Operating out of the Royal Mail’s Mail Media Centre in London, Eyetracker will recruit 25 people one day each month to view direct mail material on a screen that can follow where they are looking. Around eight of the respondents will then be invited to take part in follow-up qual interviews.

Eyetracker MD Iain Janes (pictured) said: “Eye-tracking has become widely accepted as a valuable research tool, however running one off bespoke studies can be relatively expensive. By working closely with Mail Media Centre we have been able to develop a service where the fixed costs are spread over a number of clients.”

Janes said participation in the study costs £1,500 per item of direct mail. If successful, the company plans to extend the omnibus to different regions of the UK and Janes is also looking at developing similar surveys for the packaging and advertising industries.