Questionnaire colour and mail survey response rate

Gavin Thomas and Francis Buttle

A split run test was performed to assess the impact of mail questionnaire colour on response rates. A total of 4,250 questionnaires were mailed, half on pastel yellow paper stock and half on white, to organisational respondents.
  

Questionnaire Colour and Mail Survey Response Rate

Francis Buttle Cranfield University  andGavin Thomas Manchester Business School

INTRODUCTION

Improving mail survey response rates, reducing item omission, promoting rapid response and reducing response bias have long been concerns for marketing researchers. A very large number of variables have been tested for impact on levels of response (references to summary literature reviews are available from the first-named author). Reference was made to the impact of colour on questionnaire response rates as early as 1929. Reed (1929, p.142) wrote:

One of the first considerations [to obtain a high...

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