Posts Tagged ‘transformation’

‘Search Starts Here’: A Look Inside Solocal’s Business Transformation

Monday, April 15, 2013

Jean-Pierre Remy, CEO and president of Solocal, gave us a deep look into Solocal’s impressive transformation from a traditional print Yellow Pages publisher to France’s leading local search company.

The transformation has resulted in strong results.  Today, Solocal’s online business represents 58% of revenues, and is expected to rise to 75% in 2015.  Solocal is the No. 1 local portal in France, and ranks as a top 5 destination for web and mobile reach.

So how did they do it?

Jean-Pierre said an intense focus on executing against a simply articulated strategy became the focus of every employee in the company.

Core to the strategy is the company’s focus on “local communication,” which broadened the company well beyond its print history.  Supporting the strategy is a three-pronged approach:

  • Digital content: Jean-Pierre said investing in content that isn’t available anywhere else, is the most important factor in driving value for advertisers and consumers.
  • Local media: Solocal has focused on building leading brands and partnering with leaders in local and social, including Facebook, Bing, and Yahoo.
  • Communications advisors: Retraining and recruiting talented communications advisors who can build trusted relationships with advertisers.  (Solocal has 2,500 local communication advisors.)

Jean-Pierre said the challenge now is for the communications advisors to go deep in their understanding of their clients so that Solocal’s customer focus can lead to specialized and customized offers and media for each client.

“When you go online, you have many more opportunities to help your clients adapt their local communication, but it means you really have to understand their business in much more detail.”

Looking to the future, Solocal is setting its sights on mobile growth, noting that the company is seeing traffic migrate from the web itself to mobile and social.

Jean-Pierre said Solocal must constantly innovate and look for new approaches to leverage social.  The company most recently experimented on Facebook with a brand called “Zoom On.” Zoom On creates an audience within special cities or regions.  Zoom On has been successful in terms of audience traffic, but Jean-Pierre said it still needs to convert that traffic into a monetization strategy.

That’s a key question we’ll all be asking as we continue to integrate social into local search offerings.  Based on what Solocal has done so far, I’m sure they’ll find the answer.

April 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment
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The Last Frontier – or is it?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Today’s guest blogger, Paul Plant of Radicle Consulting has over 30 years of experience in directive media and advertising.  He launched Radicle Consulting in March 2010, and has acquired a diverse client portfolio, which he advises on all aspects of organizational and transformational change. He previously spent almost 20 years in senior management at Yell Group, in key marketing, sales and strategic operational positions in both the U.K. and U.S.

I had some thoughts regarding Neg Norton’s recent blog post, The Last Frontier: The Sales Call.  It cannot be argued that the local media solutions marketplace is increasingly being commoditised by an influx of new competitive media properties, each offering a suite of solutions that, to all intents and purposes, are very similar.

It is therefore hardly surprising that many industry commentators and observers view the sales call as one of the key points in the relationship between the media provider and the SMB where some degree of differentiation can be achieved. Neg Norton describes it as “The Last Frontier”.

For large numbers of traditional media players, the relationship between the salesperson and the SMB is the last frontier. In fact, for many it is the only remaining frontier. But why? It is because the vast majority of traditional publishers have almost given up on the consumer – the end user.

Significantly reduced investment in core product development, accompanied by a lack of advertising and promotional spend on core brands has seen a widescale erosion of proprietary print and new media brands and product solutions. This has allowed the likes of Google and others to lay claim to the lion’s share of modern-day consumer usage.

One publisher has consistently bucked the trend, and has equally stayed relentlessly true to the principle that the virtuous circle remains at the heart of the core media publisher business model. The governing principle that “content drives usage drives revenue” is the central strategic pillar of the Solocal (formerly PagesJaunes) business mantra.

Solocal retains high levels of both consumer and SMB customer loyalty, achieved through no less than seventeen different proprietary media brands and channels. New digital channels comprise almost 60% of Solocal’s €1.1bn revenues, driving an overall EBITDA margin of c.45%.

You can learn more about how Solocal bucked the trend, and how they continue to compete successfully on multiple frontiers, when their President & CEO Jean-Pierre Remy addresses the forthcoming Local Search Association annual conference in Las Vegas.

