Neuromarketing

 Highway Advertising Efficacy & Eye-Tracking

Is government-managed advertising more effective than private advertising? Do drivers get the full impact of billboard advertising? What about their passengers? These are the questions that researchers wanted to answer and they utilized eye-tracking to conduct their research. See: NMBSA.com


Methodology

The following study utilized a boulevard and two highways with billboard ads and eye-tracking. On these three roadways, there were a total of16 privately-managed advertising sites and 59 government managed advertising sites. 60 participants were part of this research, and there were 30 participant sets. Each set included a passenger and a driver. The research was conducted in November 2014 and lasted for the full month. 

The Questions

• Is government managed advertising more effective compared to private ads?
  
  
• Is there a difference in eye movements between passengers and drivers?
  
  
• Is there a difference in the effect of factors like letters, shape, design, location, etc.?
  
  
• Is there a difference in the effect of factors like driving skill, age, speed, gender, etc.?
  
  

Data Analysis

The researchers manually coded the data by reviewing the recorded gaze videos and removed the data with a duration of less than 300ms (Considered to be too brief to be relevant). 

Variables

The dependent variables included factors such as eye contact ratio, fixation duration, eye contact frequency, etc. For each group, the researchers conducted statistical analysis. For participants who looked at the advertising at least one time, the eye contact ratio was interpreted as a type of direct index when they evaluated the advertising effect.

Results

• The eye contact ratio was over two times higher when it came to the government managed advertising with a gaze rate of 44 percent. It also had an increased duration. The privately managed ads were much lower at 18 percent.
• The passengers spent more time looking at the advertising compared to the drivers.
• When the advertising is closer to the road, it attracts a higher eye contact ratio.
• When there is congested traffic, the advertising is likely to be more effective.
  
  

The data showed certain tendencies, including:

• When there are crowded visual fields, people are not as likely to look at the advertising.
• There are higher rates of visual perception of advertising when ads are siting low versus high.
• As the visibility distance increases, there is a higher eye-contact rate for ads.​

Conclusions
​Even with slow moving traffic, if the advertising is up too high, such as a tall downtown building, the eye contact rate will be lower. However, when placed along highways at the right height, there is a strong eye contact rate. The influence of outdoor advertising will become more prominent and increased in places where there is a decrease in television influence. 

​However, as of today, there is not a precise model for being able to effectively determine the overall influence and effect of outdoor advertising due to a lack of digital analytics and tracking (compare with online advertising). Developing an objective and precise evaluation model is critical for ensuring continued improvements in techniques used by the advertising industry. Eye tracking provides more data than was previously available.


Tablet and Print Reader Behavior
​
Summary: 
Is the content itself or the format of the content more influential to readers? Which platform results in higher rates of long-term content retention? Consequently, which format is best for delivering advertisements? See: NMBSA.com
It is believed that the content and the presentation of the content is more important than the actual format, be it online or in print. Because of this, when advertisers are making their plans, they need to make sure that they cater to readers in both audiences. The research looked at (1) how much readers remembered and (2) their overall emotional reaction with both digital and print content.

The researchers were aware that it is not easy for readers to self-report the reading pattern differences between the two platforms. Conventional research that has been conducted is language-based, which means that the responses gathered during this research are largely associated with the brain’s left hemisphere. This area of the brain is where the majority of speech originates. Therefore, language-based research tends to ignore the influence of the brain’s right hemisphere, which presents more big picture or global thinking. Consequently, the methodology chosen for the project was neuroscience, specifically Neuro-Insight’s Steady State Topography approach.

New York Times Readers & Brainwaves
This study subjects included 150 people who read the “New York Times” publication regularly. The readers were split evenly between tablet and print readers. All of the participants were put into a comfortable environment in small groups. During the study, subjects read the day’s Times issue either on a tablet or in print, depending on their preference. They spent 30 minutes reading and wore special headsets that worked to monitor brain activity in various brain areas. The brain activity correlated with each word they read.

The Metric: Long Term Memory Encoding
Long Term Memory Encoding (LTME) was the study’s most important metric (long-term memory). This is a process that stores information into a person’s long-term memory. Previous research concluded that there is a clear link between subsequent decision-making and LTME. It has been shown to be a good behavior predictor compared to “claimed recall” and other conventional measures. Focus groups supplemented this neuromarketing research. These groups explored conscious behavior and attitudes in addition to Decode Marketing’s Visual Layout Tool. This tool explored the overall effectiveness of different layouts on pages.

The hypothesis was that content is more important in driving reader responses than the platform/format on which the content was located.

Results
The research uncovered evidence that supports the researcher’s hypothesis. They discovered differences between the platforms through the person’s physical reading experience. However, there were considerable similarities between both tablet and print content retention.

There are multiple differences with the physical experience. In between sections, those reading on a tablet tended to flick more between them and they tended to spend less time reading and looking at the individual pages. When it came to tablet reading, readers were more visually stimulated and there was stronger memory encoding after reading for just a few minutes. With print reading, the emotional response was stronger. Print reading took longer for a buildup of memory encoding, but that encoding was maintained at a high level. There were differences when it came to the reading experience, but there were also a number of similarities between those reading on tablets and in print. 

The focus groups ensured that the same key rules were applied when navigating content on both platforms. The neuroscience showed that memory encoding levels across both platforms were nearly identical. Similar levels of recall reflected this. This was true concerning both the right brain and the left brain memory encoding, and concerning both advertising and editorial content. When it came to how long people exposed themselves to content, the print readers spent more time on page. When it came to the static advertisements on tablets, the memory encoding levels were about 10 percent higher. However, these factors did not correlate with retention.

Conclusions and Analysis
The research showed very clear and compelling evidence supporting the initial hypothesis. Therefore, the “actual content” itself is more important than the platform readers use to read the content. This means that time spent looking at advertisements are not really a good predictor of the success of the advertisement strategy. The Times used this information to improve their tablet edition to ensure an improved reader experience and overall design.

