Challenges in the Re-Definition of Advertising:

The definition of advertising



The past form: ‘You lie people to the Truth’ or as one ad agency stated "Truth well Told"


The present form: “. . . any form of nonpersonal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, and services usually paid for by an identified sponsor.”

The future form: …so is it going to be like this in the future esp with Social Networking sites?

To sum it all, this is what advertising is all about, "We found advertising works the way the grass grows. You can never see it, but every week you have to mow the lawn." Andy Tarshis, A.C.Nielsen Company

What do you think?

Hardware Exporter Chooses Search Engine Keyword Advertising

Ref: SME’s advertising online appearing in Digital Life (ST) on 29th January 2008 story filed by Irene Tan

Sim Aik Hardware, a family owned business run by Director, Mr. Sim Ah Bah learnt to tap the power of Internet Advertising since the 1990s and now becoming an advocator that this new media is the way to go for his company’s advertising.

As a customer of Yellow Pages, he has this to say “Yellow (Pages) was very expensive. The hard copies were heavy and cannot reach my overseas customers unless they come to Singapore.” He continued “Paid Advertising is not cheap (either) but it works.

He moved his budget from Yellow Pages to eGuide but found that too localized too and that’s when he ventured into keyword advertising, starting first with Yahoo! Which practices cost per metric model charges with fixed charges and now more settled with Google because of the Price per Click charges only when his ad is clicked through.

Well, when the importers are overseas, that’s the only way to get the businesses from Singapore, through the Internet. It makes sense to them. However, Mr. Sim has this to add, “Paid Search ad is not cheap but it works”.

So it’s the value proposition. Once customers perceived the product is worth its weight in gold, he will go for it because the ROI is easily substantiated. Once he is convinced it works, price becomes relative.

As consumers ourselves, what do you think?

Pest Control knows Internet Search works too.

To read the full article: Check the Digital Life 29th January 2008

Now users are a savvy lot, checking the internet for even the emergency things in their lives. Just imagine in a typical household, the wife shouted, “Darling, there is a pest in the house.” The traditional way is to look into the Yellow Pages (maybe use the book to hit the pest) but now according to Mr. G Surajan of Major Pest Management Services, said “Pest Control is like toilet, you only look for it when you need it, and people must be able to find my company instantly.”

He is not just referring to the Yellow Pages which he gets 5 calls per year but the Search engine Google and Yahoo!

He received about 2-3 enquiries per day through Google’s Adwords. Nowadays, he splits his budget equally between these two media.

What is your preference? Do you use the printed Yellow Pages, online Yellow Pages or any Search Engine?

Here comes Google Yellow Pages or what?

Pick up this story... We in the Yellow Pages industry has been talking for quite some time. When Google came, they were in the Search business literally, they define a new space in KEYWORD search and introduce a new advertising system - Adsense.

However, they do not yet have much of a Content.... but not for long... they may be eyeing into taking over yell.com, the effactable good old Yellow Pages in the UK.. Now Google has boots to walk on.. because Yellow Pages Operations has the local knowledge and a well trained sales force. And this will add much to their already huge armoury of content... here is the excerpt from the Press Release.

Google Inc. (GOOG) is a virtual printing press for money, so it's not too surprising to hear it may be looking to acquire U.K.-based Yellow Pages publisher Yell Group plc [YELL], a company with a $5 billion market cap. Published reports indicate Google could offer as much as 500 pence a share for Yell, or $7.7 billion.

This is a small sum for Google.. their shares is already worth US$700. So, they can be going around buying the strategic yellow pages operations that can increase their shareholders' values.

For the six-month period ending Sept. 30, Yell.com UK Online revenue rose 52%, while its Yellowbook.com online operations in the U.S. were up 68%.

Those are the types of numbers that appeal to Google and would presumably grow even faster under its umbrella. And it's why rumors of buyout interest from Google likely will persist. - This story is taken from Seeking Alpha website and the story is filed by David Shabelman

Check similar stories from:

See Jan. 11 post from Guardian Unlimited

See Jan. 11 story from Bloomberg

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Interestingly the Canadian Yellow Pages Group are now discovering that the old adage, " A Picture is worth a thousand words" good for business for them.

In the Press Release on January 16, 2008 — Yellow Pages Group (YPG) will be introducing its brand-new Profile Plus multimedia service. This enhanced business profile web page can now include a video clip, photo gallery and other useful information about merchants. The deployment of the new service to advertisers is underway. It will be available for online users to view on YellowPages.ca™ as of spring 2008.

Take a test drive here to see what are these items all about...

With the introduction of the new service, a typical YellowPages.ca™ Profile Plus web page could include the following components:

A dynamic 30 to 60-second video profile of the business
A photo gallery where advertisers can showcase up to 10 photos
Business details, including location and contact information, hours of operation, products and brands, methods of payment, map and directions, etc.

To consult a video sample, click here.To have an overview of a Profile Plus page, click here.

Cheers.