YellowPages.com one of the last pure IYPs is alive and kicking

[Chicago]

Today's announcement that Switchboard.com (an InfoSpace Company) will distribute YellowPages.com's ads, caps what has been an unbelievable 6 months for the consortium that comprises YellowPages.com

Switchboard distribution can now be added to what will be the consolidation (projected for October) of the RealPages.com (Bell South) and SmartPages.com (SBC) into a single, newly released YellowPages.com local search property.

Currently Yellow is breaking local sales records and their unionized sales force effectively consolidating under new management is succeeding in driving traditional yp relationship into the interactive space.

In talking with them today, they were quick to point out to me that they have done this while ignoring PPC inventory. Although this is changing, as a revenue maximizing goal, the simplicity of fixed monthly ad display costs have led to high consumer adoption. (YellowPages.com does sell click packages on G/Y through Traffic Leader)

6 months ago we were entertaining Real, Smart, Yellow, and Switch as four distinct Tier 1 Brands. Today they are, for all practical purposes, one.

[JeremyL]

If this enables me to advertise on all the websites without haveing to pay for each one seperatly, I am all for it.