Taking a significant leap forward in behavioral research

By Peter Hartzbech, CEO of iMotions

The landscape of human behavior research is transforming at an incredible pace, and I’m thrilled to announce that iMotions is taking a significant leap forward. We are fully integrating Affectiva’s Media Analytics into our platform, establishing a dedicated global behavioral research unit within the Smart Eye Group. This integration is not merely a union; it represents a remarkable advancement in how researchers and businesses can access and interpret the emotions and reactions that drive human behavior.

For two decades, iMotions has developed a platform that has become indispensable for researchers, with over 70% of the world’s leading universities relying on our tools to understand human behavior. Similarly, Affectiva has spent nearly the same amount of time advancing technology that empowers over 90% of top advertisers to gain deeper insights into consumer behavior, enabling smarter, data-driven decisions. Together, we are not only expanding our product offerings but also aligning our expertise to enhance the scope of behavioral research.

Key Areas of Impact: Advancing technology for deeper Human Insights Innovation in behavioral research has always been rooted in technology. The integration of Affectiva’s Media Analytics AI-driven emotion recognition tools into the iMotions platform solidifies our status as a leader in multimodal research solutions.

Our comprehensive product portfolio now supports organizations throughout their entire cycle—from research and development to high-volume advertising—through a single, cohesive platform that aggregates behavioral insights for more informed decision-making.

Our commitment is to empower researchers with essential tools to tackle real-world challenges, whether that involves gauging the emotional impact of an advertisement or assessing stress levels during product evaluations. We are dedicated to delivering innovations that align with the needs of contemporary research.

Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in our core technology and collaborate closely with our customers—over 200 organizations currently using our software development kits— to develop even more precise, accessible, and impactful solutions.

Strengthening Our Global Presence Our global footprint has expanded significantly, allowing us to engage with more organizations than ever before. With offices in Copenhagen, Boston, Cairo, Berlin, Chongqing, and London, we can provide local insights that enrich the depth of our research solutions in both established and emerging markets.

Our partner ecosystem has grown notably, especially following Affectiva Media Analytics’ partnership renewal with Kantar last year, which aims to enhance attention and emotional insights in advertising and media. The addition of the Affectiva Media Analytics team to our Boston hub scales up our US presence and brings unmatched expertise in AI and computer vision, bolstering our global capabilities and enhancing the value we deliver to our customers.

As the global market research industry evolves, we are committed to remaining at the forefront of these changes.

Scaling Online and Multimodal Research A significant trend in behavioral research is the increasing shift towards online studies without compromising data quality. The demand for remote, scalable solutions is on the rise, and we are responding by enhancing our online research capabilities integrating not only facial expression analysis but a comprehensive, multimodal online solution consisting of webcam eye tracking, web respiration, voice analysis and more. This advancement is not just about accumulating more data; it’s about understanding people in their context, wherever they may be. By combining various data streams, researchers can gain insights into not only what people express verbally through the online survey but also how they react and feel in real-time. This understanding is crucial for businesses aiming to predict the success of products, advertisements, or content in today’s fast-paced digital environment.

By merging iMotions and Affectiva Media Analytics technologies and expertise, we are creating a research powerhouse capable of driving innovation within consumer insights and market research. Our focus is on delivering even greater value by making insights into human behavior more accessible, scalable, and actionable.

Our mission remains clear: to empower researchers and organizations to gain an unprecedented understanding of human behavior. I eagerly anticipate collaborating with our partners and customers as we continue to explore the possibilities in behavioral research.