Toll-free Numbers in Television Advertising

Executive Summary

Introduction

The use of toll-free numbers continues to grow, with $135 billion in goods and services being traded over toll-free lines in 1995.(1) Consumers have incorporated toll-free numbers into their daily lives, and now expect organizations to have one.(2)

A toll-free number offers three main advantages to a company:

• improved customer satisfaction, leading to brand loyalty and increased sales
• reduced customer service costs
• increased customer information, leading to improved product/service design, production, and delivery(3,4)

Findings

Nearly a quarter of all television commercials use a toll-free number as a response mechanism. The favorite is still the vanity 800 number.

Industries using toll-free numbers most often are real estate, telecommunications, and lodging. Favored programming vehicles are game shows, movies, and local news. Toll-free numbers are used most frequently in 120 and 60 second commercials. Late Afternoon/Early Evening is the top time slot. Internet address listings are also becoming prominent.

Conclusions

The use of toll-free numbers in television advertising will continue to grow, with vanity 800 numbers predominating. Millions of consumers are exposed to vanity 800 numbers on a daily basis, leading to their further acceptance as a standard advertising tool.

Published September 8, 1998
Copyright © 1999, 800 Response. All rights reserved.

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