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Tower Group - New Zealand |
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| Tower Group (formerly Government Life Insurance) is one of New Zealand’s biggest financial services organisations. A subsidiary identified a problem in that its prospects, customers and even its own staff and agents were becoming confused by a multiplicity of phone numbers. So the decision was made to standardise on a single number that would be easily remembered by its own people and of course those they serve. They settled on the number 0800 4 TOWER. |
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| "The criterion for the selection of the number was simple enough," recalls senior executive Michael Downing. "Was it easy to remember?" It was, and the simple standardised number has replaced 30 or so other numbers that all eventually lead to the same destination. |
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| According to Downing the new number has generated a clear sense of efficiency and eliminated the frustration and irritation previously experienced in getting through to the right division. |
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| One Exposure, Incredible Response |
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| In 1994, soon after the launch of word numbers in the United States the Earth Communications Office (Eco), using limited funds, ran a small environmental campaign, using a word number, at a number of movie theatres throughout the country. |
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| Although word numbers were then relatively new to the public Eco decided to chance it, recognising that very few (if any) people would write a number down in a darkened movie theatre, let alone remember it after the movie. |
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| Incredibly, and exceeding all expectations, ten thousand people were sufficiently motivated to remember the word number, and respond to the advert, with neither prior notice of its showing, nor writing materials to record it. |
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