Jump to content

Yell (company)

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromYell)

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 (1996–present)
Website design
Google PPC
Online advertising
Websitehttps://about.yell /

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 90,000pay per clickcampaigns for customers in the United Kingdom.[1][2]Yell publishedYellow Pagesfrom 1966, originally as part of theGeneral Post Office(GPO) telephone directory, and launched its Yell website in 1996.

History

[edit]

The GPO first included Yellow Pages in its telephone directory forBrightonin 1966, expanding it throughout the UK from 1973.[3][4]

Yell was first launched in January 1996 as thelocal search enginefor 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 capitalistsApax PartnersandHicks, Muse, Tate & Furstfor £2.1 billion in May 2001.[8]

It was announced in April 2005 that Yell was partnering withGoogleto make local classified content available through Google's search engine.[5]Yell integratedApttustechnology into its search engine to broaden is search capacity and enhance site development.[9]Yell also expanded its offerings in 2009 to includeGoogle Ads.[10]

In 2006, Yell threatenedYellowikiswith legal action, claiming that consumers would confuse the two organisations.[11]

A Yell app was launched on theiPhoneapp 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 inReading, 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 toHibu,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]Glassdoornamed 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 forBrighton.[20]

Claire Miles, (formerly ofCentrica), was announced as the new CEO in 2019.[21]Florida-based private equity investment firmH.I.G. Capitalacquired Yell’s sister companyHibuon 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]
  1. ^"Websites".Yell Business.Retrieved11 November2016.
  2. ^"Pay-Per-Click".Yell Business.Retrieved11 November2016.
  3. ^Classified Directory Advertising Services Market Investigation.The Stationery Office. 29 June 2006.
  4. ^"Delivering Sustainable Directories"(PDF).Data Publishers Association. 13 June 2008.Retrieved11 November2016.
  5. ^ab"Yell joins forces with Google for UK local classified offering".Campaign. 19 April 2005.Retrieved11 November2016.
  6. ^Richard Wray (18 May 2010)."City shocked as Yell Boss Condron announced his retirement".The Guardian.Retrieved11 November2016.
  7. ^"BT abandons Yell float in favour of demerger".telegraph.co.uk.28 January 2001.Retrieved29 January2021.
  8. ^"British Telecom PLC (BTA)".investegate.co.uk.10 May 2001.Retrieved29 January2021.
  9. ^"UK's local search engine Yell chooses Apptus' technology for future development".Ideon. 11 January 2008.Retrieved11 November2016.
  10. ^Robert Andrews (14 May 2009)."Yell stops competing with Google, sells its adWords instead".The Guardian.Retrieved11 November2016.
  11. ^"Legal threat to wiki listing site".BBC News. 12 July 2006.Retrieved11 November2016.
  12. ^"Yell App now available on App store".Total Telecom. 5 October 2009.Retrieved11 November2016.
  13. ^"Yellow Pages targets reduced waste with smaller directory".Lets Recycle. 16 February 2010.Retrieved11 November2016.
  14. ^David Millward (21 October 2010)."Yell's new building is something to shout about".Get Reading.Retrieved11 November2016.
  15. ^"Richard Hanscott appointed CEO of Yell UK".he Business Desk. 29 June 2011.Retrieved11 November2016.
  16. ^abGideon Spanier (17 June 2014)."Yellow Pages in u-turn over Hibu brand".Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 7 May 2022.Retrieved11 November2016.
  17. ^"Company Names Tribunal: Signed Order 08851040"(PDF).assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. 13 August 2014.Retrieved30 June2021.
  18. ^"Highest Rated CEOs - UK".Glassdoor.Retrieved11 November2016.
  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.1 September 2017.Retrieved26 January2021.
  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.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yell_(company)&oldid=1226715768"