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.
If you require insights and knowledge to help you achieve clarity on your brand’s growth and development, then the “2024 Insights in focus” e-book is what you need. Get in touch via [email protected] and it will soon be in your inbox!
Inside, you will find:
8 case studies (about #social_media, #pricing and inflation, #NPD, #shopper and #HFSS, and more)
In-depth how-to articles on #planogram, #pack, #brand_blocking, and #E-commerce
Multimedia presentations on tools and research methods, including demos and webinars
Countless insights, statistics, and industry best’s quotes
This can help you better understand:
Behavioral tech-enabled mixed methods frameworks with which you can test your: Pack, Planogram, TVC, Product Claim, Social Media Ads, Online P2P
How to always be on top of the game with market trends and predictions
What answers in-context behavioral mix-method insights can provide you with that sole qual research can’t
How to ask the right research questions for highly predictive insights
How to leverage insight-based knowledge to improve your product, portfolio presentation, and communication
What true consumers’ needs are and how to strategically act upon them
Grab your e-copy of 2024 Insights in Focus! Get in touch via [email protected] and it will soon be in your inbox!
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!
What does 2023 have in store – for consumers, brands and marketers? Let’s talk about it! From Bangkok to Los Angeles and Amsterdam, come and connect with EyeSee’s very best at upcoming industry events all around the globe! After the very product chats we had at IIEX APAC, Quirk’s LA, and Annual Category Management and Shopper Insights Conference, here’s where you can find us in the next few months:
Quirk’s Chicago | March 27-28
Coming to Quirk’s Chicago? Drop by our booth #708 for a chat with Laura Hoste, Cliff Kane, Heather Graham – and find them on the conference stage (more info about the speaking session featuring te latest findings of the Pricing study in inflation coming soon!)
EyeSee is turning 10 this year! To celebrate this decade of insights, innovation, and studies that pushed us forward – we have collected and hand-picked our most memorable studies and learnings over the years. From projects with clients like Twitter and Smurfit Kappa to self-funded studies tackling topics we knew were worth exploring – strap in for an insightful journey ahead as we look back at the 10 behavioral projects that helped us grow, expand our knowledge and tech and ultimately transform the approach to traditional consumer research:
1. Getting sustainable products just right
86% of consumers want to go more eco-friendly – so what’s stopping them? In this study, we set out to understand how brands could support their consumers by developing powerful communication and product claims and identifying categories that lack ‘greener’ alternatives – with quite a complex behavioral framework. The comprehensive undertaking included an in-depth look into who the green buyers are, which claims are most appropriate for use on product packs, and what makes an impactful kind of social media posts work best to inspire eco behavior and more!
2. The price of consumer confidence under inflationary pressures
With the transforming global and economic climate came shaken consumer confidence – and the high price points on the store shelves are palpable to both shoppers and marketers. The previous experiences with recession periods showcased that shoppers react differently across categories and markets making it clear that it is vital to feeling the consumer pulse in the changing setting. So to help brands operate in it, we turned towards understanding the current shopper behavior and assessing the best strategies to cope with ongoing inflation for both CPG and retailers – like, when do consumers opt to stay loyal to the brand and when do they switch to the alternatives?
3. A tree is best known by its consumer decisions
Do you know how shoppers decide which product ends up in their cart? We wanted to know too! So to do that, a behavioral component was added to well-known research tools: decision trees. This led to a complex meta-analysison over 35000 respondents from dozens of projects across FMCG industries – which also included a comparison of survey results and virtual shopping data to determine just how unreliable surveys can be in mapping out consumer decision-making. Learn just how different behavioral decision trees are different to standard studies, what it takes to extract the biggest ROI from decision tree research and who benefits the most from these studies – and why trusting what consumers say is much more dangerous than you might think!
4. Hitting the mark on socially conscious advertising
Great social media content has the power to trigger a reaction in under 2.8 seconds and significantly impact brand perception. Yet when it comes to socially conscious advertising – getting the right tone and message can be a hit or, more often than not, a miss. So, our best researchers turned to behavioral insights to uncover just how crisis messaging should be done and how it affects brand equity. Check out the results of one of the most extensive mobile behavioral studies that was conducted on 1800 respondents in a simulated Instagram environment and learn how to nail your brand’s communication while tackling highly important social topics.
5. Driving sales with in-store display optimization practices
Just how powerful are point-of-sales displays in the store? Well, they can boost sales by as much as 20% when done right. We joined forces with Smurfit Kappa to pinpoint what drives in-store visibility, attention, likability and share of shoppers – by testing more than 400 POS materials on +60,000 shoppers across 15 countries worldwide. As it turns out, the best-performing display is 4 times more visible and could increase purchases 7 times more efficiently than the worst-performing ones. So, if you are developing in-store material that needs catch the attention in a crowded supermarket – these best practices are for you!
6. The secret behavioral sauce of successful innovation
Every brand knows the staggering statistic that over 90% of new products and innovations fail when launched – but the pressure to continue the development never ceases. To empower brands in their innovation endeavors, our team of researchers sought to showcase what a Market share estimation study looks like. What the study on introducing and measuring the success of a new product aimed to do was verify how the behavioral NPD solution fares against real-life sales data. If you have new products in your pipeline, this study is a must-read as it covers:
How to leverage the latest behavioral tech to ensure a successful new product launch
The new product opportunities to tap into in both brick and mortar and across digital platforms
All the crucial steps brands should take when going into innovation development
7. From in-context testing to winning social media ads
As news around Meta, TikTok and now Twitter continues to take the headlines by storm, the already tumultuous space of social media, where users scroll at a speed of 1-3 posts per second, has raised new concerns for advertisers and marketers. But, some social media best practices are evergreen. And so we have compiled a data-driven guide for making sure your ads are worth the investment and more importantly, captivating for the viewers. Since there are so many different things to have in mind when starting to test your social media ads, we have also included the most impactful things you should focus on from the start and which ones you can include if your budget allows it!
8. The precious 6-second ads w/ Twitter
Social media feeds are one of the hardest clutters for brands to break through – especially with the ever-growing percentage of mobile users. With this challenge in mind, we teamed up with Twitter to determine the optimal ad-viewing length by replicating Twitter feeds and studying user behavior in a controlled environment with reliable behavioral methods. The learnings were game-changing and led to Twitter introducing the 6-second biddable video ads on their platform! The study uncovered that these short-form and branded videos, with the sound turned off, have a much stronger ad recall on mobile than traditional TV commercials we are used to seeing – revolutionizing the way advertisers approach social media ads.
9. Wrap it up with some holiday insights
How will inflation impact this holiday season? Regardless of the current sentiment, many are expecting growth in sales numbers. And from festive advertising to online and store touchpoints, there are plenty of opportunities to get shoppers into the holiday purchasing spirit! We compiled our best behavioral learnings (did you know that using logos in festive ads boasts a 133% higher brand recall?) from multiple advertising, shopper and digital studies with a goal to help prepare your strategies for 2023 – cause we know that omnichannel optimization and a seamless cross-channel experience is something that is vital for success with shoppers all year round!
10. Twitter’s look into the powerful role of gender in sports ads
How does gender portrayal in (sports) ads impact the performance of the creative? To uncover what it means for brands to tap into uncharted territories with their advertising, we once again joined forces Twitter and explored the impact of gender representation in sports ads – and found some unexpected results, such as:
Women are taking the lead – both traditional and non-traditional gender roles in ads outperform their male counterparts
Ads with male athletes just don’t do the trick anymore! They’re less credible and empowering – men are looking for more relatable role models
Cultural relevance is crucial to a consumer’s purchase decision and correlates with performance on brand effect metrics
