Traditional Research Methods and Neuromarketing – The Perfect Marriage Powered by Machine Learning

Most current articles relating to market research would highlight so much on behavioral insights with the thought that the use of traditional surveys and focus groups seem outdated. However, our view is that traditional research methodologies do have its own merit and when used correctly, provides a context to modern research methods like #neuromarketing.

The truth is, marrying traditional research and #neuromarketing delivers rich and actionable customer or business insights. This happens when there is merging of survey data with biometric data that is generated from neuromarketing. #machinelearning algorithms that drive neuromarketing can process millions of records and in this case algorithms can model small yet divergent data with ease. The net result is that models are robust and results are highly reliable.

Along with the robustness of the results, understanding the context surrounding the research findings is important. One of the often quoted limitation of #neuroscience research is finding answers to ‘why’. Measurement of brain waves doesn’t answer all questions pertaining to ‘why’ and is not a sufficient condition.

This is where traditional surveys and human analysis come in handy. Insight professionals can connect the dots of data that isn’t associated with emotions with those requiring explicit answers or those questions which requires human comments.

At the other end of the spectrum, results traditional surveys alone cannot be held as conclusive evidence due to the bias factor and usually entails depth analysis. When the usual questions of awareness, likes and dislikes come up, #neuroscience plays a crucial role.

Answers to #neuroscience questions are devoid of bias and is a great way to examine how a stimulus elicits emotions when being exposed. It can even tell exactly what kind of emotional response your subject has disclosed. This precision factor is an added value as it aids in the understanding of the impact consumer decision.

The point is there is a misconception that, with the advent of cutting-edge research methods, traditional survey methods should be disregarded. This need not be the case. Instead of substituting one research method over the other, both should be utilized hand-in-hand.

Researchers need to leverage the benefits of both methodologies and underlying #machinelearning models to complement each other’s setback. At Stratzie, we have noted the significance of both roles as a crucial necessity to having a holistic result, especially in today’s data rich world.

Adding 'E' Quotient to Brand Measurement

With the influx of brands kick-starting daily along with all the existing brands striving to remain relevant in their respective industry, marketing has never been more competitive than ever today.

The digital and technological world has advanced, so has the tools and methodologies of research, delving deeper into the consumers’ sub-conscious level. Stratzie has developed an innovative brand tracking measure, utilising #neuromarketing methods on top of traditional methods of research.

To clarify exactly what Stratzie DBE Index is, why it is needed and how it benefits brands in the market, our Master Storyteller Siti Wajihah has developed a concise Q&A. It's all about adding 'E' or 'Emotional' quotient to brand measurement.

Q: So, what exactly is #StratzieDBEIndex?

Waji:That’s a good question to begin with. It is a single measure that tracks consumers’ emotional impact on the brand. It stands for Stratzie Digital Brand Engagement Index. This measure is a combination of #neuromarketing (e.g. #facialcoding, #EEG, #fMRIetc.) and traditional survey KPIs.

Q: Why now the talk of consumers’ emotional connection with brands?

Waji:This is the digital and social age. And content is the key driver in customer communications. In that respect, how do you measure the depth of #customerliking With the advent of #neuromarketingmethods, there’s a big opportunity for the brands to measure the depth of customer emotion.

Q: How is it effective for different client brands?

Waji:The innovation is that you don’t need a large sample size to conduct brand measurement studies. Yet, the samples are sufficient enough for extrapolation of findings that in turn can be representative of the population at large. And this is due to the advancements in machine learning and #artificialintelligence algorithms.

Q: What kind of outputs can brand marketers expect?

Waji:Firstly, there’s a single measurement for brands as per category, country, region etc. It takes into account the data from #neuroscience and traditional surveys. In addition, there are biometric outputs like heatmaps, correlation maps etc.

Q: Who can participate in this tracking study?

Waji: Any brand, big or small, can participate in this study.

Q: Pricing-wise, what is the cost in order for a brand to participate in this study?

Waji: The study is customised for each participating brand and therefore the costs vary. Please send inquiries to info@stratzie.com and we will respond swiftly.

Role of Neuromarketing in Enhancing Brand Perception

Brand perception as well all know is one of the most important factors in the development of a brand. It is a very well understood subject matter and at the same time it is taken for granted by brand custodians. Not surprising. Every brand tracking questionnaire tend to ask similar questions on brand perception.

The idea is that once brand perception variables are isolated, then marketers can influence perception through different communication styles. However, the drawback in relying solely on traditional survey is that the respondent answers seem to be similar through different waves of #brandcommunications.

This is known as Ineffective Brand Communications (IBC). However, the use of neuromarketing methods along with traditional methods and consequent analysis of cerebral reactions can help brands avoid IBC phenomena and create a positive brand perception.

We completed a strategic brand evaluation for a news channel of TV/content broadcasting station in the Asia-Pacific region. As the news channel was being re-branded it wanted to explore audience perception about the brand, content & relevance of brand ambassador.

We decided to combine traditional and #neuromarketing methods i.e. integrating focus group discussions (FGDs) with #implicitassociationtest (IAT).

This information was combined with qualitative insights, that in turn allowed us to identify true factors that influenced audience perception about the brand. The results were then used in repositioning of the news channel.

In a paper titled “Consumer Neuroscience-Based Metrics Predict Recall, Liking and Viewing Rates in Online Advertising” by Enrique Bigne J. Ausín Valery Naranjo Jaime Guixere, the authors investigated the effectiveness of new advert on You Tube channel.

They found a strong correlation between neuroscience metrics and advertising metrics like YouTube views, advert recall and advert liking.

This shows that intelligent application of neuromarketng methods can supplement traditional research methods to enhance brand perception.