Yell (company)

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Yell
FormerlyYell Group
IndustryOnline Marketing
PredecessorBritish Telecom
Founded1966; 56 years ago (1966)
Headquarters
Reading
,
Berkshire, United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Claire Miles (CEO)
ProductsYellow Pages (1966–2019)
Yell.com
Website Design
Google PPC
Online Advertising
Websitebusiness.yell.com

Yell, also known as Yell UK, is a digital marketing and online directory business in the United Kingdom. Yell has created over 110,000 websites and managed 90,000 pay per click campaigns for customers in the United Kingdom.[1][2] Yell has been publishing yellow pages since 1966 originally as a portion of the General Post Office, and launched its Yell.com website in January 1996.

History[]

The General Post Office first included Yellow Pages in its telephone directory for Brighton of 1966.[3] The General Post Office expanded its Yellow Pages throughout the United Kingdom in 1973.[4]

In January 1996, Yell.com was launched as a local search engine for businesses in the United Kingdom.[5][6] Yell announced a demerger from its parent company BT in January 2001.[7] Yell was officially sold to venture capitalists Apax Partners and Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst for £2.1 billion in May 2001.[8]

It was announced in In April 2005 that Yell was partnering with Google to make local classified content available through Google’s search engine.[5] Yell integrated Apttus technology into its search engine to broaden is search capacity and enhance site development in January 2008.[9] Yell expanded its offerings to include Google Ads in May 2009.[10]

Yell threatened Yellowikis with legal action in July 2006, claiming that consumers would confuse the two organisations.[11]

An app was launched for Yell.com on the iPhone app store in October 2009.[12] Yell UK announced that it was changing its traditional Yellow Pages A4 format to a smaller size in February 2010 in order to improve usage of the directory. At that time, the directories contained an average of 54% recycled fibre content.[13]

Yell moved in their new headquarters in Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom in October 2010.[14] Richard Hanscott was named CEO of Yell in June 2011.[15] Yell’s parent company, Yell Group, announced that it was changing its name to Hibu in May 2012.[16] Hibu UK changed its customer facing brand back to Yell in August 2014.[17]

They relaunched with updated websites, pay per click advertising and a new display advertising proposition.[16] In November 2016, Glassdoor named Richard Hanscott to its list of “Highest Rated CEOs in the United Kingdom”.[18] It was announced in September 2017 that the Yellow Pages will be no longer be published on paper from 2018 since it launched in 1966.[19] The final edition was published in January 2019 in Brighton.[20]

It was announced in August 2019 that Claire Miles (formerly of Centrica) would become the new chief executive officer for Yell starting in October 2019.[21]

Private equity investment firm H.I.G. Capital, based in Florida, acquired Yell’s sister company Hibu on 29 March 2021 including their business assets based in the United States.[22]

References[]

  1. ^ "Websites". Yell Business. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Pay-Per-Click". Yell Business. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  3. ^ Classified Directory Advertising Services Market Investigation. The Stationery Office. June 29, 2006.
  4. ^ "Delivering Sustainable Directories" (PDF). Data Publishers Association. June 13, 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Yell.com joins forces with Google for UK local classified offering". Campaign. April 19, 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  6. ^ Richard Wray (May 18, 2010). "City shocked as Yell boss Condron announced his retirement". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  7. ^ "BT abandons Yell float in favour of demerger". telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  8. ^ "British Telecom PLC (BTA)". investegate.co.uk. 10 May 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  9. ^ "UK's local search engine Yell.com chooses Apptus' technology for future development". Ideon. January 11, 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  10. ^ Robert Andrews (May 14, 2009). "Yell.com stops competing with Google, sells its adWords instead". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Legal threat to wiki listing site". BBC News. July 12, 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  12. ^ "Yell.com App now available on App store". Total Telecom. October 5, 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  13. ^ "Yellow Pages targets reduced waste with smaller directory". Lets Recycle. February 16, 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  14. ^ David Millward (October 21, 2010). "Yell's new building is something to shout about". Get Reading. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  15. ^ "Richard Hanscott appointed CEO of Yell UK". he Business Desk. June 29, 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  16. ^ a b Gideon Spanier (June 17, 2014). "Yellow Pages in u-turn over Hibu brand". Independent. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  17. ^ "Company Names Tribunal: Signed Order 08851040" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Highest Rated CEOs - UK". Glassdoor. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Yellow Pages to stop printing directory after 51-year run". BBC News. 1 September 2017.
  20. ^ "Yell to become a purely digital business with the announcement of the final publication of Yellow Pages". business.yell.com. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Centrica's smart home boss to step down". Energy Live News. 1 August 2019.
  22. ^ "H.I.G. Capital Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Hibu". Business Wire. 26 March 2021.

External links[]

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