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Our client Align Technology is a leading global medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells the Invisalign system of clear aligners, iTero intraoral scanners, and exocad CAD/CAM services for orthodontic and restorative dentistry. Align Tech has established their easy to use Invisalign (clear aligner solution), which has been very well accepted across the world. For the Turkey market, they are interested in understanding patients’ emotional approaches to the clear aligners, so the doctors have better insights of their patients.
When it comes to understand motivations and emotional interests we know that traditional marketing research methods such as surveys, interviews are insufficient to reveal accurate customer insight. Because, people’s written and verbal statements can be misleading but their brain's responses are real, not misleading as they are unconscious responses. This is where consumer neuroscience comes in to stage!
By applying neuroscientific solutions, we tested how patients respond to certain messages when doctors communicate with them. We aimed to understand exactly which messages, product features drive higher emotional connections, motivations, cognitive interest and stated preferences.
By using EEG (Electroencephalography) headsets and eye-tracking devices we observed patients’ brain waves (adults and teens seperately) and measured their attention, motivation, emotional engagement and cognitive responses to the messages that are included in the doctor communciation videos that explain clear aligner treatment and its features.
During the project, we paid utmost attention to the confidentiality of the process. We monitored personal data by encrypting it and took care to analyze the data anonymously, protecting participant personal information. With this research, we observed which product features and messages are important and motivational for patients.
We also supported our research with surveys as a complement to our research. Thus, we could be able to see the conflicts between implicit and explicit responses and achieved more reliable results.
Some results:
- We found that both teens and adults are not interested in the technical details of the product as it causes attention loss but they are interested in seeing the product in real life. However, teens and adults have different motivations for clear aligners. For example, teens are more interested in the images or videos that show the usage of the clear aligners, removing them, and attaching. And adults are more interested in seeing the results before the treatment (Outcome Simulator).
- Moreover, teens are more interested in these advantages; comfort, removable and not having food restrictions.
- We found that removing the product when eating and usage durations are the main barriers for using the product for both groups.
- The treatment price and having no restriction for eating/drinking are the most relevant information doctors should explain to the patients. We suggest doctors to use these insights while they are communicating with their patients.
- According to the surveys, people mentioned that the hygiene is the most important product feature but their brain responses (EEG results) showed that hygiene doesn’t engage for both teens and adults. That means, the explicit responses may not always reflect the real answers. This study shows the added value of consumer neuroscience researches. You can find more details in the attached deck.
In fact, this cognitive data we obtained is much more valuable than behavioral data which is very popular recently. Because, the behavioral data is insufficient to understand emotions. We know that the behavior is a result. Therefore, in order to reveal the real insight, we have to go deeper and understand the mental processes that cause to related behavior. By following the brain waves we revealed their real motivations and interests. What could be better for a company than getting these valuable insights?
NOTE: Details of this entry`s information should not be made public without Align Tech’s knowledge and consent. Align Tech is not endorsing or approving this content
Nomination Title: Clear Aligners Neuromarketing Research Project