This year marks 20 years since Facebook revolutionized the way we use the internet. A lot happened during that time, but as it changed the advertising landscape and influenced its users’ daily lives, Facebook evolved as well.
Facebook may not be the place to find the youngest audience (though its audience is diverse and earns money) or the “hottest” platform right now, but some facts are simply unbeatable. As of the end of 2023, the number of Facebook users worldwide is around 3.05 billion.
50% of the time spent on Facebook and Instagram is spent watching videos.
2B+ people watch Facebook in-stream-eligible videos each month.
74% of Facebook in-stream non-skippable video ad views are completed, globally.
So, the question is not whether there should be an investment in Facebook ads, but rather how to do so effectively. As my colleague previously stated, it is critical to test ads because relying solely on platform analytics is insufficient to gain clarity and insights into why some ads are “working” and what their true brand impact is. To gain those insights simulated replicated feeds are proving to be the best tool for capturing user behavior.
A good replicated feed will make respondents forget they’re part of research
Researchers should always be mindful of response bias – a phenomenon where individuals consciously or unconsciously alter their answers to align with perceived social norms, expectations, or desires. Factors such as social desirability bias, where respondents provide socially acceptable responses rather than honest ones, can distort findings. But even smaller things can affect the answers too. Wording of questions, order of presentation, interviewer effects, and respondent characteristics like age, gender, or cultural background can all impact how individuals respond. Awareness of these biases is critical in designing surveys and conducting research to minimize their influence and ensure more reliable data collection and analysis.
To minimize biases, it is best to provide respondents with a realistic environment in which tracking devices and differences from their usual habits are difficult to detect. In the case of social media replicated feeds, respondents participate in the study from the comfort of their own homes, and some even admit that there were times when they forgot they were not using “the real thing.”
Native VS Branded ad memorability paradox
Native content outperforms branded ads in retaining attention by captivating audiences with surprising product usage and compelling, attention-grabbing audio. Younger viewers engage with native content for longer durations, making it an ideal choice for subtly targeting this demographic. Additionally, native ads are clearer, largely due to their prominent product features. However, they pose a challenge in terms of memorability since they rely solely on the video to convey branding, which users may overlook. In contrast, branded ad posts benefit from additional cues like account names and video descriptions, enhancing brand memorability.
The path to balanced native and branded video ads
The first and most obvious recommendation is for marketers to test their ads. Knowing which parts of the video to tweak can help achieve a native-branded balance. Even past campaigns contain knowledge, and testing them can provide brands and marketers with a best-practice guidebook for future creative input. However, if you already have native content in your hands, here’s a small bonus tip. If focusing on younger audiences – ads with a native feel could be the way but take care to post from the official brand account with an informative description. If the goal is to raise awareness among the general population – a traditional branded ad is a more reliable option.
Eager to know more about ad testing on other social media platforms? Research hidden potential with new TikTok creative insights.
Ready to resonate with consumers beyond discounts and special offers? Understanding the emotional drivers behind consumer behavior can help embed your product in their hearts and minds for the long haul.
Expressing emotions verbally poses challenges for everyone, with surveys often highlighting this difficulty most prominently. This renders surveys alone potentially misleading. Nonetheless, alternative research approaches offer solutions. In addition to asking the right questions, like in real-life interactions, we meticulously analyze facial expressions. This is why relying on Facial Coding as a research method becomes imperative, allowing us to generate both more accurate and more profound insights.
That is why we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions to assist you in successfully understanding and utilizing such a powerful driving force as emotions.
1. What are the advantages of using facial coding to test advertisements over traditional methods?
Facial coding delves into non-verbal reactions, unveiling responses that respondents might not consciously acknowledge, articulate, or be inclined to disclose in traditional survey or focus group settings. Furthermore, it provides insight into the underlying “reason why” behind an ad’s performance, beyond mere measurement, thereby enabling businesses to make better informed decisions.
2. What are the advantages of facial coding compared to neuroscientific methods?
Marketing research relies on both behavioral and neuroscientific methods to overcome the say-feel gap, as, oftentimes, respondents are not able or willing to verbalize their emotions regarding stimuli. Combining explicit methods like surveys and implicit ones like FC allows us to access both parts of “the dual process thinking,” popularized by Daniel Kahnman as System 1 and System 2 thinking.
While EEG, fMRI, and GSR provide deeper insights into neural and physiological processes that facial coding does not directly capture, facial coding complements these methods by focusing on the observable manifestations of emotions and behaviors. Still, certain facial expressions are often associated with specific physiological states, and by observing facial expressions, researchers can infer potential physiological reactions. For example, expressions of fear may coincide with increased heart rate and perspiration; on the other hand, a smile might indicate activation in brain regions associated with reward and positive emotions.
In summary, while facial coding doesn’t directly capture physiological or neurological processes, it can indirectly provide valuable information about these processes by analyzing observable facial expressions. It offers insights into how individuals experience and express emotions, providing a behavioral lens through which to understand underlying physiological and neurological responses. Facial coding has three main advantages, comparing to neuroscience methods:
It is far less intrusive – the need for controlled laboratory settings and the onsite equipment (like EEG Cap, Amplifier and Recording device for both EEG and GSR, GSR sensors, MRI scanner and other associated devices), can make neuroscientific methods considerably intrusive. They require direct physical contact with the participant’s body, or its exposure to strong magnetic fields (as in fMRI). On the other hand, facial coding primarily relies on observing and analyzing facial expressions. It involves capturing video recordings of respondents’ faces while they view stimuli (or engage in tasks).
It is more scalable and cost-effective – the low intrusiveness leads to higher participant compliance and reduces the need for specialized training to administer the technique. FC can be done online, and it is applicable across the global market since basic expressions are universal to humankind. It can also be easily scaled to accommodate large sample sizes, as it does not require significant additional resources for each additional participant (e.g. limited availability of EEG and GSR scanners). With all that in mind, facial coding is relatively cost-effective and accessible, compared to neuroscientific methods.
