The Yellow Pages Marketing Exercise

by Michael Cage on October 11, 2004

Here’s the exercise I give at seminars to illustrate how horrible most marketing is. Just so happens, it uses the Yellow Pages, and I have been getting asked a lot about Yellow Pages marketing lately. If you do not have your own ad in the YP, pick out your business category and do it for the competition.

It’s pretty simple really…

  • Get your copy of the Yellow Pages and a thick, black magic marker
  • Open to your section
  • On every space ad, scratch out the name, address or location information, and phone number
  • Now, look at the ads that are left and wait for the lesson to appear

Ok, ok. I won’t just leave it there. Check back tomorrow and I’ll explicitly spell out the lesson…

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Tagged as: marketing

  • yellow page is effective in advertising. it is useful in marketing and in budgeting your expenses in advertising.and also this will help you in promoting your sales to other.

  • Great list for novice as well as for professionals too

  • Hi. Many thanks for all the information. I found the answer to my problem without even having to ask.

  • If you are not reviewing your Yellow Pages ad results on a regular basis, you may be tossing hard-earned dollars down the drain. Yellow Pages ads have a number of built-in limitations that may reduce the effectiveness of your advertising dollar and restrict your ability to reach new patients.

    http://viphole.com/blog/

  • Anonymous

    Yellow pages are a gr8 marketing service all over the world

  • Anonymous

    thnaks for sharing….

  • Anonymous

    My definition of a sport is that it’s a physical activity that involves competition with regards to All Muscle Building efforts .Since bodybuilders train and then compete, we are certainly assume a sport yellow page directory it belongs.

  • Anonymous

    That’s a brilliant way to explain it.


    Most Yellow Page ads are little more than a company name, logo, “laundry list” of products and services offered, and some similar slogany language.


    My FAVORITE example came after looking in the carpet cleaning section, and seeing 75% of the companies claim to be…


    The Carpet Cleaning Specialists


    -or-


    The Carpet Cleaning Experts!!


    Everyone says the same thing!  It’s disastrous, considering your ONE goal is to stand out as a different and better option than the competition.


    Alan Saltz

    Yellow Pages Consultant


    http://www.YellowPagesProfit.com

    ——-

  • Anonymous

    I’d like to know what the lesson is.  I don’t have access to any american yellow pages book.  Tell us!

  • Anonymous

    I did it and found that they fail to tell you what they do! Cool idea.

  • Anonymous

    Michael,

    I coach my clients in advertising and love using the Yellow Pages as my prime example for how ad’s should not be written.  I like your way of explaining getting different, with the markers to the page.  It’s amazing how the Yellow Pages manage to create such equality in each section.  A targeted ad written properly would dominate a section & they’ve shown in my experience, that it is their intention to maintain the format to please everyone. In my opinion, as long as everyone on the page is happy, the Yellow Pages are happy.  We work with businesses to help them with targeted alternative to the yellow pages that have proven much more effective.  If anyone is interested, visit title


    Jeff Levin, MBA

    Action International Business Coach


    http://www.jefflevin.com

  • Anonymous

    Where’s the Yellow Pages 2nd part?

  • Anonymous

    what was the lesson?

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