USING EYE TRACKING AS PART OF PACKAGING RESEARCH

In South Africa, packaging testing and various other tools are vital for companies to grasp what consumers think about their brands, new products, or even existing products. Eye tracking is one of the tools that can be used to enhance packaging research. Using a static eye tracker, you can measure the success of website designs, digital advertising, what people notice in TV advertising, videos, etc.

Research has clearly indicated that consumers buy products with longer gaze durations, so using static eye trackers can help marketers and business owners to understand which campaigns, videos, or pack designs are likely to be most successful when launched.

Packaging research studies must look at consumer attention in terms of design and their propensity to buy each pack design.

The pack design research studies aim to:

• Give marketers an overview of whether consumers spend relatively more time looking at your pack than the competition.

• Understand the impact of the various elements on the pack.

Research Methodology Options

Studies can be conducted with any sample size, from as few as 30 up to 400. Respondents can be recruited or intercepted at the place of purchase. The pack testing usually consists of both eye-tracking and a brief questionnaire.

Analysing Results The results are analysed by looking at respondents’ attention towards each pack design being measured. The eye tracker allows us to specify which element of each brand receives the most viewing time or what they look at for the longest time.

Key Learnings So Far

• Uniqueness is key

• Packs considered to be more unique tend to have a longer gaze time, i.e. consumers spend more time looking at the pack design.

• The pack’s attractiveness will influence their decision to buy

People focus on what they already know or recognise. Therefore, new entrants need to ensure that their packaging is really attractive to consumers and has unique characteristics. Packaging testing, with the addition of eye tracking, assists clients in establishing the following:

• The effect of brand awareness, attractiveness, and attention their pack design is able to hold.

• The extent to which attractiveness, compared to competitors, will influence purchase intent.

• Establish whether current users / non-users are more attracted to your pack design

Case Study

In a case study for body lotion, we established that the most appealing feature of the Portia M body lotion pack was, in fact, the “ingredients” in the product. The heat map indicates the “warmest area” to be the ingredients listed on the pack. Consumers are generally concerned about the ingredients, as they prefer something that nourishes their skin. In this instance, the descriptors are more important than the visual elements. Overall lack of awareness of the brand contributed to a lower propensity to buy.

Market Instinct specialises in market research for products and packaging in South Africa’s market. When our clients choose us for their free product testing or packaging research in South Africa, they receive actionable insights and data for the FMCG sector.

Sourced from marketinstinct.co.za