Neuromarketing research is the application of biometric methods such as Eye Tracking, brain research (EEG), and Facial Coding to marketing issues. Unlike traditional market research, which uses conscious methods like interviews and questionnaires, neuromarketing focuses on physiological responses, which are partly unconscious.

This often raises the question: is it ethical to measure the unconscious reaction to marketing? Terms like ‘the buy button’ imply that it would reduce consumers to zombies blindly following the marketer's wishes.

The reality is much more nuanced.

The hard truth is: most products in the store are almost never bought. In fact, they are never seen. When we let customers loose in the store with an Eye Tracker, we discover that these products receive not a millisecond of attention. You might as well have placed a brick on the shelf; the customer wouldn't have noticed.

From Ronald McDonald, who welcomes guests to the yellow fast-food chain, to the boy who has been smiling at Kinder chocolate buyers for decades, brand characters have played a crucial role in marketing.

Brand characters come in many shapes and sizes. For example, they can appear as animated mascots like the comical M&M’s figures. They can also take the form of recurring advertising characters, such as Captain Iglo, who has been portrayed by various actors over the decades but has always remained consistently recognisable as a character.

What is the value of such a brand character? How does a character contribute to the recognisability and appeal of a brand? And what are the practical do’s and don’ts to make the most of your brand character? In this blog, we outline the latest scientific insights.

Online banners have a tough time. On average, only 9% of all online advertisements are viewed for more than a second, according to large-scale Eye Tracking research by Lumen on more than 15,000 online ads.

At the same time, there is undeniably great marketing potential hidden in online advertisements. They can be game changers in marketing, both in terms of direct clicks and conversions and in brand-related effects on brand awareness and preference.