In today’s high-tech world — in which people think nothing of engaging in discussions with their computer via Siri or accessing apps while walking the streets via Google Glass — it’s hard to imagine the level of resistance and skepticism that Perception Research Services (PRS) faced when we introduced the use of eye-tracking technology for marketing research back in the early 1970s. At that time, eye tracking — which documents precisely where people are looking, based on corneal reflections — was used primarily for military, medical and scientific applications.
Since that time, eye tracking has become a widely accepted and validated technique in the marketing research industry. In fact, researchers, marketers and even designers have not only acknowledged the value of eye tracking, they have also embraced its use in determining how well their marketing materials: