Yellow Pages Industry Braces For Opt-in Domino Effect

Representatives and their legal counsel from the Association of Directory Publishers, Valley Yellow Pages, At&t, and the Local Search Association held a conference call to plan their continued opposition to San Francisco’s opt-in ordinance. If more articles like this from the San Diego Union-Tribune appear, then the industry will need an aggressive defensive strategy.

Pauline Martinson, head of the nonprofit waste-prevention group, I Love A Clean San Diego, told the Union-Tribune, “To most of us, they are no longer necessary.” The UT article also suggested major cities like San Diego and Chicago may jump on the bandwagon if the San Francisco ordinance survives court challenges from the industry.

Richard Anthony, who runs a San Diego zero-waste consulting firm, isn’t on board with the opt-in movement. Anthony said, “the free market should dictate the fate of phone books.”

Steven Osinski, an authority on phone book advertising and teacher at San Diego State’s business school, told the newspaper he doesn’t expect phone books to disappear but acknowledges that they “face major challenges staying relevant in the digital age.”

“As this generation grows up, they’re not interested in the print product,” Osinski said. “They want immediate access to updated information.”

BIA/Kelsey will release an advisory later this week on the history of opt-in/opt-legislation and the implications for the industry.

This Post Has 4 Comments

  1. JAMIE

    I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT STEPHANE MANCEAU IS GETTING A SEVERANCE PAY I DON’T THINK HE SHOULD HE RESIGNED.I HOPE THINGS START TO LOOK UP FOR YELLOW PAGES I BOUGHT THERE SHARES AT 6 BUCKS NOW LOOK AT THEM.

  2. Charles Laughlin

    Jamie
    I really have nothing for you on the severance package for Stephane, or the reason for his departure. I think YPG is well positioned in Canada, but I am definitely not in the business of making investment recommendations.

  3. Jason

    BIA/Kelsey will release an advisory later this week on the history of opt-in/opt-legislation and the implications for the industry.

    We are still waiting? any update.

  4. Elise Simmons

    Hi Jason,
    We have the advisory available now for our Kelsey Report clients. If you are a client, you should be granted access from http://www.biakelsey.com. Click on the link at the top center of the page that says, “Advisory Services” and then “The Kelsey Report.” A white box should be appear. Under “TKR Reports”, the opt-in delivery advisory is listed first.

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