The research concluded that as long as content is delivered in similar ways on both platforms that the advertising outcomes will be almost the same. Because of this, those creating advertisements must consider both print and digital readers equally to ensure a greater level of advertising effectiveness. ​​




Radio vs. TV for Advertising and Marketing?​

Radio Marketing
You are driving to work or running errands and surely you have the radio on in your vehicle. Do you really hear what is being said and advertised? This is the question that researchers wanted to answer in order to determine the importance of radio for marketing and advertising. Mind Sciences is changing the way people go about developing and creating marketing and advertising content. All of this is leading to neuro-literate marketers becoming more skilled when it comes to inducing emotional engagement, attention, and triggering memory activation. See: NMBSA.com

Traditional self-report methods have not provided an objective means to measure the weaknesses and strengths of different media methods for ad responsiveness. Also, there is a growing demand to examine ad response impact with more sensitive tools that are better at evaluating the audience on a non-conscious level.

Over the generations, radio has embedded itself in the minds of media planners and clients alike as an effective method for advertising including rational reminders and simple calls-to-action. Because of this, it is usually considered to be a strong tactical marketing format. However, it is not often considered to be as effective as TV in terms of image transmission and visual brand-building campaigns, because it is exclusively an auditory medium. Is this position true? Does a lack of visual signaling reduce memory encoding?
Key Questions
Through new ways of thinking in neuropsychology and behavioral economics, a new hypothesis has emerged: Radio should be just as effective when it comes to serving as a solid brand-building medium. Key Questions: Does radio have the ability to build upon deep memory associations? Can radio evoke emotional responses? Can radio trigger multi-sensory and experiential cues? Can radio stimulate the mind in a manner that is similar to television? If yes, how does it differ in terms of its capabilities?

Methodology
An entertainment and media group, known as Global, in the UK got some help from NeuroStrata to evaluate and challenge this hypothesis. The study utilized a three-step process.

Step 1: Literature Review of 500+ Papers
Step one utilized a scientific research publication review. The review covered more than 500+ academic and scientific publications from across the globe concerning how audio works in the mind. The research also reviewed discussions and interviews with music and sound specialists in the academic world. This included behavioral psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists in addition to music and sound design practitioners. Media experts who have experience with past research on neuroscience + media evaluation also participated. This literature review helped to better streamline the hypothesis prior to conducting perceptual experiments.

Step 2: Neuroscience and Perceptual Analysis
Step two looked at patterns of consumer response utilizing a state of the art neuroscience study. The researchers examined radio and television formats. Across these media formats, different multimedia ad campaigns were tested and evaluated against a large variety of emotional, call-to-action, sensory, and functional attributes. 

The researchers utilized an implicit response time test, which evaluated unconscious thoughts and behaviors of more than 1,500 Neuroscence subjects. 

Step 3: Data Analysis & Results
The data demonstrated where there is a possible opportunity for getting the most out of radio. Radio may trigger a rich and strong emotional response even with a lack of imagery. Non-conscious and neural processing contextual biases that are specific to radio aid in shaping and influencing audience response patterns in ways that are considerably different than other mediums. 

Theories: Stimulating Latent Memory Networks
Radio does not have images, so those listening must use their imagination and create their own imagery. This means that listeners must tap into existing memory schemas and associative networks in order to create internal imagery. This may make radio even more personally relevant when compared with television, because TV supplies imagery, which may not be relevant to previously established imaginal frameworks. Meanwhile, radio stimulates latent imaginal frameworks, thereby allowing the user to “construct” their own targeted and relevant relationship with the auditory stimulus. When comparing audio plus visual to just audio, audio has the potential to do things that the combination of the two cannot. This may be due to not having other sensory cues. Triggering one's personal imaginal memory network may also stimulate personalized multi-sensory triggers such as imagined touch, smell and taste, and others. This may also engender more trust because it is seen as a more personalized medium. 

The research confirmed that radio has a strong call-to-action and tactical capabilities.



Biometric and Psychometric Tools for Real Estate

2 Types of Non-Conscious Analysis
What does office building design need to evoke a positive non-conscious response? Researchers considered shape, colors, external and internal public spaces, architecture type, textures and spatial distribution. See: NMBSA.com

Psychometric research was conducted to help reveal how these factors impact client experiences and purchasing decisions. The research was designed to determine two types of non-conscious response: (1) The belief system that governs the person’s attitude toward life and their sense of security and (2) brain activity.

The Study
After getting the project location and target market group, 650 women and men between ages 25 and 65 were gathered. 

All study participants were living and working in the area. The researchers conducted face-to-face interviews that utilized perception and association tests and techniques such as implicit association tests, semantic latency analysis, down arrow technique, bag of words model, remote analysis test, and certain neurophysiological tools such as the benzinger thinking styles assessment. 

They were able to determine the group's average brain region dominance and reveal non-conscious data related to how the participants perceived the office space's architecture. This assisted with determining whether the offices produced positive or negative unconscious impressions.

Results
The results of this study showed that the participants shared five psychometric characteristics that influenced their behavior when buying an office building. The average group in the target market were revealed to have double basal and front left brain dominance, and the psychometric analysis revealed that:

• 95 percent of participants felt that if they got everything offered, they paid a fair price.
• 77 percent of the participants assessed importance on the building’s design, textures, finishes, materials and colors, and felt that the building should be seen as not overly expensive and easily accessible.
• 83 percent of participants felt that all of the elements of the building’s design should cause them to feel a sense of social approval and belonging - To imbue them with a sense of significance. This sense of significance should relate to their family, friends, and the public.
• 85 percent of the participants associated a building’s colors, textures and architectural style with a sense of achievement.
• 93 percent of participants preferred conservative textures and colors, similar to what they were using in their current workspaces.
• 87 percent of participants were willing to pay more than what was considered the market average price if the office building offered the flexibility to be partially rented out or used for other purposes.
• 73 percent of participants felt that an office building should be seen as secure, serious, flexible, and accessible. The space would need to provide them with a sense of professional achievement.

