• by Philip Rosenstein , September 8, 2016

Video ad-tech company Unruly on Thursday announced partnerships with Nielsen, Affectiva, Moodagent and Kent State University to bring emotional intelligence to digital advertising.

Unruly’s new proprietary tool, Unruly EQ, combines biometric, neurological, emotional and audio testing to maximize the emotional and business impact of ads. The tool will also help  ensure that ads are consistent with brand values.

In collaboration with Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience, Unruly EQ will enable marketers to measure non-conscious consumer responses. With 32 sensors used to capture activity across different regions of the brain as well as eye-tracking technology, Unruly EQ can enhance content optimization.

Together with Affectiva’s facial coding and emotional analytics technology, Unruly EQ provides advertisers with a second-by-second trace of emotional responses to any piece of content.

“Unruly EQ is a new testing solution that brings together data and emotions to help advertisers measure the metrics that move the needle,” said Devra Prywes, VP of Insight and Video at Unruly. “These include the strength of emotional connection, authenticity and brand perception. Authenticity is very important, with 72% of people now thinking that ads should embody the values and behaviors associated with a brand.”

Unruly also launched private marketplaces (PMPs) to offer marketers the ability to place ads programmatically in premium media environments that can complement the emotional effectiveness of the ads. These new Emotional PMPs, created in conjunction with Kent State University, will help advertisers match ads to the moods of their audience.

The final piece of the puzzle is Moodagent’s machine-learning audio technology. The audio testing technology can examine how soundtracks amplify or detract from the emotional intensity of the ad, aiding in defining overall ad effectiveness.