Tag: advertising

Social media impact: How much does social media content affect actual shopping?

Posted on by EyeSee Research

Social media campaigns hold a great power to tackle important issues, such as BLM, COVID-19, and the pressing concern on climate change and plastic pollution. Most social media campaigns that address these topics are communicating in such a way that can make consumers feel concerned about their future – but this approach seems to lack the impact on actual consumer purchase.

This is the third installment of the study exploring what makes a competitive sustainable product win on the shelf – the first two parts covered which consumers you should be talking to and how to choose just the right product claim that resonates with the green shopper.

Part 1: The green horizon: An intro to the green buyer and how to measure eco behavior
Part 2: Walk your talk: Strategies for choosing your sustainable product claims wisely
Part 3: Social media impact: How much does social media content affect actual shopping?
Part 4: Virtual shopping: Why some categories are leaders in change, and how to become one

Science sells, but familiar faces pull focus

Product marketing is all about emotions – for hundreds of years, marketers’ main goal was to trigger just the right feelings and ensure consumers feel good about the purchases they are making. So, is this the key to encouraging more eco-conscious shopping as well?

The study included 4 different simulated Facebook timelines, and each timeline had 4 different posts tackling the same topic of plastic pollution. The categories of the 4 types of posts were – scientific posts, those promoted by mass media, celebrity-endorsed ones, and posts from NGO campaigns.

A combination of eye tracking and facial coding methods tracked eye gaze and detected emotional reactions to the posts in every timeline. Each exposure to the timeline was followed by a virtual shopping task and a survey. Although facial coding and eye tracking are vital when testing ads – you need to rely on more than one method. While they can uncover if ads are emotionally captivating – only by combining them with virtual shopping, it becomes clear how well emotions translate into action.

The change can be made if you understand the consumer challenges

As we mentioned in previous installments, there is a significant lack of awareness that each individual can make an actual contribution – only 34% of shoppers think they personally can contribute to solving the problem of pollution. Interestingly, the findings showed that ad exposure did significantly increase sales of sustainable products by up to 9% (from 9% to 18%) – suggesting that taking time to really educate the consumers and provide facts and data will impact the demand for more eco-friendly alternatives.

Important to note here – these results can not be compared to the data collected from testing ads that directly promote a product and are then followed by a shopping task for that exact product. The content that addresses environmental issues has a much more challenging task of not selling anything but still influencing how consumers shop.

There is no one-size-fits-all post – you must create a funnel

So if some posts perform better in terms of triggering emotions, but others actually influence the shopping behavior – how should brands approach addressing this issue?  In part one of this series, we mapped out the different types of green shoppers and their varying levels of eco-awareness. Understanding the differences and nuances between consumers’ readiness to act green is fundamental for targeting their exact motivations as you craft the messaging of your posts.

Here is a handy breakdown of the post performances:

To ensure the entire spectrum of the consumers is covered, it is best to build a funnel.  Firstly – evoke interest in the issue. For this, celebrity and NGO ads are very effective – they hold the attention for about 5 seconds on average, compared to the Scientific and Mass Media posts, which were looked at for 3.45s and 3.91s, respectively. On top of this, posts that featured celebrities aroused the most positive emotions and interest! So while great for raising awareness on the issue, the main challenge becomes truly impacting the eco behavior – and this is where scientific types of posts can give that one extra push towards action!

The posts with messages that appeal to the viewers’ emotions drive higher emotional reach, likability, clarity, personal relevance, and persuasiveness and are deemed more credible. The data showed that messages striving to evoke fear are seen as less persuasive. So seek to inspire and empathize – not shock!

Key recommendations straight from our experts:

  • Grab attention with powerful visuals or celebrity ambassador – make sure the celebrity spokesperson has credibility and a spotless reputation
  • Demonstrate expertise – educate your shoppers about pollution and plastic waste issues and showcase what they can do to help
  • Be honest about your share of responsibility – be transparent about how your brand is contributing to this cause
  • Make consumers feel good about buying a sustainable alternative – do not try to guilt them into buying because it does not work.

