A multiple factor analysis of advertising readership

Abstract

34 advertising variables were defined, measured, and correlated with readership scores for 137 advertisements in the Feb., 1950 issue of the American Builder . Criteria were obtained from the Advertising Research Foundations's Continuing Studies of business magazine readership. 2 factors were found to have major loadings on Readership. They were a Pictorial-Color factor and a Size factor. They accounted for 53% of the variance in readership. Using 4 additional factors, two-thirds of the observed variance in readership scores of the advertisements was accounted for. A regression equation was developed to predict readership in other publications. Predicted readership scores were correlated with actual readership scores, and these validity coefficients ranged from .58 to .80 with an average r of .71. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)