When you look at an ad, do you pay attention to where your eyes go? Not likely. Your brain is working so quickly that you don’t consciously think about it, but you base your decisions on seconds of observation. Dale Jolley, Director at UVU SMARTLab, joined us for a Silicon Slopes Conversations event on Friday, January 20th 2023 to decode what our brains do with marketing materials.
The UVU SMARTLab is one of the most advanced of its kind in the United States. Right here in Utah, technicians and students at the lab conduct facial, eye tracking, electroencephalography, coding, and galvanic skin response testing on a client’s websites, ads, packaging, marketing assets, and commercials.
Dale shared with us a few of the mechanisms used to test, and showed us eye tracking in action. Using a monitor, the technician flashed ads on the screen and let the subject look for six seconds. After, we were able to look at the eye patterns on the ads–what parts attracted the subject’s attention and which were lackluster. Dale shared that it was important to note what the subject was looking at as well as what he wasn’t looking at.
These revolutionary tools are being used to improve marketing campaigns for clients all over. No ad is perfect the first time, and often they’re quite good, but with UVU SMARTLab testing, they can be even better.
“I have never seen a perfect website. I have never seen a perfect ad,” said Dale. “These tools can put data behind your decisions.”
The lab is up for visits and available for scheduling by emailing Dale himself at adjolley@uvu.edu. To learn more, visit the SMARTLab website.
