Yell Group Limited, 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 published Yellow Pages from 1966, originally as part of the General Post Office (GPO) telephone directory, and launched its Yell.com website in 1996.
Formerly | Hibu Group Limited |
---|---|
Industry | Online Marketing |
Predecessor | British Telecom |
Founded | 1966 |
Headquarters | Reading , Berkshire, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Mark Clisby (Co-CEO) Luke Taylor (Co-CEO) |
Products | Yellow Pages (1966–2019) Yell.com (1996–present) Website design Google PPC Online advertising |
Website | https://about.yell.com/ |
History
editThe GPO first included Yellow Pages in its telephone directory for Brighton in 1966, expanding it throughout the UK from 1973.[3][4]
Yell.com was first launched in January 1996 as the local search engine for businesses in the UK.[5][6] In January 2001, Yell announced a demerger from its parent company, BT (the GPO's post-privatisation successor), abandoning a proposed stock market flotation.[7] In May 2001, Yell was 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 its search capacity and enhance site development.[9] Yell also expanded its offerings in 2009 to include Google Ads.[10]
In 2006, Yell threatened Yellowikis with legal action, claiming that consumers would confuse the two organisations.[11]
A Yell.com app was launched on the iPhone app store in 2009.[12] The following year, Yell UK announced that it was changing its traditional Yellow Pages A4 format to a smaller size to improve usage of the directory. At that time, the directories contained an average of 54 per cent recycled fibre content.[13]
Yell moved into their new headquarters in Reading, Berkshire, in October and Richard Hanscott was named as the company's new CEO the following year.[14][15] Yell’s parent company, Yell Group, announced in 2012 that it was changing its name to Hibu, but reverted to Yell in 2014.[16][17]
The company 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] In 2017, the company announced that the publishing of Yellow Pages on paper would cease.[19] The final edition was published in January 2019 for Brighton.[20]
Claire Miles, (formerly of Centrica), was announced as the new CEO in 2019.[21] Florida-based private equity investment firm H.I.G. Capital acquired Yell’s sister company Hibu on 29 March 2021, including their US-based business assets.[22]
In January 2023, Mark Clisby and Luke Taylor become Co-CEOs of Yell following Claire Mile's decision to step away from the company. [23]
References
edit- ^ "Websites". Yell Business. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Pay-Per-Click". Yell Business. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ Classified Directory Advertising Services Market Investigation. The Stationery Office. 29 June 2006.
- ^ "Delivering Sustainable Directories" (PDF). Data Publishers Association. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Yell.com joins forces with Google for UK local classified offering". Campaign. 19 April 2005. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ Richard Wray (18 May 2010). "City shocked as Yell boss Condron announced his retirement". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "BT abandons Yell float in favour of demerger". telegraph.co.uk. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "British Telecom PLC (BTA)". investegate.co.uk. 10 May 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "UK's local search engine Yell.com chooses Apptus' technology for future development". Ideon. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ Robert Andrews (14 May 2009). "Yell.com stops competing with Google, sells its adWords instead". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Legal threat to wiki listing site". BBC News. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Yell.com App now available on App store". Total Telecom. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Yellow Pages targets reduced waste with smaller directory". Lets Recycle. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ David Millward (21 October 2010). "Yell's new building is something to shout about". Get Reading. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Richard Hanscott appointed CEO of Yell UK". he Business Desk. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ a b Gideon Spanier (17 June 2014). "Yellow Pages in u-turn over Hibu brand". Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Company Names Tribunal: Signed Order 08851040" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ "Highest Rated CEOs - UK". Glassdoor. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
- ^ "Yellow Pages to stop printing directory after 51-year run". BBC News. 1 September 2017.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Centrica's smart home boss to step down". Energy Live News. 1 August 2019.
- ^ "H.I.G. Capital Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Hibu". Business Wire. 26 March 2021.
- ^ "News article referencing Mark Clisby". Business Matters. 15 March 2023.