Color vs. black and white

According to Readex Research, pinpointing the factors that guarantee an effective ad is difficult but one way to improve an ad's potential for success is by adding color. When readers were asked whether or not they thought an ad was Attention-Getting, on average 32 percent more respondents said "yes" to 1-page, 4-color ads than to 1-page, black and white ads. Comparing full color fractional ads to their black and white counterparts yielded similar results from the 1999-2007 Readex Research Ad Perception studies.

Even ads in coveted positions can suffer from the lack of color. When responding to a black and white ad on the inside back cover, one reader noted, "Add color to get attention. If questionnaire didn't ask about the ad, I probably wouldn't even look at it." The advertiser probably paid a hefty premium for the cover position, but may have negated its impact by failing to use color.

But according to Readex Research, when sound creative judgment and execution are used in design, any ad has the potential to succeed.