CONVINCE WITH SIMPLE FONTS

Posted on Jul 08, 2010 - 09:47 AM

Whether you need to convince the shopper to enter a promotion or to try your Take recipe suggestions, you will likely be more successful if you describe the task and present the call to action in a simple, easy to read typeface.

Research by Hyunjin Song and Norbert Schwarz shows that the way we perceive information can be affected dramatically by how simple or complex the font is. In particular, their work found that a simple font was more likely to get the readers to make a commitment.

The researchers expected that the rate at which people would commit to an exercise regimen would depend on how long they thought the workout would take. A longer estimated time would represent a larger commitment, and people would be less likely to sign up.

They tested two groups of subjects. The first group saw the exercises described in a simple font, Arial, while the second group saw the exact same text presented in a harder to read font, Brush.

The subjects who read the instructions in Brush estimated that the regimen would take 15.1 minutes. Those who read the instructions in Arial estimated a mere 8.2 minutes. Unsurprisingly, the group that thought the exercise would take only 8 minutes was significantly more likely to commit to the regimen.

The clear marketing takeaway is that if you need to convince a shopper to perform some kind of task, you should present it in a simple, easy to read font. Combined with an easy to read type size and simple words and sentences, you will minimise the perceived effort needed to accomplish the task, and increase the success rate of your marketing collateral, in-store or otherwise.

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