Conquest Rolls Out 'Contagion' Measure

UK agency Conquest has launched InfeXious, a research tool measuring the viral potential of ads. Conquest claims that consumers are neurologically impelled to broadcast 'infectious' ideas through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

The new online InfeXious tool is the result of two years' work by co-founder David Penn's team, into what makes ideas 'go viral'.

Results cover brands and advertising, as well as sport, celebrity, politics and religion. The tool traces and examines the mechanics of mob-inspired 'contagion' and spots and explains new ads capable of spreading viral 'brand contagion', such as the Cadbury's Gorilla, or 'Meerkat' campaign.

'Virality' is broken down in to its component parts: 'buzz', 'belonging', 'attraction', 'dynamism' and 'numinosity' or 'awe'.

The tool uses interactive graphics, and builds on the firm's Metophorix technology which measures unconscious emotional reactions to brands, and AdSpark tool, which uses avatar-based methodology to measure how people really feel about advertising.

'Advances in neuroscience, cognitive linguistics and memetics show us that the human brain has evolved to promote and operate within social networks, by honing our ability to identify and manage the individual emotional cues of others,' states Penn. 'And like viruses, the best or most 'contagious' ideas use human social networks to propagate themselves.'

Web site: www.conquestuk.com .