Why Wrong Color Choices Can Sap Mail Response

The print colors of your direct mail message are not just a matter of taste, they're a measurable part of response. The old 60-30-10 rule of direct mail response rightfully puts list testing and offer as top priorities, but creative choices can boost or sink their impact. Since small response increments can translate into significant dollars, it's worth thinking hard about the colors as well as the content of your call to action. There are many studies of direct-mail response to color and typography to help your decision-making, as we were reminded in a recent article by award-winning creative expert Carol Worthington-Levy. One basic, she notes, is that contrast rules. So black type on a white background will work better for getting customers to read and understand your message. As you reduce the contrast between type color and background, you reduce legibility and comprehension -- and response. But watch out: Testing finds that a reversed high contrast (white type on black) only works for a few words before people actually stop reading! For suggestions on where to find out more, see the full article at http://www.directmarketingiq.com/article/direct-marketing-best-practices-direct-mail-design-typography/1