    EyeSee x Google: Pushing the boundaries of in-context online research

    Posted on by EyeSee Research

    Understanding the impact of store fixtures, design & messaging in brick-and-mortar stores is still as relevant as ever – even a year into the COVID-19 crisis. However, impacted by real-life limitations, research in stores faced new challenges in countries like France where store experience remains key in the path of purchase. To surpass the disruptions caused by the crisis, tech powerhouses like Google and companies from countless other industries turn to Virtual store environments and online remote research for consumer learnings.

    Request the session recording below and learn:

    • How Google leveraged EyeSee’s unique virtual store capabilities
    • Fresh approach to studies for validating store setups and refining messaging
    • The value of measuring the changing consumer behavior in a realistic retail setting

    Participants:

    Tiphaine Goisbeault, Research Lead Southern Europe, Google
    Vania Halilhodzic, Marketing Manager, Google
    Joris De Bruyne, Partner, EyeSee
    Jean-François Sonder, Business Development Director, EyeSee

    Host:

    Sanja Copic, Content strategist, EyeSee

      Should brands be talking about COVID and BLM? #InstagramStudy

      Posted on by EyeSee Research

      This year, there were plenty of opportunities for brands to take a stand on different social issues. The big question remains – how do you do it right? With many brands missing the mark on socially conscious advertising, EyeSee researchers wanted to turn to behavioral data and see what it has to uncover about crisis messaging and how it affects brand equity. Read on for a deep dive in the results of one of the most extensive mobile behavioral studies, conducted on 1800 respondents in an Instagram environment.

      Great content trumps other disadvantages

      Many marketing professionals think that positioning is key for getting noticed – but in fact, your Brand & Content are the most important – think about creative ways to use your brand assets and ensure that your content is relatable. However, you are not at the mercy of positioning – great content has the power to trigger a reaction in a very short amount of time – only around 2.8 seconds. It’s not always crucial that respondents spent a lot of time on your post – you can communicate well if you take care of the creative elements.

      The key factor in ad retention is personal relevance. Brands can do this either by talking about relevant topics and showing they care for their consumers, or through different offers and posts that directly concern the consumer in terms of the product or service displayed. Posts that do neither of those perform poorly and are glanced through and not remembered.

      Female protagonists, celebrities and CTAs grab attention the most

      There are quite a bit of unexpected creative elements that consistently show up in well-performing ads. For example, showing the protagonists in a full body shot is more attention-grabbing and engaging – it increases post visibility in all industries except for beauty, where close-ups of the face are more attractive and relevant. If there’s a famous person, it will increase the viewer’s retention for +7pts compared to shots of ordinary people or posts without any characters. But, there’s a caveat: celebrities can sometimes poorly affect post clarity, likability, brand purchase, and even Instagram fit. This happens because the viewers focus on their faces rather than on the post purpose.

      Ads featuring Female protagonists drive more positive emotions and are evaluated as more attractive and transparent, and this stands for Covid-19, Endorsement, and Seasonal ads in particular. We all know that a CTA is a must for grabbing attention! But we did not know just how much: including a ‘Call to action’ or an offer drives a higher focus and a better chance to keep viewers’ attention for longer than 5s.

      Honest messaging evokes positive emotions, thumbs down for generic images

      Facial coding uncovers what is the emotional impact of each tested post. Things connected with positive emotions are sincere, honest and warm messaging, witty copy and images, footage of animals, depictions of sport and activities. Most notably – talking about relevant topics and communicating that the brand stands against discrimination and racism and contributes to the cause in a specific way. Showing a variety of ethnic backgrounds and cultural diversity. We also saw that brand purchase is driven more strongly if the respondents and the protagonists of the ad are of the same ethnic background.

      On the other hand, what causes negative emotions is unclear messaging, especially that is unrelated to the image. Generic images, very long image descriptions and text-heavy posts with a lot of hashtags, evoke similar negative feels. On the more practical side, when an offer is unavailable (unattainable), and giveaways with extremely big prizes – e.g. expensive travels or gifts – respondents find harder to believe they will win, makes these posts less relevant to them. For example, during the pandemic, ads or giveaways for discounts or accessible rewards drive more engagement than lavish presents.

