• by Michael Shields , November 9, 2004

The Yellow Pages industry is adopting techniques used by other major media in an effort to become both more accountable and easier for advertisers and agencies to buy. The industry today will unveil a new electronic invoicing system that will enable advertisers, agencies and designated sales and buying agents known as certified marketing representatives (CMR) to electronically process advertising buys in the print medium. The new feature also will allow directory publishers to transmit electronic tear sheets of Yellow Pages ads - a critical proof of performances - directly to media buyers.

The new system, which is being introduced by the Yellow Pages Association, will include an online library of more than 6,000 directory titles in a password-protected search engine that has tracking and reporting capabilities.

The system is expected to dramatically improve the quality, cycle time, costs, and contribute to "more effective and efficient media planning," claimed Kathy Roush, vice president of operations for the YPA.

Meanwhile, the Association of Directory Publishers called for support of an initiative to develop third-party syndicated research measuring the Yellow Pages in an address to the organization at its mid-year convention in Boca Raton, Fla.

"Today should be the first day of the rest of our research lives," advised Larry Angove, president-CEO of the ADP in his address to the ADP audience. "Publishers who are currently funding proprietary or custom research should, in my view, stop those projects immediately and transfer those budgeted funds, and commit future budgets, solely in support of the syndicated product."

Knowledge Networks/SRI has been selected by the organization to serve as research provider for the ongoing initiative, and will begin sampling in January 2005.