Tim Frogrett, a senior lecturer in marketing at Anglia Ruskin University, joined forces with the Tram Depot pub near East Road in Cambridge, to try out the hi-tech glasses on 20 non-beer drinkers who were unfamiliar with brands.
The volunteers wore the special spectacles whilst making a selection from the six pump clips on display at the bar.
One of the guest beers – Artigianale by Everards – received the most attention, with a total of 1,485 fixations - glimpses measured using the eye-tracking technology - and was chosen by all but one person.
The pub’s own beer Tram Light, one of its best-sellers, received only 817 fixations, suggesting that the pump clip at the bar is the most important factor in picking a pint, the research claimed.
Real ale fan Frogett admitted the study was in its early stages and said more research was needed to find out exactly what grabs people’s attention.
“What’s interesting about this research is that we were able to eliminate brand memory and study purely attention-based influences,” he said.
“Although there has been quite a lot of eye-tracking research in the field of marketing, hardly any has been done in real-life situations, such as the pub. We would really like to apply some science to the art of pump clips and, ultimately, help brewers.”
Licensee John Dearne, who designed the pump clip for Tram Light, said he was keen to run the experiment in his pub.
“Ale brewers face stiff competition and if they are keen to get new drinkers interested, they need to think carefully about the part the pump clip plays,” he said.