RESPONSE MARKETING GROUP STUDY FINDS CONSUMERS RETAIN VANITY NUMBERS, ASSOCIATE 'TOLL-FREE' WITH 800 EXCHANGE

Vanity phone numbers recalled by 58% of consumers, majority do not recognize 888, 877, 866 exchanges as 'toll-free'

(PRWEB) June 28, 2002 -- A new study conducted by Response Marketing Group documents consumers' ability to retain toll-free numbers used as a direct response mechanism in radio advertising. The results confirm the value of vanity numbers as an advertising response tool and highlight the extent to which consumers continue to associate 'toll-free' with the 800 toll-free exchange.

The results show that vanity numbers (numbers that spell words, like 800-NEW-SALES) offer significant advantages to advertisers. After listening to a radio spot only one time, 58% of the subjects could recall a vanity toll-free number. This compared favorably with 'hybrid' numbers (combinations like 800-639-HOME), which were recalled by 44% of subjects, and especially numerics, which only 8% of respondents could remember. The impact of particular toll-free exchanges on number retention was also measured. While 58% of respondents could recall a vanity number using the 800 exchange, numbers from the newer toll-free exchanges -- 888, 877, 866 -- could be recalled by only 41% of the subjects of the study.

'Telephone Number Recall in Radio Advertising' also measured consumers' recognition of the 800, 888, 877, and 866 exchanges as 'toll-free'. While 95% of subjects recognized the 800 exchange as toll-free, this trailed off for the newer toll-free exchanges. The 888 exchange, which has been in use the longest of the three new exchanges, was still not recognized as toll-free by 20% of the subjects. Recognition diminished dramatically for the newer exchanges -- '877' was not recognized as toll-free by 67% of subjects, and 82% did not recognize '866' as toll-free.

"This is a groundbreaking piece of research," said Laura Noonan, Vice President of Marketing at Response Marketing Group. "From our own experience, we know that people hear 'toll-free' and instinctively dial '800, even when the number uses one of the newer toll free exchanges. We also wanted to quantify how people retain numeric, hybrid, and vanity numbers in a real world, advertising context. This is the first study that specifically examines these questions, and the findings are of considerable interest to anyone using vanity and toll-free numbers as direct response tools."

Response Marketing Group has been providing interactive marketing and telecommunications services since 1990. The principals of Response have over 30 years experience in the industry and are continually developing new and innovative ways for businesses to market their products and services.