Directory Publishing

The fall of the Database and Directory Publishing industry over the five years to 2022 has been driven by the sustained migration from print to digital advertising, as the industry historically generated the majority of its revenue from the sale of advertisement space in printed publications. Print advertising expenditure, which drives demand for advertising space in directories, is expected to fall at an annualized rate of 12.2% over the five years to 2022.Forced to focus on digital presence, the industry has experienced even more intense competition from online search engines and social media platforms, limiting the industry's digital advertisement sales. As a result, over the five years to 2022, industry revenue is expected to erode at an annualized rate of 8.0% to $3.7 billion, including a projected drop of 4.5% in 2022, as the industry continues to struggle in the wake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.