Wanderful Media, which has been tasked by the newspaper industry to remake the circular industry in the mobile social era. has raised a new round of $14.5 Million. Altogether, the company has raised $50.5 Million since its September 2012 launch.

The company is primarily known for Find&Save, which relaunched one year ago. It now serves 500 affiliate sites, including all Top 50 DMAs. Find&Save provides geo-targeted distribution of offers for 375 retailers and 150,000 retail locations. While iPhone and iPad apps have been Find&Save’s initial focus, an Android version was launched today.

Speaking at the Local Search Association meeting today in Huntington Beach, CA, CEO Ben Smith said the company is set to put the new money to work. Upwards of $10 million will be committed this year to app distribution and “making sure people are installing our apps,” he said.

“It’s much like managing your SEO — it’s not trivial and requires significant investment,” said Smith. He added that mobile customers typically only use 10 apps on a frequent basis. “The better way to approach mobile is to consider geo/location data as a way to augment and craft customized marketing messages,” he said.

Facebook integration is also key to “tying it all together,” added Smith. “We get the geo/location data from the mobile app — but Facebook provides the demographic context required to make the data acquired by Wanderful actionable.”

The post Wanderful Media at LSA: Ben Smith on the $14.5 Million Raise, Facebook appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

The Local Search Association has done a pretty admirable job of transforming itself from a print-centric Yellow Pages trade group into one that is supporting a much broader and more robust local online advertising industry.

The association has moved beyond the cosmetic name change (it used to be the Yellow Pages Publishers Association) to launch initiatives that add substance to the shift, all of which has culminated in new board members representing some very non-Yellow companies — Google, Microsoft and Starcom.

This morning at its annual event, LSA14, chairman Bill Dinan and president Neg Norton spelled out some of the specific ways the group has changed.

New Definitions — The association has coined the term “Last Mile Advertising” to offer its definition of local, and what makes it unique. Norton defined its as “locally targeted ads, close to the point of purchase that drive consumer actions.”

New Awards — The Ads to Action Awards (they used to be called the APPYs) focus on multimedia approaches to local. This year LSA received 60 submission, way up from 13 last year.

New Data — LSA has worked with Thrive Analystics to build a “Metrics that Matter” database that uses real campaign results to show how media work together to drive results. Right now the data includes print and mobile, but will soon add IYP, search and social.

The association had a good 2013, according to Norton, adding 35 new members (total membership exceeds 300) and building its reserve to $9.1 million. Norton said industry best practice is reserves totaling six months of operating expenses. LSA’s reserves cover about 13 months.

Telmetrics CEO Bill Dinan was elected to another one year term as LSA Chair. The new board members were Google’s Ben Wood, Starcom’s Andrea Canceo, and Microsoft’s Katy Hunter.

The post At LSA14: Transforming a Trade Association appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

BIA/Kelsey and the Local Search Association have been working together on conferences since 1992, when most people thought print Yellow Pages, like newspapers, would continue to be a growth engine forever.

Much has changed in the directory publishing and local search space since then. Through it all, our organizations have continued to work together in a variety of ways on each other’s events.

With LSA’s next event, LSA|14 coming up April 27-29, in Huntington Beach, California, it seemed to be the perfect time to check in with Neg Norton, who has been the LSA President for more than 10 years. I was about to ask him some dull question about his objectives for the conferences when he jumped in with some background about the exciting new area LSA sees the business going in — “Last Mile Advertising.”

Those of us who come from the telecommunications industry remember “Last Mile” as the final leg of networks delivering communications connectivity to customers. There is an obvious parallel to how local advertising works, Neg said. Last Mile Advertising reflects locally targeted ads or messages that are delivered close to the point of purchase and facilitate consumer actions.

So, just what is Last Mile Advertising? Neg sees it as broader than local search advertising, and he explains it this way: There are three segments that make up the Last Mile Advertising universe: Discover, Seek and Consider.

In the Discover segment, consumers are informed about a business and its products or services that they didn’t necessarily know were available and/or didn’t plan on purchasing. Consumers are attracted to this segment via digital and mobile ad networks, location-based apps, daily deals, email marketing, coupons, and other awareness-building advertising.

