Metrix Consulting announces neuromarketing collaboration with Curtin University

Metrix Consulting’s ability to understand consumer behaviour is about to move forward with the announcement of a new partnership with the neuromarketing and biometric specialists at Curtin University in Perth.

With the nation’s big brands, government departments and retail giants delving ever-deeper into the science behind consumer behaviour, Metrix Consulting has exclusively licenced a one-of-a-kind neuromarketing solution from Curtin’s world-renowned Consumer Research Lab.

Brainwave and heart rate monitoring, eye movement tracking, and skin response and facial expression analysis are all part of the equation, providing Metrix clients with granular, second-by-second insights into consumers’ emotional and cognitive processes – critical insights impossible to gain using traditional market research techniques such as surveys and focus groups.

Marquis Pohla, Managing Director at Metrix Consulting, says while neuromarketing has been around for some time, it is a rapidly evolving field that can offer marketers the competitive edge they’re looking for.

“It can be a game-changer for businesses and organisations looking to enhance an already sophisticated marketing approach with the latest science-backed insights and testing that go way beyond anything we’ve had access to before,” Pohla said.

“Now Australian brands and businesses have greater opportunity to follow in the footsteps of household names such as PepsiCo, The Walt Disney Company, Google and Hyundai who are increasingly using consumer biometric techniques to better understand the minds of consumers.”

With 90% of information that goes to the human brain being processed unconsciously, neuroscience take us inside those automatic human responses that influence consumer behaviour.

Neuromarketing research offers different perspectives and insight to traditional market research, especially when it comes to measuring emotional response. There is no risk of biases, misinterpretations or relying on rational recall as neuromarketing objectively measures emotional responses in real-time using multiple data points.

Pohla said: “Our partnership with the Consumer Research Lab is a unique, evidence-based solution that accurately and reliably pinpoints consumer responses at the moment of truth; that split-second moment or opportunity when a consumer forms a critical impression about a business, product or service.”

“The merest flicker of an eye, raised heart rate or increased brain activity can provide vital clues as to what is or isn’t resonating with the consumer.

“It’s this ever-deeper level of understanding via unprecedented data – validated both academically and empirically – that can help brands and organisations make higher-quality and more effective marketing decisions.”

User experience research – also known as UX research – is one area in which neuroscience and biometrics really stand out.

“UX research focuses on the observed behaviour and emotions of people as they interact with products, services or marketing collateral. It can help inform design solutions that ensure what is being offered is perfectly aligned with users’ expectations,” added Pohla.

Metrix Consulting has established a temporary biometrics lab at its Perth headquarters, with a purpose-built biometrics room on the cards as part of its expansion plans for the new financial year.

The neuromarketing experts at Curtin University’s Consumer Research Lab, one of the leading research facilities of its kind in the world, will be providing their specialist experience and know-how, including process, algorithms and the scientific interpretation of biometric data.

The partnership combines Metrix Consulting’s industry agility and consulting expertise with Curtin University’s academic rigour and research capability, says Dr Billy Sung PhD, Associate Professor at the Consumer Research Lab.

Sung said: “Integrating our biometric research solution with Metrix’s capability and expertise enables us to accurately and reliably triangulate consumer insights to optimise marketing assets and communication in a scientific way.”

“The partnership allows both Curtin and Metrix Consulting to not only apply state-of-the-art biometric market research in the industry, but also fuel the continuous development and improvement of this solution to stay at the forefront of consumer trends and marketing innovation.”

Based on decades of research in consumer neuroscience, the Consumer Research Lab’s solution for Metrix Consulting has been validated by more than 50 experimental studies and industry use cases looking at the design of marketing communication, packaging, customer experience, digital touchpoints and retail experience.