Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing is a new discipline which uses neuroimaging techniques to visualize the brain area activated by stimuli related with advertising, marketing and communication.

Neuromarketing techniques

Functional MRI (fMRI): During a neuromarketing test, the volunteer is stretched out in an MRI scanner. Audiovisual stimuli are presented to him or her while images of the brain are acquired every few seconds. Statistical analysis of the signal variations of these images permits identifying the cerebral areas activated during the presentation of a given stimulus (advertisement, product test, etc.).
Electroencephalogram (EEG): electrical activity of the volunteer's brain is measured through electrodes positioned on the head.

Neuromarketing's Princeps Paper: Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi

One of the main contribution to neuromarketing is a paper published by McClure et al in the prestigious journal Neuron (McClure et al. Neuron 2004). The purpose of the experiment was to understand the cognitive processes behind the choice between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. More than sixty volunteers underwent both behavioral testing and event-related fMRI sessions. In one group, the tasting sessions were totally blind: 2 doses of soda were presented anonymously and the subject had to tell which one tasted the best. In the second group, one of the two doses was explicitly designated as Coca-Cola, the second one was anonymous but was actually also Coca-Cola. The situation of the third group was identical to group 2 but with Pepsi in place of Coca-Cola. The results are surprising: while Pepsi's and Coca-Cola's success was similar in blind tests, a strong bias toward Coca-Cola was found in brand-cued tests. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation was correlated with soda preference in blind tests. This area is known to be implicated in signaling basic appetitive aspects of reward. In brand-cued tests, the strong bias towards Coca-Cola was associated with activations in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. These results could indicate that consumers are more influenced by their memory of the trademark than they are by the taste of the product.

Neuromarketing's applications

Neuromarketing may give insights into the unconscious purchasing behaviours of the consumer. These unconscious behaviours may represent up to 95% of the decision-making process, while the visible tip of the iceberg (the conscious processes), which have been studied by classical marketing research (market studies, product tests, pre- and post-advertising tests) may only represent 5% of this process.

Neuromarketing developments could assist advertisers and trademark or product managers to improve the effectiveness of their communications and the quality of their products to best satisfy the conscious and unconscious needs of the consumer. Optimizing the memorability of a trademark, choice of advertising formats, assistance in creation, etc., the applications are broad and are only beginning.

Neuromarketing: Ethical Issues

Manipulation? That an ad seeks to influence our choice cannot be denied, that is its purpose. Neuromarketing is only one of the increasing number of tools in the arsenal of advertisers. In any case, it does not permit changing the choice of the consumer or manipulating his or her brain unwittingly. The miracle “buy button” does not exist, but the lovely top-model on the advertising probably still has a bright future!

Neuromarketing Papers

What is "neuromarketing"? A discussion and agenda for future research.

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