Verizon Yellow Pages Expands Into Tacoma Market

TACOMA, Wash., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Local businesses can now reach potential customers in Greater Tacoma and East Kitsap County through a single yellow pages directory with the Verizon Yellow Pages. Sales have been brisk for the new directory, which is the only yellow pages to fully reach the Greater Tacoma area, Puyallup, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Bremerton and other major East Kitsap communities.

"Since opening our Tacoma office in February, the response from the local business community clearly demonstrates the need for a directory that is scoped and priced to deliver an attractive return on businesses' advertising investment -- and we've got it," said Matt Billings, area vice president - Northwest, Verizon Yellow Pages.

"If you buy now, there is a much greater opportunity to place your ad at or near the front of your business category, which allows you to maximize the return on the money you spend on yellow pages. The best time to accomplish this is now," said Billings.

Businesses that purchase advertising in the Verizon Yellow Pages can also reach potential customers via the Internet on Verizon's SuperPages.com, the nation's most advanced Internet directory and a leading online shopping resource.

Advertising packages, including both traditional print and Internet yellow pages, offer affordable and cost-efficient options for local businesses to reach a wider array of potential customers.

Tacoma merchants can also measure the effectiveness of their ads with Customer Call Tracker, which tracks and provides comprehensive demographic reports on calls generated by their Verizon Yellow Pages ads.

Advertisers also can choose from fixed fee or performance-based Internet advertising options including programs where they pay only for clicks to their web sites or telephone calls generated by SuperPages.com.

"We're here to help local businesses attract customers at a lower cost per reference than they're used to with their current yellow pages options," said Billings. "Verizon Yellow Pages is a competitive alternative that businesses are going to greatly appreciate."

The directory, which will be distributed beginning in September 2006, will feature a Menu Pages section highlighting local restaurants and coupon pages. Advertising sales are in progress through early August 2006. For more information, call 253-474-3224.

The expansion into Tacoma is part of Verizon Yellow Pages' overall national growth strategy. Since 2002, Verizon has launched more than 100 new yellow pages directories in more than 40 markets with more than 42,000 advertisers. This year, Verizon also will be introducing its yellow pages products in Nashville, Tenn., Salem, Ore., Homestead, Fla., and Park City, Utah. Currently Verizon publishes more than 1,400 directory titles nationwide.

About Verizon Yellow Pages

Verizon Information Services (VIS), a division of Verizon Communications Corp. , is the nation's most advanced provider of yellow pages and related shopping information. It has $3.5 billion in revenues from products including: Verizon Yellow Pages; Verizon SuperPages.com (http://www.superpages.com/), the nation's most advanced Internet directory and a leading online shopping resource; and the SuperPages On the Go information directory offered through Verizon Wireless Get It Now services and on other wireless carriers. The company is the largest publisher of Hispanic directories in the U.S. and the first to provide a Hispanic online shopping resource http://www.superpages.com/espanol