Conclusions
Both biometric software and hardware was used. This included eye-tracking and pupillometry analysis. The analysis was designed to measure emotive activation and level of attention evoked during observation of the final design. Moreover, an 18-month sales strategy was created and started with an Open Day Pre-Sales Event. The objective of this event was to sell as much as 2 percent of the total project value. The developers actually sold 25 percent of the offices during this event. This reduced the sales timeline by a quarter and the total cost by 20 percent. This ensured a higher level of cash flow and reduced stress on the investment.



Will an Ad Concept Sell?

StoryBoard Testing
Makro, a global retailer, wanted some information and created a storyboard for Neurensics. They wanted to know the following:

• Is the storyboard effective?
• Can the storyboard be improved?
• Will the original storyboard score lower than the produced television commercial?

Reverse Engineering the StoryBoard
The researchers took two effective commercials and two that were considered to be non-effective. They created moving storyboards with all of these commercials. There were 22 subjects used for the study, and their results were measured over the course of a single weekend. Experts looked over the results to come to conclusions and craft an analysis. See: NMBSA.com

Storyboard Testing Analysis and Conclusions
In the first experiment, the storyboard was found to be below average when assessed for effectiveness. Instead of causing positive emotions, it tended to cause more negative remarks. The storyboard did not activate any meaningful levels of expectation and trust. This ultimately means that it was not expected to produce a positive impact on influencing buyer behavior.
Certain scenes in the storyboard actually caused a feeling of fear, rejection, and anger. 

The research also determined that unresolved plots and a lack of music with a climax also caused a negative reaction. Analyzing storyboards before starting the commercial makes it easier to optimize the commercial before spending time in production, ad deployment, and A/B testing. Testing the storyboard with biometric technology enhances overall ad production efficiency and helps to ensure that the commercial is as effective as possible. 

Conclusion
The storyboard research required approximately five days to complete. This ensured that the research method is not only effective, but also efficient. Companies will not have to spend weeks, months, and millions of dollars producing and testing commercials, because biometric testing may reveal opportunities for enhancement.



Eye-Tracking & Television Advertising

Keeping the attention of viewers during television advertising is becoming more challenging due to an increase in technological distractions. This study observed a new ad format on an all-sports network. The objective was to help reduce lack of viewer attention during in-game advertisements so that viewers see what was presented and simultaneously have a more pleasant viewing experience. See: NMBSA.com A study consisting of 568 participants was launched and conducted in three-phases over the course of more than two years. During live sporting events, the researchers explored the relative emotional engagement of watchers when it came to Double Box versus Ad Pods and Full Screen Ads. 

Researchers used an integrated consumer neuroscience approach that utilized both traditional measures and a neuroscience informed framework. This consisted of measuring biometric emotional response, focus groups, eye-tracking, and self-report surveys to get the viewer’s stated reactions. Participants wore monitoring equipment that sent data to testing facility computers. Researchers analyzed the data to determine the overall attentional and emotional responses that participants experienced while viewing each target advertisement. Four biometric channels were utilized, which included skin conductance, motion, heart rate, and respiration.

Results
The results suggested that the Double Box format was more effective when compared to the traditional full screen ad break for sports networks.

There were three primary findings that researchers found most interesting:

• When it comes to Double Box, the attention was surprisingly high. Eye-tracking data showed that viewers mostly placed their attention upon the ad even though viewers subjectively reported that they focused on the content of the event.

 

• Compared to traditional advertising, the Double Box method was more engaging. The viewer’s ad engagement was up to 50 percent longer compared to traditional advertising, and emotional engagement was very high. During Double Box, viewers self-reported that that during the game they had more enjoyment.

 

• Double Box advertising seems to be immune from the problems caused by full-screen commercials. This is because it makes viewers feel that they have a choice. Viewers are more exposed to the advertisements, but do not feel as though these advertisements are forced upon them. This substantially increases engagement for repeat ads.

Conclusions
Through traditional survey research techniques, the information obtained from this research would have been inaccurate. This is because of the research’s eye-tracking and biometric components revealed information about the research subjects of which the subjects themselves were not aware.

Despite the very unique and compelling research finds, when it comes to the Double Box format, some challenges still remain. The Double-Box method creates more work for everyone to produce more content to be shown during ad breaks. When it comes to ad wraps, ad agencies must create more content, which increases total ad spend. Meanwhile, for the advertising to have the most impact, the content must be designed to complement the content, which is highly tailored to each channel.

The biometric research revealed great potential for the Double Box format, and it is already having a major and positive impact on both viewer experience and efficacy of advertisements.



Building Trust

Rescue groups and shelters care for approximately 8 million abandoned but healthy animals in the United States each year. Unfortunately, when looking at all of the households in the country with pets, only approximately 30 percent of these pets come from rescues or shelters. Many people feel that adopting animals is the best choice, but a considerable amount of people do not fully trust the health of the animals that come from shelters. The objective of this research was to to help build trust and encourage people to adopt shelter pets. See: NMBSA.com

Methodology

The campaign focused on American adults who were looking to bring a dog or a cat into their home. However, these participants were leery about getting this pet from a rescue group or a shelter. The overall goal was to communicate a message that decreased the uncertainty, fearand doubt associated with rescue and shelter pets. The advertisement was designed to communicate that adopting a pet from a rescue or shelter means getting a good animal companion. Throughout the advertisement, a single cat or dog would stroll across a blank stage. There was no storyline or back drop. 

Laboratory Research

The purpose was to show the pet’s personality and not distract viewers with other stimuli. The researchers utilized a laboratory study aimed at analyzing the audience's implicit neurological responses. The researchers used a combination of EEG and eye-tracking measurements while the study participants watched television commercials with a duration of 30 seconds. All of the participants were those who stated that they wanted to get a new dog or cat in the near future. The new methodology was found to produce a high emotional engagement while branding elements and key moment recall were improved.

Results

The data demonstrated that communicating how loveable and friendly the animals were was the most successful part of the campaign and the part that kept viewers the most emotionally engaged. The neurological insights allowed for bringing more attention to the key message using tactical re-editing. Biometric testing showed that these edits were successful.