Its output is more readable – although EEG, GSR and fMRI offer baseline complementary information about physiological arousal, neural correlates, and cognitive processes underlying emotional experiences, FC measures more direct and observable indicators of emotional expressions, providing us with output with far better readability that can easily be integrated into research studies.
3. What is the process for the coding of facial expressions?
Respondents are recruited remotely, and by following the testing link, with no need to download any app, they are directed to the testing page. After successfully being screened, they are then invited to provide their consent for facial coding. Subsequently, they are exposed to the stimulus being tested.
4. How high is the response rate for facial coding studies?
The response rate may differ depending on the market and other sample specifications, but when dealing with the general population, it is on average 18% ( Brazil 30%, USA 20%, Germany 15%, Japan 8%).
5. What are the specific emotions our facial coding can record?
Facial coding can be used to recognize a variety of facial expressions, each associated with specific emotions. The Facial Action Coding System (FACS), developed by Paul Ekman and Wallace V. Friesen, is one of the most widely used systems for coding facial expressions. FACS identifies specific muscle movements, called Action Units (AUs), that correspond to different emotions. EyeSee’s framework relies on FACS and Ekman’s seven basic emotions list, having it adapted to market research needs; by grouping three of the negative emotions (disgust, contempt, anger) into one (dislike), and expanding the list by two cognitive emotions, interest and confusion. In total, EyeSee’s framework is comprised of 7 emotional categories (3 positive and 4 negative):
Happiness: Indicated by the activation of the zygomatic major muscle, causing the corners of the mouth to lift (AU12), and the orbicularis oculi muscle, leading to “crow’s feet” around the eyes (AU6).
Surprise: Displayed through raised eyebrows (AU1 and AU2), widened eyes (AU5), and optionally an open mouth.
Interest: Manifested by lowered eyebrows (AU4 and AU7),
Confusion: Characterized by a downward pull of the corners of the mouth (AU15) and the upward movement of the chin (The Chin Raise Action Unit AU17), optionally accompanied by an inner brow raising (AU1).
Dislike: a) Disgust: Shown by a wrinkled nose (AU9), raised upper lip (AU10), and a downturned mouth. b) Contempt: Reflected in a slight one-sided mouth raise, often with the corner of the lip lifted (AU12). c) Anger: Manifested by lowered eyebrows (AU4 and AU7), narrowed eyes (AU4), and a tense jaw (AU24).
Fear: Evident by raised eyebrows (AU1 and AU2), wide-open eyes (AU5), and horizontally stretched mouth (AU27).
Sadness: Characterized by a downward pull of the corners of the mouth (AU15) and the inner eyebrows raising (AU1).
6.Is tracking a limited number of emotions sufficient?
The seven emotional categories allow for a generalized understanding of the emotional landscape without needing to delve into highly specific emotions, which can be more subjective and challenging to interpret consistently. However, while emotional categories offer a useful starting point, they may not capture the full complexity of individual experiences and nuanced emotions. In EyeSee, we open a window into the individual’s experience and specific emotions by analyzing facial expressions within their specific contexts.
7. What specific metrics can be derived from the facial coding method?
Emotional Reach – the percentage of viewers who have had any emotional reaction to the stimulus.
Emotional Engagement – the average of total reactions during the whole time of the stimulus.
Happiness – the percentage of respondents who have expressed a smile at least once during the stimulus.
Surprise – the percentage of respondents who have conveyed an expression of surprise at least once during the stimulus.
Interest – the percentage of respondents who have conveyed an expression of interest at least once during the stimulus.
Confusion – the percentage of respondents who have conveyed an expression of confusion at least once during the stimulus.
Dislike – the percentage of respondents who conveyed an expression of dislike at least once during the stimulus.
Fear – the percentage of respondents who have conveyed an expression of fear at least once during the stimulus.
Sadness – the percentage of respondents who have conveyed an expression of sadness at least once during the stimulus.
Positive emotions – the percentage of viewers who have had any positive emotional reaction to the stimulus.
Negative emotions – the percentage of viewers who have had any negative emotional reaction to the stimulus.
8. How can we tell what triggered an emotion?
Facial coding second-by-second output for video stimuli is very informative on emotional triggers since it allows us to know what scene from the stimulus triggered an emotion. In cases where the scenes are more complex with multiple potential triggers – the facial coding data can be crossed with eye tracking data as well as with the survey response, allowing us to have a full context and thus be able to pinpoint the emotional triggers and convey an actionable insight.
9. What devices and browsers can be used for Facial Coding testing?
Facial coding tests can be run on both desktop and mobile environments, with no need to download any app. Our Web Platform supports multiple browsers for mobile: Google Chrome, Mi, Samsung Internet, and majority of integrated browsers, covering 70% market share, and when it comes to desktop – Google Chrome, Opera, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and AVG Secure Browser, covering over 99% of the browsers available.
10. How are emotions connected to brand impact?
In EyeSee, we conducted research with 18 short ads (from 7-15 seconds) with the objective of finding out how facial coding correlates with some of the most relevant survey and retention KPIs (see the list visual below). The significance level taken into account was 0.05 (equivalent to 95% significance) and Spearman value correlation being above 0.3 and below -0.3*.
All three facial coding KPIs were significantly correlative with Likability(on average 0.32) and Uniqueness (avg. 0.46). Besides the two mentioned correlations, the Happiness KPI is also positively correlative with Stopping power, ad sharing potential, and the statement “It makes me think that this brand is really different from its competitors.” As for the negative correlations (statistically speaking), respondents who expressed higher happiness tend to rate the stimulus asless ordinary (-0.42).
*Two main types of correlations are positive correlation and negative correlation (0.3 for positive correlation and -0.3 for negative), and they describe the direction of the relationship between the variables, as two variables may move in the same or opposite direction.
