Valley Yellow Pages

Valley Yellow Pages is owned by AGI Publishing, Inc., and is an independent Yellow Pages directory publisher serving 45 markets in Northern and Central California. An independent Yellow Pages publisher is a company that publishes Yellow Pages directories as alternatives to the local phone companies. The independent directories include similar headings and advertisements, and are distributed to local households and businesses in the market areas. Advertisements are sold to local businesses as an alternative choice to the traditional phone companies. This helps to keep local market Yellow Pages advertising costs down.

Valley Yellow Pages is headquartered in Fresno, CA with employees throughout Northern and Central California. The company publishes 6.4 million directories annually and reaches more than 14.8 million households and businesses across their 45 different markets. Valley Yellow Pages is the largest independent directory publisher in Northern California and the third largest independent publisher in the nation.[1]

History

AGI Publishing, Inc. was founded by three former Pacific Bell executives in 1985. It was established on the principle of bringing direct competition to the Yellow Pages marketplace. For years, utility companies held a monopoly on the marketplace. Valley Yellow Pages was created to provide consumers with a better product and advertisers with substantial advertising savings.

In 1987, AGI Publishing began operations as Valley Yellow Pages and established corporate offices in Fresno, California. The first directory, serving the communities of Fresno and Clovis, was published in 1988. The company currently employs more than 180 people throughout Northern and Central California.

Directories

Valley Yellow Pages currently publishes the following 45 directories:

Directory Charter Year Distribution
Auburn, Lincoln, Loomis, & Rocklin 2001 97,000
Bakersfield and Kern County Communities 1989 295,000
Butte County 2002 126,000
Calaveras, Tuolumne, & Western Alpine Counties 2004 56,000
Campbell, Los Gatos and Saratoga 1999 90,000
Contra Costa County Central 1997 270,000
Contra Costa County East 2001 122,000
Contra Costa County West 2002 116,000
Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, & Dixon 1994 115,000
Fair Oaks, Folsom, Orangevale, & El Dorado Hills 2001 91,000
Fremont, Hayward, Castro Valley, Newark, and Union City 1995 270,000
Fresno-Clovis 1988 306,000
Glenn & Tehama Counties 2004 45,000
Grass Valley and Nevada City 2003 53,000
Kings and Tulare Counties 1999 225,000
Lake & Mendocino Counties 2003 93,500
Lassen and Plumas Counties 2004 31,250
Lodi & Galt 2001 58,000
Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, & Sunnyvale 1998 145,000
Madera, Kerman, & Firebaugh 1999 53,000
Marin County 2003 180,000
Merced & Mariposa Counties 1998 105,000
Monterey, Carmel, Salinas, & San Benito County 2003 225,000
Napa Valley 2000 70,000
Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, & San Leandro 1998 416,000
Palo Alto, Redwood City, & Menlo Park 2003 150,000
Placerville, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, & Pollock Pines 2002 76,000
Roseville & Citrus Heights 2001 129,000
Sacramento 1991 545,000
Sanger, Reedley, Selma, Dinuba, & Kingsburg 1999 77,000
San Jose & Santa Clara 1998 533,000
San Luis Obispo County 2004 158,500
San Mateo County Central 2001 170,000
San Mateo County North 2001 96,000
Santa Cruz County 2003 152,500
Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, & Lompoc 2004 102,500
Shasta, Siskiyou & Trinity, Counties 2003 134,000
Sonoma County 2003 288,000
Stanislaus County 1990 250,000
Stockton 1993 158,000
Tracy-Manteca 1998 76,000
Tri-Valley 1996 166,000
Vallejo, Benicia, American Canyon, and Mare Island 2001 84,000
Yolo County 2000 72,000
Yuba, Sutter, & Colusa Counties 2001 84,500

Production

Valley Yellow Pages print directories include Yellow Pages. The art work and composition of the Yellow Pages are produced by ASEC International, a provider of graphic design and advertising development services.

Directories are printed by RR Donnelley, a full-service provider of print services and Yellow Pages directories.

Distribution

Distribution of Valley Yellow Pages directories occurs in two ways – Initial and newcomer delivery. Initial delivery distributes Yellow Pages directories door-to-door free of charge to businesses and households throughout specific market areas. Newcomer delivery occurs throughout the year, as businesses and residents relocate into the area. Directories are also available free of charge at local Chambers of Commerce, local Valley Yellow Pages sales offices or by calling a toll free number.

Consumers may opt out of distribution by visiting yellowpagesoptout.org.

MyYP.com

MyYP.com is Valley Yellow Pages' Internet Yellow Pages directory. It was launched in 2007 with the same user friendly format of their printed Yellow Pages. The Internet format allows advertisers to provide enhanced features to their listings that are not possible in the print format.

Due to the nature of the online medium, additional advertiser information can be included online to enhance advertising listings such as company profiles, links to company websites, printable coupons and easy to follow maps. In early 2009, features were added to include click to call and mobile access.

Environmental concerns

In recent years, the Yellow Pages industry has faced scrutiny from environmentalist groups and bloggers who claim printed Yellow Pages are a wasteful resource. This is despite studies that show Yellow Pages usage remains strong. According to a Knowledge Networks study, 71% of respondents indicated they referenced their Yellow Pages directory within the last 30 days.[2]

While Yellow Pages print directories remain a valuable resource for consumers and advertisers, Valley Yellow Pages is making a strong effort to make them more environmentally conscious. Each directory is 100% recyclable, uses 100% non-toxic glue, is printed with inks containing soy and/or vegetable oils and is made from paper that is 100% certified to come from sustainable managed forests. 100% of the fiber used in each directory is harvested in a sustainable way under the BC Forest Practices and Range Act.[3]

See also

References
  1. About Valley Yellow Pages, [www.myyp.com/About.aspx]
  2. "Yellow Pages Industry Directory Usage Measurement," Knowledge Networks, [www.knowledgenetworks.com/ypmr/docs/YP%20Directory%20Audience%20Measurement%20White%20Paper%205-07.pdf]
  3. British Columbia Forest Practices and Range Act, [www.for.gov.bc.ca/code/]
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