Press Releases
White Directory Publishers Partners with 1-800-FREE411 to Deliver New Opportunity to Businesses White Directory to Re-Sell Jingle Networks’ 1-800-FREE411 Sponsorship Products
August 21, 2007 – Buffalo, NYWhite Directory Publishers, a division of Hearst Holdings, Inc., and one of the nation’s largest independent yellow pages publishers, has announced a marketing partnership with Jingle Networks’ 1-800-FREE411, making it the first directory publisher to re-sell sponsorship products through the 1-800-FREE411 media channel. By partnering with 1-800-FREE411, White Directory empowers its advertiser with a new way to reach millions of consumers in a captive, engaging and clutter-free environment.
As the pioneer and largest provider in the U.S. of free directory assistance, 1-800-FREE411 is changing the face of the traditional directory assistance market with an innovative, advertising supported business model. The creation of this new advertising market provides a “win-win” service for both consumers and advertisers. While consumers use voice search to get free 411, businesses have an exciting new advertising channel where relevant ads and offers can be targeted by caller’s location and lookup request, resulting in a higher response rate than ads in other media.
“Our partnership with White Directory demonstrates our commitment to helping not only well-known national brands reach consumers in a new way – but also local businesses that deliver services that our consumers are seeking in their own communities,” said John Roswech, Sr. Vice President of Sales at Jingle Networks. “Visibility through both The Talking PhoneBook and 1-800-FREE411 empowers small and medium sized businesses to reach a wide range of consumers right when they enter the service and are ready to buy.”
Currently, White Directory has the right to sell title sponsorship advertising products nationally and has already seen success selling the 1-800-FREE411 sponsorship packages in Buffalo, NY. The title sponsorship consists of a 12-second audio message for each call made to the 1-800-FREE411 service. This sponsorship position also offers the caller the option for additional savings by being directly connected to the advertiser immediately upon hearing the sponsorship message.
“We are pleased to provide our advertisers with a new media channel that delivers a captive, engaged and targeted audience. The 1-800-FREE411 sponsorship products provide thousands of impressions for our businesses – comparable to the cover products on our print directories,” said Greg Garrick, vice president of marketing at White Directory.
About Jingle Networks & 1-800-FREE411Jingle Networks, operator of the nation’s leading ad-supported directory assistance service 1-800-FREE411, has significantly changed the directory assistance market by giving consumers an anytime, anywhere source of free information on the phone. 1-800-FREE411 is for anyone who owns a phone and needs information but is dissatisfied with the high cost of directory assistance. Jingle Networks has changed the industry by creating an exciting new media channel through 1-800-FREE411. With nearly 130 million annual calls, 1-800-FREE411 offers advertisers highly targeted and timely promotional opportunities to reach a large but targeted customer base who are ready-to-buy, garnering a response rate twice that of other direct response media. For more information, visit: www.free411.com.
For Media Inquiries
Deann Mayeda
415-591-8404
dmayeda@shiftcomm.com
About White Directory PublishersShaping an industry since 1968, White Directory Publishers has been publishing the nationally-known, award-winning Talking Phone Book® for 39 years and is one of the largest independent yellow page publishers in the country. White Directory publishes more than 90 directories in 12 states including 13 books under the Area-Wide brand in Texas. Hearst Corporation is one of the nation’s largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include 12 daily and 30 weekly newspapers, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, and Albany Times Union; nearly 200 magazines around the world, including Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations through Hearst-Argyle Television (NYSE: HTV), which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers; joint venture interests in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, The History Channel and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a joint venture interest in Fitch Group; Internet businesses; television production; newspaper features distribution; and real estate.
