October 15, 2004
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-- Four Fatal Flaws in Yellow Pages Advertising
-- The eBook for Yellow Pages Advertisers
-- Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser
-- Car Insurance Negotiation
-- Yellow Pages Humor
-- Creator of "Walking Fingers" Dies at 83
-- Verizon tops MegaBrand list, claims victory over Yellow Book
-- YPIMA Lays Off 40%
-- Trick or Treating Under a Full Moon
-- Warning . . . No Warning
-- This Week's Brainteaser
-- Quote of the Week

Four Fatal Flaws in Yellow Pages Advertising back to top Forward to a Friend
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I was interviewed last week for the Marketing Sherpa newsletter.

They wanted to provide YP advice to their 170,000 subscribers. I put together my list of the Four Fatal Flaws in Yellow Pages Advertising for them.

Check it out. I was buried in emails from folks who wanted to know more.

Four Fatal Flaws in Yellow Pages Advertising

The eBook for Yellow Pages Advertisers back to top Forward to a Friend
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Win the Yellow Pages War is one of those books that is elegant in its simplicity, and timeless in its advice.

In one chapter, I learned how the best strategy in YP advertising is to actually ignore the majority of people using the directory.

After digesting this lesson, I spent some time with our most successful sales manager. He showed me dozens of examples where successful advertisers used these techniques. The sales manager knew instinctively how to create successful ad programs.

We then looked through several other directories and found hundreds of errors that were keeping the advertisers from being successful.

Anyone serious about helping businesses develop simple strategies for YP success should read this book.

Buy this eBook now for only $15.

Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser back to top Forward to a Friend
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Here are a few fun stumpers.

1. Removing an appendix is called an appendectomy. Removing tonsils is called a tonsillectomy. What is it called when they remove a growth from your head?
   
   
2. What are three things you often eat that you can never have for breakfast?
   
   
3. If a farmer raises wheat in dry weather, what does he raise in wet weather?
   
   
4. Which is greater: six dozen dozen or half a dozen dozen?
   
   
5. Why do Chinese men eat more rice than Japanese men?

See the Answers & Our Celebrity Winner

Car Insurance Negotiation back to top Forward to a Friend
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30%? Did I say 30%? . . . Heck, I'll save you 50% off your car insurance. Just put me down.

The 100 Greatest Headlines Ever Written

Yellow Pages Humor back to top Forward to a Friend
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I've received a ton of funny listings. Here are some of the cleaner ones.

++++++++++++++++


There has been more innovative activity in the IYP / local search space in the last six months than in the previous three years.

The place to see where the major players are focusing is the Kelsey Group's ILM conference November 3-5.

Look me up if you go.

See who's revolutionizing local marketing.

Creator of "Walking Fingers" Dies at 83 back to top Forward to a Friend
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Stephen Baker, who created the "Let your fingers do the walking" ad campaign for the Yellow Pages died in Manhattan on Sept. 13. He was 83.

For one commercial in the "Let your fingers do the walking" campaign to promote AT&T's Yellow Pages, a woman's well-manicured hand saunters down a street, its long red fingernails resembling high heels. AT&T used the slogan for at least six years, and it is still used by other phone directories, according to the Yellow Pages Association.

You've got to admit that he really created a memorable icon when he came up with that slogan. Thank you, Stephen.

++++++++++++++++++++++

I received a ton a positive feedback about this YP ad creation tip by Alan Saltz, author of Legal Theft 2.0.

The "post headline paragraph" WILL make ads more successful.

Verizon tops MegaBrand list, claims victory over Yellow Book back to top Forward to a Friend
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Here's an interesting twist of fate.

Ad Age reported that Verizon spent $731 million in the first half of the year promoting the Verizon brand. If I read their report correctly, Verizon has outspent every other company in the US on brand advertising since 2002.

Granted, nearly all of that money was spent to advertise Verizon's wireless business, but it's still a serious investment by Superpages' parent company.

Does it pay? Keep reading . . .

In an unrelated story, Verizon claimed a court victory over Yellow Book for deceptive advertising. Yellow Book has been running a national TV campaign claiming that more people use Yellow Book than "the other book."

The settlement between Verizon and Yellow Book wasn't disclosed, so I can't say for sure how much it cost YB.

However, following the announcement, Verizon ran full page advertisements in 32 major newspapers saying "Yellow Book lied."

I think that once again, Joe Walsh, Yellow Book's bombastic CEO scored a victory. Joe portrays Yellow Book as a spoiler / monopoly breaker. He has tricked Verizon into running massive advertising trying to discredit him. When Verizon tells everyone to ignore Yellow Book, Joe's company spends much more time in the limelight.

Joe seems to have taken a marketing lesson from Madonna, J-Lo and Britney Spears. They've built stardom on the idea that any publicity is good publicity.

Score:
Yellow Book - 2
Verizon - 0

YPIMA Lays Off 40% back to top Forward to a Friend
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Despite strong brand awareness among its employees, Neg Norton, Grand Poobah of the Yellow Pages Interstellar MegaloMedia Association announced a 40% reduction in the organization's name.

"I" and "M", Executive Vice Presidents of Crisis Development and Order Prevention, respectively resigned from the YPIMA to pursue other interests and presumably spend time with their families.

"'I' and 'M' have contributed greatly to the organization's growth through a tumultuous period, and we wish them well in their future endeavors," said a tearful Norton (not pictured here).

The organization will be renamed the Yellow Pages Association, abbreviated as YPA.

"We're soliciting suggestions from our membership on the preferred pronunciation of YPA. Some of the proposals already submitted include 'YIP-a', 'you-PAY' and 'YEEEE-paw', a favorite of our southern constituents."

The final determination will be made by the YPA's Executive Committee of Obfuscation and UDAC Linguistics.

Stay tuned to YP Commando News for late breaking developments.

So I suppose my earlier prediction was incorrect (sigh).

Trick or Treating Under a Full Moon back to top Forward to a Friend
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Oh sure, anyone can carve a jack o'lantern, but it takes a real artist to create a harvest moon.

All politics (and plumbing) is local.

Warning . . . No Warning back to top Forward to a Friend
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Wow, that's good to know. For a second there I was getting worried.

I keep putting more good jokes on the YPcommando website.

This Week's Brainteaser back to top Forward to a Friend
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Festus and Buford were making fun of each other's accent. They asked Cousin Daisy, a native of Kentucky, to decide who is more smarter.

Festus says, "Loo-uh-vill" is the capital of Kentucky, but Buford says "Loo-iss-vill" is the capital of Kentucky.

Which one will Daisy say is correct?

Email your answer to puzzler@dicklarkin.com

The winner will receive an amazing array of WorldPages.com goodies.

To improve your random chances of winning, please include your name, company name, and mailing address.

I draw the winner the day before I send the following newsletter, so enter early and often.


Quote of the Week back to top Forward to a Friend
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"He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
- Groucho Marx

Check out the Brain Teaser Archive