Visual stimulation is a reaction whereby the viewer is emotionally affected by the visual imagery in front of them. Most brands need to ensure that they sufficiently engage visitors to stores or websites. It is especially true if their customer experience is positive and memorable; it may increase the likelihood of customer retention.
According to expert marketer Neil Patel, 85% of a consumer audience is more likely to buy a product or service after watching a video or another form of visual. It also improves a consumer’s capacity to remember relevant products or imagery in the future. For instance, brain science specialists Brain Rules state that 10% of information retained is still memorable three days later. When visual is involved, the figure moves as high as 65%.
Visual stimulation is ideal as consumers find visuals are quick and easy to digest, and depending on how these visuals are chosen and utilized. The visuals can deliver a message, tell a story, set a mood, or evoke an emotion in the people they’re designed for. Experts believe that images are processed as much as 60,000 times faster than text. In essence, a picture can tell a thousand words, so if brands apply the same approach, the result could be that customers will be affected instantly.
Understanding the link between providing compelling visuals and the scientific reaction in the minds of consumers is only likely to improve the impact on your audience. Research providers The Wiley Network claims that between 50% and 80% of the brain focuses on visually processing information such as the visual memory of shapes, patterns, colours, and movement.
It’s also essential that visual imagery is striking and impactful as the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies claims that it only takes 150 milliseconds for the brain to process an image. Additionally, a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that it only takes another 100 milliseconds for the brain to connect any meaning to the picture.