The commercial that was refreshed based on the research translated to better success for the organization. After the relaunch of the campaign, the website’s traffic increased by 113 percent and searches for the organization increased by 28 percent. Twitter mentions also increased by a huge 116 percent. National trends are showing that euthanasia rates have correspondingly decreased and that adoption of cats and dogs from rescues and shelters has significantly increased. 

Conclusions

The neuroscience methods used as part of this research made it possible for researchers to recommend a bold change to the organization’s advertising methods. This helped the organization to better structure and target their ads to ensure that the message was clear. It better showed that shelter pets are not only a great option, but the best option for those wanting to adopt a new pet. ​



How Technology Can Impact Human Memory

Everyone forgets things from time to time. 

The introduction of biological and neurological techniques has helped to improve how scientists measure the overall impact of performances. These methods are able to go beyond the typical subjective perspectives reported during questionnaire and focus group sessions and include information that is expressed through sub-conscious responses. Neuro monitoring specifically utilizes technology like the EEG and eye tracking to better measure moment basis attention and emotion. See: NMBSA.com

Methodology

Three testing groups made up the study:

• Control Group: Only watched a video
• Test Group A: Used their smartphone to take a photo, watched a video, and could look at the photos later.
• Test Group B: Used their smartphone to take a photo, watched the video, and could not look at the photos later

Two key metrics came from the EEG analysis: attentional activation and emotional engagement. In terms of the emotional engagement, this was derived from the pre-frontal cortex’s left-right alpha symmetry. The data revealed the physiological correlates of emotional changes in participants during observation. 

Higher levels of left front region activity significantly correlated with subject's motivations, such as “desire”, “purchase intent”, “liking”,“motivating to action”, and a person’s willingness to pay for something. In the right frontal region, higher relative activity correlated with different withdrawal motivations, such as “disgust”, “disliking”, and “avoidance behavior”.

Results

The primary results were as follows:

• The group who (1) watched a video + (2) took a smartphone photo during the video helped to make the person’s experience more enjoyable in that moment, but positive recall of the event was lower if they did not look at the photo later.
• Meanwhile, there was a higher level of long-term emotional engagement when the participants of the study did not take photos, and their memory of the event remained intact.

Conclusion

Therefore, viewing a video + taking a picture may make the experience temporarily more enjoyable (due to the combined enjoyment of the event + the entertainment of the phone), but this also causes a reduction in recall of the event (i.e. potential brand recognition) unless they are prompted with the photos they took (i.e. dependence upon the phone for recall). 

Marketers would therefore benefit if audiences were singularly focused upon their presentations if their objective is to establish strong recall with the audiences. However, the content produced by users who take photos of presentations during an event may also assist with propagating the brand's message throughout the internet. Therefore, these two factors must be considered when preparing presentations for an audience.


Are Neuro Tools Effective in Stopping Market Share Loss?

If sales are in a downward spiral and traditional evaluation techniques are not effectively providing the right answers as to why - What can companies do to determine the issues? Many companies have asked this question and neuro tools such as BioCode may very well hold the answer. This type of tool is used to address strategic problems and perform tasks like reaction time analysis. See: NMBSA.com The BioCode tool measures information processing speed when a person’s brain responds to a stimulus. This tool may reveal the congruence or dissonance between explicit and implicit attitudes (i.e. Stated beliefs vs. unconscious beliefs). 

Discovering Explicit vs. Implicit Attitudes

In addition to getting general feedback on the product, you also want to know sub-conscious customer attitudes toward a product. In one study, a cookie company tested consumers who reported that the brand as “light” and “care-free” (explicit beliefs), and the BioCode review affirmed that they had a high degree of certainty that their explicit beliefs were true (i.e. there was agreement between the customer's explicit beliefs and their sub-conscious, implicit attitudes). 

However, the BioCode data revealed their explicit belief that the product was “yummy” was not congruent with the unconscious, implicit attitudes of the customers. Customers were revealed to have a low degree of certainty that the product was yummy – This would not have been evident through standard polling.

Causes of Incongruence Between Explicit Beliefs and Implicit Attitudes

Generally, the company's cookie brand was rated very highly by subjects, but sales were declining. Therefore, BioCode's signals of incongruence led to a more extensive investigation. The company learned that their customers received the freshest cookies during the testing condition, which resulted in the explicit statements that the cookies were “yummy”. However, the BioCode data revealed that they were generally uncertain about this statement, because the cookies in the experimental condition were actually slightly different than their typical off-the-shelf experiences. 

Consequently, the company needed to determine why there was a difference between it's test condition cookies and it's off-the-shelf cookies.

The reason was later linked to slow distribution, which resulted in a change in the product's flavor profile and performance during off-the-shelf usage. Here, slow-delivery time was determined to be the principle cause of a decline in product performance and sales. What originally appeared to be an unknown product, marketing, or branding problem, was discovered to be a distribution and shelf-life problem – A problem with a simple solution: Locate a more effective transportation vendor.

Learning from BioCode and Its Results

The BioCode system diagnosed a strategic market problem for the company. It not only evaluated customer opinions, but it also assessed overall emotional certainty. This provided a variety of unique perspectives from which to discover potential relationships between company operations and market behavior.



In-Store Signage, Proper Utilization, and Its Impact

As you make your way through retail stores and similar environments, you heavily rely upon your eyes. You are kept oriented with a variety of visual cues to ensure that you know where you are in the store and to help reduce frustration. See: NMBSA.com

In store signage may aid retailers with:

• Getting shoppers to areas where they are most likely to make a purchase.
  
  
• Making value propositions visible to help stimulate customer spending.
  
  
• Promote brand awareness.

Summary

A field study conducted by Swedish researchers was done to look at how in-store signage worked to impact the decision-making process and visual attention of shoppers. 

Volunteer shoppers wore eye-tracking devices to help researchers see the amount of visual attention they gave to different types of in-store signage. This allowed the researchers to mostly see exactly what the customer saw when they were making their way through a store.

