What’s the best way to measure attention to TV ads when specific creative devices, like animals and voiceover, are used? In this study, three key biometrics measures—eye movements, sweating, and heart rate—responded differently to attention-getting tactics and to levels of consumer attention. Heart rate uniquely helped identify ineffective ads, but for the most accurate reading on attention, multiple measures may be necessary.
Specifically, the authors found:
Using a single measure can be risky, the authors cautioned. Viewers might be paying (or withdrawing) attention to a particular creative device “that is not detected by the specific measure in use.”
At the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science, University of South Australia:
Coauthor Duane Varan (varan@mediasciencelabs.com) is the chief executive officer of MediaScience in Austin, TX, and he oversees Beyond :30, a collaborative industry project exploring the changing media landscape.