Yell, part of Hibu Group, says it aspires to “help a million businesses be found, chosen and trusted by more customers online by 2020”. It was a vital tool for finding service providers and tradespeople, but the rise of social media and Google have reduced demand for printed directories. The publication became famous for its advertisements, including the “JR Hartley” campaign in the 1980s and the “French Polisher”.
How many brands can say they’ve had customers with them for over 50 years?” Richard Hanscott, CEO of Yell said: ‘‘After 51 years in production Yellow Pages is a household name and we’re proud to say that we still have customers who’ve been with us from the very first Yellow Pages edition in 1966. The company will print 23m copies of the final editions, which Yell hopes will become a souvenir.
