Direct Response in Television Commercials: Super Bowl XXXIV

Conclusions

Millions of consumers are exposed to toll-free numbers on a daily basis, leading to their acceptance as a common advertising element. Their use in television advertising will continue to grow.

Of the numbers used, vanity 800 numbers will continue to predominate. The findings of this study confirm traditional wisdom regarding toll-free numbers — consumers are most familiar with the 800 prefix. While consumers have had 30 years to familiarize themselves with 800, they have only been exposed to 888 for the last few years, and 877 for the last few months. The 888 and 877 prefixes, understandably, will never catch up.

With fewer consumers aware of the additional prefixes, the vast majority of advertisers continue using the original toll-free exchange to eliminate user confusion and misdialing (i.e., dialing 800 instead of 888 or 877). It is likely that smaller and newer advertisers use 888 and 877 numbers because they do not have the resources of national advertisers in securing easy-to-remember 800 numbers. Likely using vanity 800 numbers whenever they can secure one, many choose a vanity 888 or 877 number, so they can at least have a vanity number. There is no question that if the vanity 800 number corresponding to their 888 or 877 number became available, they would use it instead. Indeed, when the 888 numbers were originally made available, many of them were claimed by companies who were already using their 800 prefix equivalent — a safeguard called self-replication. This trend will likely continue as the prefixes 866, 855, etc. are rolled out.

Published February 1, 2000
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