VALUE MEASUREMENT VS. EYE TRACKING
Eye Tracking observes and measures eye movements, pupil dilation, point of gaze, and blinking to identify what captures study participants' attention.
WHAT IS EYE TRACKING?
Eye tracking is a neuromarketing technique designed to measure consumer attention. This methodology uses one or more cameras to track how a participant’s eyes move when interacting with some stimulus or experience (e.g., a website, advertisement, show, game, shopping trip).
The tools used in eye tracking research can be computer mounted, face mounted (on glasses that participants wear), or web based.
Eye tracking data generally takes a bit of time to process, as it requires identifying specific areas of interest (AOIs) and aggregating data from different consumers. Individuals who conduct eye tracking analysis generally complete some sort of training to become an expert in the process. This means that most eye tracking research is done by a specific vendor with expertise.
While eye tracking can be a reliable measure of attention (depending on the quality of the device used and other factors like calibration), attention alone does not predict what consumers will remember or their future behavior.
THE BENEFIT
Eye tracking output can help you identify answer several attention-related questions. For example, where does attention go first? How long does it takes for a certain element to capture attention? What is the typical gaze path? How long do consumers spend attending to different elements of an experience?
Face-mounted eye tracking glasses can produce measurements in a more flexible environment where a consumer needs to be able to navigate as they would naturally, like with a journey through a store.
Web-based eye tracking allows the research to scale as it taps into consumers' own webcams to capture measurements.
Some Value Measurement users combine eye tracking with our Value Score output for shopper studies and UX research.
THE DRAWBACK
While attention is an important element to understand in content creation, it is only a small part of the story. Eye tracking will not tell you whether or not those elements of attention have a positive or negative impact on the consumer or if their brain is getting enough value from an experience that it will drive future behavior or recall.
Eye tracking requires a trained professional to interpret the data and send you the results, which can take weeks.
Computer-mounted eye tracking cameras require collecting data in person, preventing this from being a truly scalable option.
Computer-mounted eye tracking cameras need good lighting and require limiting movements, creating a generally unnatural experience.
All eye tracking technologies require an initial calibration, and often necessitate constant recalibration to ensure the data is accurate and useable.
Face-mounted eye tracking glasses can be bulky and attract unwanted attention, making the experience less natural for the consumer.
Due to the challenges of using individual webcams, a good portion of webcam captured eye tracking data must be thrown out due to factors that can affect data quality such as lighting, participant movement, and poor internet connectivity. This data loss requires companies to over-recruit, meaning you pay for data you can't use.
EYE-OPENING FACT FOR BRAIN NERDS:
The six muscles in each of your eyes move faster than any other muscles in your body.
(Gives a whole new meaning to the idea of "give it a quick look"...)
HOW VALUE MEASUREMENT IS DIFFERENT
Value Measurement measures attention and emotional resonance in real-time, as experiences unfold. This helps you to identify which moments are most impactful, driving value and future action...not just what they looked at.
By combining Value Measurement with eye tracking, you get a data set that not only shows what captures your audience's attention but also reveals the depth of their connection to that content.
Value Measurement instantly provides real-time results on a graphic dashboard that aligns your data to specific content or agenda points. Second-by-second, you understand the value people get out of your content or experience.
Use Value Measurement on it's own to understand your content's connection to your audience in real-time or combine with eye tracking for a robust understanding of how your content will drive action.
IS IT A VALUE MEASUREMENT?
FEELS LIKE IT'S PURE MAGIC BECAUSE IT'S GOOD SCIENCE
Your brain tells a story. Your smart watch is ready to listen. After more than 20 years of published, peer-reviewed research, we’re connecting the two. Now, using everyday wearable devices to capture activity within the body, we can measure the brain's value throughout the day.
Don't take our word for it. Download the full scientific and academic background.