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Nielsen has invested in NeuroFocus, a firm that specializes in applying brainwave research to advertising, and plans to develop new forms of metrics based on eye-tracking, brainwave and skin conductance measurements to track the effectiveness of ads, branding and packaging.
NeuroFocus measures, on a millisecond-by-millisecond basis, attention, engagement and memory retention. Together, the two companies plan to develop science-based products, services and metrics for clients in consumer packaged goods, television, film and emerging media, Nielsen announced today.
Nielsen also plans to integrate NeuroFocus’s techniques into existing services to better understand the elements of successful consumer engagement.
As part of the transaction, Nielsen CEO David Calhoun will become a member of NeuroFocus’ board of directors to help guide the company and its alliance with Nielsen.
NeuroFocus uses established EEG technology to directly measure the brain’s reaction to a variety of stimuli. Consumers wear a specially designed baseball cap embedded with sensors that passively track brain responses about 2000 times a second as they interact with advertising or marketing materials. NeuroFocus can precisely determine what parts of the messages they pay attention to; how they emotionally engage with them; and what is actually moved to memory.
Neuroscience has long been of interest by Madison Avenue, MediaPost writes. Starcom MediaVest Group research chief Kate Sirkin began experimenting with the technology as an advertising and media testing tool ten years ago; more recently, the Advertising Research Foundation began exploring its application as an “engagement” measurement tool, working with Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman.
Zaltman recently launched Cambridge, Mass.-based Olson Zaltman Associates to apply the technology.
Terms of Nielsen’s investment in NeuroFocus were not disclosed.
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