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“You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules.”
If you are in the marketing world, you probably know that it is a very dynamic environment with change and new directions occurring so frequently it can be hard to keep up! As the digital landscape and marketing continue to evolve, a new frontier is emerging that aims to take the guesswork out of understanding how consumers think: neuromarketing. It might sound like science fiction, but this very real field merges neuroscience and marketing strategies to better understand consumer behavior on a biological level.
This material is considerably more technical than our usual content, and we are by no means experts! Trust me, I did quite a bit of research before I felt comfortable enough to even write this. But what I hope to be able to do is present this material to you in a way that is accessible and easy(ish) to understand.
In this blog, I’ll unpack the basics of neuromarketing: what it is, why it’s important, why it’s gaining momentum, and how it can be leveraged to create more impactful, personalized marketing strategies.
What is Neuromarketing?
The field of neuromarketing, sometimes known as consumer neuroscience, studies the brain to predict and potentially even manipulate consumer behavior and decision-making. It involves measuring physiological and neural signals to gain insights into consumers’ preferences, decisions, and behaviors. Neuromarketing uses tools like EEG (electroencephalography), fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), and eye-tracking technology. These tools monitor brain activity, heart rate, skin conductance (it has to do with sweat, we’ll get into it later), and other bodily responses to understand how consumers react to advertisements, branding, packaging, and product placement on a subconscious level.
Instead of simply asking a consumer how they feel about a product or advertisement, neuromarketing allows researchers to see which parts of the brain light up. This is important because consumers don’t always understand why they like or don’t like something, they don’t know what is triggering their emotional responses.
The Science Behind Neuromarketing
I vaguely remember this from high school, but according to the “triune brain model”–based on the evolutionary structure of the brain–the brain has a three-part structure: the neocortex, the limbic system, and the reptilian brain.
The Neocortex (human/primate, thinking brain)
The neocortex is the most evolved part of the brain. This part handles logical decision-making, problem-solving, and language. When we consciously weigh options or analyze a product’s features, we are using the neocortex. For example, if I was comparing the cost, effectiveness, and size of a new kitchen appliance, I would be engaging my neocortex to make a logical decision.
But not all decisions are made logically. Consumers might think they’re being rational and making informed decisions, but studies show that most purchasing behavior is heavily influenced by emotions and instincts. Regarding that kitchen appliance, I desperately want a vintage, mint green or pastel pink refrigerator because it’s aesthetically pleasing and appeals to my affinity for vintage and antique items, but it’s not practical in any way for my current kitchen situation.
The Limbic System (mammalian, emotional brain)
This controls memories, emotions, and feelings, playing a key role in how we form emotional connections to brands. When nostalgia strikes, that’s the limbic system at work. In marketing, triggering those emotional responses can evoke a connection.
Research shows that emotional reactions often precede logical analysis when consumers are presented with a brand or product. For example, a 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that emotional engagement can increase customer loyalty by up to 80%, underscoring the importance of crafting emotionally resonant marketing campaigns. In short, people are more likely to buy from brands that make them feel something—whether it's happiness, trust, or even anger—rather than from brands that merely present logical arguments for why their product is superior.
I think the limbic system is why I have a habit of buying a bottle of wine based on how pretty the label is…
The Brain Stem (reptilian, instinctive brain)
This part of the brain focuses on survival and is involved in automatic, instinctual decisions– think fight or flight. These decisions do not require conscious thought.
From a marketing perspective, the reptilian brain responds to stimuli that signal safety, threat, comfort, or other primal needs. When brands tap into these instinctive responses, they can influence snap decisions, such as choosing a product based on its packaging or grabbing something on impulse at the checkout counter. Bold colors, simple messages, and visually striking designs, and selling points like “money-back guarantee” or “only 3 left in stock!” often appeal directly to the reptilian brain, as they require little cognitive effort to process and trigger an instinctual reaction.
I have recently been seeing an ad for a particular fragrance. According to the ad, this fragrance is only created 4 times a year and only in limited amounts. I rarely even wear perfume and I still find myself thinking that I want to be one of the lucky few who have this perfume! They know what they’re doing…
Bring it All Together
The reality is that even though these parts of the brain have distinct functions, they don’t operate independently. For example, I might initially be drawn to that bottle of wine with it’s pretty flowery label and glass stopper (limbic), but I can justify the purchase because of quality (neocortex), or maybe it was the last bottle so I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity (reptilian).
The aim of neuromarketing is to create campaigns that appeal to and engage all three parts of the brain, delivering messages that not only make sense logically but also appeal to consumers emotionally and instinctually. By doing this, marketers can create more compelling, persuasive campaigns that drive conversions and build lasting brand loyalty.
Why is Neuromarketing Important?