      Clarity leads likability and brand purchases

      When it comes to Clarity, we see that some posts, like tactical offers or seasonal posts are very upfront, and people ‘get’ what they are about right away. Same thing with COVID-related posts – people are united in this struggle with a common threat. If the story is more complex, such as in some BLM posts, people were unsure about the message. It is difficult for some respondents to connect the post with a campaign, or a real-life impact – they are perceived as signaling. As soon BLM posts clarify what the brand is doing to help, these posts skyrocket in likability as well. Brand usage is also interesting – BLM posts shows great results here, that can affect shopping as well, which again proves that this topic is something that will determine where some buyers spend their dollars. Another category that stands out here are seasonal posts, since they are designed to respond to an acute, seasonal consumer need – such as sunscreen in the summer, so they have a bigger effect on brand usage.

      Key takeaway: Don’t be afraid to take a stand, but connect it to your brand

      Responding to the BLM or COVID-19 crisis will improve brand perception, especially for industries where long-term relationships and loyalty-building business models are key, such as Financial, services and strong FMCG brands. The biggest takeaway here is that BLM and COVID-19 posts can be more impactful than Emotional posts and Support/CSR posts – so think about meaningful ways to address the crises in a less generic way, more humble, more human, and more relatable to your audience.

      Interested in more insights from this study? Check out the full webinar here.

        Webinar: Why online research is your best strategy in 2021 and beyond

        Posted on by EyeSee Research

        With 2021 around the corner, the new realities of remote testing are here to stay. Contextual virtual shopping provides a unique potential for optimizing all touchpoints in the path to purchase – be they online or offline. This holds especially true for companies who until now relied on in-person research. How do you adjust your omnichannel strategy to plan for the unexpected but not back down on the quality of insights? Join Jonathan Asher and young research experts from EyeSee in discussing cutting-edge online research environments – and how to use them for making consumer-centric decisions. Request the session recording now!

        Learn about:

        • How we help clients who are unsure about taking a leap with a new behavioral methodology that will add value to their research toolkit
        • Why the new generation of rookie researchers might have an unexpected edge over experts in solving research problems, and how to nurture innovation in-house
        • Why social media best practice studies and e-commerce research are the bread and butter of 2021

        Host:

        Jonathan Asher, Executive Vice President, EyeSee

        Participants:

        Jane Nedinkovski, Business Development director, EyeSee
        Irena Pavlovic, Insights Manager, Shopper team, EyeSee
        Andrea Ceran, Data Analyst, Digital team, EyeSee
        Vladimir Matic, Ph.D., Machine Learning engineer, EyeSee

        Request the recording now for a fresh perspective and advice on online research contexts!

          Webinar | Taking a stand: Does Crisis Messaging Affect Brand Equity?

          Posted on by EyeSee Research

          Is it ‘smart’ for brands to address current crises? Dive into a discussion of one of the biggest behavioral mobile studies, conducted on 1500 respondents in a replicated Instagram feed. We compare brand KPIs & crisis messaging (COVID, BLM, social causes) to generic tactical ads and seasonal posts in 6 industries: food and beverage, media, tech, beauty, healthcare, hygiene. Request the recording here!

          As we present the results of this massive mobile study, learn about:

          • How does responding to social issues and crises affect different industries, brand relationships and loyalty business models?
          • Which type of posts has the highest sharing potential, recall, and standout power?
          • How is expressing support for the BLM movement and raising awareness about COVID-19 perceived by the respondents?

          Request the session to learn how different brands are perceived when taking a stance on social issues!

            EyeSee once again a finalist at Quirk’s Awards in multiple categories

            Posted on by EyeSee Research

            For the second consecutive year, EyeSee has 3 nominations in the finals of Quirk’s Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards! We are immensely honored to be shortlisted and our work and collaboration with Twitter to be recognized in this way.

            Our long-lasting partnership with Twitter resulted in an exciting project nominated for the Advertising Research category – ‘(Non)traditional gender roles in sports ads’. The pioneering study was also presented earlier in the year at Quirk’s Online event, and the webinar session can be found here. Our team is also thrilled that Michelle Grushko, who is a Data Scientist, Marketing Insights & Analytics, at Twitter and worked on the project, is one of the finalists in the Researcher of the year (client-side) category.

            Check out all the finalists here, and make sure to tune in for the virtual awards ceremony on November 9!

            Aside from representing industry recognition, this nomination is a reminder of how far our team has come since winning the Global MR research project Award with Microsoft in 2019. Since then, despite the challenges, we hit a big milestone – EyeSee grew to over 100 employees, having been joined by amazing experienced professionals from the MR field, and fresh young talents alike.

