It wasn’t that long ago that registering a brand as a domain name for a website was an innovative form of branding. This has now become so common that the availability of a desired domain name can be decisive in the choice of a name for a new brand or product.

Besides domain names, we have seen a new branding trend in recent years: the use of name numbers. This type of number has been used abroad for years. For example, in America, advertising is no longer conceivable without a name number.

But now the Netherlands also seems to be ready for it. In this article, we want to talk about how you too can use a name number within your marketing strategies. How does name calling work?

Brand awareness and your service number

Name numbers are ordinary telephone numbers that are easy to remember because the numbers form a word or name. The 0800 number of the Belfabriek, for example, can easily be dialed as 0800-BELFABRIEK. If you want to know more about how this works exactly, read this article about name calling.

This way, not only is your website easy to remember, but also the telephone number of your customer service, for example. Besides for your brand name, you can also use a name number to clearly indicate which service you offer via the number.

For example, the information number of the supermarket giant Lidl is 0800-LIDLINFO. A service number or company number can also help you to strengthen your slogan and thus give your company a professional image. For example, Canon Netherlands has chosen 0800-CANON4U.

With name numbers, the letters of the alphabet are distributed as follows: ABC (2) DEF (3) GHI (4) JKL (5) MNO (6) PQRS (7) TUV (8) WXYZ (9).

Effectiveness of a name number

That name numbers can be very effective is shown by the example of the Australian Motor Finance Wizard, which chose 1300-CARLOAN as its name number. Since the company has been using this number in its advertising campaign, the number of telephone calls has increased from 445 per month to between 7,500 and 10,000 per month.

What kind of name number do I choose?

Of course, you don’t necessarily have to use your company name for your name number. If you don’t think a brand number is suitable, there are plenty of alternatives. By responding to your slogan, by using humor, rhyme or a catchy name, you ensure that your name number sticks.

Is my name number still available?

Name numbers are registered in the same way as ‘ordinary’ service numbers; namely on a “first come, first served” basis. Many general terms such as ‘plumber’ and ‘dry cleaner’ have now been registered as name numbers.

To find out if your favorite name number is still available, go to our service number shop and type in the desired word. Within a few seconds, you will know if your desired name number is still available.

Please note: you pay the same for the name numbers as for the ‘ordinary’ business service numbers. This means you also enjoy the same extras such as a choice menu, voicemail by e-mail, a virtual call center and much more.

Conclusion: Name numbers as a powerful branding tool

Name numbers are an innovative and effective way of branding, comparable to the impact that domain names had with the rise of the internet. Here, numbers are converted into recognizable words, as can be seen with 0800-BELFABRIEK. Customers remember this type of telephone number much more easily. This lowers the threshold for telephone contact.

The way in which numbers are converted to letters corresponds to the numbers on a keyboard, which makes name calling intuitive and user-friendly. In an era in which mobile telephony is dominant, name numbers offer a distinctive way to stand out and increase brand awareness.