Does anybody use the yellow pages anymore?

Stop the murder of innocent yellow trees!

As part of my marketing project, one campaign will be targeting businesses who still use the yellow pages as a source of advertising.


The yellow page adverts (in the Dundee & Perth edition 2012) have a starting price of £361(for a quarter column ad in plain black) and a maximum price of £6928 (for a double page ad with more than three colours).
In an effort to help Scottish businesses spend their hard earned money in the right place, I have been trying to find the hard facts on how many people do use the the yellow pages, so I can contact customers who truly will see a benefit from changing their marketing strategy to a much more cost effective campaign online. However, I have hit a massive road block - it seems statistics and hard facts on people who use the yellow pages in the UK are pretty much non-existent!


I have found some facts from the US - in places like San Francisco and Seattle, environment concious city leaders have enforced an opt-in programme where it is now people's choice as to whether they want the yellow business directory delivered to their doors - but the situation in the UK isn't as transparent. In fact, yellow pages current statistics have a huge focus on yell.com usage and the only statistic I could find from them on the directory was 'The Yellow Pages directory is used by 80% of UK adults**' where the the statistics are taken from 2006-2007.

One good use for your yellow pages!

I smell a cover up! I personally don't use the yellow pages - I'm not sure who does these days! I shall carry on trying to find the hard facts - it's starting to look as though I'll need to run my own market research this time though! As far as the most useful way to use the yellow pages these days - I offer up this bloggers list of uses - obviously wrapping your Christmas presents is a great way to recycle and save money! Anyone with any helpful links - please message me!