Eye Tracking for Visual Marketing
By Michel Wedel, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, USA, mwedel@umd.edu | Rik Pieters, Marketing Department, Tilburg University, The Netherlands, pieters@uvt.nl
Abstract
We provide the theory of visual attention and eye-movements that serves as a basis for evaluating eye-tracking research and for discussing salient and emerging issues in visual marketing. Motivated from its rising importance in marketing practice and its potential for theoretical contribution, we first review eye-tracking research for visual marketing. Then, we discuss the structure of the eye, the visual brain, eyemovements, and methods for recording and analyzing them. Next, we describe our theory and review eye-tracking applications in marketing based on it. We conclude with an outlook on future theory and method development and recommendations for practice.
Eye Tracking for Visual Marketing
In the last decade there has been a rapid growth in commercial applications of eye-tracking technology to assess the effectiveness of visual marketing efforts. Eye-movements are tightly coupled with visual attention which makes them eminent indicators of the covert visual attention process. Now a sizable and growing body of literature exists on attention to visual marketing stimuli. Eye-Tracking for Visual Marketing provides: 1. The foundations of visual attention and eye-tracking; 2. A conceptual framework for eyetracking research in marketing; 3. A review of the marketing literature within this conceptual framework. Motivated from its rising importance in marketing practice and its potential for theoretical contribution, Eye-Tracking for Visual Marketing examines the structure of the eye, the visual brain, eye-movements, and methods for recording and analyzing them. Next, it describes the authors' theory and reviews eye-tracking applications in marketing based on this theory. It conclude with an outlook on future theory and method development and recommendations for practice.