How many ads do you see a day? I honestly couldn’t even try to keep track. As social media users, TV watchers, and internet browsers we are bombarded with marketing messages constantly. With so many ads vying for our attention, we start to tune them out.. This is where neuromarketing comes in - helping brands cut through the noise by crafting messages that resonate on a biological level.
More Effective Advertising
Traditional research methods–like surveys and focus groups–rely heavily on self-reporting, which can be biased or inaccurate. People sometimes don’t know what they want, or they say what they think someone wants to hear. With neuromarketing, data is collected by tapping directly into the brain’s emotional responses, providing data that is more reliable than what a consumer says.
Emotional Connections Matter
We don’t need neuroscience to prove that humans are emotionally driven creatures, even though it has. A Harvard study published in 2021 found that 95% of purchases are driven by subconscious factors. By understanding the emotional drivers behind decision-making, marketers can build campaigns that resonate more deeply and foster long-lasting brand loyalty.
Optimized User Experience (UX)
The user experience is crucial to consumer engagement. Think of a time you went out to eat and enjoyed the food, but the atmosphere was bleak or the service was subpar. No matter how good the food was, you left with a bad taste in your mouth because of the overall experience. Neuromarketing helps businesses refine their UX by identifying what frustrates or pleases users/consumers at a subconscious level.
Improved Brand Positioning
Understanding the emotional associations that consumers have with your brand can make or break your positioning in the market. Neuromarketing helps companies identify these associations and adjust their messaging to better align with consumer emotions. Whether it’s creating a sense of trust, excitement, or even urgency, these insights help brands stand out in a saturated marketplace.
Neuromarketing in Action
So now that we know what neuromarketing is and how it can help marketers appeal to consumers, let’s get into how it’s being used.
Website and App Optimization
E-commerce sites and mobile apps have been leveraging neuromarketing to optimize user interactions and conversions. For instance, by using eye-tracking technology, marketers can determine which parts of a webpage are drawing the most attention and adjust the layout accordingly. Insights into user attention can lead to changes in font size, color schemes, or button placement—all designed to enhance engagement and drive conversions.
I wonder if this is what happened to Comic Sans…
Video and Ad Campaigns
Video content, especially short-form videos like those seen on TikTok and Instagram, has become an incredibly effective marketing tool. Brands are using neuromarketing to test different cuts of videos to see which evoke the most emotional engagement. For example, research using EEG monitoring in 2022 showed that fast-paced cuts with high-energy music tended to evoke stronger emotional responses, leading to increased brand recall.
Packaging and Product Design
The design of a product’s packaging can evoke a range of emotional responses, from excitement to trust to curiosity. Neuromarketing techniques like facial coding and biometric feedback have been used to analyze consumer reactions to different packaging designs. A 2021 study showed that sleek, minimalist designs tend to evoke feelings of luxury and high quality, while bright colors and playful fonts often appeal to younger demographics looking for fun or trendy products.
Retail Environments
Physical stores haven’t been left out of the neuromarketing revolution. Many retailers are now using in-store neuromarketing tactics to understand how layout, lighting, and even scent impact customer behavior. In 2023, a major retail chain in the U.S. used biometric data and heat mapping to determine which areas of the store customers gravitated toward and how they interacted with products, leading to optimized product placement that boosted sales by over 15%.
Ethical Concerns in Neuromarketing
As with any new and powerful technology, neuromarketing raises some ethical questions. While it offers unprecedented insights into consumer behavior, critics argue that it could be used to manipulate individuals into making decisions they wouldn’t otherwise consider.
One of the main ethical concerns is informed consent. If a company is collecting biometric data or using eye-tracking technology, are consumers fully aware of what is being tracked? Some argue that neuromarketing tools can be invasive, especially when they delve into the subconscious mind without explicit consumer consent.
Another concern is the potential for exploitation. Since neuromarketing taps into subconscious emotional responses, there’s a risk that it could be used to exploit vulnerabilities. For example, by triggering stress or anxiety, a marketer could potentially influence someone to make an impulsive decision—like buying a product or service—that they might later regret. Critics also argue that neuromarketing could also be used to exploit vulnerabilities when it comes to children or individuals with cognitive impairments.
That said, most companies engaging in neuromarketing research today are committed to ethical guidelines. They focus on using this data to create better experiences for consumers rather than manipulating them into actions they wouldn’t otherwise take.
While I understand these points, I would like to point out that people have been making impulse purchases for years. I have experienced my fair share of buyer’s remorse, however, I have never thought to blame a company for doing what is basically the essence of commerce - encouraging me to buy something. However, it pains me to think of someone being taken advantage of. And as far as the eye-tracking and potentially invasive methods, I would be pretty P.O.’d to find out that it was happening without my consent. It definitely makes me think twice about the ads I click on when scrolling through Instagram…
Using Neuromarketing
Neuromarketing incorporates various tools and techniques to measure consumers' subconscious responses.
