The Role of Consumers’ Visual Attention Stimuli in Advertising

In their recent article, Jūratė Banytė, Ieva Pūkienė, and Greta Dargytė examined how visual design elements in food advertisements influence consumer attention and perception. The role of visual attention in advertising was explored through the eye-tracking research. With consumers exposed to countless ads daily, understanding what captures their attention is essential for marketers. By measuring key eye-tracking metrics, researchers identified the most effective visual stimuli, helping brands design more engaging and impactful advertisements.

Eye-tracking allows to follow participants' eye movements as they view e.g. different ads and digital content. Unlike traditional eye-tracking setups that require specialized equipment, RealEye works with a standard webcam, making it easy to gather insights from a broad range of participants.

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Investigating Attention to Food Advertising

Researchers set out to explore how different ad characteristics - such as design complexity, authenticity, and message clarity - affect how long and where people look. The study was conducted in two phases:

1. Survey Study – A broad online survey with 403 participants assessed general attitudes toward different styles of food advertising.
2. Eye-Tracking Experiment – A smaller group of 26 participants took part in a neuromarketing experiment using RealEye to track their eye movements while viewing various food ads.

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By combining survey responses with objective eye-tracking data, the researchers aimed to understand not only what people say about advertisements but also how they visually interact with them. Participants were shown different types of advertisements, and their eye movements were tracked in real time. This allowed researchers to see which elements - such as images, text, or colors - drew the most attention and which were overlooked. The data provided a clear picture of how people process visual information when looking at ads.

RealEye provided several key eye-tracking metrics to help understand consumer attention, including:

• Fixation Duration: How long a viewer’s eyes remained on a particular part of the ad. Longer fixations suggest higher interest or cognitive engagement.
• Heatmaps: A visual representation of where most viewers focused their attention, highlighting high-engagement areas.
• Scan Paths: The order in which viewers looked at different elements, helping to understand how information is processed.
• First Fixation: The first area of the ad that grabbed a viewer’s attention, which is crucial for designing eye-catching content.
• Total Fixation Time: The total time spent looking at specific parts of an ad, indicating which sections were most engaging.

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Key Findings: What Captures Consumer Attention?

• Visually Complex Ads Hold Attention Longer – Advertisements with detailed and creative designs led to longer gaze durations and higher fixation rates.
• Authenticity Can Be a Double-Edged Sword – While more “authentic” ad designs drew attention, they did not always result in a more positive perception.
• Longer Gaze Doesn’t Always Mean Higher Preference – Some ads that captured more attention did not necessarily lead to more favorable attitudes toward the product.

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These findings highlight the nuanced relationship between visual engagement and consumer perception. While eye-tracking can reveal what elements attract attention, other psychological factors influence how people interpret what they see.

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The Impact of RealEye’s Findings

RealEye’s remote eye-tracking allowed researchers to gather reliable, scalable data without the need for specialized lab equipment. This approach made it possible to analyze real-time gaze patterns in a naturalistic setting, helping researchers bridge the gap between consumer behavior and marketing effectiveness.

This study is just one example of how scientists are using RealEye to deepen our understanding of visual attention and decision-making. As eye-tracking technology continues to evolve, it opens new possibilities for research in fields ranging from advertising to psychology and beyond.

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You can run a similar study!

Follow the steps below to start your own experiment with RealEye:

1. Go to RealEye Dashboard and create or log in to your account.
2. Purchase the License of your choice (https://www.realeye.io/pricing). If you need any custom adjustments, contact us at contact@realeye.io. We are happy to help!
3. Activate your license by following the instructions in the RealEye License Activation Guide

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‍Ready to set up your own study? Visit RealEye Support page to learn more and keep us posted on your results! 🚀