Influence of dynamic content on visual attention during video advertisements

Abstract

Purpose Dynamic advertising, including television and online video ads, demands new theory and tools developed to understand attention to moving stimuli. The purpose of this study is to empirically test the predictions of a new dynamic attention theory, Dynamic Human-Centred Communication Systems Theory, versus the predictions of salience theory. Design/methodology/approach An eye-tracking study used a sample of consumers to measure visual attention to potential areas of interest (AOIs) in a random selection of unfamiliar video ads. An eye-tracking software feature called intelligent bounding boxes (IBBs) was used to track attention to moving AOIs. AOIs were coded for the presence of static salience variables (size, brightness, colour and clutter) and dynamic attention theory dimensions (imminence, motivational relevance, task relevance and stability). Findings Static salience variables contributed 90% of explained variance in fixation and 57% in fixation duration. However, the data further supported the three-way interaction uniquely predicted by dynamic attention theory: between imminence (central vs peripheral), relevance (motivational or task relevant vs not) and stability (fleeting vs stable). The findings of this study indicate that viewers treat dynamic stimuli like real life, paying less attention to central, relevant and stable AOIs, which are available across time and space in the environment and so do not need to be memorised. Research limitations/implications Despite the limitations of small samples of consumers and video ads, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of two relatively recent innovations, which have received limited emphasis in the marketing literature: dynamic attention theory and IBBs. Practical implications This study documents what does and does not attract attention to video advertising. What gets attention according to salience theory (e.g. central location) may not always get attention in dynamic advertising because of the effects of relevance and stability. To better understand how to execute video advertising to direct and retain attention to important AOIs, advertisers and advertising researchers are encouraged to use IBBs. Originality/value This study makes two original contributions: to marketing theory, by showing how dynamic attention theory can predict attention to video advertising better than salience theory, and to marketing research, showing the utility of tracking visual attention to moving objects in video advertising with IBBs, which appear underutilised in advertising research.

Effect of emotion induction on potential consumers’ visual attention in beer advertisements: a neuroscience study

“…Regarding the smaller visual attention to human faces when individuals were induced to fear, this result agrees with the task relevance theory, reinforced by Wooley et al (2022), which states that when seeing ads, the consumers have the task of checking the advertised product relevance leading to higher visual attention to visual branding presence. Considering that the induction of fear increased the visual attention to the brand name and product packaging, the viewers, when induced to fear, started to prioritize these elements instead human faces in beer ads (attributes less relevant to the ads), resulting in a decreased attention to them.…”

“…According to a recent study by Wooley et al (2022), visual branding will be relevant during advertising viewing and will attract visual attention. This phenomenon might occur once when seeing ads, the consumers have the task of assessing the relevance of the advertised product or brand, which contributes to attracting visual attention to visual branding presence (either name, logo, typeface, trademark or pack shot) (Wooley et al, 2022).…”

“…According to a recent study by Wooley et al (2022), visual branding will be relevant during advertising viewing and will attract visual attention. This phenomenon might occur once when seeing ads, the consumers have the task of assessing the relevance of the advertised product or brand, which contributes to attracting visual attention to visual branding presence (either name, logo, typeface, trademark or pack shot) (Wooley et al, 2022). Thus, knowing that visual attention is the process by which a person prioritizes a specific element from all available information to examine further (Skaramagkas et al, 2021) if the induction of emotions can contribute to prioritizing and increase visual attention to motivationally relevant information into hedonic product ads (Motoki et al, 2019) (which in this study are the beer logo and package into beer ads), the induction of these same emotions might decrease the visual attention to nonmotivationally relevant information inside the ads (which in this study are the human faces into beer advertisements), as indicated:…”

Effect of Timing Sequence of Brand Promotion in an Online Video-an Eye-Tracking Study

“…Visual attention is a key aspect of marketing that identifies the subliminal factors that affect the consumers' perception of an advertisement or product (Madan, 2010). Viewers focus less on the central dynamic stimuli as they are present across time and do not require memorization (Wooley et al, 2022).…”

“…Compared to self-reported measures, which are subjective and only record conscious, acknowledged opinions, eye tracking has a substantial advantage (Micu and Plummer, 2010). The eye-tracking method measures attention by capturing eye movement to assess advertising efficacy (Wooley et al, 2022). Bialkova et al (2020) showed that brand names are the foremost factor in driving attention, receiving a higher number of fixations.…”