Two experiments were performed that:

• Used customers as test subjects that the researchers recruited on-site.
• Both happened at the same grocery store.
• Used Tobii Glasses to measure eye fixations.

Experiment 1

The first experiment reviewed customers that are both familiar and unfamiliar with the store. The question: How did they use in-store signs to both make decisions and navigate the store? While shopping in the store, the researchers recruited 101 volunteer test subjects. For the experiment, 30 in-store signs were placed strategically, but the volunteers did not know this. Half of the signs provided different navigational cues such as advertisements of nearby goods. The other half of the researcher’s signs provided product details, discounts and other decision-making information.

Researchers told the test subjects that they were participating in a study and told them that the research was aimed at investigating howvisual attention related to shopping and visual attention in general. The experiment took approximately 15 minutes per volunteer and each wore Tobii Glasses during the experiment. 

Researchers asked each volunteer to get six items as they “shopped”. Participants were told to act as they normally do in the store - The list of goods they were asked to select were for simulation purposes only, and they would not be required to purchase the items. So long as they grabbed what was on the list, they could choose the brands that they wanted. Shopping began at the store entrance as the subjects entered the experimental shop. The eye-tracking glasses were removed after volunteers retrieved the six items. They were then given aquestionnaire, which asked about store familiarity, demographic information and navigational ability.

Results

• When it comes to navigational signs, those unfamiliar with the store tend to rely on them more
• When it comes to decision-making signs, those who are familiar with the store rely on them more

Experiment 2

This experiment explored the influence of purchase decisions associated with consumer exposure to in-store signage. 

The volunteers were gathered in the same manner as Experiment 1. This experiment involved a small product sign with a photo. The placement of the sign was near a similar product with a similar price point, and the sign was at a distance. The researchers told the test subjects to start walking to the shelf that had the product, pick a product and then bring it back to the researcher. They wore eye-tracking glasses throughout this process and completed a questionnaire about product usage, shopping habits and demographics.

Results
​

• Customers looked at products that were visually similar to the signage primers (i.e. Just as an advertiser would intend - The signage increased the attention that customers placed upon products that were highlighted by the signs.)
• In-store primers did not motivate a customer to buy, but may have stimulated recall at a later date (i.e. Brand recognition).

How Ambiance May Influence Subconscious Behavior

At the time of this study, customers in the Netherlands were spending less money when they visited restaurants. However, more restaurants were opening. Researchers wanted to know why customers were spending less, but they did not examine product range, service, location or price. Rather, they wanted to learn more about the customer’s subconscious responses to atmosphere and ambiance. See: NMBSA.com

The Research

In April and May of 2014, researchers polled about 451 customers about whether they wanted they would come back to the restaurant. As part of the study, the researchers manipulated the restaurant's light and music conditions (ambiance). 

Previous studies that explored music in restaurants concluded that classical music in a restaurant can have a positive impact both on what customers spend and their overall experience. In addition to music, lighting can also play an important role. For example, warm lighting that includes hues of yellow and red might help to stimulate buying.

In the study, researchers used classical music and pop music. They compared these to the music that the restaurant usually played. The researchers also modified the lighting, utilizing variants of yellow, red, and white lighting.

Results

Classical Music

• Customers felt happier, more comfortable, and more at ease.
• Customers gave higher ratings to the food and atmosphere.
• Customers spent approximately 20 percent more.
• Customers stated they were more likely to come back to the restaurant.

Pop Music

• Compared to the music the restaurant normally played (pop music) vs. classical music, pop music had a noticeably lower score.

Lighting

• Spending increased approximately 5 percent with yellow lighting.
• With red lighting, customers reported being more comfortable than they were with yellow lighting.

Conclusions
​
When it comes to lighting and music, these results show that when restaurants are using the right combination, they are able to subconsciously influence both the spending habits and overall emotions of their customers. ​



Eye-Tracking & Purchasing Impulsiveness

This research looked at the relationship between product attributes and impulsive buying behavior. Researchers used neuromarketing techniques to determine how likely the consumer was to buy a horticultural transplant based on the displayed plant characteristics and signage. This study went further than past research by collecting product sign gaze duration. See: NMBSA.com

Method

Researchers utilized eye-tracking to evaluate the relationship between impulsive purchase behavior and the likelihood to purchase. The researchers hypothesized that eye gaze patterns correlated with impulsive buying behaviors. 

A three-plant display was made for the purposes of this research, and the text described the price, eco-friendly production methods, andplant type. Participants at six universities throughout North America viewed 16 scenarios.

Results

The results of the research revealed a relationship between eco-friendly production methods and a person’s likelihood to buy.

• Women and people who are less impulsive were more likely to purchase plants, while the consumer’s income and education were inversely related to plant purchases.

 

• As prices increased, time spent looking also increased.

 

• Consumers who had a higher impulse score did not seem to care if the plants were eco-friendly or not.

 

• Meanwhile, the number of people in the family seemed to influence likelihood to purchase, but this likelihood declined as the consumers’ income and education rose.

 

• Consumers considered to be more thoughtful were more likely to buy the plants that were grown via the use of environmentally-friendly methods, while there was a greater purchase probability among those with lower impulse levels.

 

• The results of the gaze duration analysis suggested that consumers who are more impulsive might disregard product descriptors and production practices.

Conclusions

The data collected during this research can help marketers to better understand how consumer characteristics and product attributes influence purchasing decisions. It appears that more than half of a person’s decision making happens on the subconscious level, so this makes it even more important for marketers to understand how product attributes influence purchase decisions. 

The research shows that to increase sales, businesses need to know their target audience.



How the Chemical Oxytocin Influences Advertisements

This study reviewed the relationship between oxytocin and adrenocorticotropin on audience behavior and physiological responses. See: NMBSA.com

Methods

This paper holds the view that objective measurements of emotional and attention responses cannot be properly obtained by using subjective inventories. Therefore, measuring to see if specific hormones are present, such as oxytocin and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), researchers were able to gather information directly from the autonomic nervous system.

