Research: Spokes-characters on packaging marketed to children look down to make eye contact

Researchers conducted a study to determine whether the angle of the gaze of spokes-characters on children cereal boxes would create eye contact with children. Results show that these characters make incidental eye contact with children and cereals marketed to adults make incidental eye contact with adult shoppers.
The researchers then examined the extent to which eye contact with these characters influences feelings of trust and connection with a brand. Findings show that brand trust was 16% higher and the feeling of connection to the brand was 28% higher when the character made eye contact. An article about the research is published in Environment & Behavior (News Item Cornell University).
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Click here for an abstract of the published article.

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