Yell (company)

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.

Yell
FormerlyYell Group
IndustryOnline Marketing
PredecessorBritish Telecom
Founded1966 (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

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]

Yell.com was first launched in January 1996 as the local search engine for businesses in the United Kingdom.[5][6] Yell announced a demerger from its parent company BT in January 2001, abandoning plans for a proposed stock market flotation.[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 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] Glassdoor named Richard Hanscott in November 2016 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, which is 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. 29 June 2006.
  4. "Delivering Sustainable Directories" (PDF). Data Publishers Association. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. "Yell.com joins forces with Google for UK local classified offering". Campaign. 19 April 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  6. Richard Wray (18 May 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. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  10. Robert Andrews (14 May 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. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  12. "Yell.com App now available on App store". Total Telecom. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  13. "Yellow Pages targets reduced waste with smaller directory". Lets Recycle. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  14. David Millward (21 October 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. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  16. Gideon Spanier (17 June 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.
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