Statistical Highlights Overview - Research Studies

2007-2008 Consumer Recall Rates in Advertising:

• Advertisers can expect up to 84% improvement in consumer recall using a vanity 800 number in outdoor and print advertising vs. a numeric toll-free number.

• Consumers are 9x more likely to recall vanity 800 numbers in broadcast ads vs. numeric toll-free numbers.

• 72% of consumers correctly recalled a vanity 800 number after hearing one 30-second radio ad compared to just 5% who correctly recalled a 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 identify 800 as toll-free, vs. 70%, 56% and 55% recognizing 888, 877, and 866 as toll-free, respectively.

Television Advertising, Toll-free and Vanity Numbers:

• 82% of phone numbers in TV ads are toll-free.

• 74% of toll-free numbers in TV ads begin with the original 800 toll-free prefix, over 866, 877, or 888.

• 64% of toll-free numbers used in TV advertising are vanity toll-free phone numbers.

Toll-free Number Usage by Industry in TV Ads:

• 100% of TV ads for lodging, real estate, transportation, and clothing industries that feature phone numbers use 800 toll-free numbers as a direct response mechanism.

• 87% of automotive TV ads with toll-free phone numbers use vanity toll-free numbers!

Radio Advertising & Toll-free Numbers:

• Radio ads featuring a vanity 800 number yield 58% more calls than an identical radio ad using a numeric toll-free.

• Almost 60% of study subjects recall a vanity 800 number after hearing only one time.

• Over 95% of the subjects recognize the 800 prefix as toll-free.

• 20% of respondents still do not know that 888 is a toll-free prefix, and only 18% know that 866 is.

Toll-free Number Usage by Industry in Radio Ads:

• 72% of ads on the radio for telecommunications use toll-free numbers.

• 63% of radio ads for both beauty and banking/credit feature toll-free numbers.

• 60% of radio ads for the insurance industry use toll-free numbers.

• 58% of travel related advertisements on the radio use toll-free numbers.

Billboard Advertising, Toll-free and Vanity Numbers:

• 50% of surveyed billboards displayed either a telephone number or an Internet address.

• Over 70% of the total telephone numbers used on billboards are toll-free.

• 75% of the total toll-free numbers used on billboards are vanity toll-free numbers.

Fortune 500 Companies Use Toll-free & Vanity Numbers:

• 43% percent of all the companies on the FORTUNE 500SM list have a vanity number.

• 93% of all the companies with a toll-free number have one with the 800 prefix.

• 50% of all the companies with a toll-free number have at least one vanity number.

By industry, there are some leaders in using toll-free numbers as response mechanisms:

• 94% percent of financial companies use toll-free numbers.

• 75% of insurance providers use toll-free numbers.

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