March 7, 2013 | Leave a Comment
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Industry Transformation – Opportunity for Success

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Today’s guest blogger, Paul Plant of Radicle Consulting has over 30 years of experience in directive media and advertising.  He launched Radicle Consulting in March 2010, and has acquired a diverse client portfolio, which he advises on all aspects of organizational and transformational change. He previously spent almost 20 years in senior management at Yell Group, in key marketing, sales and strategic operational positions in both the U.K. and U.S.

I read with interest Neg Norton’s recent blog, which makes reference to Sensis and Solocal (formerly PagesJaunes). His post reminded me of one of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky’s great quotes – when asked to explain his extraordinary talent, Gretzky is quoted as replying, “Skate to where the puck is heading, not where it is now.” His quote is a metaphor that many major companies would do well to heed.

The Sensis case study is a sage, and indeed sad, lesson for others to be mindful of, for here is a publisher that failed to grasp the opportunity, despite having more advance warning and insight than any of its peers.

Australia, by being so far removed geographically from the rest of the world, has typically been three or more years “behind the trend” with regard to what else is happening within the industry. Sensis was still growing print revenues as recently as 2009, while most of its global peers were by then facing up to the inevitable consequences of new consumer behaviours brought about by disruptive digital change. Its print business, both white and yellow, held up revenues and high margins for longer than any other publisher. Yet, when the inevitable migration away from traditional media came along, the company was unprepared. Even today, more than 70% of Sensis’ revenues come from print, while digital sales are heavily reliant on the reselling of Google Adwords.

Another worrying factor is that circa 40% of Sensis’ income has traditionally been derived from large premier and national account customers. And as these started to slash their print spend, Sensis simply did not have the digital product inventory available to compensate for the decreases.

Sensis still operates as a division of its Telstra telco parent, which perhaps in part explains its situation, for the telco has not viewed the directory publisher as a strategic asset, and continues to milk the business for its profits. New Sensis MD John Allan certainly has his work cut out if he is to turn the company around.

Solocal (PagesJaunes) did not have the luxury of the crystal ball that Sensis had yet failed to use. That said, they still had the foresight, vision, and courage to embrace the undeniable shift towards new digital products and media solutions.

It will indeed be fascinating to listen to Solocal President & CEO Jean-Pierre Remy at the forthcoming LSA Conference in Las Vegas, when he explains the PagesJaunes success journey from traditional directory publisher to thriving modern digital media provider.

March 6, 2013 | Leave a Comment
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As Industry Transforms, Opportunities for Success

Monday, March 4, 2013

Recently, I’ve watched with interest as many of our members have continued to take bold steps to transform their business models from traditional print publishing to innovative local search offerings.

Just last month, Sensis announced plans to restructure its workforce to meet changing needs and opportunities. The Yellow Pages publisher in Australia eliminated some backroom and management roles, while adding 50 new jobs at a new digital customer service management center.

Implementing this new strategy is not easy, but it is necessary. I was particularly impressed by how John Allan, Sensis’ managing director, described it:

“Until now, we have been operating with an outdated print-based model — this is no longer sustainable for us. As we have made clear in the past, we will continue to produce Yellow and White Pages books to meet the needs of customers and advertisers who rely on the printed directories, but our future is online and mobile, where the vast majority of search and directory business takes place.”

The approach Sensis and many other industry players are taking is one that Solocal (formerly known as PagesJaunes), the Yellow Pages publisher in France, has already pursued – and with great success. That’s why I’m pleased that Jean-Pierre Remy, president and chief executive officer of Solocal, will serve as the keynote speaker at our 2013 annual conference, “Search Starts Here.”

Jean-Pierre led the remarkable transformation of the company from a traditional print publisher into one of the world’s most progressive local search companies. Today, Solocal reaches 90% of French consumers through its portfolio of print, digital, mobile and social products and ranks as one of the top 10 global companies in terms of online revenues, with 59% of its approximately $1.5 billion annual revenue coming from its digital offerings.

There are significant lessons we can all learn from Solocal’s transformation and Jean-Pierre’s leadership. For more information and to register, visit our conference website today.

March 4, 2013 | Leave a Comment
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PagesJaunes Groupe President and CEO Jean-Pierre Remy to Delivery Keynote at LSA Annual Conference

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

We are really fortunate to have secured a phenomenal keynote speaker for our 2013 annual conference, “Search Starts Here”: Jean-Pierre Remy, President and Chief Executive Officer of PagesJaunes.

PagesJaunes is the Yellow Pages publisher in France. Since taking on his role in 2009, Jean-Pierre has led the remarkable transformation of the company from a traditional print publisher into one of the world’s most progressive local search companies.

