Case Study Material
Client confidentiality prevents us from revealing more specific details, but the following abstracts give a good illustration of the powerful information available only through our EEG methodology.
1. Product Design
Background
In common with its rivals, this global Auto co. feels that conventional qual / quant research methodologies are simply not advancing their understanding of emotional responses to new design features. Emotional design is a critically important area for the future success of the business. Yet, before now, it has not been possible to measure sub-conscious / emotional response.
Specific Objectives
Measure consumer response at a sub-conscious level to new design / car models; overall, exterior, interior, 20 specific features
Recommend the specific design features behind which to focus marketing communication strategies
Results
Using EEG + Eye movement tracking, Neuroco pioneered a tailor-made methodology for evaluating a spontaneous First Impressions™ score for each vehicle; a totally new quantified measure.
Additionally we rated and ranked the relative impact, interest & emotional appeal of:
- the overall vehicle
- different views of the vehicle and
- specific features both exterior / interior
The importance of different sensory elements to design perceptions was explored ...eg sound, touch, aroma
Clear recommendations were made on specific design feature changes and communication insights.
Summary
Significant value was added over and above conventional Design research; the study provided powerful unfiltered / unbiased information on overall emotional response, but also identified which aspect / design feature was specifically driving that response.
Effectively it provides equivalent sub-conscious measures for car clinic studies previously only measured at a cognitive level.
Neuroco approach is a breakthrough methodology for measuring true emotional response to Design features; not only does it provide measures at a sub-conscious level, but it allows correlation against depth-qual analysis, to unearth greater insights.
A related patentable technique has been devised by Neuroco to allow scalable neurological studies of Design / Creative / Concept/ Packaging / Advertising elements for up to 100 respondents; the first such test available anywhere in the world.
Neuroco’s First Impressions™ score is increasingly now built in to new commissions.
2. TV Advertising
Background
This premier global Brewer faced a dilemma over the selection between alternative TV ads.
The new brand proposition and advertising campaign were heavily emotionally weighted. Research needed to provide guidance as to which execution was more effective at evoking the desired emotional response.
Conventional qual studies are simply not able to measure sub-conscious response ie cannot provide a true measure of consumer reaction and emotional engagement.
Specific Objectives
- Measure relative emotional potency of each execution.
- Evaluate relative effectiveness of each vignette within the executions.
- Recommend the choice of soundtrack and its contribution to overall impact, recall and effectiveness.
Results
Neuroco devised an integrated study using an EEG module + a series of in-depth interviews with the same respondents, in order to marry sub conscious and conscious response
The EEG results gave a true measure of response on a sec. by sec. basis. And allowed informed interpretation of what they actually meant
Measures included;
- Impact levels; evaluation of First Impressions on screening the ads.
- Real-time Attention and Emotion engagement levels as the TV ad unfolds
- Ranking of emotional potency and appeal of different scenes / vignettes
- Communication checks for each ad and each vignette
- Identification of specific attention / emotion trigger points within ads
- Emotional response to the alternative soundtracks
Summary
Neuroco delivered invaluable sub-conscious response measures impossible to assess from conventional research.
Real-time tracking allowed the pin-pointing of specific trigger-points in the vignettes. The client was, therefore, able to understand the relative strengths and weakness in communication of each of the vignettes and make any necessary adjustments.
The technique allowed assessment of the relative contribution delivered by the different soundtracks. Neither soundtrack was sufficiently potent to create the desired emotional response.
Consequently, Neuroco prepared, developed and submitted a new Music Brief to specifically address this requirement with the musicians.
The technique has now been written-up as an accredited case study for internal global circulation and recommendation in conjunction with the client’s Global Head
3. Outdoor Media Background
This leading Hollywood Entertainment giant, like its competitors, invests $ millions in outdoor advertising on a global basis.
Lack of meaningful consumer-related research from outdoor contractors restricts the client’s ability to improve its understanding of outdoor media effectiveness.
Whilst OTS type data and site profiles do exist, there is little information on the true nature of consumer interaction and response to specific executions and campaigns.
Specific Objective
Evaluate alternative media executions and campaign weights to identify optimal media plans and improve advertising ROI.
Results
The client’s state-of-the-art simulation technique features hundreds of poster sites in a real-time video walk-about / drive-about in city centres. The technique allows digital insertion and switching of different creative poster executions within the video. In this way different campaigns can be simulated with the click of a mouse.
Neuroco developed a methodology that links eye movement with EEG. By then screening the footage to consumers fitted for EEG headsets and eye movement, their responses were tracked and recorded in real-time.
The outputs recorded show measures including the degree to which different ads arrested the eye and then sustained attention. We also measured the nature and intensity of the engagement. Effectively these response patterns allowed us to rank the relative impact and emotional pull of the different poster sites and alternative creative copy under test.
In short this gives us Impact, Attention and Emotional engagement scores for:
- Individual poster creative treatments
- Individual poster location
- Individual format eg 48 sheet v bus-sides v adshells etc
- Overall optimal Campaign saturation weights
Summary
One of the key findings was that some of the heavyweight campaigns generated diminishing responses. It is possible to generate as much impact and engagement with lower density.
As a result of the evaluation, the client can now save considerable money by varying saturation weights required to achieve target impact / engagement levels.
Additionally, the technique demonstrated the ongoing ability to quantify assessments of the relative potency and effectiveness of different creative treatments and different site formats.
Future Steps
Neuroco’s methodology has helped pioneer a totally new kind of media evaluation.
Hitherto, media evaluations have been superficial and at a basic cognitive level. Neuroco provides real-time, sub-conscious responses to real-life simulations of outdoor media.
Further advancements in the Neuroco methodology, via incorporation of Eyetracking with EEG monitoring, have created more accurate means of pinpointing the trigger points of impact / engagement / emotional responses within the specific elements of creative executions and poster sites.
The client response
It has been an extremely revealing exercise and one which, with certain refinements, we will be repeating across different markets such as Japan. There is no way we could get this kind of valuable and actionable information from traditional research approaches alone