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Yell (company)

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Yell Group Limited
FormerlyHibu Group Limited
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
Websiteabout.yell.com

Yell Group Limited, also known as Yell UK, is a digital marketing and online directory business in the United Kingdom. Yell has created more than 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.

History

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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 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 UK.[16][17] The company acquired Moonfruit, a DIY website company, purchased in May 2012 for £18m.[18] On 18 August 2014,[19] Hibu UK changed their customer-facing brand back to Yell. They re-launched with an updated range of products including websites, pay-per-click and display advertising. As of June 2015, Yell has created over 54,000 websites[20] and managed 20,000 PPC campaigns[21] for customers in the UK.

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”.[22] In 2017, the company announced that the publishing of Yellow Pages on paper would cease.[23] The final edition was published in January 2019 for Brighton.[24]

Claire Miles, (formerly of Centrica), was announced as the new CEO in 2019.[25] 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.[26]

In January 2023, Mark Clisby and Luke Taylor become Co-CEOs of Yell following Claire Mile's decision to step away from the company. [27]

References

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  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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. ^ a b "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. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. 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.[permanent dead link]
  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. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "Company Names Tribunal: Signed Order 08851040" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  18. ^ Solon, Olivia (16 May 2012). "Yell snaps up DIY website and shop builder Moonfruit for £18m". Wired. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  19. ^ Spanier, Gideon (17 June 2014). "Yellow Pages in u-turn over Hibu brand". The Independent. London.
  20. ^ "Websites". 9 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising".
  22. ^ "Highest Rated CEOs - UK". Glassdoor. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Yellow Pages to stop printing directory after 51-year run". BBC News. 1 September 2017.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ "Centrica's smart home boss to step down". Energy Live News. 1 August 2019.
  26. ^ "H.I.G. Capital Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Hibu". Business Wire. 26 March 2021.
  27. ^ "News article referencing Mark Clisby". Business Matters. 15 March 2023.
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