11. How are emotions connected to purchase decisions?
Although rational appeal in advertising is very important, it is not appropriate for certain products, especially those that are not that different from the products of their competitors in functionality, olfactory, or technical characteristics. That is when emotional appeal, which consists of creating certain emotional associations in the consumer’s mind towards the advertised product, fosters great results in purchasing decisions (in those cases, a unique selling proposition is replaced by a unique emotional proposition).
The word emotion comes from Latin and is derived from the word emotio/emovere, which essentially means “to move out” or “to stir up.” Therefore, emotions are connected to purchase decisions by creating a desire for the associated products (or a lack thereof). Unfortunately, this link is hard to measure since, unlike short-term promotions and discounts, its influence is more of a long-term nature as it is developed over time in the privacy of the audience’s subconscious mind. However, what we can measure is brand impact.
In sum, it’s convenient to view the act of purchasing as a “behavior” and desire as the “mental state” that drives it. In this context, facial coding provides insight into the underlying state of mind, which is crucial for guiding desired behavior, such as making a purchase.
12. How do we benchmark our facial coding KPIs?
When assessing an ad’s performance on an emotional level, providing relevant facial coding benchmarks is a must since there are no universal truths when it comes to gauging a creative’s performance. Stimuli of different lengths attain different levels of attention and allow for different emotional engagements to be developed, which is why the stimuli length is the first criterion to be applied. Additionally, it’s important to consider the creative approach employed in creating the stimulus, such as whether it adopts a collage or a movielike style (collage or movielike). And although a global benchmark is a good fit in some cases, for some markets it is best to apply a culture-specific benchmark (i. e. for a study conducted in Japan, an “Asian benchmark” would be the best fit, since this market is characterized by more subtle expressions).
Apart from culture-specific benchmarks, many of our clients are interested in testing the animatics version of ads, in order to fine-tune them in the earlier production stage or select the winning ad, and this is where our animatics benchmark is applied. Furthermore, taking into account the industry adds another layer of benchmark specification, as emotional profiles and levels of engagement can vary significantly within different sectors.
In conclusion, it is essential to consider both sample and stimuli specifications when conducting significance testing, and an extensive benchmark base allows EyeSee’s research team to do that, thus reaching reliable conclusions.
13. Is the presence of negative emotions by default a bad thing, and should they be avoided?
Depending on the ad’s narrative, negative emotions like disgust, contempt, sadness, and fear can be a part of creative objectives. While it may seem counterintuitive to intentionally trigger these emotions, they can be powerful drivers of action, especially if your product or service offers a solution to them. This is why valence-based approaches, which limit themselves to positive and negative emotion-oriented KPIs, are to be taken with reserve; they are less explanatory when used alone without emotional profiles since they do not take into account that emotions of the same valence differ in essential ways.
14. What if some parts of an ad elicit no emotions?
When using facial coding to measure emotional engagement in any dynamic content, it’s not necessary or realistic to expect that every single moment will elicit an emotional response. The goal is rather to identify key moments or elements that successfully engage the audience and evoke the desired emotions. Neutral respondents can also be engaged (with neutral facial expression), but they can still be fully locked in; this is where facial coding is complemented by retention.
15. Dislike often appears at the end of an ad, simultaneously with the brand logo – how should this be interpreted?
Dislike at the end of an ad is probably a reaction to the attitude of ‘just another ad’, not necessarily to the brand itself. Still, it might indicate that the creative failed to come across as entertaining/educational content by being too obvious or tactless in revealing the brand. Surveys can be a good add-on by providing another layer of confirmation.
16. Can facial coding be regarded as confirmation of attention?
Facial expressions do confirm attention, but the absence of facial expressions does not necessarily indicate a lack of attention.
The relationship between attention and emotion is unidirectional (one-way): if respondents are emotionally engaged with the stimulus, it indeed means that the stimulus has their attention – however, if respondents are not emotionally engaged with the stimulus, it does not preclude them from paying attention. Attention and emotional engagement represent distinct yet complementary responses to stimuli, both of which we assess separately using the Retention and Facial Coding methods.
However, facial coding as a method brings much more into the picture than merely confirming attention: it delves into second-by-second emotional engagement, capturing the highs and lows of emotional responses and identifying specific emotions over time. This detailed analysis offers valuable insights into how tested stimuli can be adjusted to evoke intended emotional states. In essence, facial coding and retention measurement assess two distinct qualities of stimuli and should be regarded as distinct yet complementary tools for understanding audience response.
17. What is the ultimate benefit of utilizing facial coding?
Besides being both the least intrusive and the most scalable method, facial coding serves as a window to honest feedback on emotional engagement, thus allowing creative teams to answer the following questions:
Does the creative resonate with the target audience on an emotional level?
Is the content creating the intended emotional state?
Which are the most engaging parts of the stimulus?
Where are the emotional peaks?
Based on 1-4, what are the learnings, and how can they be leveraged to design narratives that bring brands closer to their audience?
Curious to know more about Facial Coding and Social Media testing, read more here.
Your ads and messages are alright, but you’re itching for something new and exciting. Want a way to jazz up your brand, make it pop, and get people buzzing again?
The next frontier for marketers globally is to harness the power of your brand on TikTok! An incredible 81% of users say TikTok videos influenced their recent purchases, and a recent EyeSee study discovered that 56% of sponsored content is seen on average, and 73% of users like the ads they see. Gen Z is also redefining search: They’re more likely to use social networks than search engines when looking up brands, products, or services, according to GWI, and 50% of them will choose TikTok.
So, if you are wondering how to effectively break through the clutter while still conveying the right message with a fresh approach, “TikTok First Content Guidelines for Powerful Ads” is the white paper for you! Discover:
1. Why is the TikTok First approach more effective than TVC-style ads? When created in TikTok First style, the ad’s stopping power increases by 17%.
2. What can earned attention and emotional connection do for your brand? Skippable ad formats like TikTok represent true eyes on the screen. Viewers truly see what they look at, as opposed to just gazing over it.
For content that achieves high emotional reach (>30%), it is noted that there is a 25% uplift in brand uniqueness, a 15% uplift in likeability, and a 14% uplift in improved brand opinion.