Recently, MIT’s prestigious Sloan Business School, in association with CapGemini Consulting, conducted a study into digital transformation within large traditional billion-dollar-plus organizations. The purpose was to identify companies from traditional business sectors who had successfully embraced digital technology in order to radically transform their performance. Jean-Pierre’s ability to successfully capitalize on new digital opportunities for PagesJaunes within the directive media-publishing was specifically cited in the report as a model example for the industry.

Today, PagesJaunes reaches 90% of French consumers through its portfolio of print, digital, mobile and social products and ranks as one of the top 10 global companies in terms of online revenues, with 59% of its approximately $1.5 billion annual revenue coming from its digital offerings. In my opinion, PagesJaunes represents one of the greatest transformation stories from traditional to digital media ever.

PagesJaunes’ successful realignment serves as a model for all traditional media companies looking to evolve into forward-looking digital media players.  I encourage anyone who is looking to make a similar transition to the digital world to join us in learning how Jean-Pierre led the transformation of his company.

Visit our conference website for more information and to register for “Search Starts Here,” April 13-16, 2013 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. We’ll be posting additional details throughout this week on the exciting things we have planned for this year’s gathering.

January 16, 2013 | Leave a Comment
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Thoughts on Day 1 at BIA/Kelsey’s ILM West

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I’m very much enjoying my time here at BIA/Kelsey’s ILM West conference, taking place this week at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

The event kicked off yesterday, and without question the highlight for me was the session “SuperForum: Sales Force Transformation,” which discussed the ongoing question on how to structure sales teams to successfully meet the demands of today’s fragmented media environment. Charles Laughlin, SVP and Program Director at BIA/Kelsey, moderated an expert panel that included Kris Barton of ReachLocal, Mark Canon of SmugCloud, Jeff Folckemer of LocalEdge and Kathy Geiger-Schwab of Geiger-Schwab Consulting.

Laughlin opened with the important reminder that in the realm of sales force transformation, “absolute success is hard to find, and fundamentally difficult to achieve.” He said that BIA/Kelsey would be publishing a foundational paper in early January that will explore attempts by Deseret Media Group, Dex One, Eniro, Yodle and others to make significant change in their approach to sales.

Pointing out that recent studies have determined that 79% of SMBs are either confused or don’t understand their digital options – and that 45% do not understand the ROI of their digital programs – Laughlin said that “the enormity of the challenge tends to be underestimated.”

Each of the panelists weighed in. Kris Burton explained that sending members of the tech team on sales visits has helped to close the gap in the understanding of client needs. Mark Canon observed that the SMB experience has changed, becoming much more complex with the proliferation of media choices. Jeff Folekemer said his company’s dashboard includes all of its products, making it easier to track supplier performance.

Kathy Geiger-Schwab, a former Berry executive and longtime expert in the sales improvement arena, suggested looking at the “CoreCo vs. the NewCo” She said companies should ensure that they continue to profit from their core business, while engaging a new team to build their future. She recommended “Profit From The Core” by Chris Zook and James Allen as a good read for those looking to transform their businesses.

The group discussed a variety of ways to improve sales teams, including:

  • Automating SMB research as a tool for sales teams to use
  • Watching your NPS (Net Promoter Score), but working with the baseline and be realistic about improvement
  • Creating websites for SMBs that reflect the business’ identity
  • Create a long-term business plan that emphasizes that success takes time
  • Moving to resellers wherever possible and using their embedded investment to your advantage

And perhaps the most important message the panel had to sales teams out there was not to let what you know get in the way of what you don’t know. At the end of the day, change scares the entire management team. So to transform your sales force, start with the top and work down.

December 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment
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‘Search Starts Here’: Reinventing the Directory Organization

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Our own Brad Carson, vice president of operations, moderated a relevant and insightful conversation yesterday morning with change management experts about the bold moves necessary to drive the transformation of global directory organizations into multi-platform local media agencies.

While the session highlighted numerous successful approaches and provided valuable recommendations on what our industry can do to ensure its continued leadership in local search, I wanted to highlight several topics that really caught my attention.

Peter Buxton, principal at Buxton Independent Consulting and a veteran of ITT World Directories, discussed the successful road taken by Pages Jaunes, to become an innovative and well-respected digital player.

