but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call.

I was at my wits end. I had looked under the hood, tried the key several times and even replaced the battery on my own, but nothing worked. My beloved ‘57 Corvette was as dead as a doornail. I leaned against it’s shiny red exterior and groaned a bit. This beauty was the result of years of intense restoration and I loved that car. It had only been a few days ago that I took my wife for a spin and she had “ooohed and aaahed” her way around the block. But today was a different story. I could only sigh and guess what had happened to the machine as it sat in my garage, almost mocking me in my futile attempts.

Sure I had tried the phone book. But none of the ads touting, “Fast Service,”or “Trained Technicians,” or “Affordable Costs,”did anything but leave me with a large empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. No, I was pretty much on my own.

That is, until, “He” showed up. At least I think is was a “He.” It was a large, yellow book-shaped character on skinny legs. He explained that he had an ad that he thought might help. I had nothing to lose, so I glanced over at the page. The headline declared, “Classic Car Experts and Troubleshooters – Mobile Service.” I was taken aback. It was almost too perfect. I reached for my phone and immediately called the number. They would be there in the morning, they told me. Problem solved. I turned to thank the guy, but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call.

been a few days ago that I took my wife for a spin and she had “ooohed and aaahed” her way around the block. But today was a different story. I could only sigh and guess what had happened to the machine as it sat in my garage, almost mocking me in my futile attempts.

Sure I had tried the phone book. But none of the ads touting, “Fast Service,”or “Trained Technicians,” or “Affordable Costs,”did anything but leave me with a large empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. No, I was pretty much on my own.

That is, until, “He” showed up. At least I think is was a “He.” It was a large, yellow book-shaped character on skinny legs. He explained that he had an ad that he thought might help. I had nothing to lose, so I glanced over at the page. The headline declared, “Classic Car Experts and Troubleshooters – Mobile Service.” I was taken aback. It was almost too perfect. I reached for my phone and immediately called the number. They would be there in the morning, they told me. Problem solved. I turned to thank the guy, but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call.

rvice,”or “Trained Technicians,” or “Affordable Costs,”did anything but leave me with a large empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. No, I was pretty much on my own.

That is, until, “He” showed up. At least I think is was a “He.” It was a large, yellow book-shaped character on skinny legs. He explained that he had an ad that he thought might help. I had nothing to lose, so I glanced over at the page. The headline declared, “Classic Car Experts and Troubleshooters – Mobile Service.” I was taken aback. It was almost too perfect. I reached for my phone and immediately called the number. They would be there in the morning, they told me. Problem solved. I turned to thank the guy, but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call.

might help. I had nothing to lose, so I glanced over at the page. The headline declared, “Classic Car Experts and Troubleshooters – Mobile Service.” I was taken aback. It was almost too perfect. I reached for my phone and immediately called the number. They would be there in the morning, they told me. Problem solved. I turned to thank the guy, but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call.

but he had disappeared. All that remained was a business card that stated, “Wolley Segap to the rescue.” The end… or is it?

This little story was designed to serve a purpose and illustrate the need for effective advertising. So, attention business people: Is your Yellow Page ad doing its job? If not, let this serve as your wake-up call. I’ve witnessed many companies that thought they had an ad that worked, while, in reality, it had a flawed headline, lousy copy, or pathetic artwork. How do I know?

I was a YP rep and consultant for nearly 25 years and, prior to that, had my own advertising agency. I also have a degree in marketing. I’ve been designing Yellow Page ads for the past three decades. So I have expertise in YP creation and have advised almost 7000 companies on how to put together the most effective YP ads. If you have a display or in-column ad, regardless of size, color or position, I can tell you it most probably needs improvement in the headline, artwork, body text, placement, book, or heading. You must understand the ROI or return on investment and learn how to track the results as well.

So consider getting some expert advice before you place your next ad. There are many good and inexpensive places to turn, some available on the internet. Make sure the consultant is well qualified with at least 25 years experience. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting your own time and money. Then, hopefully, you wont’ really need Wolley Segap coming to the rescue after all.