Nubs mba group management project team
Summary of findings of from Interviews, ‘Insight’ Trade Show and Web-based Questionnaires
Download 4.93 Mb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Participant Observations
Summary of findings of from Interviews, ‘Insight’ Trade Show and Web-based QuestionnairesWeb is and will continue being one of the most popular marketing channels in the foreseeable future. In future, television and print media might be over shadowed by Mobile/Desktop Applications and Games in terms of marketing expenditure by firms. This also implies the reason why eye-tracking services are mainly used in the web domain. The future trends need to be taken note of and one needs to be prepared in advance to conduct eye-tracking studies for mobile/desktops and games. Usability services are considered to be more mature as compared to the eye-tracking services in terms of life cycle of the industries. Most of the respondents and interviewees feel the eye-tracking is an Emerging industry with scope for growth in Australia. There seems to be a common opinion that Australia is a tech-savvy country and willing to accept new technologies. Similarly, the clients are more aware about the usability services in general than eye-tracking in particular. However, they are becoming more conscious of the benefits that eye-tracking could provide to the usability and market research sectors. More efforts need to be taken to promote eye-tracking technology through exhibitions, conferences, academic partnerships and case studies. There was consensus between all interviewees that clients need a full-service approach with recommendations, analysis, benchmarking against similar campaigns. If it was a research company, they might opt for partial services. But most of them would be interested in detailed analysis. Presently, most eye-tracking companies provide data collection, analysis and recommendations. When it comes to deciding upon the most suitable entry-mode for Australia, there is a division of opinion between establishing independent presence and tying up with local partners. This indicates a hybrid strategy may need to be chosen. Also, results indicate that having only a virtual presence mightn’t be enough to establish oneself in Australia. Presently, User-Centred design is the most popular research tool while eye-tracking is ranked at number 4. However, by increasing awareness amongst clients about the benefits and value added this can be improved. Most of the respondents consider the need for training sessions in order to lower the barriers for eye-tracking. Excellent after sales support can also play a key role in increasing acceptance and reducing barriers for eye-tracking. Clients seem to be willing to spend less than 5% of their marketing budget on eye-tracking services. Since, some companies consider eye-tracking as part of usability services, they were also questioned on their willingness to spend as part of their usability services budget. In this case, they are willing to spend around 5-10% of their usability services budget on eye-tracking services. Taking note of overall results, an eye-tracking study is expected to add 10-20% of additional customer value. Interestingly, most respondents expecting this gain were willing to pay 5-10% of their usability services budget to achieve the same. There is no fixed sample size for an eye-tracking study. It depends upon the output expected. If the study is qualitative then the sample size can be around 5-10. However, quantitative studies may require more than 25 users and may go as high as 100 depending on the size of the study and risk involved. Most companies also don’t have a standard policy for eye-tracking services. It varies from case-to-case basis depending on complexity of study, client budgets, type of client, urgency of project and other such parameters. Some companies also bundle it as part of the usability service tools to clients thus pricing it as package. Most of the interviewees agreed that psychology plays an important role in interpreting the results. They also felt that the applications of eye-tracking might change in future. Eye-tracking might be combined with measurement of emotions and neurology. Participant Observation - Data Collection exercise at Gatwick, June 23rd - 24th 2009 Ethnographic study of the data collection process The company (Realeyes) had rented an internet lounge to install the Tobii eye-tracking device and carry out the data collection. The participants were first taken through an eye-movement alignment exercise, and then taken through a set of images, while consciously being eye-tracked. Each test spanned 3-4 minutes including calibration. This depended on how long the audience was fixated to an advert (image), since each person was instructed to view at his/her leisure. Our role as participant observers was to engage in the data collection activity in order to study its operation and use it to assess the feasibility of this part of Realeyes’ business-service sequence (Fig 1) 
Figure 12 - Simplified Service sequence of a typical Eye-tracking Study conducted by Realeyes The Approach was that of direct interaction with the data-providing audience, which was composed of business travellers at the airport.
to obtain an insider’s view of the data collection process in a natural setting To realize the dynamics and the implications of data collecting practice in a particular location, especially the presence of Hawthorne effect, an experimenter effect whereby participants in any human-centred study may exhibit atypically high levels of performance simply because they are aware that they are being studied (Macefield, 2007). To assess qualitatively whether the same collection practice would be feasible for testing samples in any market, in this case, Australia. The Determinants Participant bias – Factors: Do participants react differently when incentivized with freebies or naturally inspired to participate in an ‘interesting’ eye-tracking test? Observation: Yes, to a reasonable extent, the freebies and promotional material helped collect audience for the test. Lack of awareness of eye-tracking technology was also a hurdle factor in collecting audiences, which in some cases, stimulated the curiosity of the audience in a positive manner. What number of participants showed disinterest when told about the test? Observation: Many did, although other factors like lack of time and general lack of inclination to help, were binding others. In a number of instances, people would initially be attracted by the magazine freebie, but hearing the clause of taking a test would change their minds. What part of the audience already knew about eye-tracking and the data-collection process? Would this awareness influence the results? Observation: A few amongst the audience knew of eye-tracking and its commercial use, including a lady from the marketing industry and a financial consultant. Since the audience was expected to be non-expert and novice users, the eye-tracking test itself didn’t lose any validity. Behaviour and culture – Factors: Brand perception Cultural influence of eye-tracked audience on collection of data (Hawthorne relevance) Regulatory factors influencing data collection process The audience hardly asked about which brand the eye-tracking company were. A few were interested, especially those who arose from marketing or management background. The company was seen as a group of individuals with an eye-tracking computer, and the eye-tracker seemed to have a certain degree of attractiveness. People gained feedback during the eye-tracking study (although the feedback was intrinsic to the system’s use). Since giving feedback forms an integral design feature in most currently used interface designs (e.g., Norman, 1988) and the general acceptance is that participants in usability study will always learn something about the system (e.g., Norman, 1983; Raskin, 1994), Macefield (2007) argues that the Hawthorne effect is an inevitable part of all usability studies and is a necessary mechanism for bringing about any performance improvements. People from European countries, Canada (North America), UK and Africa were all part of audience. Hence, there was considerable cultural diversity among the audience. Regulatory factors like airport authority and other laws require that permission be obtained to carry out tests in public, especially human-centred tests receive more attention. Also, the business activity in the vicinity of the eye-tracking test centre while collecting data shouldn’t be disturbed, both as an ethical and a legal requirement.
Size of sample Variability Spread of recall results The sample size rose to 46 on day I and about 50 odd samples on day II. It was more a challenge of direct sales and interaction with the audience to ‘lure’ them unto participating in an eye-tracking exercise, illustrating adverts from a print magazine. Typical size of sample was to be at least 50; hence the target was reached with comfort. The Variability of audience was according to age, sex and background. Though almost all of those who took the test admitted to having been familiar with the print magazine, many of them seemed to be novice at being eye-tracked, as is evident in most usability studies (Macefield, 2007 on the Hawthorne effect on usability studies). Audience was asked to recall top 3 adverts that they could remember from the eye-tracking exercise, immediately after the test. Spread of results of tests taken across age groups varying from 19 until beyond the 60s, were quite diverse, although some of the adverts regularly appeared to have been viewed/recalled by the audience, according to the results. It was a function of their memory and the inclination to read information on adverts, apart from the impression that each of the adverts had made on their minds. Download 4.93 Mb. Share with your friends:
|