ROP Color and Its Effect on Newspaper Advertising - American ...

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<strong>ROP</strong> <strong>Color</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Its</strong> <strong>Effect</strong> on Newspaper
Advertising
BURLEIGH B. GARDNER
<strong>and</strong>
YEHUDI A. COHEN*
y The authon report a riudy of reactions to four department store ads, two with color <strong>and</strong> two black
<strong>and</strong> whit*. The adi with color evoked more positive reactions to the merch<strong>and</strong>ise <strong>and</strong> were more often
identified with higher status stores.
In recent years, improvements in color printing have
made it possible for newspapers to offer run-of-press
color to advertisers. As the quality of the color printing
has improved, advertisers have been attracted by possibilities
but the additional cost has made them hesitate.
Furthermore, even at its best, the color reproduction on
newsprint has been poor compared to that seen in
magazines with coated stock. As a result, there has
been a considerable amount of research directed to the
question of whether <strong>ROP</strong> color contributes to the effectiveness
of the ad.
One of the most comprehensive studies was conducted
by the Milwaukee Jottmal in 1957. It used split
runs, that is, every other copy of the paper carried an
ad in color, with the same ad in black <strong>and</strong> white appearing
in the alternate copies. Using the Starch technique,
it tested claimed recall the day after the ads appeared
<strong>and</strong> then five days later. The results showed both increased
readership <strong>and</strong> increased retention of color compared
to black <strong>and</strong> white [1].
As part of a series of studies investigating color in
both newspapers <strong>and</strong> magazines. Social Research, Inc.
tried to answer these questions:
1. Does the addition of color significantly change the
reaction to an ad?
2. Is this change favorable to the advertiser?
To explore these questions, a variety of techniques
were used to measure both the rational evaluation of
the ad, or product, <strong>and</strong> the emotional reactions which
would infiuence feelings toward the product. This article
reports on one special study of technical interest <strong>and</strong>
one also quite dramatic in its results.
* Burieigh Gardner is presi(fent of Sodal Research. Mr.
Cohoi is a research associate with the same organizatkm. The
authcHS want to thank dw Chicago Daily News <strong>and</strong> 6» CMcago
Sun-Times for permission to publish ttiese findings.
THE STUDY
By chance a single issue of the Chicago Daily News
contained four ads for women's <strong>and</strong> girls' coats. Two of
the ads showed coats in color (both a bright shade of
red), <strong>and</strong> two were in black <strong>and</strong> white. The black <strong>and</strong>
white ads were by high status stores <strong>and</strong> the color ads
by lower status stores. We used this opportunity to test
reactions to color in similar but not identical ads <strong>and</strong> for
similar merch<strong>and</strong>ise, despite the unavoidable possibility
of interaction between store status <strong>and</strong> use of color.
With these ads the following questions were explored:
1. Will women feel that the coats in color are more
desirable than those in black <strong>and</strong> white?
2. Will tbe coats from the higher status stores be more
attractive <strong>and</strong> desirable than those from the lower
status stores?
3. Will the use of color affect the status evaluation of
those stores?
A two-stage study with a simple open-end discussion
questioimaire was used with women in their homes. In
the first stage the women went through a copy of the
paper <strong>and</strong> looked at the ads. In the second stage the
names of the stores <strong>and</strong> other identifying details were
masked. This gave one set of interviews in which the
name of the store was apparent <strong>and</strong> one set without the
infiuence of the names.
The order of viewing was reversed in alternate interviews
to reduce possible bias due to order of exposure;
that is, one woman would he asked to go througji the
paper from front to back <strong>and</strong> the next woman would
go through it from back to front. Since the black <strong>and</strong>
white ads appeared before the color ads, this alternated
the exposure to black-\^te first <strong>and</strong> color first.
This test differed from split-nm tests or portfolio tests
in several r^pects. In split-run tests, si^j«:ts are exposed
to the ad as it normally appears in the paper.
However, each version (rf an ad is e:qx>sed to diffoent
subjects. In portfolio tests subjects are customarily
shown die ads mounted in a portfolio—not as tbey
normally appear in tia i»W8papn.

