OPTUS RESEARCH REVEALS DADS EXPECT MORE THAN JUST A TWEET THIS FATHER'S DAY

With 11.4 million Australians visiting Facebook in a month, social media continues to dominate the way we communicate**. However new research from Optus* has revealed getting closer to dad takes more than sending a tweet or Facebook message this Father’s Day.

Over half of Aussie dads (53%) don’t believe a social media message is sufficient and would expect something more with three quarters (75%) admitting they would prefer a text message to a Facebook message. Interestingly, 74% of social media obsessed Australians agree that posting a message on a social media network isn’t enough to truly wish dad a happy Father’s Day.

While finding the perfect Father’s Day gift is often a challenge, of those surveyed, a staggering 82% of Australian dads just want one simple present – a phone call from their son or daughter.

Encouragingly, it appears Aussie dads won’t be left disappointed come Father’s Day on 2nd September, as almost two thirds (64%) of Australian sons and daughters also feel that they simply need to pick up the phone to dad on Father’s Day.

Michael Smith, Managing Director of Marketing at Optus said, “Whether by phone or face to face, a quick hello goes a long way on Father’s Day. In an age where we can communicate with more people, faster than ever before, understanding the needs of our customers helps us facilitate connections in new and exciting ways.”

“We have recently launched an innovative range of pre-paid plans to help young Aussies stay closer to dad and connect to the family more easily. For the first time, Optus is offering minutes instead of dollar inclusions with our new Prepaid Social plans, so kids and dads can see exactly what value they are getting and easily keep track of their usage,” Mr Smith said.

For more information on this new range of plans, visitwww.optus.com.au/shop/prepaidmobile/prepaidoffers

Media Contacts:
For further information, please contact Bang PR on (02) 9018 2222
Gemma Sharp: gemma@bangpr.com.au
Katie Raleigh: katie@bangpr.com.au

*The Optus study was conducted amongst 1,046 Australians aged 10 years and over. Surveys were distributed throughout Australia including both capital city and non-capital city areas. Fieldwork commenced on 13th July and was completed on 17th July 2012. This study was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

**Nielsen Online Ratings results, May 2012