            The Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards, powered by Quirk’s Media, recognize the researchers, vendors and products and services that are adding value and impact to marketing research. Finalists are selected by a panel of judges made up of a combination of end-client researchers, supplier partners and Quirk’s editorial staff. For more information about The Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards visit quirksawards.com

              Webinar: Three paths to planogram optimization during the COVID-19 crisis

              Posted on by EyeSee Research

              The FMCG industry has felt the ripples of the COVID crisis in numerous ways. Retailers and manufacturers are faced with pressures and opportunities brought on by rationalizing SKUs, adjusting assortments, and resetting planograms. In this webinar hosted by Quirk’s, we will discuss a study on Planogram optimization and SKU rationalization in the COVID crisis and the potential paths for brands and retailers.

              Request this session recording now to hear Gina Boyd, (Sr. Manager, Shopper Insights & Category Management, Biscuit at Mondelez International), Johannes Hartmann (owner of Insight Republic) and Jonathan Asher (EyeSee’s Executive Vice President) discuss the study results and how market research can help FMCG companies cope with the effects of the crisis by using both tactical and strategic studies.

              Learn about:

              • Which new planogram path is most beneficial for your brand?
              • What are the best approaches to testing planograms?
              • How can marketing and insights leaders ensure they stay on top both during and after the pandemic?

              Get the recording now for fresh FMCG insights and planogram optimization tips from seasoned industry experts!

                EyeSee 101: Growing in the face of challenges

                Posted on by EyeSee Research

                This year has proven that in times of crisis, adaptability is the one strength and skill that is key to helping both businesses and individuals cope with the looming uncertainty. In 2020, we grew in the face of challenges while taking care of each other – all 101 of EyeSee team members.

                As we enter the last quarter of the year, we see a rise of opportunities amidst challenges, thanks to a multitude of different perspectives, sophisticated online tools, and diverse and agile skillsets of our people. We spoke to some of EyeSee’s latest global hires about their onboarding experience.

                EyeSee grew from a seed of innovation in the face of obstacles – it wanted to change the fact that a very small percent of research was based on behavioral methods, and instead depended on costly and unreliable central location testing. Right now, there is a similar climate and we face obstacles that further challenge our way of work. In a way, our roots were in turning hurdles into an opportunity for learning by using smart tech solutions that bypass our biases. This initial ethos of resilience is the key to our adaptability and managing the COVID-19 realities.

                Aleksandar Velikic, EyeSee’s General Manager, shared his feelings on growing the team to over 100 employees during the crisis: “It brings a strong sense of pride – I am very glad our team grew and that we created a great and secure workplace for so many talents. However, working under the pressures of a pandemic is a whole new set of challenges that has to be acknowledged if you care for your team’s physical and psychological safety.”

                Amongst the 20+ people that joined us since March is Alexandre de Jubecourt, who previously worked with Veylinx, MetrixLab, Nielsen, and leading the Unilever account at Millward Brown in South Africa.

                Q: Why did you decide to change positions right now and how did you choose EyeSee to do that?

                Alexandre de Jubecourt: After 15 years in the big companies of our Industry, I joined early 2020 a start-up. It was however not answering my needs, still, I wanted to stay out of traditional Market Research and stick within the behavioral world. I wanted to join the firm of the future, this is how I found out about EyeSee – I find it innovative, growing, dynamic, fun, and shaped for success.

                Nikola Golubovic joined EyeSee as a Shopper Insights director and brings over 15 years of experience in the MR industry, to the table – 7 of which he spent in PepsiCo.

                Q: How did you decide to move from the client-side to an agency right now, and what are your first impressions about EyeSee?

                Nikola Golubovic: Two years ago, I had the opportunity to work with one of EyeSee’s excellent teams. By launching a pack redesign after EyeSee’s recommendations, we at Pepsico managed to reverse a negative category trend and gain market share. It was clear evidence of benefiting from skillful researchers who apply sound science. Once again, I concluded: “Knowledge belongs to the one who best knows how to ask (questions)” (Miroslav Antic). Our researcher community is very small, and when my long-standing colleagues invited me to join the Team, I could only accept it with pride and pleasure. I embraced the offer in order to learn how to pose questions even better. Regarding EyeSee, my first impression was that I need a lot of effort to keep up with the inexhaustible amount of energy, enthusiasm, and passion for research that the EyeSee team possesses. Now, it makes me feel younger and I appreciate the given opportunity to work with highly-intelligent experts who are novelty seekers and status quo challengers at the same time.