First Experiment: Oxytocin Administration

In the first experiment, the participants watched 16 Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and received oxytocin. Another set of participants also watched these same 16 PSAs, but were unknowingly administered a placebo. Of those who received the oxytocin, they donated 56 percent more money, they donated to 57 percent more causes and viewers reported a 17 percent greater concern for the recipients of the donations.

Second Experiment: Before & After

In the second experiment, the researchers measured oxytocin and adrenocorticotropin levels in the blood both after and before the volunteers watched a PSA. As the researchers assumed would happen, the levels of oxytocin and ACTH were increased when the participants were making the most donations. The results show that when social content and PSAs work to stimulate the release of oxytocin, they are usually more effective. Results also show why there are some people who simply do not respond to PSAs.

The anti-smoking PSA appeared to attract the most attention from viewers, and this was determined based on this ad increasing ACTH levels the most. This ACTH increase correlated with ad attention. It seems that for a donation to occur, both engagement with and attention to the characters in the ad must occur.

Conclusions

While it is not possible for advertisers to administer doses of oxytocin to their viewers, this study demonstrated that there are specific elements of an ad that encourage the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin, when released appears to correlate with paying closer attention to and higher levels of engagement with the ad. The hormone also tends to stimulate viewers to take action in the form of donations.

The approach taken for this research shows that effective marketing campaigns are something that marketers should view as a long-term strategy to solve the problems of their customers instead of just a one-time sale. When marketers create campaigns that help to cause oxytocin release, they are working to ensure that consumers are building an emotional relationship with the brand or product. ​


Information About Online Conversion Optimization

Researchers were asked to use psychological insights and neuromarketing techniques to optimize conversions for a women’s razor campaign. The conversion process involved filling out a form to test a women’s razor. See: NMBSA.com

Methodology

This project was designed to enhance the user experience so as to enhance engagement with emotions. When women shave, they want the environment in which they are shaving to be fresh and clean. In the original design, the bathroom that was used on the materials was rathergrimy and dull, so those who saw it did not really view it as fresh and hygienic. Also, the materials had a rather cheap appearance due to the bold letter colors used initially. 

The researchers who altered the campaign worked to make the design more feminine and hygienic, ensuring a more broad and positive appeal. They also added a question that triggered women to ask “What is in it for me?”.

The art director took advice from an online neuromarketer to create the visual design. Therefore, they utilized visual primers such as water droplets on the material’s header, flip-flop sandals, beach sand at the material’s bottom, and a map. Those seeing the materials could imagine themselves on a white sand beach with a pair of flip flops, enjoying a relaxing and luxurious day. Of course, society also tells us that women want to be perfectly smooth when on the beach, which made this type of scene ideal for a women’s razor. 

Results

Compared to the original version, the neurovariant that was proposed had a conversion that was 36.6 percent higher. This result was considered to be extremely positive both by the researchers and their client. 

Conclusions

When it comes to the target group, it is essential to provoke the right emotion, and biometric experimentation may reveal the visual cues that stimulate positive emotional engagement.



The Role of Emotions in Television Commercials

The proper placement of television ads is both a costly and important issue for marketers. Longer commercials cost more money, but they might also have a more powerful impact on consumers. Maximizing impact within a minimal period of time could be highly beneficial for marketers. This study looked at using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and eye-tracking to analyze television commercials.See: NMBSA.com

Methodology

This study used a 1.5 Tesla MRI. Study volunteers used soundproof headphones and video goggles to watch the commercial, and the volunteers used response grips to report their preferences without moving in the MRI. Both fMRI measurement and eye-tracking were used to maximize data collection while users watched a commercial for Deutsche Post – DHL. The company was launching E-Postbrief and ran a nationwide campaign to advertise the product.

The researchers presented the commercial in two different length options. The longer commercial was 50 seconds long and the shorter commercial was 30 seconds long. There were 38 volunteers for this study and they were divided into two groups - One group watched the short commercial and the second group watched the long commercial. 

The longer commercial used the first 20 seconds to provide a suggestive atmosphere and put focus on Internet dangers. The atmosphere of this segment of the commercial can be described as dark, cluttered, hectic, dubious, sleazy, loud, confusing and futuristic. 

The last 30 seconds of the commercial discussed the E-Postbrief and how it can be used to address the problems presented in the first 20 seconds. The atmosphere of this segment can be described as bright, clear, tranquil, familiar, idyllic, calm and friendly. The second commercial only included the second 30 second segment of the first commercial.

Results

Subjective Ratings
18.75 percent of the volunteers who watched the longer commercial reported that they saw it as threatening, but no one who watched the short ad shared this view.

Eye-Tracking
Researchers found that the longer commercial volunteers looked a lot longer at the defined areas of interest, which included things like alogo, slogan and product features, compared to the volunteers who watched the shorter commercial. Further evaluation concluded that there was no positive impact associated with the longer dwell time, however, neither on the rating of the commercial or the recall of the information.

fMRI
FMRI with contrast was used for both groups to show that the longer commercial group had higher activity in the insula than the shorter commercial group. 

This area of the brain is associated with what is referred to as aversive emotional arousal. For both groups, this segment of the commercial was identical, so the only part of the commercial that could have caused this was the first part since only the longer commercial volunteers saw it. 

Conclusions

The first part of the commercial that was viewed as threatening seemed to have an effect on the neural perception and processing of the commercial’s second part. That is, the threatening atmosphere appeared to have a hangover effect that the atmosphere of the second, more positive part of the commercial, could not fully resolve. While watching the second part of the commercial, the longer commercial volunteers were still impacted by the first segment’s negative emotional tones.

The overall conclusion is that even though the second part of the commercial was positive, it was not able to fully make up for the negative segment that started the commercial. The negative emotions experienced during the first part still dominated the thoughts and attitudes of the longer commercial volunteers as they viewed the second and more positive segment. ​


Designing Optimal Narratives with a Cognitive Capture System

Narratives are capable of evoking time-locked and synchronized activity in a variety of brain regions when the same stimuli are presented. There is a strong correlation between neural synchrony and event retention associated with a narrative. 

