Market research seeks to identify consumer perceptions, and because it is based on consumer responses coming from their incomplete (i.e., difficult to interpret or express) perceptions, producing accurate results has always been a challenge. To overcome this obstacle, technology-enabled research, a market research applying technology and scientific methodologies, has increased.

This article will briefly explore how technology-enabled market research is being used and to what extent it can be applied to market research in the future.

■ Neuroscience

Neuroscience has been used in market research for quite a long time. Typical examples include measuring brain activity, eye movement, and irritation analysis.

Case 1: EEG(Electro-encephalography): A method to record electrical activity of the brain, measuring consumer reactions such as excitement or frustration to a particular stimulus. It is used in innovation research such as new product launch, concept ideation, and idea development.

Case 2: Eye-tracking: A method to measure consumers’ eye movement. It aims to identify and analyze patterns of consumers’ visual attention by observing in-store consumer behavior and tracking their reactions to advertisement.

Case 3: GSR (Galvanic skin response): A method to observe consumer reactions to an external stimulus (e.g. Audiovisual stimulus including concept, advertisement, new product).

GSR simply measures how intuitive the stimulus is to consumers, and how quickly and easily it links with them. The following shows the brain’s response pattern towards a stimulus.

Diagram 1: Brain response pattern to a stimulus

The above response pattern can be applied to general market research. Shorter response time for a given stimulus (question) indicates that the stimulus is accepted as highly intuitive. This shows that those that achieved a faster response are more intuitively appealing to consumers than those with just a high response rate.

Ex) Neuroscience analysis based on response time

The quadrant graph below shows that the ‘new' and 'protective/caring' images as well as the ‘kind/loving,’ ‘comfortable,’ and ‘gentle’ images are all well-delivered to consumers. However, there exists a difference between these images in terms of how intuitive they are. Late consumer response indicates the need for rational judgement, which proves less effective in an environment full of stimulus that requires instant and intuitive message delivery. This emphasizes the importance of understanding the level of intuitive association, rather than just reaching a conclusion only based on consumer responses.

■ A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)

Artificial intelligence is being used today in a variety of fields: artificial intelligence speakers, translation, human emotion recognition, linkage between visual images with emotional codes and even creations. Among AI applications, a technology that decodes human expression (and changes in the facial expression) has already been commercialized.

Ex) Decoding various human expressions

The viewer's emotion will continue to change while watching the 15-second commercial.

Communication creative, such as commercials, contains numerous emotional factors those are difficult to be put into words. Decoding changes in facial expression enables various interpretation based on the understanding of these emotions.

Ex 2) Can emotions regarding an image or a symbol be decoded?

To establish a strong brand image, companies create “brand emotion” using various symbols including logo, color, visual, etc. What kind of emotions do these visuals or symbols arouse?

Decoding emotion is about decoding human nature. The following diagram shows a tool to interpret various visual images based on Carl Jung’s analysis on psychological archetype:

For instance, different symbols and visual aids should be applied to deliver a sophisticated & premium image as well as a dynamic image. Examples are as follows:

A.I algorithm also makes it possible to instantly decode consumers’ emotions toward visual images. By using an A.I Decoder, one can decode consumers’ emotions towards every visual aspect involved in brand activities, including commercial, online, retail stores, logo, images exposed on Facebook/YouTube, leaflet, magazine advertisement, and used color and this allows consistency in brand communication.

Human language and thoughts are not perfect. However, this technology-enabled approach, created to overcome limitations of past research methods, will lead to an establishment of insightful and inspirational communication strategies based on a discovery of consumers’ true purchase driver.

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For more information, please contact

Robert Kang

Senior Account Director
Kantar

Robert.Kang@Kantartns.com
+82 2 3779 4433

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