With the upsurge of neuromarketing analysis, it’s increasingly more frequent for entrepreneurs to let mind waves optimize their advertisements, shops, merchandise and web sites. So as to take action, the analysis methodology used most frequently is Electroencephalography (EEG). It is a methodology that captures mind exercise by isolating electrical exercise by way of electrodes on the scalp.
Through the years, EEG expertise has branched into many shapes and varieties. From medically engineered caps consisting of over 100 electrodes, to single electrode headsets that enchantment to the patron market.
When embarking onto EEG analysis, chances are high you’ll cooperate with a specialised neuromarketing analysis company. You need them to handle your analysis query with expertise and metrics which might be applicable for the job. On this article, we checklist three essential concerns any firm ought to take into consideration when choosing a neuromarketing analysis vendor.
Query 1. Dry versus Moist EEG electrodes
Historically, EEG electrodes make contact with the scalp by way of a dab of conductive gel or cream. Nevertheless, the variety of dry EEG methods is vastly rising the final couple of years. These methods can used extra swiftly and simply, however may doubtlessly hinder sign high quality.
Latest analysis into this difficulty has in contrast dry and moist EEG electrodes (Mathewson, Harrison & Kizuk, 2017). The researchers have established a transparent trade-off between ease of use and quantity of knowledge noise. Whereas dry methods are actually much less time consuming to work with, they end in stronger knowledge contamination by different sources of electrical energy, equivalent to muscle actions and exterior sources.
In apply, which means dry EEG will end in fewer insights and extra false positives. It’s very very like a kitchen strainer with comparatively extensive holes: many knowledge slips by way of the openings and solely the most important chunks stay. That’s to not say dry EEG presents no worth – it does – however its accuracy nonetheless pales compared to moist electrodes. Many researchers take into account dry electrodes suboptimal for research wherein members work together with a chunk of promoting communication solely as soon as (e.g., promoting, retail and on-line usability analysis). Nevertheless, the noise may be trimmed when averaging the sign throughout a number of trials (e.g., viewing a product picture a number of instances).
Ask your neuromarketing analysis vendor whether or not they make use of dry or moist EEG. Within the case of dry EEG, ask which precautions they make to iron out the added knowledge noise.
Mathewson, Ok. E., Harrison, T. J., & Kizuk, S. A. (2017). Excessive and dry? Evaluating energetic dry EEG electrodes to energetic and passive moist electrodes. Psychophysiology, 54(1), 74-82.
Query 2. EEG Headset Consolation
An essential draw back of EEG analysis is that it may be fairly demanding and uncomfortable to your respondents to be a part of, in comparison with your on a regular basis interview or survey. For many individuals, it’s the primary time of their lives they permit a futuristic equipment to file their mind exercise. This elevated stress or bodily discomfort isn’t a lot of a problem for the medical functions for which EEG was historically developed, however it may be detrimental to advertising and marketing analysis.
These days, commercially oriented EEG headsets fluctuate enormously of their designs and supplies. This could make fairly a distinction within the respondent’s expertise, and subsequently within the subsequent knowledge. Ideally, you’d need respondents to really feel like house. To begin with, it helps to create a front room like analysis atmosphere that brings them relaxed. Secondly, the lesser individuals are conscious of the EEG headset itself, the higher. It’s subsequently essential to be conscious of how respondents expertise the EEG headset.
In a comparative examine, a staff of researchers led by Hairston (2014) examined three EEG methods which might be fashionable amongst neuromarketing researchers: B-Alert X10, EMOTIV EPOC and QUASAR HMS. They in contrast the headset to the BioSemi ActiveTwo, a laboratory grade gold normal.
The researchers discovered that two out of three industrial headsets had been really much less comfy than the lab normal. Each the EMOTIVE and QUASAR headsets had been rated much less comfy than the usual ActiveTwo. After some time, some respondents reported complications or neck ache as a consequence of weight or uneven strain from the headset. Solely the B-Alert X10 fared higher than the ActiveTwo. Its versatile strip-based design comprises no laborious plastics, which makes it applicable for the next variety of head shapes.
This examine reveals that, total, industrial EEG methods nonetheless have a protracted method to go earlier than they change into really unnoticeable. Make sure to inquire which system a neuromarketing vendor makes use of and which precautions they take to maximise respondents’ consolation.
Query 3. EEG Metrics
The third and remaining query issues the precise metrics your neuromarketing vendor guarantees to derive from EEG. Which emotional and motivational states do they calculate? And on what scientific underpinnings do their metrics lean?
EEG metrics belong to considered one of these two sorts:
Brazenly validated metrics- These metrics are validated in printed tutorial articles (e.g., consideration). Researchers have clarified what sample of mind exercise underlies the metric, so it may be replicated and put to additional empirical scrutiny.
Proprietary metrics- These metrics are stated to measure a selected psychological state (e.g., anger) however the underlying mind exercise and algorithm are stored secret. This highlights the issue of the ‘black field’: the metric may very effectively measure what it pretends to measure, however there’s no method to know for sure.
Stephen Genco, Andrew Pohlmann, Peter Steidl (authors of Neuromarketing for Dummies) argue strongly in favor of validated metrics. A consumer ought to know what analysis they’re paying for. As well as, sharing of analysis data accelerates growth and finetuning of EEG metrics.
Earlier than conducting a examine, ask which metrics shall be measured. On what empirical research are they based mostly? And what is going to these metrics unearth that provide help to make your advertising and marketing higher?
Genco, S. J., Pohlmann, A. P., & Steidl, P. (2013). Neuromarketing for dummies. John Wiley & Sons.
Hairston, W. D., Whitaker, Ok. W., Ries, A. J., Vettel, J. M., Bradford, J. C., Kerick, S. E., & McDowell, Ok. (2014). Usability of 4 commercially-oriented EEG methods. Journal of neural engineering, 11(4), 046018.
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