The success of an advertising campaign depends on knowing the buying motives of the customers on the one hand and serving them with targeted communication on the other.

Conventional market research methods aimed at analysing the impact of advertising campaigns are mostly based on so-called “explicit” survey methods. These include, above all, interviews. The advantage is that there is always a result. The disadvantage – the result does not correspond to reality. If you base your marketing on this, you burn money.

Where conventional market research reaches its limits, implicit methods bring to light unconscious motivations and emotions of potential customers when looking at advertising.

These implicit methods from neuroscience reveal the unconscious emotional and motivational processes of potential consumers when analysing the advertising impact of campaigns, which include advertising videos, online banners, print subjects or radio spots. These reveal how purchasing decisions are made and how advertising affects the target group.

The neuroanalysis for measuring the advertising impact of advertising media consists of apparative neuroscientific and psychological measurement methods and combines electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking and the facial coding method.

The combined use of these three methods makes it possible to capture the impact of advertising implicitly in the best possible way, as both the emotional effect of advertising and the motivational factors, which are demonstrably decisive for the purchase decision, are recorded. With the help of neuroanalysis, the success of advertising campaigns can be reliably recorded and predicted in real time (to the second). Applications: Advertising impact measurement of video, audio or print advertising.

Eye tracking

Eye tracking is a procedure that records the attention courses and gaze intensities of consumers in order to reveal unconscious cognitive processes. Eye-tracking measurements are indispensable for reliable advertising research, as visual perception has a strong influence on our cognitive processes, such as memory and thinking. After all, only what is perceived can ultimately penetrate the consciousness. Using an infrared camera, mobile and stationary eye tracking systems record the eye movements of consumers and provide answers to the questions of which areas, for example of a print advertisement or a commercial, are perceived more by consumers and which are perceived less or even overlooked. The results of eye tracking analyses provide valuable information on how advertising media can be optimised in terms of content and design. In the best case, the ideal design variant can already be identified during the conception phase of the subject.

EEG

The electroencephalograph is an established neuroscientific procedure that records electrical brain activity, for example, during the viewing of advertising. Factors relevant to advertising effectiveness, such as attention, memory and the motivation required for the purchase decision, are recorded validly and in real time. An in-depth analysis of the advertising media by means of EEG allows statements to be made about the impact of advertising. The findings are used to optimise the effectiveness of the advertising. Due to the high temporal resolution and the resulting second-by-second measurement, a dynamic analysis of advertising spots is possible. This makes it possible to determine exactly which scene of a TV commercial needs optimisation.

Facial Coding

When watching an advertisement or the brand and product placed in the advertisement, the emotional reactions to it often do not penetrate our consciousness and thus cannot be communicated via language. Emotions, however, significantly control our behaviour and memories and play a decisive role in the purchase decision process. But they can hardly be captured with conventional survey methods: Facial coding makes it possible to make human emotions visible by recording micro-movements of the facial muscles and coding them into corresponding emotions. This software-based method provides insights into the emotional states of consumers while viewing advertisements. Since this method not only differentiates between positive and negative emotions, but also identifies the six basic emotions (joy, fear, anger, disgust, sadness and surprise) more precisely, the exact emotions evoked by an advertising medium (such as an advertising scene) can be recorded. Success potentials of an advertising video can be precisely identified through the data generated by facial coding and can subsequently be used to optimise the advertising medium.

By recording all three dimensions, such as attention, emotional activation and purchase motivation by means of eye tracking, facial coding and EEG, the advertising efficiency of the advertising media is implicitly recorded in the best possible way. If necessary, the communication media can thus be optimised precisely before they go on-air in a neuro-optimised way.

02/03/2023

Copyright: Interconnection, Publication free of charge for coverage regarding the study and InterConnection Consulting.