3. The story behind the Scotch-Brite success story and how they did it. EyeSee study “TikTok ad magic: A performance study” shows that Scotch-Brite ads, created in a TikTok First manner, achieve an impressive stopping power of 76%, significantly surpassing the North American benchmark for the CPG industry.
4. What are insight-based guidelines for using the most powerful TikTok effects? There is a 19% increase in brand interest and a 23% increase in brand opinion when the TikTok First ad contains effects such as emojis and stickers.
By Minja Stojanov, Internal Business Development Director at EyeSee
As of 2022, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 151 minutes per day, and Western Europe had a 79 percent social media penetration rate, topping the ranking of global social media usage by region since January 2023, Statista reports say. Not to mention that 81% of people between the ages of 30 and 49 actively use at least one social media site.
Numbers cannot be more clear; social media are officially an integral part of all our lives. They are places where we connect, inform, share advice and experiences, and sometimes even make direct purchases that are available via the emerging possibilities of social shopping. What is particularly interesting is that, recently, Instagram has been offering analytics, even to private profiles.
All of this indicates that there is a strong need for true social media influence to be understood.
Social Media Analytics VS mix of behavioral and traditional testing methods
However, are social media analytics sufficient to understand how content affects us and how it works? If we imagine brand managers who are budgeting for content production and strategy for the coming year and want to use analytics to determine the success of previous years’ social media ads, what insights would they have? Are the numbers showing the reach of some ads sufficient to determine whether the audience engaged with the ad or the brand in any way?
For reliable and valid insights, it is crucial to use a mix of behavioral and traditional methods focusing on consumer behavior in the timeline and its impact on sales uplift.
Eye tracking allows granularity into which ad elements are seen and which are often missed. Analyzing the social media heat map is highly beneficial for the placement of key ad information.
Facial coding identifies whether consumers are engaging with your brand by analyzing their emotions through facial expressions.
Surveys help uncover what the ad impact on brand metrics is. When we combine Facial Coding, Eye Tracking and Survey results we get what the true ad impact on consumers was and more importantly WHY.
Virtual shopping provides a direct link between the performance of an ad and in-store purchase behavior with the help of realistic simulated store environments that tap into authentic consumer behavior.
Main KPIs and benefits of replicated media Feeds
Did you know that people’s average focus per post on Facebook’s timeline is 4.1 seconds, 2.7 on Instagram feed, 3s on TikTok, and that for Facebook and Instagram, there is a 19% decrease in visibility when an ad is lower in the feed?
For uncovering the sophisticated differences in behavior that would go undetected with traditional social media analytics, research tools such as replicated social media feeds and the right thought framework are crucial.
That is why here are the metrics and KPIs you need to know about your ad performance:
a) Ad breakthrough:
Visibility – how many users have actually seen your content?
Attention – how long do they watch it for?
Video retention – what are the usual points where you start to lose them?
b) Ad emotional engagement and brand impact:
Emotional reach – is the ad resonating with them?
Survey KPIs – does it fit with the brand, and do users like it?
c) Ad sales impact:
Sales uplift – does the ad impact sales?
Building brand success on best practices and creative guidelines
If we go back to our imaginary brand manager from the beginning of this article, one might rightfully ask: How can I benefit from the knowledge of the campaign that is already done?
Imagine how much time you would save by not having to go back and forth with briefing the creative agencies and influencers but having all the insights along with content recommendations and a set of rules in one best practice playbook.
In conclusion
If you are interested in learning more, I advise you to reach out and ask us for our global study, a meta-analysis of almost 60 ads from 20 brands called “TikTok Global Study: Creative that Works.”. Or you can find a brief overview here and take it from there.
This study gave us, our clients, and TikTok, not only valuable insights and creative guidelines but it proved that social media campaigns are efficient across industries from FMCG, OTC, Personal and home care, and all the way through Durables and in some cases even Financial and other services.
But, no matter the industry, one thing is certain: you want your brand to be where your consumers are, and you want it to be part of their lives. In that process, social media is a crucial component of your brand’s social life among its consumers, and it needs to be done right. A best practice and creative guideline playbook is a tool one needs for that.
I just returned from visiting my family in Europe, and aside from having a nice holiday, I realized that the time I spent waiting on my flight changed my purchasing habits. In the duty-free zone: I found myself wandering around a product category I am not usually interested in, eating lunch when I usually eat breakfast, and purchasing some tech gadgets I did not intend to buy.
Conde Nast Traveler’s article says that people travel the skies, rails, roads, and seas to tick off major bucket-list moments. So, shifting behavioral patterns and traveling go hand in hand, and a big part of that is the travel retail centers we visit along the way. It is where every journey begins and ends; it is a necessity, but it is also important for travel retail to be convenient, pleasant, and enjoyable.
So, does it come as a surprise that Statisa predicts that the global travel retail market will reach 174.9 billion US dollars by 2030?
How is travel retail different?
Travel retail centers are places where consumers are ready to try something new, and brands must be able to give their best and use the opportunity to introduce themselves to new customers, showing their loyal ones that their favorite brand goes where they go.
48% of travelers think that a variety of products makes Duty Free a great place for shopping
47% of travelers say it is a great place to try new brands
45 % are more motivated to buy Duty-Free exclusives
43 % consider travel retailers a great place to buy gifts
Unlike standard ones, travel retailers are one of the main distribution channels in the beauty industry (if beauty retailers are put aside). The main categories travel retailers feature are perfume and cosmetics, liquor, confectionery, tobacco, food & beverage, electronics, accessories (bags, watches, eyewear, etc.)
When consumers enter the duty-free zone, in most cases, they have some free time on their hands before onboarding starts. Nicely displayed brands will get anyone’s attention, and to be honest, probably some last-minute gift shopping will be part of spending that free time. Unique display designs can help brands stand out in product displays, as Galvinet Whiskey did when they displayed their bottle as a museum artifact. It was beautifully lit and covered with a protective glass box. All of this was in line with “tradition” as one of their core values: they are Scotland’s oldest legal whiskey distillery. Not only that, from the front of the liquor bottle display stand to the back of the product packaging, the Roman numerals 35 are emphasized. Any Glenlivet enthusiast and collector would instantly know this means a rare bottle of liquor because it’s not in the brand’s collection.
