Have you ever wondered what happens in the brain while watching an advertisement? Why are we compelled by some company’s attempts to captivate our interest, while we simply ignore others?
One’s brain produces brainwaves, minuscule electrical currents, while experiencing, viewing, or creating things we interact with on a daily basis. Emotions, brainwaves, and stimuli are all connected, but it’s not easy to make sense of them all. Recent cutting edge technologies have now enabled us to measure the neurological response to the things consumers watch, hear, and experience. We call this Brainwave Mapping.
Scio Motus’ approach to Brainwave Mapping includes the use of specialized headsets and software by which the raw data from one’s brain waves can be analyzed to provide insight on emotion, attention, and reaction parameters. The process is simple, benefits are numerous, and applications are nothing short of innovative.
So, how do Scio Motus’ Brainwave Mapping services work?
First, we work with you to decide what to test and what the objectives are.
Common use cases include: testing multiple cuts of a potential spot, or reaction to your videos and how they compare to competitor’s videos. It is also useful to understand where eyes go on the screen during the video.
Next, we recruit participants.
We will work to recruit participants who match the targeted demographics relevant to your company. Specialized headsets are given to test participants, who then wear them while watching videos. This headset is used to measure the electrical impulses in the brain that fire while the participant is viewing the content. While these impulses have been measured and recorded, it is now important to interpret them.
Then we run the test.
With the objectives and participants in place, the headset can be utilized to retrieve brainwave results while the visual stimuli is used to trigger those responses.
When the test results are in, we analyze them.
Algorithms have been placed in the software paired to the headset that are able to interpret the meanings of the brainwaves. By establishing parameters within the software that can log the brainwaves into different categories, relate those to the parts of the screen viewers are focusing on, as well as determine the emotional responses participants have to the content. An analyst reviews the maps from each participant and summarizes them into a key report.
The final step is to deliver report with insights and recommendations.
By including a summary of the emotions and strength of emotions demonstrated during the ad, marketers can check to see if they match the objectives of the video. Eye tracking can also be utilized to make sure viewers are seeing the right things, which can provide powerful insights for making creative recommendations.
Brainwave Mapping is an effective tool in developing a strong marketing plan. Research has shown that over 90% of purchasing decisions are made in the subconscious¹, so the reasons why consumers buy, are not always rational, but also based on emotion. Since interpreting these reactions to video is done without verbal interviews with the participant, Brainwave Mapping can avoid bias and the inefficiencies in the participant’s understanding of their own thoughts to receive reliable, accurate feedback. This provides insight into the subconscious reactions viewers have towards advertisements, and which can help marketers craft content that not only caters to the intellect of consumers, but their feelings as well.
These insights are helpful for marketers for a number of reasons. Since Brainwave Mapping can measure many different metrics in response to advertising, the benefits are layered:
Marketers, advertisers, brands, and video producers can better see where viewers look during video. This helps craft advertisements themselves, allowing creators to place the important information or main points in those areas that draw the most attention.
One can see how engaged the participants and viewers are. When producing this content, it’s best to test so that you can fail early and fail cheap - so if advertising content is simply ineffective, it’s good to know before the company runs with it.
By understanding the response in the emotional being of their audience, marketers can analyze whether or not the content is aligning with the goals of the advertisement and key metrics stated by the campaign prior to development.
As Brainwave Mapping is used more and more, marketers can gain the insight, knowledge, and experience to better understand how they should optimize their content. This optimization can focus on how to best impact subconscious emotion which, in turn, will allow for marketers to create advertisements and campaigns that will be more successful, encouraging more growth and engagement with the content.
Ultimately, these effects can lead to better brand awareness, stronger emotional interest in the product or service, and higher rates of purchasing. If you or your company is in need of Brainwave Mapping services or is looking for help with new and innovative marketing research to gain you the competitive edge, check out Scio Motus’s machine-learning based services.
[1] Chierotti, L. (2018, March 26). Harvard Professor Says 95% of Purchasing Decisions Are Subconscious. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/logan-chierotti/harvard-professor-says-95-of-purchasing-decisions-are-subconscious.html