Yellow Pages are dead already?
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
Yes and no. The usage seems to be dead already while there are still some hundred thousand local merchants paying a listing fee in Germany. The question is for what they are paying? Just because they got used to it? Just because they haven’t noticed that people don’t use the Yellow Pages anymore?
Since 14 days you can pick up the brand new edition of the German Yellow Pages (Gelbe Seiten) in our house. And nobody has done so far. As Bill Gates mentioned in 2007, the yellow pages will be dead within 5 years - at least the usage above under 50 year old people. It seems to be that this time has already arrived.
It’s still a billion dollar business, but there can’t be no doubt. There is a hugh transition ahead. It’s just the question who might be the winner. Once again Google with it’s local maps? Yelp or Qype with it’s local review communities? or will there be more innovative solutions upcoming?
That will be very interesting to follow as noone seems to have found the solution so far how to win this market.