In the Seek segment, consumers are ready-to-buy, but are actively looking for a specific business that can sell them the product and service they want to purchase. In most cases, their queries are tied to a geographic location. Local advertisers use print and online directories, mobile apps, search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM.)

In the Consider segment, consumers are considering a purchase, but want more information on the business, product or service they’ve identified. Consumers engage in this segment by browsing business websites, social media pages, online reviews, and videos.

Neg’s point is that there is no clear path to purchase and that is what will be explored at LSA|14. He is excited about their keynote speaker, Steve Wozniak, their partners and their Ad to Action Awards. He will also announce some new board members from well-known companies (HINT: someone who works for the best known brand name in the world).

It looks like a great event.

LSA is offering a 10 percent discount on registration with promo code BIA10.

The post Neg Norton Discusses LSA|14's Focus on 'Last Mile Advertising' appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

BIA/Kelsey and the Local Search Association have been working together on conferences since 1992, when most people thought print Yellow Pages, like newspapers, would continue to be a growth engine forever.

Much has changed in the directory publishing and local search space since then. Through it all, our organizations have continued to work together in a variety of ways on each other’s events.

With LSA’s next event, LSA|14 coming up April 27-29, in Huntington Beach, California, it seemed to be the perfect time to check in with Neg Norton, who has been the LSA President for more than 10 years. I was about to ask him some dull question about his objectives for the conferences when he jumped in with some background about the exciting new area LSA sees the business going in — “Last Mile Advertising.”

Those of us who come from the telecommunications industry remember “Last Mile” as the final leg of networks delivering communications connectivity to customers. There is an obvious parallel to how local advertising works, Neg said. Last Mile Advertising reflects locally targeted ads or messages that are delivered close to the point of purchase and facilitate consumer actions.

So, just what is Last Mile Advertising? Neg sees it as broader than local search advertising, and he explains it this way: There are three segments that make up the Last Mile Advertising universe: Discover, Seek and Consider.

In the Discover segment, consumers are informed about a business and its products or services that they didn’t necessarily know were available and/or didn’t plan on purchasing. Consumers are attracted to this segment via digital and mobile ad networks, location-based apps, daily deals, email marketing, coupons, and other awareness-building advertising.

In the Seek segment, consumers are ready-to-buy, but are actively looking for a specific business that can sell them the product and service they want to purchase. In most cases, their queries are tied to a geographic location. Local advertisers use print and online directories, mobile apps, search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM.)

In the Consider segment, consumers are considering a purchase, but want more information on the business, product or service they’ve identified. Consumers engage in this segment by browsing business websites, social media pages, online reviews, and videos.

Neg’s point is that there is no clear path to purchase and that is what will be explored at LSA|14. He is excited about their keynote speaker, Steve Wozniak, their partners and their Ad to Action Awards. He will also announce some new board members from well-known companies (HINT: someone who works for the best known brand name in the world).

It looks like a great event.

LSA is offering a 10 percent discount on registration with promo code BIA10.

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Last week, BIA/Kelsey issued its annual U.S. Local Media Forecast, which included our five-year view on Yellow Pages revenues. The bottom line is U.S. Yellow Pages revenues will be about $7 billion in five years. Roughly 60 percent of those revenues will be digital. Margins will be lower and the product mix driving revenue growth will be a lot different from today.

At next month’s Local Search Association “Search Starts Here” conference, my colleague Matt Booth and I will present our view of the industry’s progression over the next five years in a session called “In 2017: A Retrospective View on the Future of Local Search.” (FYI, the oxymoron is intentional.) The question “what will happen in five years?” has been asked many times before. This time, the approach to answering the question will be unique. Rather than just looking ahead, we will place ourselves five years into the future and look backward at the events that led us there.

This exercise will involve making some big assumptions. How will the economy perform? What devices will consumers rely on for local information? What game-changing local commerce models will emerge (a la daily deals) to capture SMBs’ attention and marketing spend? How will publishers respond to the challenges they face?

