Search for Beauty Takes Americans to the Yellow Pages; Beauty and Tanning Salons Headings Attract More Than 297 Million Look-Ups Per Year.

Business Editors

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2004

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and each year more than 297 million Yellow Pages references prove that Americans haven't stopped searching for it. According to the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association, "Beauty Salons" ranks 7th out of more than 4,000 Yellow Pages headings, with 278 million references, and Tanning Salons is 125th with 19.2 million references(1).

In fact, 87 percent of Beauty Salon look-ups result in a purchase, surpassing the 79 percent average for all Yellow Pages headings. These figures lead to a $6 return in revenue for every $1 spent on Yellow Pages advertising, according to research by CRM Associates. With a growth rate of 5 percent per year(2), the beauty salon industry is becoming increasingly important in the eyes of consumers.

"Salons touch people both literally and figuratively," said Jill Kohler, managing director for The Salon Association, an organization representing salon and spa owners. "Good salons deliver more than a simple haircut. They offer a personal relationship and become a trusted advisor."

"Beauty and tanning salons have historically relied on the print and electronic Yellow Pages to help generate business because of the medium's high return on investment," noted Larry Small, director of research for the Yellow Pages I.M.A.(R)

For more information on specific Yellow Pages headings, please visit the Yellow Pages I.M.A. Web site at http://www.yellowpagesima.org/pdf/research/2002_Rank.pdf.

(1) 2003 study conducted by Knowledge Networks/SRI

(2) 2000 U.S. Census Bureau 

About The Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM)

Originally founded in 1975 as the National Yellow Pages Service Association (NYPSA), the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association(SM) is the trade organization of a print and electronic media industry valued at more than $25 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 almost 95 percent of 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 such as Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers to the industry. The Association has members in more than 21 countries.

Neg Norton is president of the Association. Elmer L. Smith, president of BellSouth's Advertising & Publishing Group, is chairman of the Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM) Board of Directors. In addition to BellSouth, board member companies include Dex Media, Inc., SBC SMART Yellow Pages, Verizon Information Services, Yellow Pages Group, DataNational/Volt Directory Systems, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Wahlstrom Group and the Association of Directory Marketing.

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 Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM) Web site at www.yellowpagesima.org or call [phone]. To learn more about becoming a Yellow Pages advertiser, visit www.buyyellow.com.

The Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association(SM), the Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM) and yellowpagesima.org are registered service marks of the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association(SM).