Neuromarketing is a branch of marketing that studies how irrational factors (reasons that are not directly related to the benefit received) influence the purchase decision. For example, how colours, sounds, smells and cognitive distortions affect buyers – traps of consciousness.

In one experiment, national music, either German or French, was played in the wine section of a store. In those days when German music was played in the hall, customers more often took German wines from the shelf. French music made people choose French wines more often. At the same time, when customers were asked at the exit why they bought this particular wine, they explained the choice solely by their preferences and denied the influence of music. That is, the music influenced their decision, but they did not even understand it.

 

In a narrow sense, neuromarketing refers to marketing research with the visualization of human physiological reactions: dilated pupils, increased heart rate, or even activation of brain regions. In particular, tomographs and electroencephalographs are used for this.

Neuromarketing Methods

Neuromarketers know many ways to influence customer decisions. Most often they use reactions that a person does not have time to realize: physical sensations and cognitive distortions.

The use of colour. Green calms, blue inspires confidence, and black gives status. It may seem that this is some kind of metaphysics. But studies show that red actually increases heart rate, while blue lowers blood pressure. Therefore, brands carefully consider colours for their logos, website design and stores.

An example of neuromarketing

The McDonald’s logo uses a combination of red and yellow for a reason: red increases the pulse and increases appetite, and yellow is associated with happiness.

The use of scents. Smells are another powerful neuromarketing tool. It is very effective because information about smells always reaches the brain faster than signals from the eyes and ears. One example: The Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando boosted ice cream sales by 45% on artificially flavoured biscuits and wafer rolls alone.

An example of neuromarketing

Supermarkets bake buns right in the hall because the smell of freshly baked bread makes you want to buy bread, even if you didn’t need it.

Lighting. There is evidence that shoppers react differently to products depending on the lighting. In one experiment, the researchers identified three groups of consumers depending on their psycho type: lovers of harmony, adventurers and fans of discipline. Each of the groups responds better to its own lighting option. Using such data, retailers can design stores according to the needs of their target audience.

An example of neuromarketing

Clothing stores are usually brightly lit – this invigorates and stimulates to buy more. Conversely, coffee shops use subdued lighting to create a relaxing environment.

The use of cognitive distortions. Cognitive biases are thinking errors that occur because the brain simplifies incoming information.

A simple example is the crowd effect. If everyone around is praising a new phone model, it may seem to someone that it is really wonderful, because so many people cannot be wrong. In online sales, the default choice effect is often used: for example, when they offer a more expensive product as a basic option.

There are about a hundred cognitive distortions in total. Marketers’ gimmicks based on such mistakes can range from being fairly transparent, such as when a service offers a free trial period in the hope that you won’t be able to refuse it, or downright manipulative, such as when a store falsely displays that almost all of the product is sold out and there are only two left.

Creation of a dopamine loop. Dopamine is a hormone that creates a strong sense of anticipation. Dopamine is released in response to the expectation of everything interesting and pleasant. For example, when you know that tomorrow you will fly on vacation or get ready to eat a piece of cake.

An important property of dopamine is that it is produced much more actively in response to an unexpected reward than to an expected one. Therefore, social networks cause such an addiction: a person does not know which posts are posted in the feed, and many times he enters the application, expecting to see something interesting.

Our Thoughts

• • In a broad sense, this is the study of unconscious factors that influence the decision to purchase. It can be the influence of colour, sounds, lighting – as well as hormones and cognitive distortions.

• • In a narrow sense, this is the study of the processes that occur in the brain and body of a person when making a purchase. For such studies, fMRI, EEG, eye-tracking and other technologies are used.

• • Neuromarketing research helps to choose the best advertising option, set the best price or get insights about consumers.

• • The main drawback of such studies is the high price: from several tens of thousands to millions of dollars.