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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
V. Developing the
Integrated Marketing
Communications Program
13. Support Media © The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
services; rather, once consumers have decided to buy, the Yellow Pages point them in
the direction where their purchases can be made. 23 The Yellow Pages are thus considered
the final link in the buying cycle, as shown in Exhibit 13-11. As shown in Figure
13-9, the Yellow Pages can extend the reach of other IMC media.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Yellow Pages The Yellow Pages
offer the following advantages to advertisers:
1. Wide availability. A variety of directories are published. According to the Yellow
Pages Publishers Association, consumers refer to the Yellow Pages more than 19.4
billion times yearly. 24
2. Action orientation. Consumers use the Yellow Pages when they are considering, or
have decided to take, action.
3. Costs. Ad space and production costs are relatively low compared to other media.
4. Frequency. Because of their longevity (Yellow Pages are published yearly),
consumers return to the directories time and again. The average adult refers to the Yellow
Pages about 1.4 times a week, and 56 percent of U.S. households use the Yellow
Pages weekly, and 76 percent monthly. 25
5. Nonintrusiveness. Because consumers choose to use the Yellow Pages, they are not
considered an intrusion. Studies show that most consumers rate the Yellow Pages very
favorably. 26 Among users, 79 percent agree that the Yellow Pages are an important
source of information, and 76 percent report that the books are helpful for learning
about new products.
Disadvantages of the Yellow Pages include the following:
1. Market fragmentation. Since Yellow Pages are essentially local media, they tend to
be very localized. Add to this the increasing number of specialized directories, and the
net result is a very specific offering.
2. Timeliness. Because Yellow Pages are printed only once a year, they become
outdated. Companies may relocate, go out of business, or change phone numbers in
the period between editions.
Figure 13-9 The Yellow
Pages extend the reach of
other media
Note: Percent estimates represent an
average based on an aggregation of
media usage across 151 product and
service categories among those
consumers involved in a purchase
decision.
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Chapter Thirteen Support Media