How do consumers actually respond to the logos they see every day? While brand logos are designed to grab attention and build recognition, their real impact is often difficult to measure with traditional research methods alone. That’s where neuromarketing steps in - offering tools to uncover the subconscious and emotional responses that shape consumer decisions.
A study conducted at Afyon Kocatepe University set out to examine how logos from leading mobile phone brands - Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Oppo - affect consumer perception. By combining surveys with neuromarketing methods such as eye-tracking, the researchers aimed to go beyond surface-level preferences and dig into how consumers actually see and feel when they encounter brand logos.
The Method: Neuromarketing in RealEye
To assess how consumers respond to mobile phone brand logos (Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and Oppo) the research team used a mixed-method approach, combining traditional survey data with neuromarketing techniques. RealEye’s platform was used to conduct two types of analysis:
Eye tracking: Capturing where participants looked, how long they focused, and which areas of the logos attracted the most visual attention.
Facial expression analysis: Detecting emotional responses such as smile, surprise, and neutrality as participants viewed each logo.
A total of 26 participants took part in the study. Each was shown the four logos for 10 seconds per image, during which RealEye collected real-time data through their webcams. The sessions were conducted in a controlled environment to minimize distractions and ensure consistent, high-quality data collection.
Using RealEye’s data output, researchers focused on several key metrics:
Eye Tracking:
Attention: How engaged participants were while viewing.
Time Spent: Total duration focused on each logo.
Time to First Fixation: How quickly their gaze locked onto a key visual.
Revisits: How many times they returned to specific logo areas.
Facial Coding:
Smile: A key indicator of positive emotional connection.
Surprise: Measuring unexpected reactions.
Neutral: Indicating low emotional engagement.
The Results: What the Eyes Revealed
RealEye insights uncovered several trends:
Apple – Although highly favored in surveys, its logo elicited less visual attention - supporting the idea that strong brand familiarity may lead to quicker recognition, but less exploratory viewing.
Samsung – Despite being familiar, its logo received the most gaze revisits, likely due to its elliptical shape and color contrast.
Xiaomi – Captured the most viewing time, possibly due to its perceived value and design curiosity.
Oppo – Though less known, it was the quickest to capture focus, suggesting novelty drives visual interest.
Facial expression analysis showed that:
Apple and Samsung logos generated the most smiling, indicating deeper emotional ties.
Xiaomi and Oppo triggered fewer emotional reactions, aligning with their shorter brand histories or less consistent branding efforts.
Design Implications
Based on the results, the study offers several recommendations for brands:
Logos from familiar brands may not receive as much visual exploration, but they still maintain emotional significance.
Design elements placed near the center of the logo are more likely to be noticed.
Logos with simpler typography and compact designs are more likely to be fully read and understood.
Emotional response can be influenced by color and shape, particularly for less familiar brands that rely more on visual design to communicate brand identity.
This case highlights just how critical logos are - not just as visual markers, but as emotional connectors. And with tools like RealEye, brands can truly see what their customers feel.
You can run a similar study!
Follow the steps below to start your own experiment with RealEye:
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