Graphic solutions are not the only way to shed light on more information in places where people have some extra time to kill. Sometimes that can be shop assistants who engage in further conversation with consumers. If out-of-the-box design solutions and shop assistants handling your brand’s key values sound risky, note that EyeSee has solutions for testing both.
However, all of this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to possible brand touchpoints in travel-type environments. Purchases can be made on planes. There are also all sorts of marketing materials that consumers can pass by: from airplane magazines, brochures, and leaflets to much bigger ATL prints or on-screen ads. The possibilities are endless!
What can we learn from travel retail?
There are many types of point of sales displays:
Counter displays
Free-standing display units
Product displayed quickly units
Light boxes
Gravity feed display units
The creative potential of these displays is limitless. Recall the enormous cardboard fence constructed from KitKat bars and the point-of-sale box brimming with an abundance of KitKats, a temptation to dive into. And the best thing about it is that it would work not only for travel retailers but in supermarkets too.
Over the last couple of years, the market research industry has seen a steady rise in online context testing solutions such as virtual stores, which offer cost-efficient and fast findings but also boast very high validity. Apart from providing stable results even in changed circumstances, Virtual shopping has a very high correlation with real shopping behavior – as much as 0.8-0.9.
EyeSee’s in-house design capabilities enable the customization of any type of virtual shopping environment. Furthermore, a multitude of pre-built, standardized shelves are already accessible across over 80 categories. State-of-the-art graphic solutions can be designed in 2D, 2.5D, and 3D models and provide high levels of consumer immersion that help produce authentic insights.
In conclusion
Understanding consumer behavior in travel retail serves as a valuable compass for brands seeking inspired growth. The unique environment of duty-free zones, characterized by ample free time and consumer openness, offers an exceptional opportunity for brands to engage and leave a lasting impression.
Brands that understand and leverage these unconventional retail rules stand to unlock untapped potential and navigate non-standard points of sale successfully. As the market research industry embraces virtual shopping solutions like EyeSee’s, the prospect of testing concepts and display designs becomes more efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with real shopping behavior, emphasizing the importance of staying ahead in an evolving consumer landscape.
To make some kind of system in such a branched shopper movement and try to be as predictive as possible, keep these five things in mind.
Map the market
In an average supermarket that contains around 50k SKUs, consumers spend only 5 seconds per aisle, while EyeSee’s data shows that online shoppers browse the product list page between 15 and 20 seconds searching for the right item. These numbers tell us that competition is fierce and attention spans are challengingly short; every product touch point counts, whether it is in the online or offline world. So the first thing you want to do is map the market by asking these questions.
Who is this consumer? What are the consumers looking for? What are the relevant players in the segment or industry I’m playing in? Who are my competitors? Which are the platforms that will complement the assortment that I’m offering or the service or experience that I’m offering through my platform? And then, how are those players positioned in terms of pricing, brand positioning, brand potential, et cetera? You may not have all of the answers right away, but as you begin to research the market, answers will emerge one question at a time.
Never lose sight of the bigger picture
One thing that we should bear in mind is that when we are thinking about online and in-store consumers, we are talking about the same people. This whole separation that we do between online and offline as if they were completely separate worlds is not very accurate because nowadays what we have is a hybrid experience with a hybrid consumer who many times researches or searches for the product online already knowing that they will buy offline, or the other way around.
When we accept an in-context holistic approach can we position our product in the e-commerce market correctly. Only a few people end up clicking on the ad itself (2%), so do not expect your revenue to increase from ad conversion. The way the ads influence the shoppers is that they subconsciously drive interest in the advertised product, which then gets purchased on its primary position i.e. the list. However, this does not work for all products and all categories equally. An uplift in brand purchase can be as high as 40% for different categories, but as low as non-existent for others. To find out more about it read our Leverage ads in online shopping: Amazon Fresh behavioral study.
Be present at the key touchpoints
If we look only at the online consumer movement, we can see that it is far from linear. Passive tracking is the predictability tool you need. It helps to understand not only the consumer’s motion but the keywords of consumer language too. It answers key questions
Which touchpoints are most frequently visited?
What is the typical number of visits?
Where do visitors come from?
Where do they land on the retailer’s website?
Having these answers means you will be able to wisely direct communication, pick the right product placements, and make the ROI certain. There are four stages of passive tracking set up:
Defining all the keywords relevant to the category of interest
Programming the study and implementing all the relevant keywords
Gaining respondents’ consent to pull their browsing history
Pulling browsing history for the analysis, including any predefined keywords
It can be applied throughout 30, 60, or 90 days. Along with Eye Tracking, Surveys, and Path to Purchase, buying your product will be the final customer destination, no matter the road they take.
When a consumers are on your landing page, make sure not to lose them
Around 70% of e-comm shoppers abandon the cart without completing the purchase, and there are many reasons for that – maybe they just investigated online and will shop offline; maybe they need more time to decide; but it can also happen that the process of checking out is too complicated and not easy to understand, so by fixing it, you directly increase conversion rates.
Did you know that when shoppers search for a product 49% of them search category name, 17% of them search for category name plus pack type and only 12% of them search for category name plus brand name. Test the path to purchase shoppers’ behavior.
In EyeSee we track how a person navigates through the live page (so it’s a real behavior, or as close as it can be), and we also expose consumers to some relevant static pages, usually a Product Listing Page (PLP is similar to a shelf in a regular BM store, it’s just much more cluttered and pictures of products are smaller; imagine a PC or mobile screen with a list of hundreds of products that you scroll through) and Product Details Page, but it can be anything else, such as Search Result Page, Add to cart/Checkout process, A+ Premium content (or any Promo content), whatever we think might be relevant to investigate or have indications it might be a bottleneck. On static pages, we want to know where consumers’ attention goes, for how long, and how visible or engaging the products and website elements are.
