BrainSigns supports the organization of the third edition of the International Symposium Human Mental Workload: Models and Applications (H-WORKLOAD 2019), which will be held on November 14th and 15th 2019 at the Sapienza Conference Center located in Via Salaria 113. 

The scientific programme of WORKLOAD 2019 will consist of regular and technical contributions reviewed and selected by an international programme committee about the Human Workload conjugated in its several study perspectives, from predictive models of psychological derivation to more avant-garde neuroscientific measurement applications.

The contributions will be presented by academic researchers and industry professionals, and together they will represent a broad spectrum of disciplines, including psychology and human factors, computer science and human-machine interaction, education and neuroscience and will provide a mechanism for the exchange of ideas and technologies among a worldwide audience of academics and industrial scientists.

The event will have as Keynote speaker Prof. Fabio Babiloni, who will try to answer the question of whether cognitive neuroscience is ready to be used in industrial contexts through his opening speech on the first day.

In his speech a possible path for the use of advanced discoveries in cognitive neuroscience will be described, using the electroencephalogram outside the classical medical environment (for example to improve the limb rehabilitation pathway for stroke patients).

In particular, the applications of the advanced EEG signal processing technique will be illustrated in the context of marketing (neuro-marketing) and in aerospace-aeronautical environments, through on-line monitoring of pilots’ Mental workload, air traffic controllers and other categories of professionals during their operations.

The organizers of the event are Prof. Luca Longo and Maria Chiara Leva of the Technological Dublin University.

Our Dr. Gianluca Di Flumeri, Pietro Aricò and Gianluca Borghini have taken care of the logistical organization and they will contribute to the presentation of the event itself.

In addition to the unmissable intervention of Prof. Fabio Babiloni, scheduled for 9.30am on Thursday 14th, the event will be divided into 8 Thematic Sessions:

Session 1 (14/11, 10.45 -12.20. Chair: Prof. Fabio Babiloni). The session will debate innovative approaches and applications in mental workload measurements and includes 5 speeches.

Session 2 (14/11, 13.55 - 15.05. Chair: Dr. Pietro Aricò). The session will cover the measures of the Mental Workload in aviation and includes 4 speeches.

Session 3 (14/11, 15.45 -17.10. Chair: Dr. Gianluca Di Flumeri). This special session is sponsored by the European project SIMUSAFE, in which BS is involved and that will be the subject of a simultaneous workshop. After a presentation of the project itself and the results produced, there will be 4 speeches focused on Mental Workload measures driving cars and other public transport.

Session 4 (11/15, 09.10 - 10.30. Chair: Dr. Thea Raduntz). The session will focus in particular on the applications of electroencephalographic measurements and machine-learning techniques and includes 4 speeches.

Session 5 (11/15, 11.00 - 12.20. Chair: Prof. Josè J. Canas Delgado). The session will focus on Mental Workload measures applied in work environments and includes 5 speeches.

Session 6 (15/11, 13.40 - 14.20. Chair: Maria Chiara Leva). This special session will provide the audience with a panel of experts, Prof. Luca Longo, Prof. Fabio Babiloni, Dr. Gianluca Di Flumeri and Dr. Ivan Gligorijevic, to stimulate discussion about how new neuroscientific techniques can be an added value in assessments of the human factor and Mental Workload in particular.

Session 7 (11/15, 2.25pm-3.20 pm. Chair: Dr. Gianluca Borghini). The session will focus on other applications of mental workload measurements, such as sensory experiences and includes 3 speeches.

Session 8 (11/15, 15.45 - 16.45. Chair: Dr. Ivan Gligorijevic). The session will continue the discussion about other applications of the Mental Workload measures and includes 4 speeches.

For more information, visit the website: http://bit.ly/2NJHvQr.

Measuring the effectiveness of a TV commercial through neuromarketing.

Advertising is one of the most important aspects in the world of marketing and, if studied in the right way, it can really make a difference in terms of visibility of a company. Ads must be created to attract the attention of the consumer – with an attractive storytelling – and arouse emotion, in order to increase brand recognition. 

The story must be unique, appealing and clear; the storytelling is the heart and therefore the important aspect of any video, it must engage, create empathy and arouse emotions. Furthermore the presence of elements which may be unexplained but immediately associated with the brand, is fundamental, because our mind quickly decodes associations rather than rational reasoning.

Making a commercial, which typically takes a very short time, is an art to be declined with these parameters. It is not always simple, but a neuromarketing test is very useful to verify that this happens, avoiding a waste of money.

Creative agencies often produce one or more versions of a single commercial and offer them to companies, but we now know that, beyond the creative idea itself, even the smallest hint can be perceived by the consumer in a more or less constructive way for effective storytelling, good association with the brand and effective emotional involvement.

