YPA Tries to Dispell Myths on Usage

Citing data from the latest Industry Usage Study, the Yellow Pages Association is trying to overcome some of the myths and misperceptions about who uses print Yellow Pages, how often and why. In a press release issued today, the YPA points out that the average Yellow Pages user is younger, more tech savvy and affluent than many might assume, and PYP use actually indexes higher in some cities known to be at the higher end of the high-tech scale, including Seattle; Portland, OR; Charlotte, NC; Denver; and Salt Lake City, among others.

At its recent convention, the association promised a more aggressive push to let the world know that Yellow Pages isn’t dead and much of the recent tsunami of bad press has been based on a poor understanding of the fundamentals of the business. In addition to the press release, YPA research honcho Larry Small had a piece on Search Engine Land that touts the finding that print plus online usage is growing.

We’ve been pretty clear in saying the industry, for all its problems (and it has plenty), has gotten a bad rap in the frenzy surrounding share price meltdowns at R.H. Donnelley and Idearc. We have also been clear in saying the industry needed to respond aggressively with data that restore a realistic view of Yellow Pages. We also think the industry still needs to steer the conversation away from aggregate usage and talk more about how the medium generates leads and ultimately transactions.