When top to bottom isn’t an option, reverse it
Most commonly, managers choose a top-down approach: to start first with a strategy to identify who our online shoppers are, where they search for our product, and what the drivers are for choosing specific channels, then move to testing shopper behavior and the path to purchase on specific details, and then, in the third level, test tactical marketing assets like ads, packs, banners, standard pack versus hero image, reviews, and checkout. However, sometimes it might be a good idea to take a bottom-up approach. This is the case when you don’t have a firm digital strategy yet but, for example, want to get some quick wins. You want to showcase that digital testing makes sense and that you can have wins in terms of conversions, a smoother consumer journey, and a better consumer experience. So, for example, you can test the Regular Pack versus the hero image pack, and here, you can show your departments and your wider team that the hero image performs significantly better in terms of conversions, sales uplift, and brand uplift. This is an advantage to use to get more backup to do wider-range service and maybe even create a complete digital strategy.
In the previous article, we already stressed the strong impact that TikTok has on consumer purchase decisions as well as the reach that sponsored content can have if done properly.
The figures speak for themselves:
71% of TikTok users stop and watch the first three seconds of the video
56% of each sponsored piece of content is seen on average
73% of TikTok users like the ads that they see
As we explained, we tested 60 ads from 20 brands across markets and industries such as FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Beauty, Insurance, Fashion, Technology, Automotive, Retail, etc. TikTok simulations, standalone ads, and surveys were tested among 7280 respondents. All of the respondents were TikTok regulars who had purchased items from some of the categories in the previous six months. You can request the study walk-through at [email protected]
Universal Robina is a great study example since their FMCG portfolio is impressive, and they turned out to be one of the winners in the game of TikTok. Let us take a closer look at the testing process and the outcomes.
What works better: native versus heavily branded approach
When it comes to ad style, brands typically choose between two options. They either create a single video and distribute it across all platforms, even though each platform has its own set of rules, or they assume that the native approach will win. Of course, creating a single video for multiple platforms is more cost-effective, but the native approach yields better results on a specific platform. However, both of those theories have their ups and downs, and the key is to test them, preferably in a simulated digital environment. By using natural and unforced exposure of the stimuli in an environment as close to reality as possible, we get an objective and accurate insight into the actual ad visibility.
In the TikTok simulation, respondents saw three videos: an advertisement for Great Taste, Cloud Nine, and Jack’n’Jill. We also consider the focus (time spent on the screen), retention (percentage of people who watched the video), and stopping power (percentage of people who stopped to watch the video) of tested ads.
Great Taste and Cloud Nine ads performed better than Jack’n’Jill in terms of focus, with 8.6s vs 7s; however, because Jack’N’Jill used a more native organic approach, it performed better in terms of retention and stopping power. (77% vs 57% and 86% vs 74%).
But does this necessarily imply that Jack’N’Jill performed better in terms of brand visibility? Not necessarily. With the organic approach, there is always the risk that the video will be insufficiently informative and that the key message will be missed.
What prompts TikTokers to recall brands more?
It is important to note that not only are all three tested stimuli different in style, but they also place the product in a different place in the timeline. Great Taste and Cloud Nine commercials have great dynamics and upbeat music, and the Jack’N’Jill approach is more raw and native; however, both approaches scored good brand recall, with only 2% of the difference in favor of Jack’N’Jill (74% vs. 72%). The key finding, however, is that watching the entire video increases brand recall by 35% compared to viewing only half of it.
Key findings
Universal Robina ads performed extremely well, so one of the key takeaways is that they should maintain TikTok content style while also maintaining their core brand attributes. They succeed in keeping users’ attention by using upbeat music and video dynamics, and they get their message across.
Oversimplification of the video should therefore be avoided. Because user attention is difficult to maintain, quick changes of scenery rather than just one setting are preferable. And, as previously stated, a native approach is not without risks, so whether it is appropriate for your brand depends on the strategy and campaign goals.
However, to see the full results of the Universal Robina study and to learn more about post-pandemic shoppers, watch the video below. There you will find the full presentation that debuted at the Asia Research Breakfast, which we were fortunate to attend as guest speakers. Also, don’t forget to acquire the whole study walk-through at [email protected]
Interested in reading more about global TikTok study? Click here.
TikTok is an undeniably influential social media platform with significant untapped potential for sponsored content. Following the pandemic, our habit of using TikTok remained strong. The app enjoys one of the highest user retention rates globally. An incredible 81% of users say TikTok videos influenced their recent purchases. That is why it is becoming increasingly important for brands to understand how to create effective ads that resonate with their consumers.
According to our most recent two-wave global study, we discovered that 71% of TikTok users stop and watch the first three seconds of the video and that 56% of each sponsored content is seen on average. All of this is supported by the fact that the ads are liked by 73% of TikTok users.
These figures show that sponsored content has every reason to thrive in TikTok’s digital environment. However, brands are still not using their full potential. This study not only invites you to use TikTok to empower your brand, but it also gets deep into what you must keep in mind while doing so. If you are interested in getting an expert walkthrough of the study, write us at [email protected]
Methodology
As previously stated, we tested 60 ads from 20 brands across markets and industries such as FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Beauty, Insurance, Fashion, Technology, Automotive, Retail, etc. TikTok simulations, standalone ads, and surveys were tested among 7280 respondents.
This research is built on the following key pillars:
Ad stopping power (tested the ads in a simulated TikTok environment that provided us with browsing insights)
Ad retention (tasted by exposing respondents to a simulated TikTok environment)
Ad emotional reach (tasted by exposing respondents to standalone ads and utilizing face coding methodology)
Ad likability (tasted by exposing respondents to standalone ads and utilizing face coding methodology)
Brand recalling (to learn % of respondents who remember seeing the advertised brand when prompted, we used the survey method)
The challenge of TikTok advertising
Why don’t brands use TikTok more? This is the imposing question that arises when we look at the numbers that show the untapped potential. On one hand, we have the answer that for brand managers, it is hard to follow the ROI once they invest in TikTok ads. They are unsure how to follow the path and make a clear connection, or better to say, they are unsure how to follow the path to purchase from the TikTok ad to the shopping cart.
