How Bio-Sensors Help in Generating Consumer Insights ?

How Expedia found out that large bathrooms appealed to one consumer segment, whereas closet size appealed to another using Biosensors based Consumer Research

Jessica M. Wilson, Ph.D. talks about the Expedia Group Case Study, wherein Biosensors were used to generate consumer insights for different traveller segments, the different amenities that different segments preferred. After all, if you know which amenities potential guests care about, you can use that information to highlight the fact that you offer them.

Individual travelers were asked to research and (not-quite)-book flights, hotels, etc. As they do, a camera atop their computer screen tracks their eye movement while electromyography (EMG) sensors on their cheek and brow monitor the electrical activity of the underlying muscles.The system can be used to test everything from specific design changes on web pages to the overall feasibility/user-friendliness of new products.

Hidden behind a one-way mirror in the adjoining room, researchers follow along on an identical screen as a dancing yellow line shows where on the screen the subject is looking (and for how long). Beneath it, two EMG readouts track smiles (a green line that spikes when the subject is pleased) and furrowed brows (a red one that signals tension or frustration).

The biosensor based consumer research aims to provide insights on how different travelers respond to different types of content and, by extension, how hoteliers can modify their own content to generate more smiles, fewer frowns and, presumably, more bookings.

For hotels that attract a lot of French travelers, that might mean highlighting that breakfast is included; for those with large Asian clienteles, showcasing that rooms feature oversized closets.

Jessica M. Wilson, Ph.D. is the Technical Director at iMotions A/S. She is a Neuroscientist with over a decade of experience conducting research in both human and animal models. She is also an award-winning science communicator with a proven track record of translating complex scientific information to any audience across multiple industries .

Please listen to the full conversation between Jessica & Jasravee Kaur Chandra on our YouTube Channel