Significantly Higher Ad Recall for Vanity vs. Numeric 800 Numbers
Advertisers can expect an 84% improvement in recall rates for vanity 800 numbers vs. numeric phone numbers shown in visual media (TV, billboard, print) - and a much more significant 9-times higher recall rate in the case of audio (radio) ads, according to a recent study.
The study, conducted by Infosurv, e-Rewards and 800response, sought to determine the consumer recall rates of vanity 800 numbers compared with recall rates of numeric toll-free phone numbers that are used in visual and audio advertisements.
Among other findings of the study:
- Some 65% of survey respondents were able to correctly recall the vanity 800 number that was featured in a visual advertisement.
- Over 72% of consumers correctly recalled the vanity 800 number after hearing one 30-second radio advertisement, compared with just 5% of consumers who correctly recalled the numeric toll-free number:
- 58% of consumers prefer to dial a vanity 800 number vs. a numeric toll-free to reach a local business.
- 94% of consumers surveyed could identify 800 as toll-free, vs. 70%, 56% & 55% recognizing 888, 877, and 866 as toll-free, respectively.
Jan 28-08
January 29th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
the best place in my opinion to obtain your own toll free numbers is at http://www.tollfreenumber.org
February 1st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
I’ve worked with toll free vanity numbers and gotten tens of thousands of vanity numbers for customers over the past 12 years. And as much as I love and want to promote toll free numbers, if you cherry pick the best situations like this you can certainly make it look this good. But I think it’s very short sided to promote cleverly worded studies like this that are designed to suggest that users may receive 70% increases in response.
When you read the wording very closely it doesn’t promise anything. But this is written by a very Clinton-esq writer to “suggest†that you’ll get 50 to 70% higher response without quite saying that. I promote vanity numbers but I think it’s irresponsible to say things that make anybody’s toll free numbers seem like the magic. The people that do this aren’t fooling anyone and they cheapen their own services.
Yes, it will increase your response rate. But statistics that are designed by the people selling them are about as fair and one sided as their terms of service that say they can cancel your service for any reason at any time. Anyone that needs hype like this to sell their service needs to work more and hype less.
Bill Quimby, President of Toll Free Numbers.com