This document summarizes a study that used qualitative focus groups, interviews, and facial coding to test consumer responses to a new international toy franchise concept in India. Facial coding was added to capture unstated and implicit emotional responses. The study found that while qualitative discussions indicated strong negative associations with the concept across age groups, facial coding revealed that the youngest and oldest groups did not display major dislikes and sometimes smiled and concentrated, suggesting their responses were not as negative as stated. Facial coding provided a more nuanced understanding of subconscious reactions and allowed the researchers to modify their recommendations.

1. November 20-21, 2013 | Singapore
Twitter Hashtag #QUAL360

2. Platinum Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Association Partners

3. Face Value
"Capturing fleeting emotions through facial coding to add
value to Qualitative research"
PANKAJ JHA
1

4. Overview
• Test the response to an international toy franchise in India
• The concept was unique in its category for the India market
• We tested the concept in the form of short videos
• Primary methodology was Qualitative FGD, triads & expert interviews
• Facial coding to add value by capturing the unstated, the unspoken.
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5. Tools for the study
Tools
Paired Triads
Process
Semi structured discussion with 3 Mothers along with their kids
Interacting with kids along their mothers helped understand their
perspective together
Triads
Open ended discussion with evolved kids
Niche TG hence triads
Facial Coding
Recording of facial expressions when kids were watching the concept
being shown to them as videos
Implicit responses integrated with qualitative findings
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6. What was the response to the concept?
6 – 9 Years - Kids
10 – 12 Years – Tweens
Scary and full of negativity
Kids find it scary and nonattractive yet thrilling
Kids + mothers find it edgy
yet trendy; but not suited
for this age
14 – 15 Years - Teens
Show off value
Stylish and trendy
Mothers – Low acceptance
Eager to adopt due to the
unique nature
Scary and horrifying
Horror
Scary
Evil
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Scary yet unique and
fashionable
Unique
Different
Fashionable
Horror
Scary
Crazy
Dark

7. Why did we add Facial Coding?
Good qualitative research practice always
emphasises on the observation of the unspoken
and non verbal reactions.
As people become more sophisticated, they are
able to hide these, be polite, rationalise and give
‘statements’/ stated responses which are post
rationalisations & not raw, implicit, heart felt
emotions.
Today technology is allowing us to capture these
fleeting human responses.
We have experimented with a range of neuroscience methods & found
facial coding as a useful supplement to our traditional research techniques
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8. The science behind facial coding
Extraction of main features on the
face (e.g., mouth, eyebrows) and
analysis of movement, shape and
texture composition of these regions
to identify facial action units.
Action descriptors can be
abstracted into facial and head
gestures (e.g., a head shake or
squinting) that combine to
communicate a wide variety of
emotional and cognitive states.
Multiple emotional and mental
states are detected,
aggregated & shown in an
easy to interact dashboard

9. Complex science but Simple process
Participant turns
on webcam
Facial features
identified
Facial expression
recognition
Expression
aggregation
and analysis
Emotions
experienced
Easy to deploy the technology
1. Record respondents’ facial reactions to marketing stimulus
2. Code them automatically for emotional states
3. Diagnose emotional reaction moment by moment w/o verbal questions

10. How did facial coding add?
6 – 9 Years - Kids
10 – 12 Years – Tweens
14 – 15 Years - Teens
Scary yet unique and
fashionable
Scary and horrifying
Facial coding showed
They did not enjoy it at all,
not smiling during the
entire time they were
watching the concept.
Concentrating but finding it
difficult to understand what
was going on.
They thoroughly enjoyed
the concept, smiling the
most.
These older kids enjoyed
some parts, smiling at
times.
Their concentration
increased during parts
where new aspects were
introduced, they were
pretty well clued in.
They were concentrating
on a few occasions &
easily understood the
concept.
In qualitative discussions, all age segments had strong negative associations
BUT
Intuitive response did not show any major dislikes in any age group

11. Smiles – Different response across age
6-9 YO
10-12 YO
14-15 YO

12. Concentration – Youngest trying hard to
understand the concept
6-9 YO
10-12 YO
14-15 YO

13. Dislikes – Low across age
6-9 YO
10-12 YO
14-15 YO

14. Facial Coding adds to Qualitative research
The reactions to a new idea/ revolutionary idea also some times gets
us ‘polite/safe/neutral’ stated reactions.
To get the real subconscious reactions - you need a sophisticated
tool.
The combination of Qual + Affectiva is a powerful proposition:
Consumer expressions through verbalised reactions + non-verbalised
facial expressions.
In this case, we were able to modify our recommendations looking at the
facial coding results – the concept was not perceived as negatively as the
stated responses suggested.

15. Face Value:
"Capturing fleeting emotions through facial coding to add
value to Qualitative research"
PANKAJ JHA
15

16. Platinum Sponsor
Media Sponsors
Association Partners

17. November 20-21, 2013 | Singapore
Twitter Hashtag #QUAL360