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 published Yellow Pages from 1966, originally as part of the General Post Office (GPO) telephone directory, and launched its Yell.com website in 1996.

Yell
FormerlyYell Group
IndustryOnline Marketing
PredecessorBritish Telecom
Founded1966 (1966)
Headquarters
Reading
,
Berkshire, United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Mark Clisby (Co-CEO)
Luke Taylor (Co-CEO)
ProductsYellow Pages (1966–2019)
Yell.com (1996–present)
Website design
Google PPC
Online advertising
Websiteyell.com

History

The 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 is 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
  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. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. 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.
  23. "News article referencing Mark Clisby". Business Matters. 15 March 2023.
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