Go Pages Left with No Where to Go
Canadian publisher Advertising Directory Solutions (ADS) announced it has discontinued its Go Pages directories. The mobile directories for Calgary, Edmonton and the €œLower Mainland€ of British Columbia have all been discontinued effective immediately. The publisher€™s Vancouver Island Go Pages book will publish as scheduled in June 2005.
The Go Pages were mobile directories, meaning a smaller-size directory meant to be stored in one€™s vehicle, that offered select headings, guides, maps and coupons. The magazine-style book offered no White Pages.
BAPCO, SBC and Dex have all dabbled with €œon-the-go"-type mobile directories for a few years, and BAPCO and Dex have recently implemented changes to re-brand and re-position these types of directories. Meanwhile, other publishers, including independents Hagadone and MacGregor, are claiming success with their mobile directories. DataNational has tested a €œvisor-sized€ mobile directory in Northern Virginia. Europeans such as Findexa and PagesJaunes also offer mobile or mini-directories in select markets.
It is probable that with the pending YPG purchase of ADS that ADS is discontinuing its non-performing products. However, it is an interesting product to be discontinuing as mini-directories, also known as midis, have been €œall the rage€ in the U.S. and in select European countries in recent years. An increasing number of publishers are looking at midis as one of their biggest opportunities for growth in the core product moving forward.
What is the difference between a companion directory and one of these? Size of book or type? No White Pages?
The differences basically revolve around content, distribution and advertising. Companion directories often have the same information as the full-size directory whereas a mobile directory will have only select headings targeted at mobile users â€" restaurants/take out, auto services, etc. With regards to distribution, companion books often have much larger distributions than mobile directories and may be packaged with the full-size directory during distribution. The mobile directories’ distribution is often determined by geographic and demographic factors or the directories are available for free at telco parent’s wireless stores, at shopping centers, chamber of commerce’s, etc. Lastly, to advertise in a companion book often times a business must first be an advertiser in the full-size directory whereas some publishers treat mobile books as stand alone ad products.
The similarities are that they are both usually a smaller size book in terms of its dimensions and are intended to be used by mobile users.
Of course, features and definitions may vary by publisher.