Eye tracker and face reader craft novel marketing
The chair of marketing of the University of Tartu bought a novel face reader and eye tracker for studies and research that came with a price tag of EUR 30,000. The new device, used in neuromarketing, allows, among other things, analysing and developing of highly marketable product designs and advertisements, assessing user-friendliness of Web sites, etc.
“The eye tracker and face reader bring marketing studies and research up to a new level, making this area even more attractive ‒ we can now combine product development, design and psychology,” says senior lecturer of the University of Tartu, Andres Kuusik. “These gadgets allow students seeing the details of the design world and decipher various marketing techniques, which improves the quality of teaching and ensures better preparation for entering the labour market after graduation.”
The eye tracker and face reader enable to design and analyse various product packages, homepages and advertisements both on video and as photos. The device is fixed to the computer and recognises the glance of a person and tracks movements of the eye, storing the trajectory and time spent on looking at various details of a package.
The face reader follows different points on the face of a person, such as eyes, corners of the mouth, eyebrows, etc. “To read a person’s emotions, the software creates a grid of points on the face on which basis it is possible to know, with a hundredth second precision, which features of a package cause positive and which negative emotions”, Kuusik explains, adding that after analysing emotions and the glance a near-ideal package may be created, which attracts the attention of target demographic better compared to competitors’ products displayed on a shop shelf.
Kuusik sees an opportunity for closer co-operation between students and companies in implementation studies and development of products or advertisements: “We are one of the few in the whole world that can offer to companies a full service of exploring and analysing product design, advertising, etc. Bringing together students and entrepreneurs to develop this particular area benefits both parties – companies receive quality service and students gain experience from dealing with an actual client,” he says.
Additional information: Andres Kuusik, senior lecturer of marketing, University of Tartu, phone 737 6321, e-mail: andres.kuusik [ät] ut.ee.