Unruly and Nielsen join forces to analyse video ad authenticity

Video ad tech company Unruly is working with research firm Nielsen to launch a new content testing tool that allows advertisers to analyse the authenticity of their video ads.According to Unruly Future Video Survey, 76% of consumers saying they lose trust in a brand when an ad feels inauthentic. As such, the agency claims that the Unruly EQ offering allows marketers to test their ads to see if the content is consistent with the brand’s values and purpose. Meanwhile, a recent Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience study said ads with above average EEG scores (emotional ads) deliver a 23% uplift in sales volume versus average ads.To help advertisers create an emotional connection with their consumers, Unruly EQ - a new content testing tool launched in partnership with marketing research firm Nielsen, emotional analytics company Affectiva and pioneers in music data analysis Moodagent, gives advertisers the data they need to maximise the emotional, social and business impact of their video content.Unruly EQ uses a combination of biometric, neurological, emotional and audio testing methods to evaluate, improve and predict the emotional impact and brand effectiveness of their video ads. These include:Brand authenticity and perception testing - Unruly EQ allows marketers to test their ads to see if the content is perceived as authentic and consistent with their brand’s values and purpose.EEG testing - Collaborating with Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience, Unruly claims the new EQ measure can gauge non-conscious responses, something traditional research misses, for a more complete view of consumers. 32 sensors are used to capture activity across all brain regions along with eye tracking. Unruly insight analysts and Nielsen neuroscientists use the data to produce recommendations for content optimisation; Emotion analytics and facial coding. Advertisers are given a second-by-second emotional trace of their content using Affectiva’s market-leading facial coding and emotion analytics technology.Audio testing - Unruly EQ incorporates testing from Moodagent, using machine learning to examine how a specific soundtrack amplifies or detracts from the emotional intensity and overall effectiveness of an ad.Social impact and shareability analysis - Unruly’s unique algorithm is trained using one million consumer responses to videos and sharing data relating to three trillion video views, and enables advertisers to predict and improve the social impact of their video content. The deep analysis provided by EQ will allow advertisers to optimise their video campaigns by providing identification of the type and intensity of emotions elicited by an ad to predict its overall impact; diagnostics to optimise content for emotional impact and improve creative quality and deep analysis of the metrics that matter, including authenticity, brand statements, brand impact, purchase intent and predicted shareability.Phil Townend, Unruly’s chief commercial officer, APAC, said: “We’re really excited to be offering a ground-breaking testing solution that brings together data and emotions and helps advertisers measure the metrics that move the needle. Forward-thinking marketers already appreciate the importance of emotional intelligence when it comes to video advertising. Authenticity, in particular, is very important to viewers, with 76% of consumers saying they lose trust when an ad feels inauthentic."Rana el Kaliouby, co-founder and CEO of Affectiva, said: “Emotions matter, they influence consumer behavior and can be predictive of sales lift, purchase intent, virality and other key advertising metrics. Our emotion recognition technology allows Unruly EQ clients to measure the unfiltered emotional responses of consumers, unobtrusively and at scale using just a webcam.”