                Another great addition to EyeSee’s US team is Jennifer L. Guerrette. Jennifer is very experienced in the industry, having worked for Millward Brown, Ipsos and Survey Sampling International with clients such as Amazon, Ab InBev, Nestle, Dannon, GSK, Godiva and many others.

                Q: What does a career change and the onboarding process look like during the pandemic?

                Jennifer L. Guerrette: Global and personal crises makes one reevaluate their life. Reflect on what you truly want. Career is no exception. Sometimes you need to take the risk & move forward even when you don’t have a sure outcome. When it comes to onboarding, I’m very used to onboarding virtually & working remotely. This feels no different to me. What is nice is the human touch. At larger companies, there is less face to face virtual training… many rely on 3rd parties to house pre-recorded trainings + quizzes. They are impersonal.

                One of the people who joined EyeSee as the crisis started to develop was Jonathan Asher, EyeSee’s Executive Vice President. Jonathan spent 10 years as an Executive Vice President at PRS In Vivo, where, in addition to overseeing the client service group, Jonathan also established the e-commerce section.

                Q: You’ve been with EyeSee for a couple of months now – how do you perceive the company, and what has shaped your opinion of it?

                Jonathan Asher: I chose to make a change to a specialist in online shopper research just prior to the crisis hitting, and the timing was quite fortuitous as just after starting, clients could not conduct and in-person research and sought online providers they could trust. I found myself in the right place at the right time – and EyeSee was an ideal option to do that. I chose to pursue an opportunity here because, during my exploration of online shopper research Firms, it became very quickly that EyeSee was by far the best. This was due to several factors, including:

                • A proven method that mirrored the in-person methods I knew worked well
                • Technology that provides real eye tracking on respondent devices – rather than relying on proxies such as “click on what you saw”, mouse hover time or recall
                • Broad-based experience with a range of top clients as well as across several types of testing such as packaging, shopper marketing, e-commerce, advertising and innovations
                • A very talented and experienced staff of research experts with backgrounds from top tier research firms
                • A high level of client satisfaction

                Staying agile in a dynamic market

                As we look back on the challenges surmounted and opportunities seized in the past few months, we are reassured that staying adaptable, embracing change headfirst, and caring for our people is the way to move forward in even the most unpredictable of circumstances. Whether it is by making sure that our insights are reliable during changed consumer sentiment, keeping track of the developing trends, or sharing our knowledge on consumer behavior in an ongoing webinar series – we are here, prepared to turn hurdles into stepping stones forward.

                  How to optimize your e-commerce assets

                  Posted on by EyeSee Research

                  In recent months, we witnessed profound changes in our habits and how we shop – many people are switching to online shopping, even in categories where it was previously neglected, such as groceries and household essentials. With the pandemic still active, many consumers are experiencing very different restrictions in different places across the world. This has presumably affected every aspect of daily life, and it most definitely affected some key shopping categories.

                  With ongoing changes, EyeSee’s digital experts have combined their expertise to help you make the most out of your e-commerce presence and answer crucial optimization questions:

                  • What are less obvious ways the search bar can make or break the purchase?
                  • Which parts of the PDP convert best on which devices?
                  • How can brands use their e-commerce insights when negotiating with retailers?

                  How did online shopping change?

                  Different age groups reported various changes – for example, throughout all study waves, the majority of the population (between 55% and 65%) in their late fifties and older didn’t recognize any changes in their online shopping behavior. In other words, significantly more people in these age categories – specifically those from 55-64 & 65 and older (55-64 & 65+) claimed no change occurred. However, among those whose behavior has changed in this age group, over half of them – 57% – claim they order products online more frequently than before, compared to 48%, which represents the total average for this claim across all waves and age groups.

                  What this tells us is that there are new adopters of online shopping, and with those that did try it, their behavior was affected dramatically by this new habit. In a way, those who are new to this might be realizing all the benefits it has both in a crisis like this and in ordinary life.

