TKG Data and Analysis: A Weekly Recap
In case you missed any posts over the past week, here is a recap. Click below to read each post in full.
BT to Pursue Ad-Supported DA Model
According to the Independent newspaper, British Telecom, apparently swayed by the rapid adoption of free directory assistance in the United States, plans to roll out an ad-supported DA service this year. The decision seems to be driven by a belief that DA products, now supported by call-based revenues, will inevitably move to an ad-supported model. (read more…)Telmex to Spin Off Yellow Pages Unit
The Mexican telecommunications giant Telmex plans to spin off its Yellow Pages and international operations into a new holding company called Telmex Internacional. Telmex’s directory operation, Seccion Amarilla, is by far the leading directory publisher in Mexico. The directory company also has a U.S. division (Seccion Amarilla USA), which publishes Spanish language directories throughout the United States. And the publisher has expanded into South America with competitive directory offerings in Argentina. (read more…)The ‘Radical Change’ in Classifieds (per Oodle)
Local small-business advertising has been largely synonymous with Yellow Pages. But a compelling case for the rise of classified-and-vertical marketplaces is made by Oodle CEO Craig Donato. (It is a position that we obviously admire, having just launched our Marketplaces research program.). There has been “a radical transformation in how the world looks,” says Donato. It isn’t about republishing ads in numerous publications. “Republishing ads is lunacy. It is about having traffic delivered to your Web site.” (read more…)Reading the Tea Leaves
Since at least 1997, when we gave a presentation at the YPA annual conference titled “Six Trends that Will Change the Yellow Pages Industry,” we have been making forecasts and predictions about our market coverage areas. Tomorrow the program directors and senior analysts responsible for our three businesses will once again make predictions for how they see their markets evolving over the next year. (read more…)CBS Radio Set for Web Audio (and Video)
CBS Radio will begin selling inventory for audio and video ads across all its stations in a three-year deal it has signed with New York City-based TargetSpot, an 18-person specialized agency run by Kanoodle vet Doug Perlson. Union Square Ventures’ Fred Wilson is among the investors who have put more than $2 million in the company, which debuted in March. The company has 75 stations online today and expects to have 500 stations up in short order. Besides CBS, other affiliates include Entercom, Beasley, Nassau Broadcasting and FNX Radio. (read more…)Cincinnati Post Goes Online Only
It was perhaps inevitable, but the first newspaper has made the decision to abandon print and go “online only.” The Cincinnati Post, a 126-year-old paper owned by E.W. Scripps, published its final edition on Dec. 31 at the end of a joint operating agreement with Gannett, which owns The Cincinnati Enquirer, the dominant paper in town. Henceforth, it will publish KYPost.com. (Note to geography majors: Cincinnati is in Ohio but abuts Kentucky.) (read more…)Poking Fun at Local Video
There has been lots of talk about local merchant video ads this year, a trend pushed forward in the most meaningful way by Citysearch’s May integration of video ads. We’ve also seen every major U.S. IYP do the same this year, in various ways. As we’ve mentioned many times, this brings video advertising within the grasp of many SMBs, as it’s always been of interest, but cost prohibitive on cable. Economics aside, part of the ecosystem that is developing around online video also involves a rising quality standard pushed by online video vendors such as TurnHere and EZ Show. (read more…)
