Yellow Pages asserts fresh identity in marketplace

NEW LOGO of the half-a-century-old ‘’books.”

MANILA, Philippines—Celebrating its 55th year of serving Filipino buyers and sellers, the Yellow Pages (YP) is projecting a fresh identity in the Philippine market.

Starting out as a print medium for directional advertising in 1958, YP has evolved into a provider of marketing solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). YP today leverages diverse platforms—online, mobile, social media and print—and value-added services to come up with the most relevant and cost-effective solution for any enterprise. These platforms and services make YP accessible to ready buyers in all key customer search touch points.

To underscore this dynamic image, the Yellow Pages is unveiling a new, more contemporary logo this year. The new visual symbol features a chic rendition of the familiar ‘walking fingers’ graphic that has been associated with the Yellow Pages worldwide for more than half a century.

The graphic, along with the letters ‘y’ and ‘p’, are enclosed in a borderless yellow square with rounded corners, resembling a computer keyboard key or a mobile device button. The upper left edge of the letter ‘y’ has been customized to resemble a finger that, symbolically, is constantly in touch with the Yellow Pages’ core customer, the ready buyer.

“Our new logo signifies our intent to focus tightly on the needs of today’s buyers and sellers,” explains Ricardo D. Bautista, president of Directories Philippines Corporation (DPC), official marketer of YP products and services in the country.

“Among buyers, we’d like to be more than just a tool for local search,” he says. “We recognize the fact that consumers today search—and make purchase choices—in a variety of ways. Some want to canvass stuff; others look for product reviews, sites or related features online; still others need to talk to someone to get more info about a product. Whatever it is that the consumer needs to make an informed choice, the Yellow Pages will be there.”

On the other hand, sellers have known YP primarily as an advertising medium for the past 55 years. “We’ve gone way beyond that over the last decade,” Bautista says. “We relate to enterprises not just as advertisers but as true partners, for whom we customize marketing and allied solutions. We do not just give them premium listings, advertising space, web and mobile sites, and Facebook pages. We drive ready buyers to their YP properties. We guarantee the legitimacy and reliability of their enterprise. We even enter partnerships to help address their other business needs. In sum, we want to assure our partners that no one works harder to help them grow their business than the Yellow Pages.”

Bautista emphasizes that YP strives to cover all the bases so that, “whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you don’t have to go anywhere else to meet your needs.”