Verizon Yellow Pages Marches On With Nationwide Market Expansion

Kathy Harless Challenges Directory Publishers to Erase Incumbent and Independent Lines

April 24, 2006, ORLANDO, Fla. - Local business owners across the country are taking advantage of the most advanced advertising opportunities available, as Verizon Yellow Pages continues its nationwide expansion with new directories in Phoenix; Salem, Ore.; Tacoma, Wash.; Park City, Utah; Madison, Wis.; and Knoxville, Tenn.

Verizon Information Services President and newly appointed Yellow Pages Association (YPA) Chairwoman Kathy Harless today addressed Verizon’s independent market strategy and the incumbent vs. independent debate during her opening remarks at YPA’s annual conference in Orlando.

“The labels between incumbents and independents have lost their relevance in today’s marketplace,” said Harless. “There’s not an ’official license’ to be the top book in a market. You have to earn it every day with advertisers and with consumers.”

Harless pointed to Verizon’s tremendous brand recognition and product innovation in helping local businesses maximize their return on investment. “We are one of the largest independent yellow pages publishers in the country,” she said. “We compete every day - in new markets and in existing ones - to earn our customers’ business. That means being the usage leader in the market and offering the most affordable and cost efficient options.”

Verizon Yellow Pages offers advanced advertising options to local businesses:
* Print and Online Bundling Packages
* Customer Call Tracker
* SuperPages.com Performance-Based Products

Verizon Yellow Pages offers advertisers in new markets unique advertising opportunities, including bundled print and online packages and Customer Call Tracker, which allows Verizon advertisers to track ad effectiveness and gather data on their leads through unique phone numbers anchored to their yellow pages ads. Advertisers also can choose from several performance-based advertising options such as Pay Per Click, Pay For Calls or fixed-fee ads on SuperPages.com (http://www.superpages.com).

This week’s move is part of Verizon Yellow Pages’ ongoing national independent growth strategy. Verizon Yellow Pages also recently launched new directories in Homestead, Fla., and in Nashville, Tenn. Since 2002, Verizon has successfully launched more than 100 new yellow pages directories coast to coast in more than 40 markets.

About Verizon Yellow Pages
Verizon Information Services (VIS), a division of Verizon Communications Corp. (NYSE:VZ), is the nation’s most advanced provider of yellow pages and related shopping information. It has $3.5 billion in revenues from products including: Verizon Yellow Pages; Verizon SuperPages.com (http://www.superpages.com), the nation’s most advanced Internet directory and a leading online shopping resource; and the SuperPages On the Go information directory offered through Verizon Wireless Get It Now services and on other wireless carriers. The company is the largest publisher of Hispanic directories in the U.S. and the first to provide a Hispanic online shopping resource http://www.superpages.com/espanol

Contact Information

David Matthews

Media contact

Verizon Communications Corp.

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