Buxton explained how Pages Jaunes recognized in 2000 that consumers and advertisers would be increasingly turning to digital local search options. He noted that the company was able to successfully build out its online offerings: today, more than half its revenue is in digital and its website, Pagesjuanes.fr, is fifth most-visited in France.

Buxton described actions taken by the Pages Jaunes to reinvest in its print offerings – including re-scoping, redesigning, and updating pricing – that have helped mitigate revenue declines. He said the company is  known in France as a “sexy” and “modern” multimedia company that is at the cutting edge of its field.

Buxton also said that any strategy undertaken by a company in our industry isn’t a good one unless it can be implemented through its sales force. He said that sales teams should be confident and excited when speaking with clients about the value of print Yellow Pages and constructive about how the platform can work in their marketing plans.

Kathy Geiger-Schwab, principal at Geiger-Schwab Consulting LLC, highlighted several “rules” that print publishers should live by in their transition efforts. Geiger-Schwab noted that CEOs must be executive champions of change, that leadership must be aligned and that companies must not just remodel their growth but reinvent it completely.

Geiger-Schwab also said that the industry must deliver on every promise it makes to customers in order to retain their trust. She added that sales teams must know the value proposition of each offering in their portfolio and not push options that don’t have value to particular customers. She suggests an honest, open approach will pay off significantly down the line.

Richard Selvaraj, senior program manager – Media & Information Services BPO at Tata Consultancy Services, discussed his company’s partnerships with directory publishers to optimize operational efficiency and reduce costs. Selvaraj said Tata can provide support around key data functions including account, ordering and listing management and creative areas like in-column ad production, pagination and display ad production. He suggested that publishers look to outsourcing these functions as a way to improve profitability.

April 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment
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‘Search Starts Here’: Christian Dwyer on MapQuest’s Reinvention

Monday, April 23, 2012

At last year’s annual conference, we unveiled our new Local Search Association brand to better reflect the direction our member companies were heading. Christian Dwyer, senior vice president and general manager of MapQuest, spoke this afternoon about their own transformation and rebranding to address similar realities.

After about 15 years online and as a historically preferred site for directions, in 2010 MapQuest was no longer the go-to site for all consumers. They needed to commit to a transformation in order to grow. As we did at Local Search, they unveiled a new logo and website to better represent their character and what they hoped to achieve. But this was just the beginning of their larger reinvention.

As we’ve been hearing in nearly every session, mobile is where search growth is headed. MapQuest had been in the mobile space since 2004, but rebuilt their apps and offered them to users for free. Consumers today are searching on the go and could easily go elsewhere if the app cost or was difficult to navigate. MapQuest found news ways to monetize this platform and invested in voice guided turn-by-turn capabilities to differentiate themselves from their immediate competitors. Now, MapQuest is among the top 20 mobile brands according to comScore, changing how influencers and users think about the company.

In addition to expanding their mobile offerings, MapQuest started thinking about how they could help users figure out where to go (as opposed to just how they can get there). They launched MapQuest Vibe for cities and neighborhoods, allowing search for categories or subcategories in specific areas. And as more users are participating, the content is continuing to improve.

What struck me when Christian was talking about components to optimize MapQuest detailed pages is how much it echoes some of the best IYP listings:

  • Hours
  • Pricing
  • Contacts
  • Directions
  • User feedback
  • Neighborhood context
  • Merchant messages

Mapquest has certainly been busy reinventing themselves: new logo, new website with an improved user experience, a free mobile app with 14 million users each month, even growing into social media with Pinterest integration to share trips – as opposed to destinations. I look forward to seeing what else they have in store.

 

April 23, 2012 | 1 Comment
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BIA/Kelsey ILM West ’11: Dex One Chief Strategy Officer on ‘The New Marketing Services Company’

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

In the session “Digital First Directories: The New Marketing Services Companies,” Dex One’s Chief Strategy Officer David Sharman discussed his company’s strategy as it adapts its business to service today’s digital world.

Sharman said that today, Dex is faced with the reality of engaging local businesses that are overwhelmed with marketing options and need help.

He talked about some core challenges facing Dex, including:

  • The likely turnover of about two-thirds of Dex’s employees to achieve alignment as a digital company and to move from being “order takers” to “service partners”
  • Managing the decline of print while not allowing it to affect current growth in digital

Sharman also discussed Dex’s evolving product set, which included several significant additions in 2011 with more coming in 2012, including SEO, display, social and mobile offerings. He said the company is beginning to see healthy margins from digital offerings and hopes more is to come.

December 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment
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