Neuromarketing Research Workshop – What Consumers See, Read and Pay Attention To
Members of Tampa Bay AMA had the opportunity to hear from Terry Cordova-Hewitt and Adrian Tennant, co-founders of BlueKite Insights. Blue Kite Insight provides its clients with a deeper look into the “why” of consumer decision-making. The technical term is neuromarketing, but this workshop better defined it as the study of human behavior and decision-making.
Whether marketers use traditional or digital marketing, neuromarketing can provide the evidence that is needed to choose the best communication strategies and tactics in the following media:
- TV Spots
- Mobile Sites and Apps
- Websites
- Social Media and Content Marketing
- Online Videos
- Audio and Radio Ads
Workshop attendees had the opportunity to submit brochures, emails, websites or TV spots for testing. BlueKite’s research methods analyzed how consumers reacted to various marketing assets on a visceral level. Results were presented during the workshop, providing attendees some practical applications and insights.
The three main research methods where:
- Eye-tracking
- Emotional and facial micro-expressions
- Galvanic Skin Response (GSR).
Eye-Tracking Methods
This research method allows marketers to see their brand, store or commercial through the eyes of their customers. It can answer questions like, Does product placement in ads or TV actually make people look more at the product? What are consumers actually looking at? Are they paying attention to the promotional copy?
For example, a direct mail piece submitted by the Home Shopping Network showed that consumers didn’t pay much attention to the product placement or fine print disclosures. Eye-tracking results revealed that consumers were drawn to add copy that read, Enjoy 20% off with code 17716, over everything else.
Emotions and Facial Micro-expressions
This method allows marketers to quantify emotion, attention, engagement and sentiment. This facial coding equipment can measure subtle, often subconscious, reactions to stimuli that hold information about how consumers feel about something. Even better, it can predict what behavior will follow said expressions. An example from John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital revealed that consumers reacted very positively to the interaction between a doctor and his pediatric patient. This type of research method provides answers to questions such as, “Does this design work for the intended audience and does this produce the desired action?”
Galvanic Skin Response and the Emotional Consumer State
You just finished an intense drama or horror film and even though it’s over, you may continue to experience a physical reactions like sweaty palms or a chill down your spine. This type of skin or electro-dermal response is one of the most sensitive markers for emotional arousal. BlueKite showed how a 15 second TV spot affected the focus group participants. The measures showed just how much joy, surprise or sadness a particular frame in the video produced from participants. This method provides marketers physiological and attitudinal data for deeper consumer insights.
We all know that telling compelling, relevant and unique stories is the key to building emotional relationships with our customers. Neuromarketing – the new science of marketing – shows us if we are effectively pulling at the heart strings of our customers, or simply scaring them away.
PODCAST – BlueKite Insight created a podcast answering many of the questions received from attendees during the workshop. Listen here.