Millward Brown tests advertising copy and audience reactions with facial coding technology

| | 32 Comments

faces.jpgMillward Brown, a global leader in brand and media communications research, this week announced an Australian first in advertising copy testing with the launch of automated facial coding to read how audiences emotionally react to advertising.

 

Facial coding uses webcam technology to record and measure real time emotional responses during ad viewing, analysing a viewer’s spontaneous reaction to the concept.

Developed by Affectiva, the tool was integrated into Link, Millward Brown’s existing copy testing solution, by their neuroscience practice. It represents a breakthrough enhancement to the diagnostic depths Link offers on measuring the emotional response to advertisements.

Click here to download more information – MillwardBrown_Link-with-Facial-Coding.sflb.pdf

Daren Poole, global brand director for Link, said the new technology is an exciting development for the way emotional reactions to advertising are evaluated, and in conjunction with Link’s existing measures can help predict how audiences will react to the ad, impacting on its cut through, and ultimately its effect on sales.

 

Says Poole: “Traditional methods of measuring emotion are not always capable of capturing a true emotional response. Facial coding allows us to track how a person really responds, rather than what they claim to have felt. There’s no substitute for a real smile, laugh or frown and for the first time in Australia we can measure this all in the viewer’s home environment.

 

“Facial coding as part of Link can measure factors such as how well it captures a viewer’s attention, how they respond to it and ultimately provide guidance in the analysis of the ad’s impact on the brand. If a campaign is pushing the boundaries in terms or humour or controversy this is a controlled means to test how consumers really respond.”

 

Says Jane Ketelbey, Australian client development director: “Link has long allowed us to understand the effectiveness of creative at any stage of ad development and give recommendations for optimisation to maximise its impact. What makes this innovation truly exciting is that it allows our clients to see and measure the real emotional reaction of a large number of their consumers for the first time.”