Prepress

Local-Ad Sales Staffs Retool for Massive Small-Business Shift from Print to Online According to Borrell Associates Report

Wednesday 30. July 2008 - Print yellow page directories face the most uncertain future of all media and are projected to lose $5 billion in annual revenue over the next five years, according to a new report by leading local advertising research firm Borrell Associates.

The report, “Say Goodbye to Yellow Pages,” predicts a 39% decline in print directory advertising by 2013 and shows a simultaneous increase in the industry’s “addressable market” of search engine advertising and local online video. Video shows the most promise, growing from a $1.4 billion category this year to $7.6 billion in 2013.

The directory industry has been the most aggressive of all local media, according to Borrell Associates, garnering an estimated 15% share of its total revenues from digital advertising this year. It has also trained approximately 80% of its on-the-ground sales force – totaling more than 13,000 salespeople – to sell interactive products, going head-to-head with trained newspaper reps also selling online advertising. Combined with other retrained local sales staffs, online products are now being sold by 34,100 local sales reps – the largest sales force for any local media product, according to Borrell’s report.