The Brand Research Lab at BU forms the central hub for research on branding, consumer behavior, and design. It provides a dedicated platform for interdisciplinary research projects that apply neurophysiological and advanced empirical methods to make unconscious consumer processes observable and to enhance the understanding and optimisation of brand and design experiences.
The Brand Research Lab is open to all applied research activities at BU. Students, PhD candidates, lecturers, and research-active professors can all access and use the facility for their projects.
In addition to its research function, the lab plays a key role in teaching and academic development. The tools, as well as the underlying psychological theories and models, are integrated into the curricula of Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes, enabling students to become familiar with advanced research methods at an early stage. This allows them to apply these methods in their own empirical projects, including Bachelor’s and Master’s theses, and to develop their own research questions using neurophysiological and behavioural tools.
The Brand Research Lab also contributes to the development of methodological competencies in both quantitative and qualitative research. It supports the training of the next generation of brand researchers and industry professionals, while further strengthening BU’s expertise in empirical social science methods.
Brand Research Lab Equipment
The lab includes dedicated spaces for focus groups and interviews, as well as a broad range of research equipment and software for data collection, analysis, and evaluation. It is continuously being expanded and currently offers the following facilities:
Stationary eye-tracking system: Tobii Pro Nano with iMotions software for data analysis and visualisation
AI-based emotion and facial expression analysis using Affectiva software
EEG system: Neuroelectrics Enobio 8 (software forthcoming)
Software for Implicit Association Tests (IAT)
Survey and data integration software for experimental and quantitative research designs
Mouse-tracking software for behavioural data analysis (forthcoming)
Users are supported through lab assistants, video tutorials, manuals, and guided materials. In addition, regular Open Lab Days are offered to introduce the tools and complement self-study resources available via the learning platform.