Small Business Commando News

Alert blogger Andrew Shotland (not pictured here)

tipped me off to a fascinating article on Slate about the history and challenges of the Yellow Pages industry.

I’ve said it before, but the Yellow Pages is a deeply misunderstood directional advertising medium.

While many (including me) have predicted the demise of the Yellow Pages, there continues to be value for advertisers.

This article dives into the amount of waste and environmental impact, but does not address the positive impact of consumerism and reduced driving when fingers do walking.  The simple fact is that not every uses (or wants to use) the Internet as their sole source for local business information.

The fine folks at The Bakersfield Californian (clients of ours) put together a HUGE domino type display to emphasize the importance of recycling the Yellow Pages.

AT&T participated in the event using the first books off the press.

Betcha can’t do this with your local Google directory.

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1514642

The Canadian Press: AT&T looks to deliver White Pages online, save millions in waste:

AT&T Inc. said Friday it wants to try delivering its White Pages online rather than on front porches, noting the effort could save about two million kilograms of paper per year in two North Carolina test cities.

The San Antonio-based telecommunications provider petitioned the North Carolina Utilities Commission on Friday to allow the company to test the web-based phone listings in Raleigh and Charlotte. Under the proposal, customers will still get the Yellow Pages - which AT&T says remains a much-used tool - and can request to get a hard copy or a CD-ROM of the residential White Pages.

In the US, the utility phone company is required to publish residential and business phone listings.

However, times are changing, and with the rise in cell phones, internet services such as skype and competitive local phone services such as cable and power companies, the white pages just aren’t what they used to be.

It makes total sense to move to a standardized online directory for phone numbers that the owner of the phone number could decide whether or not the number is published.

For example, I want my buusiness number published, but I certainly don’t want my cell phone number in public view.

If we band together, we could do away with the printed white pages in just a few years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating the demise of the Yellow Pages. The content in there is far more unique, valuable and necessary than the line listings in the white pages.