Directory & Mailing List Publishers

Directory & Mailing List Publishers

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry publish business or telephone directories and mailing lists in print or electronic formats. Major companies include Thomas Publishing and Thryy (both based in the US), Hibu (UK), Solocal (France), and Yellow Pages (Canada).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for directories is driven by local population growth and local ad spending; demand for mailing lists is driven by corporate profits and spending on marketing. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and new customers. Large companies have advantages in supplier negotiations and in serving multiple markets; small companies compete by targeting niche or specialized markets. The US industry is highly concentrated: the 50 largest companies account for about 90% of industry revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products of directory and mailing list publishers include advertising space in printed publications (about 30%) and in telephone directories (about 20%). Major products also include databases and other collections of information (about 20%). Other products include online directories and licensing of rights to use intellectual property.