Americans Cool Off by Finding Air Conditioning Contractors in the Yellow Pages; Yellow Pages Association Reports ''Air Conditioning Contractors'' Heading Referenced More Than 40 Million Times Per Year.

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J. -- With warm weather approaching and many seeking comfort indoors, Americans are turning to the Yellow Pages in search of air conditioning contractors, reports the Yellow Pages Association(TM) (YPA(TM)). In fact, the "Air Conditioning Contractors" Yellow Pages heading generates more than 40 million look-ups annually, ranking it 61st out of more than 4,000 headings(1).

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) recommends scheduling preventative air conditioner maintenance at least twice a year. This helps avoid decreased efficiency, utility overpayment, discomfort, loss of productivity, premature replacement and higher repair costs.

Services most often requested by consumers when they are searching for an air conditioning contractor are service or repair on existing air conditioning systems (50 percent), purchase or installation of a new air conditioning system (39 percent) and replacement of parts (10 percent). Additionally, the "Air Conditioning Contractors" heading is most frequently used in the South (67 percent)(1).

Demonstrating the power of Yellow Pages in a buying decision, 88 percent of "Air Conditioning Contractors" look-ups result in a purchase, surpassing the 85 percent average of all Yellow Pages headings(1). These figures lead to $7 of profit for every $1 spent on Yellow Pages display advertising by local air conditioning contractors(2).

"Air conditioning contractors have historically relied on print and Internet Yellow Pages to help generate business because of the medium's high return on investment," said Larry Small, director of research for the YPA. "In fact, the average air conditioning contractor's Yellow Pages display ad generates more than $364,000 in revenue annually(2)."

For more information on specific Yellow Pages headings, please visit the Yellow Pages Association Web site at http://www.ypassociation.org/research/index.cfm.

1 - 2005 Knowledge Networks/SRI

2 - 2005 CRM Associates

* The top 12 most frequently referenced headings are: Restaurants, Physicians-Surgeons, Automobile Parts, Automobile Repairing-Service, Pizza, Attorneys-Lawyers, Automobile Dealers, Dentists, Hospitals, Plumbing Contractors, Beauty Salons and Insurance.

About The Yellow Pages Association

Originally founded in 1975 as the National Yellow Pages Service Association (NYPSA), the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) is the trade organization of a print and digital media industry valued at more than $26 billion worldwide ($14 billion in the U.S.). Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, who produce products that account for almost 90 percent of the Yellow Pages revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada. Members also include the industry's international, national and local sales forces, certified marketing representatives (CMRs) and associate members, a group of industry stakeholders that include Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers. The Association has members in 29 countries.

Neg Norton is president of the Association. Katherine J. Harless, president of Verizon Information Services, is the Board Chair. YPA board member companies include AT&T Yellow Pages, BellSouth Advertising & Publishing Corp., R.H. Donnelley, Yellow Pages Group, Ambassador Publications, the Association of Directory Marketing, DataNational/Volt Directory Systems, Marquette Group, RR Donnelley and Wahlstrom Group.

The Yellow Pages medium provides a powerful return on investment for advertisers and can serve as the cornerstone of an integrated advertising media mix. For more information, please visit the YPA Web site at www.ypassociation.org or call [phone]. To learn more about Yellow Pages advertising, visit www.buyyellow.com. For a Who's Who of Internet Yellow Pages and search engines, visit www.localsearchguide.org.