P&G and Tobii Link for Product Innovation

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has partnered with eye tracking technology firm Tobii Technology to collaborate on product innovations and conduct package and shelf testing on a global basis.

Tobii Technology is based in Stockholm, Sweden and has offices in the US, Germany, Norway, Japan and China. The firm's products are used for measuring visibility and attention in commercial market research and usability studies.

Last year, Tobii raised $16m in investment funding, which it has been using to roll out its existing technology into new markets as well as for the development of new applications.

P&G says its objective is to have a globally scaled virtual market research solution that can be used to reduce the development time for new products and enhance new package testing. 'P&G continuously evaluates and implements innovative technologies that help us bring better products to consumers more quickly,' explains Paul Griffith, Global Business Services at P&G. 'We are delighted to now have a formal partnership with Tobii to bring innovative technology to the CPG market.'

As part of the alliance, Tobii hardware and Tobii Studio analysis software are being used by P&G's core research function for packaging design process and shelf visibility testing.

'Our close relationship with P&G will enable us to continue to develop products that exceed market expectations, while building a model for business excellence in virtual market research in the consumer goods field,' states Barbara Barclay, General Manager, Tobii North America.

Web sites: www.pg.com and www.tobii.com .