We show you one of the commercials analyzed by BrainSigns at the beginning of its activity in this field, to understand what a neuromarketing test can do.

This is the advertising of an online insurance company, interested in assessing the effectiveness of two versions of commercials of 30 seconds each: a first version aired with obvious communication difficulties and a second one improved and tested to be sure of the effectiveness of the changes made.

The company has decided to investigate this issue taking advantage of neuromarketing techniques, pursuing the following goals:   

• understand which version of the commercial was the most effective
• provide suggestions to reduce the commercial to 15 seconds.

The instinctive perception of test subjects has been evaluated by BrainSigns with the following technologies:

• EEG sensors (electroencephalography) to measure cognitive reaction and brain interest level;
• HR and GSR sensors (heartbeat and skin conductance) to measure emotional reaction;
• Eye-tracking to highlight areas of increased eye-pointing intensity and the level of exploratory movement on videos

and a short final interview. 

Through this test it was possible to give the go-ahead to the second version of the commercial that contained only little but important changes: an introductory speaker and the continuous presence of the logo.

Thanks to these very little changes, the participants were finally able to better understand the commercial and in particular the “Offer”; the second version in fact obtained systematically higher scores for the index of interest and emotion.

Small differences can improve the whole perception of television advertising.

After highlighting the best moments of the advertising, based on the insights of neuromarketing collected after testing the two versions of the 30-second commercial, it was possible to provide the customer with some ideas on how to successfully optimize the reduction of the commercial.

When the 15-second commercial was aired, there was a 17% increase in the average number of requests received on the company’s website within 60 minutes following the broadcast of the commercial.

This case history of neuromarketing is described in more detail here.    

Which elements can improve the purchasing process in the fruit and vegetables department?

BrainSigns in collaboration with Agroter, a consulting company specializing in the marketing of fresh food products, has already conducted a study to investigate the purchasing dynamics of the fruit and vegetable category and to better understand what can help promote sales and to make it a more immersive experience. In 2016, it was the first study applied with neuromarketing techniques in Italy.

The participants, equipped with a shopping cart and a shopping list, visited some departments of a supermarket in Rome: biscuits, detergents and fruit and vegetables. During the test they wore sensors for the acquisition of the electroencephalographic signal (EEG) and for the detection of the point of sight (Eye-Tracker), then short interviews were conducted with the participants.

The use of these technologies allowed to measure the emotional’s level, cognitive involvement and focus attention of participants in different departments, and in exposure conditions of layout, packaging and presence of promoters at the entrance of the store.

Agroter, focusing on the fruit and vegetable sector, was aware of the real decrease in consumption of fruit and vegetables despite the opposite is stated on the basis of data collected from traditional research.

According to the Agroter Fruit and Vegetable Monitor, in eleven years of interviews to responsible of purchase, the perception of having increased consumption had the upper hand.  For this reason it was decided to investigate this phenomenon through neuroscientific technologies pursuing the following objectives:

• explore the effect of the visual attention elicited by different apple’s packaging on consumer behaviour
• understanding how different strategies of product placement on the shelves, can affect the consumer behaviour
• study the impact of promoters outside the store

This Neuromarketing study has shown that innovative packaging, simplicity, display clarity and the element “reassurance”, determined in this case by the promoter present at the entrance of the supermarket, can do much to improve customer satisfaction.

Managers and communication experts will be able to consider these aspects of research for a future relaunch of the fruit and vegetable department.

The promotion of fruit and vegetables is certainly a challenging and very complex issue but this neuromarketing study has shown clearly that it is possible to get better. It has shown with a short experiment some key elements not detectable only with traditional analysis techniques that they take more time.

Learn more: click here to read the full article   

BrainSigns has received 2 awards as Italian excellence for the category Research and Training in the splendid location of the Aula dei Gruppi Parlamentari within the Camera dei Deputati.

On 19 June the Gala of Made in Italy was held with the presence of institutional authorities, politicians and public personalities of the show business and the press to reward  the “Italia of the credit” and those who have distinguished themselves by quality, entrepreneurial spirit and professionalism.

Prof. Fabio Babiloni, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of BrainSigns, present in the list of the Top Italian scientists and first Italian author to publish scientific articles on neuromarketing applications, has been awarded in the category Research and Training, for being distinguished in the research and international scientific dissemination activities of neuromarketing and for the application of this discipline in the business world.

Ing. Gianluca Borghini, Bioengineer of BrainSigns, also received an award for his excellent international contribution in the development and application of Bioengineering methodologies in operational contexts, such as aviation and air traffic control.

We are proud of receiving these achievements for the work done in the areas of Research and Training, since the event represents an important opportunity to enhance the excellencies of our country.