It’s true: Smiling at an ad means sales will go up

Advertisers now have a proven reason to make you smile.

That’s the basic takeaway from a new study by emotion tracking firm Realeyes and candy/food maker Mars, released this week.

Webcams in the computers of 22,334 consenting consumers in six countries tracked emotional reactions to 149 video ads for chocolate candy (such as Mars, Twix and Snickers), pet food (Pedigree and Whiskas), chewing gum (e.g., Orbit) and food (including Uncle Ben’s rice and Dolmio pasta sauces). Each ad was seen by several hundred viewers.

The idea was to see if emotional responses could be used to predict sales lifts. With the widespread availability of webcams on computers, marketers are increasingly using emotional tracking as regular tool.

[Read the full article on MarTech Today.]

About The Author

Barry Levine

Barry Levine covers marketing technology for Third Door Media. Previously, he covered this space as a Senior Writer for VentureBeat, and he has written about these and other tech subjects for such publications as CMSWire and NewsFactor. He founded and led the web site/unit at PBS station Thirteen/WNET; worked as an online Senior Producer/writer for Viacom; created a successful interactive game, PLAY IT BY EAR: The First CD Game; founded and led an independent film showcase, CENTER SCREEN, based at Harvard and M.I.T.; and served over five years as a consultant to the M.I.T. Media Lab. You can find him at LinkedIn, and on Twitter at xBarryLevine.

It’s true: Smiling at an ad means sales will go up

About The Author

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