During a two-way dialog, there is effective comprehension, and there is a stronger neural synchrony elicited by a cohesive narrative. Because of this, neural synchrony could be a very valuable and important tool when reviewing story effectiveness. However, in this specific practice, electrocorticography and fMRI are not feasible. This is because they are expensive and not portable. Electrocorticography is also invasive. See: NMBSA.com

Neuromatters is working on creating a practical, non-invasive, and portable sensing platform to better decode and capture the neural activity that occurs as a result of narrative stimuli. The platform, known as Cognitive Capture, will be able to help companies better design, create and execute various narratives to their target audience. It will be the first platform of its kind to be validated in being able to determine the behavioral outcomes associated with targeted demographics.

The technologies are based on a proprietary modular architecture which ensures that the users can easily integrate it with simulation environments, neural decoding engines, sensors and analytics tools. It integrates Cognitive Storyboards with Neural Synchrony Toolbox to give users a commercial-grade platform to decode, track and extract neural activity provoked by real world and complex stimulate to better predict various behavioral outcomes, such as brand alignment, memory recall, purchase intent and similar behaviors that are relevant to businesses to help to alter human behavior. ​


Drive In-Store Purchases with Rapid Neural Motivation

When it comes to the in-store purchase process, very little is understood. Traditional research methods tend to limit actual research and they are largely based on conscious self-reports. The traditional methods only make it possible to record self-reports from customers, so using this approach researchers only have customer reports to base their future tactics on. However, utilizing neuromarketing methods, companies can better assess and understand the unconscious processes that drive customers to make purchases. See: NMBSA.com

Researchers have shown the result of two different neuroscience-based consumer studies that looked at whether in-store purchase decisions were associated with immediate neural responses that come before a person makes a conscious deliberation.

First Study

In the first study, the researchers used EEG and eye-tracking to identify the neural responses responsible for driving in-store purchases. Customers who volunteered for the study had to complete five purchase tasks. They were given money, and it was up to them to save or use it. The researchers utilized Area of Interest Analysis to get different neural and attentional responses when customers were checking out a specific product. Data was corrected for eye blink and movement artifacts. They used the gamma frequency to analyze the prefrontal asymmetry index and assess the customer's motivation.

Second Study

In the second study, researchers used the same methods to help determine the effects of prior advertisement exposure on neural, behavioral and physiological responses as they related to being in-store. The volunteers saw different commercials before they went into the store. 

The control group saw all but one commercial and a second group saw all of the control group commercials plus a commercial for paint. Researchers investigated how being exposure to the ads before going into store had affected their behavior when told to buy paint.

Conclusions

When in the store, customers tended to act in an unconscious and rapid manner. These two studies illustrated how unconscious responses drive in-store purchases long before customers are aware of this. The research also showed that exposure to advertisements before shopping can affect a person’s unconscious motivational and attentional responses that may cause an increased chance of buying. 



Mobile Apps

Throughout the world, more and more people are utilizing mobile platforms for just about everything. However, when it comes to mobile commerce platforms, the options are pretty underwhelming. As more and more consumers turn to the mobile world, companies are going to need to fight to keep up. Mobile platforms are going to have to be more user-friendly in order to maintain the focus and attention of consumers. See: NMBSA.com

Marketers have mostly relied on what users tell them when it comes to how usable mobile applications are. This has not been very effective in determining what the problems are so that mobile platform creators can fix them. In fact, there are multiple external variables to consider that go considerably beyond what mobile platform users can tell companies. Traditional research is simply unreliable and ineffective in this realm. However, neuroscience is able to dig deeper and really help to illuminate those gray areas that have persisted. 

The study used attentional activation and negative and positive emotions to help to learn more about overall engagement.

Methodology

For a mobile application to be successful, it must have a properly-crafted user experience (UX). Using neuroscience as part of the research process, researchers are better able to measure the subtleties of a good UX, something that often cannot be readily distinguished by the average designer or user. 

Researchers may use eye-tracking glasses and a wireless EEG neuro-headset to better measure user emotion and attentional activity. They want to see what users look at first, last, the most, and the least. The objective is to monitor:

• Browsing vs. checkout
• Limited screen space
• Effect of long load times
• Brand perception associated with utilizing mobile platforms
• Use of images

Eye tracking research has created new ways to look at how users engage with a mobile platform. It will help mobile platform designers to ensure that the mobile platform is emotionally engaging and that the platform is easy to navigate. This can help to ensure that mobile platforms are designed in a way that are user-friendly and that they encourage users to take action. ​


Mental Processes and Quick Decisions in Retail

These articles classify two types of brain and mental processes: 

System 1: Automatic reasoning and the subconscious. 
System 2: Reasoning that is intentional, conscious and more deliberate.

See: NMBSA.com

The first system looks at making subconscious judgments quickly and deriving specific information about the retail environment. When a consumer enters a store, there are a variety of colors, sounds, lights and signage that might actually serve as distractions from navigation and purchasing. Therefore, the products that a company produces must be very unique in order to form a contrast with competing brands. The salient factors include design (System 1) and readability (System 2), which draws attention and guides behavior through instruction, respectively. ​


Fast Dynamics to Encode Scent

Marketing may require a multisensory approach to brand encoding. Through learning about the nuances of rodent scent encoding, researchers may theorize about the capacity for humans to recall a brand via scent. Companies may incorporate aromatic food and drink or simply an atmosphere/ambiance that strikes a pleasant receptor site in the brain to enhance brand recall. This study sought to discover the degree to which scent is encoded in rodents, but this publication did not specifically focus upon the implications for marketing.

