Searches Reflect America's Love Affair with the Automobile; More Than Two Billion Searches Made Referring to Automobiles

    BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J.--July 9, 2003--With nearly one vehicle for every person in the country(1), Americans focus a lot of time on their automobiles and trucks. The Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association(SM) confirms this fascination by reporting that automobile-related headings account for more than 2 billion(2) references or searches, the most of any category in the print and online Yellow Pages. Of the top 300 Yellow Pages headings, there are 24 automobile-related headings, ranging from "Automobile Dealers" to "Automobile Radios/Stereo Systems."
    In 2002, more than 254.5(3) billion highway miles were traveled in July alone, and Yellow Pages look-ups reflect the auto repair factor--August has the most auto repair references of the summer. Overall, auto repair and service-related headings account for more than 1 billion references annually, the highest of the automobile headings. For 2002, "Auto Parts - New & Used" ranked as the third most-referenced Yellow Pages heading, with more than 561 million print and online look-ups, and "Automobile Repairing & Service" ranked fourth, with over 520 million searches.
    "Busy consumers can find resources easily with print and online Yellow Pages and select a local business, a national chain or an online retailer," said Joel Raphael, director of research for the Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM) "In addition to phone numbers, online listings often provide maps, directions, Web site addresses and more."

    (1) According to the National Automobile Dealers Association
    (www.nada.org), more than 221 million cars and trucks were in
    operation in 2002, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau,
    the population in 2002 was just over 288 million.

    (2) 2002 Study conducted by Knowledge Networks/SRI for the Yellow
    Pages I.M.A.(SM)

    (3) Plunkett Research, Ltd. industry trend data, Automobiles &
    Trucks (www.plunkettresearch.com)

    About The Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM)

    Founded in 1988, the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association(SM) (the Yellow Pages I.M.A.(SM)) has been instrumental in leading, serving and growing a global print and electronic media industry valued at more than $25 billion. 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 and national sales force, which includes certified marketing representatives who handle national accounts and complement publishers' extensive local sales forces; and associate members, who include various industry stakeholders such as Yellow Pages advertisers, vendors and suppliers to the industry. The Association has members in more than 30 countries.
    Edward G. Blackman currently serves as president of the Association. Elmer L. Smith, president of BellSouth's Advertising & Publishing Group, currently serves as 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 I.M.A.(SM) changed its name last year from the Yellow Pages Publishers Association to reflect more accurately the makeup of its membership and its role 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 908-286-2380.
    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).