Advanced Marketing Techniques

April 22, 2008 -- Over 1,000 phonebooks were recycled at the Earth Day grand opening for GreenCountry.com, an online directory service for Tulsa, Bartlesville, and northeastern Oklahoma. Xeal Precision Marketing sponsored the event in partnership with Community Club Awards (CCA).

"We had some people show up to our office with vans full of phone books," said Tony D. Baker, creator of GreenCountry.com and host of Results Radio Show. "Many of them were still shrink-wrapped. I think this goes to show how many people just aren't using the phone book anymore."

Baker created the GreenCountry.com directory as a local alternative to phone book advertising. "In a recent Nielson survey of U.S. consumers, over 70 percent prefer using search engines over traditional phone books," said Baker. "It's time for businesses to recycle phone book advertising and start reaching customers online."

For each phone book turned in, groups gained points towards cash rewards through Community Club Awards, a partnership formed between Journal Broadcast Group, local 501(c)(3) nonprofits and local business owners.

"I think that the results are just overwhelming for the first year. We had no idea," said Margaret Ames, CCA program director.

Phone book donations came into the GreenCountry.com launch party from dozens of groups such as Ripley Project Graduation, a parent-driven organization of Ripley Public Schools who has been a part of CCA for over eight years.

"We put on a graduation party for seniors who are graduating. We try to give them a safe place to go. This will go towards the class of 2009," said Jimmie Sue Blose, founder of Ripley Project Graduation.

Many other groups showed up to donate phone books, including the Oklahoma Women's Christian Association, Friendship Chapter OES # 492, Operation Hope, Taking Off PoundS (T.O.P.S.) # 667, and several local churches.

Angela Smith of Sand Springs Chef brought in 101 phonebooks, while Richard and Peggy Ziglar of NEATS brought in 275 phonebooks.

GreenCountry.com is owned by Xeal Inc.

Contact:
Tony Baker
918-491-4731

High Resolution Photos
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