Thomson Directories

Source: Exec Digital UK

Date :21/05/2007 16:04:12

Thomson Directories: A local directory for the global village

Local directory publisher Thomson Directories provides consumers with free access to a broad range of information, from traditional classified business listings to local entertainment guides. As the pervasive influence of the internet widens, so Thomson has had to move and grow with the changing way that advertisers reach their target audience

Written by James Hurley & Produced by Paul Radbourne

Thomson Directories began operating in 1980 and quickly established itself as the leading local directory publisher in the UK. Today, Thomson Directories produces 173 editions of the Thomson Local, distributing 22 million copies throughout the UK. All this information, and more, is available and easily searchable on ThomsonLocal.com. Each week Thomson Local directories are used by 6 million people and generate 15 million business referrals.

The local marketplace

Thomson began life as sales contractors for Post Office Telecommunications in 1966, which introduced its first classified ‘yellow pages' directory into the UK. The company took its first steps towards its modern incarnation in 1980, when the company recognised a need in the marketplace for a local directory. Thomson Directories Ltd was set up as an independent directory publisher and piloted local directories in six regions. The full Thomson Local was rolled out nationally the following year.

As the years have passed, so the directories have developed, always with ease of use in mind. The main challenge that printed local directories have faced in recent years is the pervasive influence of the internet as a primary source of information, and therefore advertising. In an effort to move with this process, along with its own website, Thomson has kept its printed guides relevant and influential by marketing them as a one stop, all encompassing local area guide. Each publication includes a local area guide, maps, an entertainment guide, and both a-z and full classified adverting listings. The guide is completely free to the consumer, and while arguably less comprehensive, is regarded by some as less cumbersome and more user friendly that the Yellow Pages.

Combined exposure and pay per click

Online advertising spend in the UK has increased by 60 percent since 2004. As the way advertisers reach their target audience evolves, so Thomson has responded in kind. The company’s research found that consumers look for business in three ways. While 43 percent of people will use a printed directory (generally either the Thomson Directory or the Yellow Pages), and nine percent will call a directories enquiry number, the most significant method is now the internet, with some 48 percent of the market; 35 million people are online in the UK, with 191 million people looking for businesses and services online every month. The company recognizes the power of the medium and is placing increasing emphasis on ThomsonLocal.com and the value that the site can provide for advertisers.

Thomson aim to provide a total search package with ‘combined exposure’ – online UK directories along with a keyword search package. For smaller businesses, this is a potentially invaluable service. Thomson’s ‘Keyword Search’ products drive traffic to websites from the major UK search engines. Businesses choose highly relevant keywords that are most closely associated with the service that they provide, and the keyword technology ‘points’ users searching on related terms to the companies’ websites.

As part of the website’s constant evolution, Thomson launched an ‘online agency’ in February that offers a pay-per-click advertising service for small to medium sized companies. The agency also providers a comprehensive service for smaller companies by offering campaign management, exposing its clients’ websites to thousands of hits per month, and user-friendly reporting to ensure full customer investment in the entire process. Easy to understand reporting is essential to the service; a concise overview is shown on a single screen, providing customers with a snapshot of return on investment information.

Each customer is provided with a dedicated account manager who guides the customer through the campaign management and pay-per-click processes. Upon launching the service, Laura Pelling, ThomsonLocal.com’s general manager explained the procedure.

“The account manager will research and recommend suitable keywords to optimize the search position. We then create an advert for our customer and distribute it across our partner network. After an initial set-up fee, customers are then only charged for the clicks generated as a result of The Online Agency advert, making this a very cost effective exercise.

“We appreciate that small and medium sized businesses may not have the same level of marketing budget that is available to national-sized businesses. However, this does not mean that these companies cannot gain the same online presence as their larger counterparts. The Online Agency’s partnerships with major search engines such as Google and Tiscali allow our customers vast web exposure. Our knowledge and experience in search marketing means that our customers are in safe hands.”

Staff retention

Telesales is traditionally an industry with high ‘natural wastage’ of staff and as an advertising sales based publisher, Thomson has faced the staff retention challenges that tend to go with the territory. In an effort to combat this trend, Thomson has developed a caring environment and a sense of fun within its sales teams. Opportunities for progression within the company are also stressed, and the company places an emphasis on flexibility and benefits, training and development initiatives and social activities. Unusual perks are offered, including the chance for staff members to win five-star holidays. By revisiting its values and culture, Thomson Directories has improved staff retention, especially among sales employees, where a 50 percent staff turnover rate has been reduced to 30 percent.

Thomson Directories Ltd’s efforts in improving the business in this respect were recognised when the company achieved the Investors in People standard in 1994. It was awarded ‘champion status’ in 2005 and is currently working towards the ‘leadership and management model.’

When looking to improve its human resources procedures, Thomson Directories was keen to align itself to a business development standard that it could use as a benchmarking tool as well as a means of improving its processes.

“We needed a better understanding of how our training and development could really add value to our business,” Sinead Robinson, Human Resources Manager said when reflecting on the company’s Investors in People status.

“Since we achieved the Investors in People Standard in 1994 we have used it as a means of evaluating our entire culture as well as building our people development strategy.”

Further external recognition for Thomson Directories came in 2005 when, at its first attempt to qualify, the company became a ‘Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to work for’ and repeated this again in 2006. The company was also a finalist in the motivation category of the Employee Benefits Awards in 2005, testimony to the importance Thomson Directories has placed on engaging with its employees.

With such commitment to its staff and a culture of continuous review and improvement, it’s not surprising that the company is taking the challenges posed by a changing industry in its stride.