Persuasive Advertising - J. Scott Armstrong [151]
Evidence on the effects of informative color
Support for the use of color was provided in the following experiments involving the Yellow Pages:
Informative color led to a much higher likelihood of product selection than did attention-getting color in two Yellow Pages experiments. In a mall-intercept study, 601 subjects saw six simulated Yellow Pages ads for florists or caterers. Products in ads with attention-getting color were 20 percent more likely to be a subject’s first choice than were products in B&W with no color. However, products in ads with product-related color (e.g., flowers, colors of fabrics) were twice as likely to be selected as the first choice than products in ads in which color was merely used to gain attention (Fernandez and Rosen 2000).
In another Yellow Pages experiment, subjects saw ads for eight product categories that they commonly used. When the products were shown with informative color, they were more likely to be selected than when the ad was in B&W (Lohse and Rosen 2001).
Our analysis of quasi-experimental data supported the use of color:
Print ads with informative colors had slightly better recall and persuasion. Our WAPB analysis found 16 pairs of ads in which one ad used color to provide information, while the other did not. Recall for the informative color ads was 1.06 times better than the other ads.
An examination of 13 non-experimental studies comparing color illustrations with B&W ads found that color drew more attention in all studies. Color improved comprehension in three of the four studies in which it was assessed. Also, color led to more thought in five of ten studies, with five showing negligible differences (Finn 1988).
7.12. Ad consistency
The elements of an ad should reinforce one another. Consistency in the message, tone, format, and style makes it easier for customers to understand and recall ads. It is especially important for low-involvement products because the reinforcements help to clarify the message for people who are paying little attention. In addition, consistency among the elements of an ad helps customers who encounter an ad that is not in their primary language.
7.12.1. Make elements of an ad reinforce one another
The headline, brand name, picture, camera angle, logo, tone, copy, font, word sounds, colors, and layout should be consistent with one another. This will reduce the likelihood that people will misperceive the message.
This principle is widely accepted in advertising. In our WAPB analysis, we found that of the 480 full-page print ads by leading U.S. firms, 97 percent had elements that were consistent with each other.
Evidence on the effects of having the elements reinforce one another
A small-scale lab experiment supported the principle. It used ads in which the consistency of picture, brand name, and copy were varied. A fully consistent print ad had a picture of a bottle of Icy Vodka of Iceland. The copy, imposed on the bottle, read “ICY … Vodka of Iceland.” Some ads related two items, such as Budget auto rentals having low prices. In one experiment, ten male and ten female subjects saw 15 slides of fashion ads for eight seconds per slide. The ads said “_____ women. They all wear ____.” Descriptive adjectives were placed in the first space and brand names in the second. Ads with relations among all three elements—picture, brand name, and copy—resulted in better (unaided) recall than those in which only two elements were related. Ads were especially effective when the picture was one of the consistent elements (Schmitt et al. 1993).
Our analysis of quasi-experimental data provides further support for consistency:
Ads with reinforcing elements had substantially better recall. Our WAPB analysis found 12 pairs of ads in which one ad had elements that were consistent with each other, while the other did not. Recall for the ads with consistent elements was 1.42 times better than the other ads.
7.13. Disclaimers and corrective advertising
Disclaimers are used to tell customers what the