What is Neuromarketing?
Marketing professionals attract potential customers to increase the sales of a business in many ways. They seek to measure and reason every step the consumers take until they make a purchase. In this way, Neuromarketing arises from the need to explain the behavior of customers and increase the benefits of a company. Therefore, applying Neuroscience principles to study the buying and decision-making process of consumers will better understand the consumer. In addition, this marketing specialty investigates the role played by emotions in the purchase decision. It also tries to predict future behaviors. Thus, neural, and sensory research in the world of advertising is becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated.
The aim of Neuromarketing is to discover how the subconscious of a brand’s target audience acts. This objective anticipates their decisions and predicts the future with possible certainty. It is possible to reach consumers easily and optimize their experience. The brand uses Neuroscience knowledge to optimize marketing techniques. The study of the behavior of the brain in the buying process discovers the desires and needs of the consumer with product and service satisfaction.
Three Types of Neuromarketing
Based on the perception of the individual, three types of Neuromarketing are distinguished:
– Auditory: The individual perceives stimuli through the sense of hearing. This technique determines the consumers’ behavior based on what they hear. When a sound stimulus is detected, the brain receives the necessary impulses to process and interpret it. For example, it is interesting how the frequency of the sound influences behaviors according to the conclusions of recent studies. When low frequencies increase (using music where the bass is the protagonist), people tend to opt more for dark colors. On the other hand, when high frequencies are emphasized, the sale of light-colored products increases.
However, a slow melody helps make unplanned purchases and lose track of the time spent in the store. However, a faster melody causes the consumer to make purchases in less time and impulsively. In addition to the behavior encouraged, other aspects must also be considered when looking for the best music for a store. It must take into account the target audience, and what the brand addresses appropriate for the product offered. The appropriate musical setting can achieve more sales, attract new customers, speed up traffic in the store, or improve brand positioning in the minds of consumers.
– Visual: Stimuli are perceived through the sense of sight. This is the most developed sense and the one through which more information is sent to the brain. This is usually the most effective type of Neuromarketing. There are many techniques based on this sense. For example, in the psychology of color: blue symbolizes purity and tranquility (so it is widely used in mineral water brands). Red tends to impact at first sight (so it is often used to highlight discounts or sales). Another example is to end prices at 0.99, making our brain perceive that it is a lower price than another.
– Kinesthetic: This type is based on stimuli received through the senses of touch, smell, and taste. Although this type is used the least, it is still important in influencing the consumer’s buying process. Examples are product tastings or presentations. This permits the target audience to smell, touch, and taste. For instance, a well-known hamburger company used sesame seeds to create a Braille message on the bun to surprise blind people.
Quantitative Measurement Techniques
Neuromarketing is based on science to obtain information and understand consumer behavior in response to different stimuli. Studies have also been conducted using quantitative measurement techniques. Some of these techniques used are:
– Eye Tracking: This consists of observing the consumer’s eye movements. It allows us to know where a user’s attention is directed in each ad or product. For example, if there is a human face in an advertisement, it is the first place where the receiver’s gaze will be directed.
– Electroencephalograms, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Positron Emission Tomography: These techniques are based on the changes that occur in the brain, whether electrical or chemical. Although they are usually more expensive techniques, they can detect the areas of the brain that are activated by a stimulus.
– Measurement of galvanic responses: With the use of these techniques, it is possible to measure the responses produced in the skin in response to a stimulus. For example: the sweating of an individual when viewing an advertisement can be detected. This indicates a stressful situation has been generated.
– Electromyography: Muscle reactions are interpreted. For example, by observing the movements of facial muscles (or expressions of an individual) it is possible to know what emotions have been aroused by a stimulus.
– Heart rate measurement: The heart rate can also provide useful data to measure the degree to which a stimulus elicits emotions of rejection or interest. An increase in heart rate is interpreted as a stressful situation.
A Great Tool
In conclusion, Neuromarketing applies the knowledge of the cognitive processes of Neuroscience and Neuropsychology to the field of advertising. Thus, it becomes a great tool to optimize a company’s resources. This helps create and manage products in such a way that they meet the “real” desires and needs of consumers. In addition, the data obtained with Neuromarketing studies are more precise and tangible than those obtained through conventional market research studies (surveys, focus groups, statistics, etc.). This is all thanks to the physiological measurement techniques used.
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