Techniques that measure subconscious metrics, such as Facial Coding, biometrics and eye-tracking, can validate or contradict what’s reported via survey or focus-group data thereby bringing qualitative depth to quantitative research.
Insights that ignite productive change are often startling; and research findings that are truly intriguing begin with placing traditional research methods up for additional scrutiny and assessment.
Listening Beyond the Spoken Word
Strategically, a deep, novel insight can be taken in various directions – such as offering a different strategy, modifying tactics, and showing marketers what consumers actually prefer; despite what they say.
It is common to see moderators ask interview participants their opinions about an advertising concept. The participant responds positively, yet the respondent continues to observe the concept. The emotions that are reflected via the respondent’s face are what the participant is really feeling and is an example of how the conscious mind carries on the conversation, while the subconscious mind is reacting to the concept! Using facial coding, it is possible to observe subconscious emotion reflected on the face in real-time, thus allowing the moderator to probe deeper and extract the additional context about the participant’s genuine beliefs and behaviors.
Gabriel Catalano® 