Researchers found that mice detect and encode very small changes in scent through the olfactory system. The team of researchers involved in this project used light stimulation in mice that were genetically engineered. The light stimulation provided researchers with control of rodent neuron activity in the olfactory bulbs as though they were actually smelling chemical scents. The purpose was to test rodent olfactory discrimination and memory encoding with higher precision than that available through chemical scents. This is referred to as optogenetics. See: NMBSA.com

The light smelling mice were able to detect differences that were extremely small, including those at 13 milliseconds between the rapidly changing light sources. The 13 millisecond discovery showed that the mice had the ability to discriminate between the scents with high precision. Next, the researchers recorded short movies of the activity that was happening and showed it to a separate group of naïve mice. As a result, the mice that were considered to be naïve started being able to discriminate between the movies. This showed that the rodent's olfactory bulbs had encoded the scent-related information.

Earlier evidence shows that mouse olfactory processing includes the sniff-related temporal information and the new findings build on this. It was previously known that it was possible for a mouse to know when their sense of smell was stimulated. However, researchers now know that mice can also get this information in a different way. This means that sniffing something can be the first step in telling the brain to analyze the environment. It is similar to a type of start signal.

This information can be applied to a wide array of fields once researchers work to uncover more information about scent and memory encoding.


The Highest Rates of Sales Response Available

British Telecom, a company serving a very competitive market in the UK, found itself with falling response rates while they needed to hit some very aggressive sales targets. They were in the market for a new approach, because traditional research methods did not identify the data they needed to enhance their sales and marking strategies. See: NMBSA.com

Methodology

The company utilized the principles of attention, motivation, perception and cognition, and they included neuroscience, behavioral economics, cognitive psychology, and social psychology. Traditional research was not performed.

Results
​
The advice was provided for print advertising and direct response television. Compared to the previous benchmarks available, the response rates increases by 85 percent and 76 percent respectively. This allowed the company to halve customer acquisition costs and meet their aggressive sales targets. The client stated that the sales response rates were higher than they had ever been.


The Holidays, The Color Red, and Customization

When the holiday season arrives, businesses and cities work to decorate for the holidays. This is done for a variety of reasons, including helping to encourage sales. The color red is a primary focus when creating displays in stores and shopping areas, because some research suggests that red excites people and subconsciously encourages them to shop. Men and women appear to view red differently in a shopping environment. See: NMBSA.com

Men tend to relate it to getting a better deal when they see a red sales tag. Women view it suspiciously and interpret the deal being presented as a trick. 

Researchers have concluded that many people associate the color red with fire trucks, stop signs and a teacher’s pen. All of these things are commonly associated with danger. However, since danger does not always present something bad, but in some cases something exciting and powerful, it can have a significant appeal in the retail realm.

Capturing a part of the market during the busy holiday shopping season is a primary goal for all retailers. Various studies, both neurological and biological, have come to this conclusion. This means that red can be a powerful subconscious force in motivating consumers to make purchases. 

So far, red signals both attraction and power in both women and men. In fact, both women and men report being more attracted to a person when they are wearing red. This is why many stores use this color in their stores and with their salespeople. When people are surrounded by the color red in a retail environment, it might help to increase their overall spending.

This has all resulted in the conclusion that consumers are more likely to spend money, and more of it, when there is the color red in the retail environment. 


Understanding Blinking and Its Impact on Marketing

Marketers have approximately four seconds to catch their audience's attention, and four seconds is the approximate time in between blinks for the average person. Due to basic physiological responses, if one does not get their attention in four seconds, in most cases, it's lost for good. The audience has moved on to looking at a different product nearby. See: NMBSA.com

When marketers are working on designing their packaging, they have to do so with this four second rule in mind. This means that packaging cannot just be good, it must be one of the best. When it comes to better sales, study after study has shown that one major factor correlates to better sales and that is a consumer's high level of emotional engagement with the product packaging. Therefore, researchers have been able to discover at least two ways to use neuroscience to better measure the impact of product packaging.

Relationship Development

The result of brand-based relationship development is equity. One must take the time to learn about the design elements that one's target audience finds the most interesting through both biometrics and self-report. Through building a relationship with the target audience, one may develop brand equity/loyalty. 

Testing

Multiple product tests are critical for refining one's market engagement strategy. Create a variety of viable packaging options as you go about the process. There is nothing wrong with creating 5 to 10 options so that you can do a little research on each of them. Explore which ones get the most emotional engagement.

Make sure to be patient, because it can take a lot of time – Months and years. To create the perfect packaging for your products. Make sure that the packaging is emotionally engaging and that it easily passes the four second rule so that consumers focus on your product first and keep their focus on it. ​


There is No Quick or Magic Bullet​

During a dialog with Mumbrella, researchers discussed a variety of studies. One survey determined that people are more likely to report that they love a brand when they are heavy users. However, researchers cannot use this information to say that brand love translates to higher sales. Researchers also cannot conclude that brand love plays a major role in purchase decisions. This goes to show that there is no magic bullet when it comes to purchasing decisions. See: NMBSA.com

Humans store the memories of their past experiences. Therefore, when they are experiencing a new situation, their subconscious draws upon these memories and impacts their decisions. The conscious mind works to enjoy things by habitualizing routine tasks. This is why, in most cases, grocery purchases are habitual. People get what they normally get purely out of habit. 

When it comes to the architecture of the brain and the associated processes, humans share something that Nobel Prize Laureate Kahnemann has discussed - A new conscious mind and an old unconscious mind.
​
Marketing is highly complex, and this is why it is so interesting. When it comes to a consumer’s preferences and purchasing decisions, there is not a single factor driving them, but a wide array of factors. Because of this, many factors play a role in purchasing decisions, some of which contradict others, lending to further complexity.

Good scientific research studies have taught both researchers and marketers a number of things that are generally considered to be the game rules. Working to explore the purchase making process allows both researchers and marketers to better understand consumer behavior. However, researchers have begun to realize how complex the game truly is and that there are many more things to understand.
Marketing truly is a journey and one that does not have a magic bullet. It is a constant learning process that requires constant and frequent evaluation and research. This makes it exciting and one that is perfect for those who like to solve puzzles because the human mind and working to better understand consumer behavior is like a puzzle.