In the age of digital marketing, brands often attempt to align themselves with social causes to enhance their public image. However, some companies engage in "pinkwashing"—a marketing strategy where they superficially support LGBTQIAP+ rights while their actual corporate policies contradict such advocacy. A study published in the Brazilian Journal of Marketing (BJM) used RealEye’s eye-tracking to analyze consumer reactions to pinkwashing in advertising.
The research aimed to assess consumer perception of pinkwashing through implicit and explicit measures, using a combination of eye tracking, skin conductance analysis, and self-reported data. Two versions of an advertisement from a well-known retail brand were tested: one featuring a heteroaffective couple (neutral) and another with a homoaffective couple (pinkwashing). The experiment sought to understand how consumers visually engaged with these ads and whether they could detect the inconsistencies in the brand’s messaging.
RealEye’s webcam-based eye-tracking was instrumental in gathering implicit data. The experiment involved 21 university students who viewed the advertisements for 15 seconds. Eye-tracking analysis focused on key areas of interest (AOIs):
By tracking participants' eye movements and fixations, the study revealed insightful patterns. The pinkwashing advertisement attracted significantly more visual attention to the couple, while the neutral version saw more focus on the textual elements. Heatmaps generated by RealEye illustrated these differences, highlighting how the presence of an LGBTQIAP+ couple shifted visual engagement.
The RealEye data provided insights into consumer behavior:
By enabling researchers to measure subconscious visual behavior, RealEye helped bridge the gap between explicit consumer responses and implicit cognitive processing. This study reinforces the value of eye tracking as a powerful tool for evaluating advertising effectiveness, consumer perception, and ethical marketing practices.
This study highlights how eye-tracking offers valuable insights into consumer engagement with advertisements. While ads featuring LGBTQIAP+ themes tend to draw more attention, the way brands communicate their values plays a key role in audience perception. RealEye helps researchers and marketers refine their strategies, ensuring that marketing messages are both engaging and aligned with audience expectations.
This research highlights the importance of genuine corporate social responsibility in marketing. Consumers are drawn to inclusive representation, but brands must ensure their advocacy aligns with their actual practices to maintain credibility. RealEye’s contribution to this study underscores how eye-tracking technology can help brands craft more authentic and effective advertising campaigns.
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