Yellow Pages Monopoly Over

3 September 2007

Yellow Pages Monopoly Over

The generic Yellow Pages is under threat not just from the web, but also from new industry tailored directories, according to one of the most successful established directory publishers.

“The old fashioned telephone book is falling out of favour because it tries to be all things to all people,” says Dr Carmel Cervin, General Manager of Cervin Publishing.

“By being specialised, our Property Services Auckland directory, covering the building and property industry, is far more useful to consumers than the generic Yellow Pages.”

The overwhelming success of its market introduction is indicated by an August Auckland Home Show reprint that has seen the book grow in just three months from 400 to 450 full colour pages, with over 7,000 businesses choosing to participate and over 900 service profiles.

“There have been other industry targeted directories before, but none of them have connected to such a substantial advertising dollar vein – a conservative estimate places the advertising value of the property and building industry of the Auckland Yellow Pages phone books at over $30 million,” says Dr Carmel Cervin.

Property Services is now in the hands of people throughout the building and property industry, high use commercial premises, top end residential and other high use consumers, such as Auckland Property Investor Association members – and will be free at the Home Show.

“Just like on the web – the key is in providing the most useful tool enabling consumers to vote with their feet,” says Dr Carmel Cervin.

Property Services presents structured business profiles, with far more detail than the display ad format common in the Yellow Pages, enabling consumers to make better decisions. And as for quality, Property Services glossy, full colour, easy to read and handy A5 size, is streets ahead of the bulky newsprint Yellow Pages phone books.

“The success of Property Services shows that there is an unmet consumer need for better quality information and that there is plenty of scope to deliver a more high quality product than the traditional mass market Yellow Pages phonebook.”

Cervin Publishing, a local 100% NZ owned family business, is a specialist in industry tailored directories, having published market leading health and education directories for more than 17 years.

ENDS

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