Less is more at Yell
Jinfo Blog

22nd February 2010

By Anne Jordan

Item

Writers are often taught that less is more. This theory has been applied to newspapers, with broadsheets reduced to compact and “midi” sizes, and now The Yell Group is following suit with a compact version of the Yellow Pages printed directories due out in the UK this summer. In other news, the Group also announced that internet site Yell.com has lost 4.1% of its web advertisers and 9.2% of its users in the last year, but has still gained revenue despite this. The Yellow Pages directories have traditionally been A4 format in the UK, but research amongst users revealed that a compact directory would increase usage. The new format shaves 5 cm from the height and 4 cm from the width, and is being introduced for Yellow Pages directories published from the end of June this year, according to a recent press release (http://digbig.com/5bbctb). The compact format uses a new font to aid readability, so the overall number of pages in each edition will remain similar to the traditional A4 format. There will also be a new “local listings” feature making it easier for users to find a business in their desired location. These changes come at a time of upheaval in the industry and broader economic pressures. The Q3 results show group revenues down 8.0% (or 13.3% at constant exchange rates), but at least this was less than the 16% forecast! Yell UK’s internet revenues are up, but print directories revenues have declined. In the earnings press release (http://digbig.com/5bbcsx) the company states that the focus on acquiring more relevant searches for advertisers, at the expense of volume, caused unique internet users to fall in December, whilst improved cost management limited the full effect of the revenue decline on EBITDA. Internet revenues for Yell UK continue to grow and represent around 30% of total UK revenues but with printed directories still a major part of the business, it will be interesting to see whether the group’s investment in the new format size and features pays off.

« Blog