To keep us honest, Matt and I will be joined by a respected guest from the industry who will comment on our presentation and if needed poke holes in our reasoning. It should be a fun and enlightening half hour in Boca Raton. The session will be immediately followed by a 15-minute executive interview with search marketing entrepreneur and thought leader Chris Silver Smith, who will no doubt have his own critique of our presentation.

BIA/Kelsey has worked with the Local Search Association to develop a forward looking agenda for the April conference. We’ve put together a diverse roster of headliners and panelists from companies that include Aspen Dental, AT&T, Google, MapQuest, Search Influence, Dex One, MediaTrax, SuperMedia and Telmetrics.

The post What Will Yellow Pages Look Like in 5 Years? appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

The Local Search Association and BIA/Kelsey have assembled an agenda for this year’s Search Starts Here conference (April 21-24 in Boca Raton) that focuses heavily on industry transformation. The agenda features 17 sessions with more than 20 speakers representing 17 companies, including Argent Media, AT&T Interactive, BIA/Kelsey, Burke Research, Convergent Mobile, Dex One, Google, MapQuest, MediaTrax, Search Influence, SuperMedia, Telmetrics, The Berry Co. and more.

The overarching question driving this event is, how can global directories companies break out of traditional media structures that were once a source of strength, but which now make transitioning the business so difficult?

We will hear many voices weigh in on this question. Some will represent industry players in the midst of this struggle, like Dex One CEO Alfred Mockett, who will sit for a “Fireside Chat” on Monday, April 23. Others will be contrarian, viewing the spectacle from the outside, like search industry entrepreneur and thought leader Chris Silver Smith, who will offer his take in an executive interview later that same morning.

Here are some other sessions that will address transformation at Search Starts Here:

Monday, April 23

In 2017: A Retrospective View of the Future of Local Search
What will Yellow Pages look like in five years? BIA/Kelsey analysts Matt Booth and Charles Laughlin will answer this frequently asked question in a much different way by placing themselves five years into the future, describing the world in 2017 and then tracing back the steps taken to get there.

Tuesday, April 24

Reinventing the Directory Organization
We will hear case studies from global directory and local search organizations that have made bold moves to go beyond cosmetic changes to truly transform their businesses. This will be a thought-provoking session for publishers dealing with change management.

Speakers: Peter Buxton, Principal, Buxton Independent Consulting
Kathy Geiger-Schwab, Chief of Transformation, Be Transformed Inc. 
Trevor Nadeau, Managing Director, Yellow Medya

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The agenda is shaping up well for the Local Search Association‘s April conference, the first involving a partnership with BIA/Kelsey. The event runs April 21-24 at the Boca Resort in Boca Raton, FL.

We’ve lined up headline presentation from Ursula Worth, Google’s head of directories and Web hosting partnerships, and Mary Boysman, VP of brand marketing and advertising at Aspen Dental.

Worth and her Google colleagues will offer some insight on how it views the future path for local online media, while Boysman will give an advertiser’s perspective on building a local integrated marketing program.

Aspen Dental operates more than 300 retail dental centers in 22 states. Aspen uses the full spectrum of media choices to drive customers to Aspen locations, from print Yellow Pages to search advertising and social media. Boysman will offer a major advertiser’s perspective on how it builds its marketing program and how it evaluates and rates the performance of its media choices. Anyone interested in a cut of Aspen’s sizable annual media spend will want to hear what she has to say.

In addition to the headliners, BIA/Kelsey and the LSA have built a robust lineup of workshops that offer attendees a rich store of data and insight.

The workshops include an overview of BIA/Kelsey’s Yellow Pages and local online forecasts; a review of new BIA/Kelsey research on the pay-per-call market, plus a download on a series of sales rep interviews being conducted by Hawthorne Search. Additionally, the Local Search Association will provide a look at results from the latest Local Media Tracking Study, conducted by Burke Research.

Stay tuned for announcements on new speakers in the coming days. Look here for more information on the conference.