THE EFFECT OF <strong>ROP</strong> COLOR NEWSPAPER ADVBITISING 69
This test was intermediate between the two techniques
since the ads were in their actual newspaper
setting <strong>and</strong> the women were asked to discuss the ad
as they went throi^ the newspaper. This approximates
the way they normally read ads.
The following interview guide was used:
"There are several ads for Fall coats <strong>and</strong> suits, especially
for college giils, in this paper. I'd like you to
go through the paper <strong>and</strong> look at the ads, pretending
you are planning to go shopping with some girl or
young woman. As you look at these ads, tell me which
items seem most attractive <strong>and</strong> which items seem least
attractive."
"Of these four ads, which one do you like the best?
Why that one?"
In the second version of this study three questions
were added, as follows:
"If you were thinking of buying a coat or a suit in
which of these stores would you expect to find something
that you would like? Why?"
"In which would you least expect to find something?
Why?"
"For each of the four ads which store do you think
that the ad is from? If you don't know just guess."
The sample characteristics for each stage are shown
in Table 1.
Age
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-55
Total
Social class
Upper middle
Lower middle
Upper lower
Total
Table I
CHARACTERISTICS OF SAMPLE MEMBERS
Educational level
Less than high school graduate
High school graduate
Some college or college graduate
Total
Stage 1
24
30
19
3
76
17
35
24
76
N
II
37
28
76
Stage II
36
34
26
10
106
17
44
45
(06
N
12
62
32
With these data we could examine both the ratings of
the stores <strong>and</strong> ads <strong>and</strong> the qualitative tone of the way
the wcmen talked about the ads.
THE FINDINGS
The rraults can be summarized as follows:
106
<strong>Color</strong> increases status. Among the women shown the
ads with the stores names blocked out, 79, or 74 percent
expressed preference for the color ads. When asked to
name the stores only, 13 percent correctiy identified
the store with the color ads. Of the balance, 70 percent
attributed the color ads to high status stores.
<strong>Color</strong> makes the merch<strong>and</strong>ise <strong>and</strong> the ad more interesting
<strong>and</strong> attractive. This is shown in the comments
about the ads <strong>and</strong> in the preference rating.
In the comments, the women generally used words
expressing excitement, attraction, <strong>and</strong> feelings, such
as love, like, beautiful, smart, exciting, etc. In contrast,
such words rarely appeared in the comments on
the black <strong>and</strong> white ads. These differences are illustrated
by the following remarks:
"I like the A ad. I think the color strikes you. You
are more apt to notice it because of the color. B is
the same, only it's not a full page. If the X ad was in
color this would be a great ad. I like the A for color but
X for the layout."
"Price means a lot to girls going to college whether
you want to admit it or not. Of all the ads, the Y one
seems to bear this out. If it were in color, of course, it
would be much more colorful."
"Gee! That's a nice coat. It's almost the nicest ad
I have seen. I like the color—^it's nice. I like this
color ad—it makes me feel good. ... If the other
two ads are in color, why isn't X's?"
"I remember seeing this ad. At the time, I thou^t
it was a most attractive ad. The color is most attractive.
It is a good ad. I like it <strong>and</strong>, you know, I don't know
why I like it. This (A) is a nice ad, too. I like the
color. It is a truly good ad. ... You know, after the
first two ads, this one (X) is a let-down. ... I am
sure this (Y) is a good ad. However, if it were in
color, it would be terrific."
"I like that one. I like the style <strong>and</strong> I like the color.
The red attracts me but it could be in any other color
<strong>and</strong> be attractive."
"It's different. The color is different <strong>and</strong> the color
is helpful in the ad. <strong>Color</strong> is always helpful. ... I
don't like the Y ad particularly. It leaves too much to
the imagination <strong>and</strong> you have to suppose its true
color. After the color ads, I did not like it."
"The X ad is good but somewhat of a let-down after
the two previous ads in color."
When asked to name the ads they liked <strong>and</strong> disliked
(without knowing the name of the stores) the
color ads were most preferred, as shown in Figure 1
on page 70.
<strong>Color</strong> <strong>and</strong> status interact to influence liking for the
ad, though the use of color appears to be a dominant
factor. When the names of the stores were known, the
black <strong>and</strong> white ads for the higher status stores were
rated somewhat better than when the stores were unknown.
However, when the names of the stores were
not known, preference for the color ads was appredably
higher than when the names of the stores were known.

70 JOUMMAL W AAAMCETMG RBEARCH, AAAY 1964
Prefer
color ads
Knew name of store (N = 76) 54 percent
IMd not know name of store (N = 106) 74 percent
Figure I
PERCENTAGES OF WOMEN UKING ADVERTISEMENT WHEN
ADVERTISER WAS KNOWN AND NOT KNOWN
HIGH
STATUS
STORES
BLACK
AND
WHITE
ADS
LOW
STATUS
STORES
COLOR
ADS
AD 1
AD 2
AD 3
AD4
mmm1
ADVERTISER NOT KNOWN
w
10 20 30
PERCENT
J ADVERTISER
Y/mmm.
KNOWN
40 50
CONCLUSIONS
This study goes b^ond i»evioiis recall stiuiies in
ezpkning the kinds ressions of interest in actually sraing
them.
These findings are consistent with some tests on
food advertising, which suggests that there may be
some general princq>les involved. But it is dearly
risky to draw general conclusions in this area from only
a few tests. Reactions to symbolic materials are so
complex that only after many experiments can we
claim to have established any principles. At this stage
we can be certain that color does make a difference
in reaction to an ad. We are accumulating evidence
that this difference is often favorable to the purpose
of the advertiser, <strong>and</strong> a next step is to investigate the
extent to which this difference is translated into buying
behavior.
REFERENCE
1. Colo<strong>ROP</strong>tics, Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Joumal, 1957.