The BBC Network is taking facial recognition marketing to a new level. They have employed the use of facial coding web cameras to gauge viewers’ emotional reactions to their network television shows.
The initial study, reported on by Recombu.com, has been measuring 200 U.K. participants and will soon expand to international markets. Tracked programs include “Sherlock” and “Top Gear.” The technology, provided by startup CrowdEmotion, is the latest technology from facial-coding companies.
The webcam uses facial coding software that detects the viewers’ facial reactions (i.e. emotions) such as fear, surprise, anger, disgust, sadness and happiness. The software then matches the person’s facial expression to an emotional state from information gathered from 20 years of neuroscience research.
“CrowdEmotion’s ability to capture, record and quantify our audience’s emotional attachment and engagement to our TV shows, places BBC Worldwide at the forefront of global audience research and ultimately determines what our fans love to watch,“ commented David Boyle EVP, BBC Worldwide Insight said.
Boyle went on to point out that this is the first study of its kind for BBC Worldwide to measure people’s emotional responses to programs using a technology-led, neuroscience approach.
CrowdEmotion’s CEO, Matthew Celuszak, says that this software could be used, in the near future, to allow people to interact with TV sets by winking or smiling. Celuszak noted that their partnership with BBC allows them to push boundaries and help quality content in marketing (branding).
The next set of studies are scheduled to take place in Russia and Australasia. We are already on the wave of smart T.V’s and more of those are already implementing webcams.