Why Insights Teams Need Visual Creative Testing in Today's Market

The best insights teams are at the forefront of trends, and they do this through creative testing. Through the use of AI tools like predictive heatmaps, they can explore consumer psychology to get a better understanding of what makes people tick.  

With these learnings, insights teams can help brands market to customers more effectively, with the approach guiding every visual element for optimized impact. Visual technology is an asset for any business that wants to achieve success, especially in the hyper-competitive consumer packaged goods (CPG) market.  

The Power of Visual AI Technology 

Visual AI technology is a combination of artificial intelligence and advanced imaging techniques.  There’s a lot of hype around it due to its ability to revolutionize how insights teams in the CPG sector visualize data. 

Data is somewhat of a minefield, and combing through thousands and sometimes millions of data points is like finding the perfect needle in a giant haystack. With AI tools, however, insights teams can understand vast amounts of raw data in seconds.  

The significance of visual AI lies in its ability to process and analyze visual data at a scale and speed unattainable by human capabilities alone. 

The benefits of employing these tools are manifold: 

• Enhanced precision of market research 
• Rapid A/B testing of packaging designs
• A deeper understanding of customer interactions through visual heatmaps.  

AI visuals in the real world 

In real-world applications, visual AI platforms are being used to tailor product designs and marketing strategies, with the results leading to increased consumer engagement and higher conversion rates.  

For example, Optopus used visual AI technology to pinpoint which aspects of their designs weren't effectively communicating with potential customers during the audit stage. AI then assisted the design team in developing assets that matched their design goals. Finally, in the testing phase, Optopus evaluated the effectiveness of its e-packs in conveying the intended message. The result was a 40% increase in sales.  

Brands are now harnessing AI visuals to captivate and connect with audiences on a more personal and emotional level with the aim of driving brand loyalty and increasing market success. 

Visual Creative Testing: An Essential Component 

Visual creative testing is well on its way to becoming an irreplaceable part of any marketing toolkit. It serves as the linchpin for campaigns that resonate with the intended market. When you add AI into the mix, the creative testing process becomes significantly streamlined and lets brands analyze and adapt visual content swiftly and with unprecedented precision.  

These cutting-edge tools offer granular insights—from eye-tracking heatmaps to engagement metrics—to provide a deep understanding of audience interactions. Leveraging visual AI allows marketers to refine their campaigns for peak performance, with the result leading to visual elements being seen and felt. This, in turn, drives campaign effectiveness to new heights. 

Understanding Visual Heatmaps 

Visual heatmaps are at the forefront of customer experience analytics and offer a colorful illustration of user engagement levels across digital content. These tools offer a heat signature based on user interaction, shining a light on what captures attention and spurs action.  

In the consumer-packaged goods industry, heat maps are particularly helpful. They showcase the effectiveness of package designs and in-store layouts while influencing purchasing decisions from consumers. 

Epiphany, a UK-based digital agency, used heatmaps to improve the mobile experience for Time4sleep, an online bed and bedroom furniture retailer. The heatmap analysis revealed that users were scrolling too much due to inefficient page structure. By reorganizing the page and introducing a new filtering system, Epiphany achieved a 63% increase in mobile conversion rate and a 19.7% overall increase in conversion rate for Time4Sleep.  

Heatmaps provide a new layer of understanding about customer thinking. They are becoming increasingly important to brands that want to understand how consumers interact with their brand, from exploring websites to in-store interactions with packaged products.  

Leveraging AI Visuals for Competitive Advantage 

Imagine being a fly on the wall during your competitor's strategy session. That's the kind of insight visual AI offers. By dissecting competitors' visuals, it's the same as having access to their playbook. 

Visual AI peels back the layers of the visual trends in your market, sharpening your brand's edge and helping you stand out among a sea of competitors. With AI visuals, you can craft an image-led dialect that speaks directly to your audience while sidestepping the visual noise. 

And the strategy? It's simple: adapt with know-how, not just speed. Visual AI analyses point to where you can be different and better. It inspires bold pivots in design, message, and delivery architectures—turning your brand into something that’s seen and sought after by customers.  

Choosing the Right Visual AI Platform 

Think about how any visual AI platform will fit with your current tech and whether it's easy to use. You'll want something that grows with your company. Look at what each platform does best—like how well it recognizes images and learns from data. It should also be able to keep up with how much information you're working with. 

The best way to know if a tool is good is by seeing it in action, but reviews and case studies also help to show how different platforms have worked for other businesses.  

Brands that have used Visual AI platforms 

Jamar, a leading LATAM furniture and home decor retailer, integrated visual AI technology to enhance its online customer experience by supporting service reps in recommending similar products, especially when items were out-of-stock. This led to an improved customer journey and seven times the normal number of conversions. 

There’s also Bata, a renowned footwear retail company that sought to enhance its in-store sales, operations, and customer satisfaction through AI-based video analytics solutions. Bata boosted its retail strategy with an AI video analytics platform, enriching customer satisfaction and in-store efficiency. The tech turned video data into actionable insights, improving operations and lifting sales with a smart, data-driven approach to customer engagement and merchandise appeal. 

The Benefits of Data-Driven Insights 

Data-driven insights sharpen decision-making and offer a strong foundation for crafting impactful marketing campaigns. They act as a lens through which marketers can view customer behaviors and preferences, shaping campaigns to hit the mark every time.  

By leveraging this data, businesses enhance the relevance and effectiveness of their marketing efforts, so each initiative resonates with the target demographic. This approach to marketing helps launch successful campaigns and offers insights into why they succeed.  

With precise analytics, companies can track the ROI of each campaign, gaining clarity on which strategies yield the best returns. Having access to this information allows for the continuous optimization of marketing investment for maximum impact and efficiency. 

The Future of Visual AI in CPG 

Visual AI is set to redefine the CPG landscape, with emerging capabilities like real-time image analysis and emotion recognition poised to unlock deeper consumer insights. It's clear that the future of CPG marketing will pivot on visual intelligence, where dynamic content personalization and visual trend forecasting become standard practice.  

To stay ahead, brands must invest in AI that not only interprets visual data but anticipates consumer needs, crafting marketing that's both seen and felt. The next wave of CPG success hinges on visual AI fluency—preparing for it now is preparing to lead the market. 

Supercharge Share of Attention with Creative Testing 

Creative testing, powered by visual AI, is the future for CPG brands aiming to dominate. It's time for insights teams to embrace this tech, using it to enhance market research, refine campaigns, and boost ROI. Dive in, test creatively, and watch your brand's share of attention soar.