We're both marketers. Or at least you're involved in marketing. So if you only get one thing from this article, it's this.
People make decisions based on emotion, not logic.
And that's so hard to remember because you want to talk about your product or service's unique features and benefits.
I get it. I catch myself doing that too.
But, it doesn't matter if we're writing a blog or creating a social media image. We, as marketers, need to remember to apply emotion in our marketing efforts.
So what principles and techniques can you apply? Great question.
Well, that's why I'm having the time of my life writing the MarketSike newsletter.
I'm going to teach you. And all you need to do is read, take a few handy notes, and then execute what you learn.
Does that make sense? Good.
Now, let's jump into the most common use cases of neuromarketing.
Neuromarketing can help you understand how people make decisions so that you can create marketing campaigns that appeal to their emotions and get them to buy your product or service.
Sounds fantastic, right?
What Is Neuromarketing?
Neuromarketing is a branch of marketing that uses neuroscience to understand how people make decisions. It promotes analyzing consumer behavior from a neurological standpoint to gain actionable insight.
Many neuromarketers use Decision Making System 1 and Decision Making System 2 to evaluate how consumers react to certain marketing stimuli.
But what the hell are decision-making systems?
Neuromarketing research has shown that certain stimuli trigger our Decision Making System 1 (the emotional part of our brain), affecting what we believe and how we behave. Decision Making System 1 is responsible for fight-or-flight responses, gut feelings, and first impressions.
For Decision Making System 2, neuromarketing has shown that certain factors trigger our logical, analytical brain. These can include cost-benefit analysis, risk management, and rational reasoning.
Ok, you still with me? Good, let's keep going.
History of Neuromarketing
The term neuromarketing appeared around 2002. At the time, some U.S. companies (Brighthouse and SalesBrain) started to offer neuromarketing research and consulting services that advocated the use of technology and knowledge from the field of cognitive neuroscience.
Read Montague published the first research on neuromarketing. His study was to determine if people preferred Pepsi over Coca-Cola.
(I wouldn't have been a good subject, I'm a Dr. Pepper fan, but that's just me.)
However, Ale Smidts, a professor of marketing at Erasmus University, is credited with coining the term "neuromarketing" in 2002.
Neuromarketing Techniques
Using neuromarketing tools like eye tracking, fMRI scans, EEG sensors, and galvanic skin response sensors allows marketers to understand better how people make decisions.
The insights gained from those “thingamajigs” can then be used to craft more effective marketing campaigns.
And crafting effective marketing campaigns is what we're after!
Some of the most common neuromarketing techniques include:
Eye-tracking
Using eye-tracking software to measure where and for how long people look at certain visual stimuli (e.g., advertisements).
fMRI scans
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging to get a real-time view of brain activity as people are exposed to different marketing stimuli (e.g., a website, an ad, or a product).
EEG sensors
Using an electroencephalograph to measure brain activity and detect changes in emotions (e.g., how consumers respond to the branding of a product).
Galvanic skin response sensor
Measuring sweat levels on the skin to detect when consumers are experiencing emotional arousal.
(Sounds Nordic? Nope, late 18th century: from French galvanique)
The Most Common Uses Of Neuromarketing
Advertising
Neuromarketers often use eye-tracking to measure where people look when exposed to an advertisement. The eye-tracking software creates heat maps. This information can be used to determine what ad elements are most effective and how to optimize future campaigns.
Product design
You can use neuromarketing applications for product design. For example, fMRI scans can be used to understand how people react to different aspects of a product (e.g., the shape, color, or size). This information can then be used to design products that are more likely to appeal to consumers.
Pricing
Pricing is a fantastic area to deploy neuromarketing studies to understand how people react to different pricing strategies. For example, neuroscientists can measure the level of arousal caused by different price points using EEG sensors. This information can help marketers optimize their pricing strategies to maximize sales.
Content
Neuromarketing techniques like eye tracking and fMRI scans are also used in marketing research studies to understand how consumers respond to different marketing messages.
Branding
Neuromarketing can be used to understand how different branding elements (e.g., logos or slogans) influence consumer behavior. For example, EEG sensors can detect the emotional impact of specific brand messaging, while fMRI scans can provide a real-time view of how consumers react to branded content online.
Product Packaging
You can use neuromarketing to optimize product packaging. For example, using eye-tracking and galvanic skin response sensors, marketers can understand which aspects of a product's packaging are most likely to catch consumers' attention. This data can then be used to create more effective packaging designs that drive sales.
UI/UX Design
Neuromarketing techniques like eye tracking and EEG sensors can be used to optimize website and app design. For example, eye-tracking allows marketers to understand which user interface elements are most likely to drive engagement and conversions.
Wow! There are comes of use cases for neuromarketing. But, let's break down the uses into a few learnings.
Neuromarketing Tactics in Action
Using Colors to Trigger Emotions
For example, red is often associated with excitement and passion, while black is often linked to power and sophistication. Marketers can use this information to understand better how different color choices might impact consumers' emotions.
I'm planning to cover and apply color psychology in more detail in the future.
Offering Free Shipping or Discounts
Market researchers have used fMRI scans to understand how consumers respond to discounts and free shipping offers. Marketers can use this information to optimize the design of their pricing strategies and their promotional campaigns (e.g., offering special discounts for customers who purchase a specific dollar value of products).
If you've ever tried to determine prices, I feel your pain!
Using Celebrity Endorsements to Influence a Purchasing Decision
Neuromarketers have also used fMRI scans to understand how consumers respond to celebrity endorsements. Marketers can use this information to optimize their marketing campaigns and optimize the placement of celebrity spokespeople in advertisements.
Example of a Company that Used Neuromarketing
Microsoft:
Microsoft wanted to determine the effectiveness of advertisements on the Xbox platform. More precisely, how do Microsoft's 30-second and 60-second TV commercials stack up against in-game ad displays on Xbox?
They put a headband on test participants to measure their brain activity, breathing rate, head motion, heart rate, blink rate, and skin temperature. Then showed three ads to test subjects – a 30-second Kia Soul TV ad, a 60-second Kia Soul TV ad, and a Kia Soul in-game ad.
When watching TV ads, the most brain activity happens during the first half of the ad.
However, for Xbox live ads, the peak brain activity was at the repeat image of the Kia Soul.
The results suggested people might remember the ad better on the Xbox.
And the results were confirmed by traditional methods too. For example, the Xbox live ad delivered a 90% unaided brand recall rate, while the conventional TV ad had a recall rate of 78%.
Damn, 90 versus 78, that's huge!
Wrapping Up
Overall, neuromarketing is an effective tool for businesses that want to target their ideal customer profiles better and improve their marketing strategies.
However, you might not be in the position to fund massive neuromarketing studies. And I completely understand! But whether you're a small business or s solopreneur, neuromarketing can help you achieve your marketing goals.
And that's why I created MarkeSike! I'll provide you with insights and "applied" learnings that you can immediately use for your marketing in my paid articles.
So, if you are ready to learn how to become a better marketer using psychology, subscribe now. Well, unless you want to do all the research on your own.