{"id":117604,"date":"2011-04-21T00:24:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T05:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/with-the-past-as-our-guide-we-can-define-our-future\/"},"modified":"2024-12-23T00:37:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T05:37:10","slug":"with-the-past-as-our-guide-we-can-define-our-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-ca\/insights\/blog\/strategy\/with-the-past-as-our-guide-we-can-define-our-future\/","title":{"rendered":"With the Past as Our Guide, We Can Define Our Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Norm Hagarty, CEO:<\/strong> By now most of us in the directional media<\/a> industry have heard about TMP\u2019s unfortunate demise. I don\u2019t believe that this kind of turmoil is ever good. It certainly is not good for TMP\u2019s staff, many of whom will face uncertain job prospects (at least in the short term); clients who now have to scramble to find a suitable (and perhaps less than ideal) directory agency<\/a>; and publishers who will need to ensure continuity of client programs and that they get paid.<\/p>\n

I think the biggest loser in all of this is the directory industry. We have lost a strong competitor and a leader in our industry, one who was very innovative \u2013 remember Monster? TMP made us all look critically at our people, processes, training, pricing\u2026which made us better. TMP\u2019s closure will cast a pall over the directory industry and continue to bring doubt as to its viability, despite directories continuing to deliver very strong ROI numbers for advertisers \u2013 not all advertisers, but we certainly see strong results for many headings through our testing.<\/p>\n

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  1. I do believe that this kind of end result can be avoided for most \u201cYellow Pages\u201d agencies. We need to continue the innovation that TMP started for our industry. We need to offer our clients true value and expand the definition of what we do. If we do that, we will be able to make the necessary margins to not just keep us in business but also allow us to continually innovate. What is it exactly that we need to do…?<\/li>\n
  2. Recognize that we are in the lead generation business and leads now come from anywhere \u2013 SEM<\/a>, SEO<\/a>, Google Places<\/a>, Facebook, Twitter, etc. as well as directory. This is now a complicated ecosystem that your clients need help in maneuvering.<\/li>\n
  3. Ensure your solutions can be integrated and that you are talking your clients\u2019 language.<\/li>\n
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