PROOF: Study on the Effectiveness of Vanity Toll-Free Numbers

1-800-Vanity Number on Radio Gets 14x More Calls Than a Numeric

- IBC Toll Free News- January 20, 1999

Vanity phone numbers dramatically increase advertising response rates, according to a new study. The results of this study are overwhelming evidence that vanity numbers are truly indispensable.

Burlington, VT US - (ICB TOLL FREE NEWS) Vanity phone numbers dramatically increase advertising response rates, according to a new study by Michael J. Motto Advertising in New Providence, NJ. The study found that radio ads with a vanity 800 number drew fourteen times more calls than those with a numeric 800 number.

Vanity numbers are those that translate into words for easy recall.

"The results of this study not only confirm conventional wisdom that vanity numbers draw more calls, they remove even the slightest doubt," said Sandra Murray, president of Response Marketing Group, Burlington, VT, the marketing firm that provided the shared-use vanity 800 numbers used in the study. Michael Motto, president of Motto Advertising, added, "I've always recommended easy-to-remember numbers for my clients, but the results of this study are overwhelming evidence that vanity numbers are truly indispensable."

The ads were produced for Denville Nissan in Denville, NJ. "It's very easy for listeners to remember vanity numbers," said Bobby Bonser, general manager. "They also stick in their minds longer callers heard the number on their way to work and remembered it until they could get to a phone."

The ads ran on WDHA FM in Cedar Knolls, NJ. Mike Cassidy, senior account executive, said he encourages advertisers who use a phone number to use one that's easy to remember. "My advice is, if it's not memorable, stay away from it," he said.

The study, Toll-free Numbers in Radio Advertising, ran 66 radio ads on equal rotation, half with a numeric 800 number, and half with the number 800-NEW-WHEELS. The 60 second ads ran from Saturday, December 26, 1998 to Friday, January 1, 1999 on WDHA, Jersey's Rock Radio 105.5 FM.

THE STUDY

Study Results - January 1999

Abstract

Effective use of toll-free numbers can substantially increase advertising response rates. The results of this study, focusing on the use of toll-free numbers in radio advertising, show that an advertisement using a toll-free vanity number (a number that translates into words for easy recall) yields 14 times more phone calls than an advertisement using a toll-free numeric number. Sixty-seven percent of these calls are local calls (originating from the same area code). Findings

"Vanity" Toll-free Number
Phone Number: 800-NEW-WHEELS
Number of Ads: 33
Length of Ads: 60 seconds
Ratio of Phone Calls to Numeric: 14 to 1
Percentage of Phone Calls: 93%
Numeric Toll-free Number
Phone Number: 800-465-7643
Number of Ads: 33
Length of Ads: 60 seconds
Ratio of Phone Calls to Mnemonic: 1 to 14
Percentage of Phone Calls: 7%
Dates of Study: Saturday, December 26, 1998 - Friday, January 1, 1999
Methodology: Commercials were rotated equally throughout all day parts. Calls were tracked and recorded electronically.
Radio Station: WDHA 105.5 FM, Cedar Knolls, NJ
Client: Denville Nissan, Denville, NJ
Source of Toll-free Numbers: Response Marketing Group, Burlington, VT

Author/Correspondent's Profile: Judith Oppenheimer , Publisher, ICB Toll Free (800/888) News