MediaScience is the leading provider of lab-based media and advertising research, incorporating a range of neuro-measures including biometrics, facial expression analysis, eye tracking, EEG, and more. With state-of-the-art labs in New York, Chicago, and Austin, MediaScience is discovering actionable insights in advertising, technology, media, and consumer trends.
Dr. Duane Varan, the global authority of neuromarketing research, founded Audience Labs (formerly the Interactive Television Research Institute) during his tenure at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, in 2001. In 2005, he launched the Beyond : 30 Project, a consortium exploring the changing media and advertising landscape, and in 2008, he was approached by Disney Media Networks to set up a dedicated custom research lab on a broader scale – and so MediaScience was born. Though he officially left Murdoch in 2015, he continues to maintain some research links with the University of South Australia and has been widely recognised for his innovative contributions to teaching and the neuromarketing industry as evidenced by a long list of awards and over 90 published academic papers in his field.
Below is an abstract from one of his papers about Minimum effective frequency for interactive television ads from the Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice.
Abstract:
A key task for advertising media planners is setting a frequency goal for a campaign. This study used a controlled experiment to identify the minimum effective frequency (MEF) for TV ads offering interactive response, as opposed to direct response by phone call. Participants (N=273) were exposed to ads one, three or five times. A control cell saw normal TV ads, while an interactive TV (iTV) cell saw the same ads with interactive response banners superimposed. We found the usual ‘build-up’ effects for repeated exposure on ad memory in the control cell, but there was little added value in repeat exposure for generating interactive response (ie MEF=1). Interaction rates were higher for familiar brands, but brand familiarity did not alter the effect of repetition. These results suggest that iTV ads should be placed with a reach strategy, rather than a frequency strategy.
Citation:
Bellman, S., Schweda, A. & Varan, D. Minimum effective frequency for interactive television ads. J Direct Data Digit Mark Pract 11, 281–301 (2010).
https://doi.org/10.1057/dddmp.2010.6