seen by a large number of people.

The problem is that many of the people who see that billboard may not in the target market for your business, they're distracted by all of the other billboards, or they're on their way to somewhere else. Also, the price for that high profile billboard may be prohibitively high relative to the business generated because you pay for everyone who drives by whether or not they call.

Alternatively, an underscoped directory (usually called a neighborhood or community directory) serves a much more targeted slice of the population. This type of directory is more akin to the major boulevard that runs through your neighborhood. A billboard on this street won't be seen by nearly as many people, but it may be dominate in the local market.

Because the community directory doesn't serve the entire metropolitan area, the advertiser isn't paying for excess distribution. The trade off is that it may not serve enough of the people the business needs to reach.

Bigger is Better, Right?

Not necessarily . . . Sometimes I'll hear a business owner say that he only advertises in the major metro directory because that's the one that "everybody uses." Because of the high rates, he can only afford to place a small ad in that major telephone directory.

That's like sticking one business card on a light pole next to a busy freeway.

Sure, lots of people will drive by it, but not that many will pay much attention because it's overshadowed by so many other massive billboards.

Alternatively, a similar investment in a community directory may give the advertiser a much larger ad that will be seen by a smaller but more targeted group of customers.

Although the community directory is distributed to a smaller group, they are more locally focused, there is usually less clutter in the directory and the cost per customer is usually much lower.

An advertiser who is on a budget could take his money and paste his business card next to the freeway or he could invest the same amount and put up a more impressive billboard that will be seen only in his immediate shopping district.

Usually, a business owner is best served by a combination of directories.

You wouldn't expect a single billboard to reach all of your potential customers. That's because people use different roads depending on where they want to go and what they want to accomplish.

Some roads (and directories) do a better job of getting you across town quickly while other roads (and directories) are much more useful getting around your own neighborhood.

Here are a few general rules . . .

The broader a directory's distribution, the more targeted the advertiser's message must be. If you advertise in a massive metropolitan directory, your message should appeal to the specific needs of a group of customers.

Be dominant to your target audience. If your main message will be overshadowed because of excess competition, you should focus on a narrower specialty where you can be dominant. This is why competitive directories often out pull directories that may enjoy higher usage, but make it harder for an individual advertiser to stand out.

Advertise where people are looking. Sounds simple, but every directory is used by some people.

Make sure that your ad is tailored for the customers who use each directory.

Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser back to top
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Lot's of people commented on how easy this brain teaser was.

(I promise not to mention the names of those who missed it.) Buford and Festus are playing "Old Maid" for $1 per game.



At the end of the evening, Buford has won 3 games and Festus has won $3.

How many games did they play in total?

Click Here to See the Answer & Our Winner

Recommended Reading back to top
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I don't normally recommend this type of book, but Absolutely American takes an in depth view at life inside West Point. The author lived with cadets, and offers a richly detailed description of how the academy turns slightly above average teens into persons of character. I have never been much of a fan of our military academies before, but I have a powerful new appreciation for their commitment and patriotism because of this wonderful book. Buy Absolutely American at Amazon

This is an outstanding book on Yellow Pages advertising. It helps anyone who relies on the Yellow Pages for customers to design ads that will have the maximum impact. It's specifically targeted to attorneys, but the lessons apply to every Yellow Pages advertiser. Buy it at Amazon

Full disclosure: I get about a buck if you buy a book from one of these links.

On the other hand, you'll get several thousand dollars if you buy the books and actually put them to use.

So you've got that going for you.

This Week in Pictures back to top
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The Mary Kay Company has introduced a new line of cosmetics for Hell's Angels.

Unfortunately, their best salespeople keep getting beaten up shortly after winning the coveted Pink Hog Award.

Baby Face . . . You've Got the Cutest Little . . . back to top
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I think I'll call you Mini-Me.

Payless . . .Get Less back to top
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I received a letter from Wimpy

Open Range . . . Insert Chicken back to top
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This is so stupid that it cracks me up every time I look at it.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Brought to you by the Ad Council back to top
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The Federal Trade Commission has hired several thousand telemarketers to inform the general public about the "Do Not Call Registry."

To maximize effectiveness, they plan on calling during dinner hours.

How telemarketers know when you're available

Crime Spree back to top
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Bonus Fun Brainteaser . . . Ahnold for Governor

This Week's Brainteaser back to top
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Buford and Festus got themselves jobs in a sawmill.

The first day at work, Buford lost a finger in the band saw. (Luckily he started with six fingers).

I suppose that raises the age-old question, "If your glove is so big that it keeps falling off, does it still fit like a glove?"

While you're pondering that, let's go back to the sawmill . . .

The boss told each of them that he needed a large piece of wood cut into 16 equal smaller pieces.

The original piece of wood measures 8 inches by 8 inches by 8 feet long.

What are the fewest number of cuts that they can make and accomplish this goal?

Email your answer to puzzler@dicklarkin.com

We'll select one entry to win a cool prize with a year's supply of bragging rights.


Quote of the week back to top
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"If you treat people right they will treat you right - ninety percent of the time."

- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945)

Norton to Head YPIMA back to top
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The Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association announced that Neg Norton, a popular Yellow Pages veteran with 20 years of industry experience has been selected to fill the ruby red slippers vacated when the previous president, John Greco departed earlier this year.

Norton (left) met with Elmer Smith, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Yellow Pages I.M.A. and president of BellSouth's Advertising & Publishing Group to discuss the organization's budget.

"I am pleased and excited for the opportunity to lead the YPIMA. Our immediate objective will be to search the alphabet for additional letters to add to the organization's name. We are currently interviewing several vowels as well as select consonants that are under consideration.

The YPIMA board search committee has done a wonderful job identifying outstanding letters as candidates, and we expect to make an announcement shortly."