Companies at Yellow Pages Association 2005 Conference Challenged to Make Long-Term Multicultural Marketing Commitments.

LAS VEGAS -- Multicultural Marketing Expert Bill Imada Says Company-Wide Initiatives Yield Best Results

With the U.S. multicultural consumer market representing more than $1.1 trillion in annual purchasing power, it is clear that companies must target this audience if they wish to grow their market share, says Bill Imada, president and CEO of IW Group, a marketing communications company. Imada presented the opportunities and complexities of reaching multicultural markets during the first day of the Yellow Pages Association(TM)'s 2005 Conference & Exhibition: The Power of Yellow Pages.

Imada emphasized that companies who are willing to take a risk and make a long-term multicultural market commitment most often achieve outstanding results, while those who merely dabble in the market often find themselves disappointed. He also stressed the importance of involving all disciplines within a company in the multicultural marketing initiative, e.g., human resources, marketing, advertising, public relations and sales.

"The most successful companies dedicate resources, time and energy to reaching the diverse multicultural markets," said Imada. "In addition, they have the full support of senior management."

Imada also pointed out the Internet's increasing role in communicating with multicultural markets. Noting that African Americans, Latinos, women and Asian Americans are among the fastest adopters of the Internet, Imada added that sales and marketing to each of these communities has risen across the board. And, while marketing products and services online may prove lucrative, Imada recommends that companies place more emphasis on alleviating consumers' increased concerns over fraud and identity theft.

In addition, he said, "Companies seeking to reach diverse markets must integrate multiple channels into their marketing mix. Actual media penetration varies from community to community, but word-of-mouth coupled with other media, such as the Yellow Pages, television, cable and print media, proves to be most effective."

Imada has been involved in multicultural marketing and communications since 1989, serving as a consultant in marketing, advertising, public relations, and cross-cultural training for major companies such as Wal-Mart, Merrill Lynch and Pacific Gas & Electric Company. He also provides advice and counsel to a number of national and regional public relations, marketing and advertising firms. On the Net: www.iwgroupinc.com.

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 electronic media industry valued at more than $26 billion worldwide ($14 billion U.S.). Association members include Yellow Pages publishers, who produce leading-edge electronic products and deliver Yellow Pages directories to 100 percent of U.S. homes with telephones - and who account for more than 90 percent of Yellow Pages revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada. Members 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 more than 20 countries.

In addition to SBC Yellow Pages, YPA board member companies include BellSouth, Dex Media, Inc., Verizon Information Services, Yellow Pages Group, DataNational/Volt Directory Systems, R.H. Donnelley., RR Donnelley, Wahlstrom Group, the Association of Directory Marketing and Marquette 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.

The Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association is a Delaware not-for-profit corporation, dba Yellow Pages Association.