Solsten has developed proprietary psychological artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver insights beyond surface-level behavior — a timely initiative in an age when understanding the user has become more critical. Since Solsten’s establishment in 2018, the Berlin- and Minnesota-based firm has been committed to helping companies achieve a granular understanding of their audiences to create resonant products and campaigns.
Its mission is to strengthen the connection between technology and people by focusing on emotions, cognition, and personality, which are usually overlooked. Solsten developed its proprietary tools — Navigator and Traits — to approach this goal in complementary ways.
Traits provides organizations with an in-depth look into their audience’s psychological makeup. It shifts away from traditional behavioral analysis focused on data like click rates and session lengths and instead helps companies understand users based on hundreds of scientifically backed psychological traits.
“We can accurately predict users’ traits through causal analysis of the players’ actions.”
The tool sends an adaptive, machine-learning-based assessment to a random sample of users, then the AI uses this data to predict the psychological profiles of all users based on their in-game behavior. This capability allows businesses to learn about their target market’s psychological makeup, even for users who haven’t completed the assessment.
“We can accurately predict users’ traits through causal analysis of the players’ actions, like how quickly they rebuild a base after it’s destroyed with psychological profiles,” CEO and Co-Founder Joe Schaeppi supplies. The outcome is increased engagement, a boost in customer retention, and improved return on ad spend. It’s worth noting that Traits also informs design and testing with real audience insights, which helps accelerate product development.
A significant use case that attests to Traits’ impact comes from Solsten’s work with Supercell, the gaming giant behind the “freemium” mobile farming game Hay Day. Supercell wanted to revitalize its community of 15 million players a decade after its release. It sought Solsten’s expertise to identify in-game events that attract, engage, and retain high-value players.
Solsten used Traits to gather data from over 35,000 players in only days. This data provided insights into the psychological traits that defined Hay Day’s most valuable personas. Supercell was then able to optimize their in-game event schedule. The outcome is a remarkable 22% increase in the average number of daily sessions and an 18% boost in daily playtime. Essentially, Supercell was able to reinvigorate its player base in only two months.
“Our tools will play an important role in creating the future of digital experiences.”
Now, if Traits focuses on understanding existing users, Navigator helps organizations explore current and potential audiences. This powerful tool offers on-demand consumer insights, providing companies access to data about any audience, including competitors’ user bases. Besides tracking demographics and behaviors, it, more importantly, delivers psychological insights into why users behave the way they do.
Navigator aids businesses in making data-driven decisions in three primary areas: marketing, product building, and research. Marketers can use this product to personalize their campaign based on personality-driven messaging, discover brand preferences, and optimize creative strategies before the launch. On the other hand, product developers can utilize Navigator to validate product ideas, minimize development risks, and learn hidden motivations that shape consumer preferences.
The impact of Solsten’s proprietary tools can be felt across industries. Traits and Navigator have redefined the gaming sector by helping top developers, such as Activision, EA, and Bandai Namco understand what drives player engagement. The result is immersive and personalized games. These tools have also helped the health industry design wellness programs and health apps that cater to users’ psychological needs.
“Our tools will play an important role in creating the future of digital experiences,” Schaeppi remarks. “We’re starting a paradigm shift in how companies interact with their audiences with our patented psychological AI. Companies can now gather insights about their users for more engaging and successful experiences with Traits and Navigator.”
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