Last edited on July 18, 2021 by Digitiz
Penetrating the minds of consumers, knowing their thoughts, knowing how to influence their purchasing behavior,… these are problems that neuromarketing specialists are continually trying to resolve. Between science and business, focus on the birth of a revolutionary method!
Origins of neuromarketing
The term neuromarketing appeared in the early 2000s. It results from research carried out by Doctor Read Montague, a neurologist from Baylor University in Texas, on the reactions of the human brain to brand influences. At that time, he had the idea of putting consumers in an MRI scanner with the aim of understanding how their brain mechanisms work when they are forced to make a choice between two similar products. First, he asked them to do a blind taste test. Then, he revealed the brand of each product to them before starting the experiment again. After reading this information, he noticed that the majority of subjects preferred the product of the most emblematic brand, which was not the case during the blind tasting.
According to Montague’s explanations, the putamen, considered the seat of immediate and instinctive pleasures, is on alert when you taste a product about which you have no information. On the other hand, this part of the brain tends to deactivate to let the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus express themselves once the mystery is revealed. This study therefore made it possible to learn more about the functioning of the human brain but also to measure the impact of the notoriety of a brand on a consumer’s purchasing decision.
What is neuromarketing?
By definition, neuromarketing is the application of cognitive neuroscience to the world of marketing and communication. This discipline tends to understand the brain mechanisms that dictate consumer behavior in order to optimize companies’ marketing strategies. In practice, it’s about determining what attracts them, what they remember and what engages their emotions. To do this, neuromarketing uses different medical imaging techniques which make it possible to record the reactions of an individual’s brain, particularly when they view an advertisement.
These experiments are generally used to answer two questions: what part of the brain was activated? When did this happen? Once the data is collected, it is easier for you to determine the factors that stimulate your targets’ behaviors and improve your persuasion tools. Note that thanks to the development of medical imaging techniques, more and more firms have specialized in the field of neuromarketing to meet the demands of major brands.
The different neuromarketing techniques
Over the last two decades, the tools used in neuromarketing have greatly diversified. However, they can be classified into two distinct categories depending on the mechanisms measured:
Electromagnetic techniques
This category brings together all the tools used to measure the electrical activity of the brain. The most widespread to date remains electroencephalography or EEG, which consists of applying electrodes to an individual’s scalp to monitor their brain activity. The main advantage of this method is unequivocally its excellent temporal resolution, allowing you to determine exactly when the subject reacted. Thanks to its portability, EEG is also very practical for carrying out experiments in real situations. On the other hand, due to its very limited spatial resolution, electroencephalography will not allow you to reach deep regions of the brain.
To remedy this problem, there is the alternative of magnetoencephalography (MEG) but the latter is difficult to implement and is still only used for strictly medical purposes. In this category, we can also cite functional MRI, diffusion MRI as well as near-infrared spectroscopic imaging.
Techniques for measuring physiological activity
Skin conductance, electromyography, psychophysical measurements, etc. numerous methods make it possible to detect the elements that capture the consumer’s attention. More recently, neuromarketing uses eye tracking to determine where an individual’s gaze is directed when viewing an advertising spot. This method also makes it possible to measure one’s reaction time after the diffusion of a stimulus.
Neuromarketing: a sector with a promising future
It is clear that over time, traditional market research in the form of questionnaires, surveys or even focus groups becomes less and less effective. As proof, more than 76% of products marketed on the market fail during the first year, despite a well-crafted product launch strategy. However, the fault does not lie entirely with businesses. It is the data they have collected that is misleading them. There is indeed a gap between what consumers say in their interviews and what they actually do.
It is in the face of this uncertainty that neuromarketing takes on its full meaning. Experiments carried out on the consumer’s brain provide a more precise idea of the consumer’s expectations. Until now, the human brain has not yet revealed all its secrets, but with the development of medical imaging techniques, neuromarketing promises great advances in the years to come.
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