MEDIA RELEASE 31 AUGUST 2012
Don’t Forget to Call Dad This Sunday!
With Father’s Day just around the corner, an independent survey carried out this week has revealed that one in three
adult children across New Zealand have forgotten to call their dad on Father’s Day*.
This year however there is no excuse, because between 7am and 9pm this Father’s Day, (Sunday, 2 September) Kiwis can
call their dads for free from a Telecom payphone anywhere across the country.
According to the Father’s Day survey conducted by Telecom, Northland has the highest volume of people forgetting
Father’s Day at 50.6%. The West Coast was identified as the South Island capital of forgetful callers at 36.4% with
children in the Manawatu coming up as the most dutiful, at 70.7%, closely followed by Nelson (70.4%).
Jason Paris, Telecom’s Chief Marketing Officer, says those stuck for a present for dad should never underestimate the
gesture of a simple call.
“Our survey revealed that a whopping 84% of Kiwi dads would prefer a phone call to a present on Father’s Day."
Dads may have a reputation for being a bit tough to talk to on the phone so Telecom asked what were the top conversation
starters between Dads and their children.
Telecom found that when talking to Dad, at least one in three use the weather as a conversation starter, closely
followed by talking about Mum (28%) and then the rugby (22%). The majority of respondents also picked “other” as an
option for conversation starters including health, golf, work, grandkids and whether Dad has heard from the other kids
on his special day as the most popular subjects (nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry on Father’s Day!) So keep it
simple, and be the first of the family to call your dad from a Telecom payphone this Sunday!
With 3,171 pay phones across the country, and national calls being free from 7am until 9am this Sunday, there is no
excuse!
ENDS
*Independent survey by 3Di, commissioned by Telecom. Based on 2984 respondents.