The post LSA Conference Explores the Path Forward for YP and Local Search appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

Local Search Association President Neg Norton announced today at ILM West in San Francisco that the trade group would work with BIA/Kelsey to produce its annual conference, April 21-24 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Norton said the LSA is committed to developing a robust agenda for the April conference. He cited this as a key reason for working with BIA/Kelsey, which is known for producing events in the local online media space, inlcuding ILM East and West and Directional Media Strategies.

BIA/Kelsey will be responsible for developing the conference agenda and recruiting speakers. Preliminary information about the event can be found here. An agenda and preliminary list of speakers will be posted in the coming weeks.

The post BIA/Kelsey, LSA Join Forces for 2012 Conference appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

Internet Yellow Pages sites saw a modest 5.1 percent boost in usage over the past year, according to new data from comScore and the Local Search Association, detailed in a press release and webinar today. That’s the good news for directory publishers.

The more concerning, if not entirely surprising, datapoint for the Yellow Pages industry is that just 7 percent of consumers choose IYP first when conducting a local search, with 74 percent choosing a search portal (Google, Bing, etc.), and 9 percent preferring a local search portal (e.g., Google Maps). IYPs fared better as a second choice, with 23 percent indicating that they would turn to an IYP if their first local search choice was unsuccessful. These figures are further indication of the degree to which IYPs are dependent on search engines as traffic originators.

Notably, among those who do choose IYPs first, 58 percent indicate that the recognition and reputation of the publisher’s brand was the primary reason for their preference for IYPs. By contrast, those who indicated other sites as their first choice tended to cite “speed/accuracy” (58 percent) or “convenience” (60 percent) as the reason.

One explanation for the huge difference in first choice preference was that search engines tended to facilitate searches high in the purchase funnel, at the information gathering stage, while IYPs continue to specialize in low purchase funnel activity, where the consumer is close to or at the purchase decision.

ComScore data from January 2011 show 13 percent of searches on the top-five search portals are local in nature. The broad category of IYP/local search sites together grew by 15 percent to 5.6 billion searches; however, that category is dominated by Google Maps. Growth for the IYP component alone was the more modest 5 percent.

The biggest story however, is the explosive growth of mobile, and as a key subplot, the growth of apps as an avenue for mobile local search. ComScore says 77.1 million mobile subscribers are accessing local content, which is about a third of all subscribers in the United States. This is a 34 percent rise over 2009. Of those accessing local content, 87 percent are doing so via a GPS-enabled phone.

Fifty-four percent of mobile users say they use mobile applications to access local content, a 34 percent rise. Browsers and SMS/text both declined as preferred avenues for mobile local search, through browsers still reign at 73 percent (down from 75 percent).

The deals phenomenon was also on the study’s radar, not surprisingly. Four of 10 respondents say they purchased an online coupons (including daily deals), with 70 percent indicating satisfaction with the experience, and 79 percent saying they will do so again. Perhaps troubling for directory publisher is the fact, noted on the webinar, that users who prefer IYP as a primary local search resource were less likely to have purchased an online coupon.

This announcement of online YP and local search usage data follows the recent announcement regarding the LSA’s Yellow Pages usage study, conducted by Burke Research. That study also showed a preference for search over Yellow Pages, which still holds a strong position as a resource for consumers.

The post ComScore Data Show Mobile Local Exploding, IYPs Growing Modestly appeared first on BIA/Kelsey - Local Media Watch.

A federal judge upheld Seattle’s opt-out registry this week for residents who choose not to receive Yellow Pages. U.S. District Court Judge James L. Robart said the city’s opt-out ordinance does not violate the Yellow Pages publishers’ First Amendment rights. He also ruled that the benefits to the city of Seattle in waste reduction, resident privacy and cost recovery outweighed any burdens placed on the publisher’s interstate commerce rights. 

We reported on the bill’s initial passing last October. The Yellow Pages industry challenged the constitutionality of the legislation a month later. The city modified the ordinance last February to eliminate a delivery fee, but its efforts did not deter YP’s lawsuit.

After the industry failed to win a restraining order from a U.S. District Court, the opt-out ordinance moved forward. Since the city launched its own opt-out website last month, more than 35,000 households have opted out of receiving phone books, according to Seattle Public Utilities.

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