Innerscope Research
Innerscope Research was a private market-research firm based in Boston, founded in 2006 by Dr. Carl Marci and Brian Levine, who had ties to the MIT Media Lab. The company specialized in consumer neuroscience, using tools like biometrics, eye tracking, facial coding, and sometimes functional MRI, combined with traditional surveys to measure the non-conscious emotional connections people have with brands, products, and services. They served Fortune 500 clients across areas such as video advertising, shopper marketing, media platforms, and online/mobile user experience, and also ran custom studies from testing fragrances to car driving experiences.
In 2015, Nielsen bought Innerscope and renamed the combined business Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience, with Dr. Marci named Chief Neuroscientist.
One notable activity was an annual Super Bowl study to identify which ads are most emotionally engaging, a predictor of success beyond standard research methods. The 2012 study gained attention on CNN. In 2014, Innerscope teamed with Time Warner Medialab and Temple University to recreate a live-like Super Bowl viewing environment to measure engagement and media habits using biometrics and eye-tracking, and using fMRI to study brain activity. The firm also did research on path-to-purchase and packaging, working with Campbell Soup Company and contributing to the redesign of Campbell’s condensed soup label through physiological insights.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:38 (CET).