While relaxing and watching TV a few days ago, I noticed a Yellow Pages commercial that really caught my eye. And, it’s a step in the right direction if you ask me.

Many of us know Yellow Pages as the, well, Yellow Pages. The extensive and somewhat dizzying collection of business listings, in a tangible form, was a big hit many years ago with companies willing to dish out $5k for featured ads. Though, as businesses jump on the online advertising bandwagon, the Yellow Pages was left in quite a predicament. They attempted to offer featured online listings for businesses, proactively contact companies that register on their site, and use their database to populate a variety of online directories. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough and a new age change had to be made.

I’m pleased to announce that, in an attempt to wash the words “Yellow Pages” out of our psyche and rejuvenate the brand, Yellow Pages has started running TV commercials that mention YP.com and no mention of Yellow Pages. In fact, when visiting YP.com you will be forwarded to YellowPages.com, which is what I would expect. The thing I did not expect was to see YellowPages.com change its branding to YP.

I’m also excited that YP has taken their business listing-ish website and transformed it into a web 2.0 platform. The new website does an excellent job blending Social Media, news and what they’ve always been known for: Business listings. Big kudos to whoever is running the YP marketing department.

I thought all of you marketeers would find this news interesting. What does the future have in store? We shall see.

Aaron Schoenberger
twitter.com/TheSchoenberger
(310) 876-0874 x1
The Brainchild Group

Aaron Schoenberger is Founder of The Brainchild Group — a top online advertising agency that specializes in strategic SEO and Social Media consulting. He’s known for his work with celebrity clients, top restaurants, professional athletes and Fortune 500 companies. Feel free to Contact Us for more information.