| My Yellow Page advertising agency has many | | | | discount is available in all directories but the |
| AT&T advertisers as clients, so we faithfully | | | | percent off of full rate varies. In San Jose the |
| follow discount options for them. The new | | | | VAP discount is 40% off the full rate for your ad |
| discount plan is completely different from anything | | | | size and features. In Sonoma, the VAP discount is |
| offered before. Up till now AT&T advertisers | | | | 35%, Bakersfield 30%, San Diego 35% and Simi |
| could negotiate their own discounts with their SBC | | | | Valley 45% off of full rate.Value Ad Loyalty |
| (now AT&T)Yellow Page sales rep. This would | | | | (VAL): This becomes the de facto full price for all |
| often mean businesses with the same ad size and | | | | display ads and in-column ads. All advertisers are |
| features would pay wildly different prices.The new | | | | offered this discount if they maintain last years |
| AT&T discount program is designed to | | | | contract revenue. The VAL discount is 15% off |
| standardize the pricing for all advertisers. The | | | | of full rate. If the rate you're paying for your ad |
| discounts can be as much as 50% or as little as | | | | is 15% or more below full rate, you will be |
| 15% off of an ads full price. Most of my clients | | | | offered a Loyalty renewal. In other words you will |
| are in California and Nevada so the examples I | | | | always pay 15% off of the full price for your ad |
| show are from California, but the pricing policies | | | | as long you spend at least $1 more than last year. |
| are the same in all AT&T directory areas.The one | | | | If you want to reduce what you are spending by |
| thing that is the universal in all of AT&T areas is | | | | removing color or reducing size you will receive no |
| to receive a discount rate for your ad you have | | | | discount and pay full rate for your advertising.If |
| to spend more than you did last year. You have | | | | you are paying full rate now for your ad you will |
| to spend one dollar more for a 15% discount, | | | | be offered a Loyalty (15% off) discount for your |
| 10% more for a 35% discount, or 20% more for | | | | ad. Does that mean you will save 15% on your |
| a 50% discount (Some discount if you end up | | | | AT&T advertising? Of course not. You have to |
| spending more.)The amounts of the discounts | | | | spend $1 dollar more than last year to get the |
| vary from directory to directory. The more | | | | 15% discount. You accomplish this by buying |
| successful AT&T is at selling new advertising and | | | | additional advertising in the same directory.Heading |
| renewing existing advertising in a given directory, | | | | Growth (H.G.): Any heading not in AT&T's top one |
| the less the discounts. Sonoma County's AT&T | | | | hundred revenue-producing headings with no ad |
| directory discounts are considerably less than San | | | | larger than a DHC (quarter page) receives 50% |
| Jose's, which indicates that San Jose is a tougher | | | | off of full rate.The rules to be eligible for any |
| area for AT&T to sell advertising in. (AT&T has | | | | discount offers:To receive any discount you have |
| competition from both Verizon and Valley Yellow | | | | to buy an ad in AT&T's internet The minimum |
| Pages in San Jose, but only from Valley Yellow | | | | cost is $40 a month, but most ads run from $79 |
| Pages in Sonoma.)Here is AT&T's 2006/07 | | | | to $350 a month. Every discount offer depends |
| discount program:Full price: You pay full rate for | | | | upon the advertiser spending more every year in |
| your ad. In every display ad size there are three | | | | the Yellow Pages and maintaining their internet |
| different prices: black and yellow with or without | | | | listing.One thing to consideration if selecting either |
| spot color, white knockout with spot color, and | | | | the VAE or the VAP discount is what will your |
| white knockout process color. The only people | | | | advertising eventually cost. There is no |
| paying full price for a display ad are long-time | | | | guaranteed price that either a VAE or VAP |
| advertisers who have not changed their ad in at | | | | discounted ad will cost next year. I have asked an |
| least three years, and advertisers who have | | | | AT&T sales manager what the increase will be |
| downsized their ad.Value Ad Enhanced (VAE): This | | | | next year and he said he wasn't sure. Historically |
| is the largest discount offered (percentage off of | | | | AT&T/SBC has increased first year discounts by |
| the full price of an ad.) To be eligible for this | | | | 12% in following years till full rate (now Loyalty |
| discount you must increase spending by 20% | | | | rate) is reached.The problem for all AT&T |
| over last year's contract. The amount of the | | | | advertisers is that there are no price lists available. |
| discount varies from directory to directory. In | | | | You are at the mercy of the sales rep to tell you |
| Contra Costa Central and San Jose the VAE | | | | what an ad costs. Do you think a sales person |
| discount is 50%, Simi Valley 55%, and San Diego | | | | would fib about a price if it would increase their |
| 45% off of full rate.Value Ad Pricing (VAP): To be | | | | commission?Before your publisher sales rep |
| eligible for this discount you must increase | | | | arrives you should have a stratagey to take |
| spending by 10% over last year's contract. This | | | | advantage of the new discounts. |