On the other hand, even when clarity in that field is gained, the questions of how to approach strategy and what works best remain. There are questions about what will work better – the native approach or strongly branded videos that will also work on other platforms; what is the reach of animation as the dominant style; and is co-branding the way to more followers and engagement or the way to poor brand recollection?
This study answers all those questions and beyond. For example, animated video ads, those containing any kind of computer-generated imagery, will improve brand opinion by 23% and increase brand interest by 19%, while elevating the positive emotions about the brand by 20%.
However, brands must be careful; there is a chance that they will be seen as less informative than conventional videos if the message and narrative in them are not constructed carefully.
The golden rule for unlocking the untapped potential
What is great about this report is that it contains a lot of simple facts that must be considered in future ad planning. For example:
If the ad lasts up to 10 seconds, it has a 71% higher chance of being fully viewed.
A video that lasts up to 10 seconds has a 38% higher chance of being liked.
If the brand lasts up to 10 seconds, it has a 15% better chance of being remembered.
This is an example of an insight finding that makes a strong recommendation that is universal around the world. However, in this report, there are far more complex recommendations that necessitate a thorough examination of both specific brand values and the TikTok environment.
All of this is only the beginning. If you want to learn more, send an email to [email protected] and we will provide you with a video expert walkthrough of the study. Not only will you get the big picture and the future framework for making strategic TikTok ad planning decisions, but you will also be able to formulate specific questions for your specific pain points, which we will gladly assist you with.
Request access to
TikTok creative study findings!
Eager for more? Read the blog about replicated feeds for authentic behavior here.
Emotions build memories and drive action, which is why they hold a special place in advertising. Brands rely on emotional marketing to gain a competitive advantage within each step of the consumer journey – it drives the brand’s audience to notice, remember, share and, ultimately, buy the product or service.
And although there is no doubt that successful ads create an emotional connection with the viewers by relying on emotional marketing, the emotional appeal is only one part of that success. Ads should also be relevant and bring a sense of novelty (both of which lead to higher attention and memorability). So, to deem an ad successful, we need all parts of the pie, which we can easily achieve by ensuring that survey, RTM, eye tracking and retention are combined with facial coding.
So, here’s your guide to everything you need to know about facial coding!
Anchoring: Associating emotions with the brand
Besides complying with consumer journey stage-specific objectives, advertising has an opportunity to anchor positive emotions to the brand. Anchoring goes beyond the first impression bias; it is stable and fluid enough to be both relevant and manageable. Some of the biggest brands’ primary principles in advertising focus on selling abstract positive concepts such as happiness, excitement, and security while, simultaneously, training our brains to associate the brand with those emotions. Nevertheless, anchoring can work both for, or against, the brand so it’s important to be aware of it and know how to leverage it. Ultimately, in order to correctly plant an anchor, advertisers need to make sure they know which emotions are evoked by the ad and in what particular context the emotion of interest peaks.
Explicit vs. implicit research methods: Stated input alone isn’t enough
Explicit vs. implicit methods. When evaluating people’s preferences and judgment on some specific content, the most reliable way to do that is by observing what they do (how they behave), instead of relying solely on what they say. Getting feedback is never an easy task for marketers, especially when it comes to the target group’s attitudes and beliefs – let alone emotions. Respondents may not be able or willing to share their likes and dislikes; moreover, they are unlikely to remember their emotional reaction to the stimulus after the exposure or even be aware of it during the exposure. Furthermore, likes and dislikes are intrinsically emotional concepts which is why an emotion-centric method is the best fit here. In line with that concept, facial coding proxy solutions like “emoji analysis” are just as misleading as a verbal response, as they still depend on the respondent’s willingness and capacity to share their opinion – they are symbolic rather than verbal, but still remain explicit and voluntary in nature. Besides having a subjective experience (1) and physiological dimension (2), emotions encompass a behavioral component (3) too. Behavioral component is mostly automatic and involuntary;this is especially true when respondents are tested individually/isolated from social settings because, when grouped, and particularly if an authority figure is present, people are more likely to manage or mute some of their facial expressions.
EyeSee’s study prerequisites (i.e. remote testing, FC and ET calibration that allows for only one person at a time) make respondent participation an individual experience thus allowing automatic and involuntary nature of facial expressions to take place. This results in facial coding being the most objective method when it comes to assessing the audience’s emotional response to advertising efforts. And though there are other implicit methods that yield insight into emotional experience (like EEG and fMRI), facial coding is undoubtedly the most scalable (tests are conducted online) and the least intrusive one when it comes to marketing research (there are no wires attached, respondents sit comfortably at their homes during the test). In order to participate in a facial coding study, respondents are required to provide facial coding consent, and according to EyeSee’s internal research, there is no statistically significant difference within the respondents’ demographics (age, gender, ethnicity, education level, income, employment and marital status) between those who consent to facial coding and those who do not, the fact that further ensures the feasibility of the solicited sample distribution for our client’s studies.
How facial expressions are scored: FACS
We are all facial coders – as species, we rely on one another for survival and wellbeing, and it is very important that we can quickly look at someone’s face and evaluate how they feel so we can navigate our interactions with them. But how can we come to a consensus that we are talking about the same expressions and identifying a smile as a smile? In order to standardize descriptions of facial muscle movements, Paul Ekman constructed the Facial Action Coding System (FACS), a tool for the classification of all possible facial expressions that humans can have. In this comprehensive system, each component of facial movement is called an action unit and all facial expressions can be broken down into action units. Together with W. Friesen, he identified 46 different units able to describe each facial movement.
