Talks of a merger agreement between the Yellow Pages Association (YPA) and Association of Directory Marketing (ADM) have been in works for quite some time, and the merger is now coming closer to a reality. Two weeks ago, board members from both organizations gave unanimous approval to merge the two organizations. With the board members’ approval, the merger now moves toward a vote from each organizations’ members. Members are expected to reach a vote by the end of November, and a merger seems all but imminent. The newly formed organization would become effective in January 2010.

So why merge the two organizations now after years of functioning as two separate entities? The two organizations have a long history of collaborating with each other and serve a common group of individuals. This has led to a great deal of overlap within the two organizations. In addition, with the media landscape and economy rapidly changing, the need for a more consolidated and focused effort to address the changes and educate Yellow Pages publishers and CMRs alike has become a pressing issue. YPA’s president, Neg Norton, released the following statements on the merger:

“Today, our members are evolving from single-product to multi-platform advertising companies that help local and national businesses generate relevant sales leads across print, digital, mobile, social and other mediums. With the changes in our industry, it only makes sense for us to also transform the associations that represent them.”

The merger is definitely a step in the right direction for the Yellow Pages industry. The combined efforts of the two organizations will create one common voice and a foundation to support and educate those involved in the industry, which can only benefit the advertisers in this space. If the merger is approved, the new association will become the largest local search trade organization in the world, representing 90 percent of the United States and Canadian Yellow Pages industry. With the support and guidance of an organization as large and as qualified as such, as members, we will be able to continue to offer clients the expertise and research behind the evolving Yellow Pages industry.

Read more about the pending merger of two of the leading Yellow Pages organizations.