The Australian
8 September 2008
Simon Canning
AWARENESS of phone "names" has skyrocketed over the past two years, as advertisers shift from just using phone numbers.
Research by Roy Morgan shows more people are using alphanumeric keypads on phones and mobiles to link directly with businesses by dialling names rather than numbers.
While the use of names for dialling has jumped in all age groups, the 25 to 49-year-old age bracket is the most active in using names, according to the survey.
"While usage of phone names has increased across all age groups, the increase in phone name usage since 2006 has been largely among 25 to 49-year-olds who have seen almost a doubling of usage," Roy Morgan says.
The use of phone names has risen from 17 per cent to 32 per cent in the demographic over the past two years.
"The 2008 study shows that around a third of men and women have dialled a number using a phone name, and usage increased significantly among both groups."
The survey reveals that growth has been stronger among men.
Growth in the use of names has been highest in Victoria, up from 23 per cent to 43 per cent.
The survey also shows that 93 per cent of the population are now aware of phone names.
Pizza company Dominos is in the process of removing phone numbers from its marketing and signage, replacing it with the 1300 DOMINOS phone name.
The research revealed 25 per cent of people could recall the number without prompting.
This compares with just 8 per cent of people who could recall the number for Pizza Hut and 10 per cent for Eagle Boys Pizza.
"Six out of the top 10 advertisers were phone names," the survey says.