Friday's Finest: New Apps Need Memorable Numbers

It's an interesting part of marketing life that even hot new apps rely on tried and trusted marketing techniques, to communicate value and expand beyond the first handful of fans that make up their user base. Okay, so Zipcar might struggle to describe itself as a "new app" after 15 years in existence, but it is certainly a new way of renting cars for most drivers. It's also one that is relying on a memorable toll-free number to help its subscribers, to the extent that the company uses the vanity number 1-866-4ZIPCAR as the primary contact button on the members' section of its website. This is a simple example of a solid vanity number, with the toll-free element showing that 866 toll-free numbers are the equal of their 800 number originators, and the "for Zipcar" translation to digits a simple but effective combination of brand and call to action. These are all brand advantages, but perhaps you don't see them as standing out among the other Friday's Finest numbers we have featured throughout the year? Well, the important point here is that a more memorable number is important for any business you can imagine. Whether your business is based on an industry that has been around for decades or a is driving a completely new way of working, such as the sharing economy that Zipcar exemplifies, you need a memorable contact point. Connecting with customers should be easy and seamless, which is why vanity numbers stand the test of time, from online advertising to the traditional channels in which they first excelled.