                  Overall, the majority of respondents claim that they will not change their behavior in the next month (41%) – this is the total for all 4 waves. However, among possible changes, more frequent online shopping (1/4) and ordering of non-perishable goods (1/5) take the lead. Bear in mind that these findings are on those who acknowledged existing changes and those who claimed they haven’t changed their shopping behavior so far. Below, we examine how different age groups pick a preferred online retailer.

                  Does the search bar make or break the purchase?

                  Following the consumer’s footsteps enables the optimization of every step of the online path-to-purchase. With as much as 50% (2/3 on mobile) of all tasks being executed via the search bar, finding the desired product this way is the most commonly used route. On the one hand, this can be great because the desired SKU can be found very quickly, but on the other, if not executed right, e.g. if the autosuggestion changes the input, or if the algorithm is not precise enough, it can make it seem as if there is no desired product in the store and might lead to switching retailers.

                  Studies that show you exactly which percentage of people used which route to solve the same task in different stores are precious because you can pinpoint exactly where in the path to purchase you are losing them.

                  How does exploration of small and big retailers vary?

                  In a previous wave of our E-commerce study, we found that people browse the PLP for a longer time, and scroll deeper than they did before the crisis. With more time on their hands, and on the lookout for the right bargain, brands have a bigger chance of being bought due to this longer browsing. Of course, SKU positioning is the one key factor that makes a difference between being seen (and bought) or not.

                  As far as the search bar goes, there are a few more things worth noticing. One of them is the predictive click, or suggested search query completions – this is also very important to optimize, and ensure that your product shows up. If you are not careful about the way the retailer lists or tags your products to appear here, even a slight difference in spelling or naming certain things among markets might be detrimental to your product showing up when it needs to.

                  For commonly bought items, respondents always look for the shortest route. These items are usually bought from the Search results page or the Product list page, without even opening the Product detail page. As soon as there is an opportunity to add the product to the cart, it will be used/ If your buyers are aware of you, it is wiser to invest in PLP positioning, hero images that stand out, or even PLP ads – things that can prompt shoppers, rather than only optimizing the PDP and thinking your work is done.

                  Which promos are worth optimizing?

                  The home page banners and promotions are quite effective at this – presuming they’re optimized and aligned with the need of the consumer. Banners work best if they communicate an offer, or a promotion with a clear benefit for the visitor, instead of some basic information – this fails to garner any interest. If the homepage is cluttered, and if people are overwhelmed with the content, they tend to zone out and not really register the visuals they are looking at. Moreover, PLP banners that promote a specific SKU can boost sales significantly if the SKU is found on the same PLP. These banners are not clicked on often, but they drive sales by reminding people of a product they maybe weren’t aware of at the beginning of their session.

                  How does browsing on mobile and desktop contrast?

                  It’s important to note that there is a variation in the navigation mindset between mobile and desktop. Usually, shopping from desktop means consumers sat there ready to shop, and they know what they want to find. Use the above the fold section of the PDP to present all the most relevant and most general information and include enough image thumbnails, as people love to see the product from more angles and in multiple settings. The product details should be very specific and concrete, and preferably presented in bullets, or a table, making it more straightforward and quicker to read – interests tends to drop if there is a huge block of text in the description on the PDP.

                  Meanwhile, considering that people access mobile more often during the day, with very low effort, and more casually – it is more commonly used more for exploration and browsing. Here, people will more often get to that Product detail page and all the way to the end of this page. This insight presents a great opportunity for brands: use mobile PDPs to tell a story, and build the case for why someone should choose your product.

                  How can brands use their e-commerce insights when negotiating with retailers?

                  If consumers have a lousy e-commerce search experience, they will give up on the retailer – so this is not only bad for the brand, it is also bad for the retailer since it means the overall shopping level decreases.

                  Navigation studies can show where people get lost and pull out of shopping because they can’t complete the task at hand, which is finding a specific SKU. Sometimes it happens due to the page categorization – the way products are organized, or the nomenclature. Based on these insights, brands can go to retailers and ask for a different product classification, especially if we show that it drives sales for the entire category, not just one brand.

                  Another negotiation asset is running performance tests on competitor brands and websites. If you can locate where their competitor website facilitates better results, you can go to retailer with these specific and concrete results and ask for a change in an area where their competitor outperforms them. This type of direct benchmarking is better to use in negotiations than a more general descriptive comparison. E-commerce tests are this way often beneficial for multiple parties, not just for the brand we are testing, but for their partner retailers – it is a joint effort for optimization.

