Article

Eye-tracking technology reveals consumer brand experience

Sensory Track uses crosshairs that show precisely where a customer is looking.

November 10, 2009 by Valerie Killifer — senior editor, NetWorld Alliance

Walking into a Mooyah Burgers & Fries can probably be likened to Charlie Bucket's first glimpse inside Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. At first, your eyes aren't exactly sure of where to settle, but after a few seconds, the imagination and creative force behind the concept starts to sink in.

While Willy Wonka didn't have the technology to track Charlie's eye movements throughout the factory, a technology program called Sensory Track is giving retailers and restaurants the ability to do just that -- track consumers' eye movements as they move about the store. (Click here to watch a Sensory Track video.)

The technology — which relies on crosshairs that show precisely where subjects are looking — was introduced to Mooyah president Alan Hixon by long-time friend and colleague Doug Lyon. Lyon owns Dallas-based Lyon Marketing and Sensory Track is its sister company.

Lyon said the program is able to show restaurant operators, through the eyes of the consumer, about the customer's experience inside the restaurant. And a subsequent report and video of the findings are then sent to the restaurant operator for review.

"The one thing that continues to surprise me is how infatuated people are with people," Lyon said. "People stare at people more than anything. They want to know who is handling their food and who's behind the counter, and they judge the restaurant that way. That happens every time."

Although the technology has been around for a little less than three years, Lyon's company is the first to really utilize it from the consumer standpoint. So far, Sensory Track has been used by the United States military and several other corporations such as Crayola and Mars Inc.

"It's the kind of research that the CEO comes into the room to look at," Lyon said. "It's not something that gets stored in a file."

The eyes have it

Hixon said Mooyah executives were curious to see how guests reacted to the restaurant and were eager to participate as Sensory Track's first restaurant case study.

Five Mooyah customers agreed to wear the goggle-like eyepieces to have their eye movements – and verbal comments – tracked and recorded inside the restaurant.

"The thing that I think helped the most was when I could hear their comments along with where they were looking," Hixon said. "This helped me better understand what they were thinking. For example, as someone looked around the restaurant, and you could see where the crosshairs were focused, it was great when they would say things like â€˜pretty cool' or â€˜feels much nicer than the other location that I have been to before,' etc."

The results also gave a summary of how long guests kept their eyes focused on a particular brand element and what they looked at first, second, third and so on.

"You get to see your operation from the customer's perspective and that's hard to do," Hixon said. "It confirmed some things we hoped to confirm, so that was good."

The report revealed to Hixon that to-go customers had little room to stand or wait for their order, and operationally, that some of the dining-room furniture needed to be rearranged to eliminate congestion.

"Now, we'll take the data we've received and learn from that," Hixon said. "I look it as another tool to put in the toolbox. The more tools you have the better shape you're going to be in."