The Tools
EEG (Electroencephalography)
EEG is a tool that measures electrical activity in the brain by placing electrodes on the scalp. By tracking brainwaves, marketers can determine which areas of the brain are most active when people engage with specific stimuli, such as advertisements or product designs. EEG is often used to assess emotional responses to marketing messages.
fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
fMRI is a more advanced and more costly neuromarketing tool that measures changes in blood flow to different areas of the brain. By pinpointing which regions are activated during exposure to marketing content, marketers can gain deep insights into what drives consumer preferences.
Eye-Tracking Technology
Eye-tracking technology measures where people focus their gaze when viewing an advertisement, website, or product packaging. This tool helps marketers identify which elements attract the most attention and which are overlooked.
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) or Skin Conductance
GSR measures the electrical conductance of the skin, which changes with sweat gland activity due to emotional arousal. When people experience heightened emotional states like excitement, anxiety, or fear, their sweat glands produce moisture, which increases the skin's electrical conductance.
Facial Coding
Facial coding is a technique that analyzes facial expressions to determine emotional reactions to marketing stimuli. It identifies subtle changes in facial muscles that correlate with specific emotions like happiness, surprise, anger, or disgust.
By combining these tools, neuromarketing allows brands to understand how consumers react to advertisements, websites, and products on a subconscious level. Each tool offers unique insights into different aspects of consumer behavior, from emotional responses to visual engagement, helping marketers create more targeted and impactful campaigns.
The Tactics
If you’re ready to take the plunge into neuromarketing, you don’t necessarily need a huge budget or a team of neuroscientists on hand. Many neuromarketing techniques are accessible, even for small businesses.
Start with the Basics: Biometrics and Eye Tracking
Tools like eye-tracking and biometrics are more accessible than ever. You can use these technologies to analyze how users interact with your website, product, or advertisement in real time. By measuring where users look and how long they focus on specific elements, you can gather insights into what’s working and what’s not.
Leverage Emotion AI
Emotion AI technology, which analyzes facial expressions to determine emotional responses, has become increasingly affordable and accessible. This technology can be used to gauge consumer reactions to video ads, product launches, and even social media content.
A/B Testing with a Neuromarketing Twist
Many businesses already use A/B testing to compare different versions of their marketing materials, but you can enhance this by incorporating neuromarketing data. For example, pairing A/B testing with biometric data allows you to not only see which version performs better but also understand the emotional impact behind the performance.
Monitor the Trends
Keep an eye on advancements in neuromarketing technology. As the field continues to grow, new tools and methods are becoming available. Staying updated can give you a competitive edge in understanding and engaging with your audience.
Remember: Brands should prioritize building trust with consumers and ensure that their use of neuroscience-backed techniques is both ethical and respectful of individuals' autonomy.
Thoughts
While I understand the concerns regarding the ethics of neuromarketing, I would like to point out that people have been making impulse purchases for years. I have experienced my fair share of buyer’s remorse, however, I have never thought to blame a company for doing what is basically the essence of commerce - encouraging me to buy something. However, it pains me to think of someone being taken advantage of. And as far as the eye-tracking and potentially invasive methods, I would be pretty P.O.’d to find out that it was happening without my consent.
It definitely makes me think twice about the ads I click on when scrolling through Instagram…
As far as the science of it, I think it’s really interesting! When reading about neuromarketing, I thought of those online quizzes, “What Dog Breed Are You?” or “What Car is Your Personality” or “What Hogwarts House Do You Belong In?” I remember seeing comments on these, basically people saying they knew what answer(s) to give to get the result they wanted. I don’t mean to speak for everyone, but it seems that humans have a proclivity to say what they think wants to be heard. So by cutting to the chase, and avoiding potential untruths (whether intentional or not), researchers can get a clear, untainted view of what appeals to consumers.
Looking Ahead
As technology continues to evolve, so will the methods used in neuromarketing. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will likely make neuromarketing even more accessible, automating complex tasks like analyzing emotional responses and identifying patterns in consumer behavior.
Neuromarketing is more than just a buzzword—it’s a revolutionary approach to understanding consumer behavior at a deeper, subconscious level. By tapping into the emotional and psychological drivers behind decision-making, businesses can craft more effective marketing strategies, improve user experiences, and build stronger connections with their audiences.
Related: How Seasonal Shifts Impact Financial Advisors
Sources:
Neuromarketing: What You Need to Know
Neuromarketing solutions Market Outlook (2022 to 2032)
Frontiers in Psychology. Emotional Engagement and Customer Loyalty in 2021
Nielsen Norman Group. Eye-Tracking Usability Studies for E-Commerce. Published in 2021