                  Key takeaways

                  • Homepage banners should be clear and communicate promotions
                  • PLP banners drive sales if the advertised SKU is present on the page
                  • Invest in hero images and search optimization rather than in A+ content on the PDP
                  • Optimize mobile pages for browsing (focusing on the PDP) and desktop pages for functionality and visibility of the above the fold areas.
                  • Analyze more pages in the online path to purchase: go from the home page, category pages, and search results – all the way to checkout – some precious insights might be hiding in places outside of the product list and detail pages.
                  • Combine e-commerce studies with virtual shopping for an omnichannel effectiveness assessment.
                  • Investing in the optimization of your online performance is beneficial for your brand, partner retailers, category sales and last, but not least – to your customers.

                  If you’re interested in learning more, check out the full webinar session with even more e-commerce tips and findings.

                    Virtual shopping – the why and the how

                    Posted on by EyeSee Research

                    Complex environments like stores have elements competing for customers’ attention. Therefore, it is no surprise that many traditional research approaches that rely on stated responses and standalone assessment fall short in their ability to predict the real impact of promotional materials after launch. Over the last couple of years, 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 boasts 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. Check out the full webinar below to learn more.

                    A more realistic context guarantees more accurate results

                    Even though it’s been gaining traction in recent years, what makes context testing so imperative now is the inability to conduct in-person research. An accompanied shopping trip is great for qual insights into what the shopping process looks like on a smaller scale. Still, with a bigger, quant sample, in the right (virtual) context and void of variations that might spoil your data, you can be much more confident that your results are reliable.

                    In an average supermarket that contains around 50k SKUs, consumers spend only 5 seconds per aisle, which is indicative of why it’s so important to test everything in a realistic context – if consumers miss your POS display, SRP, or a new pack in the environment, they won’t be bought.

                    In-context remote testing options, such as virtual stores, provide a realistic environment for conducting consumer research. Although virtual shopping is not identical to shopping in front of a real shelf, implicit studies produce results that are far less biased and more impartial than verbal self-reported data, which is often saturated with personal inclinations.

                    Pick the right virtual stores for your KPIs

                    Depending on the research question, the three testing levels of virtual stores – 2D, 2.5D and 3D environment – can provide highly reliable results.

                    Check out a demo on the three types of virtual stores here!

                    Setting up a virtual shopping study for different needs

                    Virtual shopping is most effective when combined with other methods. Standout and visibility data is the key in shopper research, which is why we use it in combination with eye-tracking in virtual stores to gauge if products are noticed in their environment – a necessary prerequisite to being bought. Additionally, we suggest coupling virtual shopping studies with traditional surveys and Reaction time measurement – an excellent tool for assessing attributes and seeing how strong the connections between the product and some descriptors are.

                    The added value of virtual shopping as a method is that it collects behavioral shopping-specific KPIs – sales uplift, the share of shoppers, value share, and several others. Since it uses a monadic design on a large sample (from 300 to 1000 respondents per cell), these results can be compared to different benchmarks – that of your brand’s other products, your competitor’s performance, and our benchmark database.

                    Virtual shopping is a versatile tool that complements many study types. While it is first and foremost a shopper marketing mainstay, it is also useful when running tests of a new flyer, a TVC, or long-form content such as branded videos, as it can measure the impact of tested material on the uplift in sales. Take a look at the table below, showing which solutions use VS as a method.

                    The question that is on everyone’s minds right now is should you still keep on testing during a period of shaken consumer sentiment. This is why we put Virtual shopping to the test: we compared data collected in April to data from last year to see if our findings hold up – we found that all the results remain stable. If you used VS before the crisis, you can continue to rely on it now! 

                    Main takeaways

                    There are 3 key reasons why using virtual stores is a good idea for brands right now:

                    1. Context testing has been growing in relevance for years – but now add to it the COVID-19 crisis, and the inability to conduct in-person research, we will notice a more intense switch to remote testing in virtual environments.
                    2. Not only is the validation of virtual store results very high – 0.8 compared to that of 0.6 of surveys, but the findings are stable as well, even during the crisis.
                    3. Pick the right type of virtual store for your specific research objectives!

                    Interested in learning more about virtual shopping? Reach out to us at [email protected]

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