EyeSee’s emotional framework, which relies on Paul Ekman´s FACS[1], is comprised of 5 basic and 2 cognitive expressions:
1. Basic emotional expressions: happiness, surprise, dislike (an umbrella category for disgust, contempt, and anger), fear, sadness
Besides basic emotional expressions (happiness, surprise, disgust, contempt, fear, sadness, and anger), which are commonly found in behavioral marketing research companies which utilize the facial coding method, EyeSee’s framework also includes cognitive emotions (interest and confusion). Cognitive emotions are an important addition when it comes to understanding how attention is managed and knowing how to optimize it during the ad. Interest is a cognitive emotion that inspires learning and engaging with new things (stimuli and experiences) and willingness to further explore the product or service. Overall, it positively influences attention given to the content, whereas confusion mainly has the opposite effect – people withdraw their attention and “decide” to spend their brain power on something else. Finding something understandable, however, is the hinge between interest and confusion – new/complex and comprehensible things are interesting; new/complex and incomprehensible things are confusing (Paul J. Silvia).
Transforming facial coding data into insights
Emotional experience behind the emotional expressions is a level to be tackled in the interpretation phase, by combining facial expression and stimulus, or, in other words, when providing facial expression with a context. In context, happiness can be interpreted as relief or sympathy, surprise as awe, contempt as disbelief, and disgust as discomfort; some expressions, like a frown, can even be neglected in the interpretation phase if its very peak corresponds with a scene with excessive light shift in the stimulus. Supported by survey analysis and eye tracking, we can further match the nuance behind the labels.
Which emotions is the creative team after? Intended emotional outcome and its repercussions on interpretation
Remember Burger King’s “Mouldy Whopper” ad? It’s a bold commercial designed to provoke disgust in order to make a point while at the same time skyrocketing its memorability: the burgers rot over time because they are organic, and organic means fresh – no artificial preservatives. Depending on the ad’s narrative, negative emotions like disgust, contempt, sadness, and fear can be a part of creative objectives. While it may seem counterintuitive to intentionally trigger these emotions, they can be powerful drivers of action, especially if your product or service offers a solution to them. This is why valence-based approaches, which limit themselves to positive and negative emotion-oriented KPIs, are to be taken with reserve; they are less explanatory when used alone without emotional profiles since they do not take into account that emotions of the same valence differ in essential ways. Furthermore, “roller coaster” narratives demand negative emotions for the positive emotions to take place – e.g. In order to elicit relief, you first need to elicit fear. It comes down to this: interpretation greatly depends on the emotional marketing strategy behind the creative’s narrative.
Benchmarks – Compare apples to apples
When assessing an ad’s performance on an emotional level, providing relevant benchmarks is a must. Stimuli of different lengths attain different levels of attention and allow for different emotional engagement to be developed. The same rule applies to creative solutions (e.g., is the stimulus’s creative solution more a collage or movielike?). And although a global benchmark is a good fit in many cases (with the right lengths and stimulus solution), for some studies it is best to apply a culture-specific benchmark (i. e. for a study conducted in Japan, an “Asian benchmark” would be the best fit). In conclusion, it is essential to consider both sample and stimuli specifications when conducting significance testing and an extensive benchmark base allows EyeSee’s research team to do that, thus reaching reliable conclusions.
Afterthoughts
Behind some of the most successful brands is an emotional marketing strategy consistently conditioning our brains to associate the brand with positive emotions. These associations play a particularly important role when rational discriminative factors like price and product specifications are missing (i.e. when there is no apparent difference between price and product/service specifications among competitor brands). Being both the least intrusive and the most scalable method, facial coding serves as a window to honest feedback on emotional engagement, thus allowing creative teams to answer the following questions:
Does the message / visual / narrative resonate with target audience on the emotional level?
Is the content creating the intended emotional state?
Which are the most engaging parts of the stimulus?
Where are the emotional peaks?
Based on 1-4, what are the learnings and how can they be leveraged to design narratives that bring brands closer to their audience?
Are you looking for more methodology knowledge? Check you this blog about retention measuring!
[1]The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) is a comprehensive, anatomically based system for describing all visually discernible facial movement. It breaks down facial expressions into individual components of muscle movement, called Action Units (AUs); Ekman, Paul; Friesen, Wallace, FACS, 1978.
With Women’s history month coming to an end, let’s dive into the second installment of the Women that shape research (and us) series. This time around, our top experts and impressive women selected breakthroughs about buying behavior that define the current moment.
Instagram done right
Testing in replicated environments is becoming the new standard for breaking down authentic consumer behavior; especially the complex and often elusive link between scrolling and buying. A validation study that was just completed set out to compare how consumers act in recreated Instagram feeds and reels for testing versus the actual Instagram app – here’s what we found.
Here’s an overview of other top findings:
Positioning matters: Ads that show up in the first 12 posts on the feed have up to 50% more visibility.
Visibility is not the same as memorability: Lower brand recall (29%) occurs even with the visibility is as high as 70%
Long ads are not Insta-friendly: You can lose ~85% of your audience in less than 5s
Social buying pushes the market research to do better
The social apps in China evolved to encompass all aspects of the consumer journey, including services such as delivery & in-app supermarket services, and retail search engines; they are an integral part of not only every facet of shopping, but everyday life.
Given the proliferation of e/social commerce, clients are looking to test how their concepts fare in the context of very particular platforms. For example, assessing the specificity of TikTok formats and developing platform-specific best practice gives you a clear competitive edge.
How much freedom is too much?
The crisis of recent years really brought home how resilient, flexible, tough, and above all adaptive we all are – just look at the evolution of online services.
Research by Global Web Index reveals that 1 in 5 internet users across 20 markets will be looking for more flexible payment options in the coming months – everything from free cancelations to refundable options improves shopping experience and potentially increases turnover. The key challenge for brands now is to strike the right balance with flexibility, and not overwhelm consumers with choice in order to discourage final cart dropout.
Make sure to check out the first installment of the series where top talent from Mexico shared their insights!
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