Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing is a field of marketing research that studies consumers' sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective response to marketing stimuli. Researchers use technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure changes in activity in parts of the brain, electroencephalography (EEG) and Steady state topography (SST) to measure activity in specific regional spectra of the brain response, and/or sensors to measure changes in one's physiological state, also known as biometrics, including (heart rate and respiratory rate, galvanic skin response) to learn why consumers make the decisions they do, and what part of the brain is telling them to do it.

History

Neuromarketing as a discipline originated around the early 2000s, when psychologists at the Harvard University began to study the brain's responses to advertising and branding, and how consumers make decisions. The term "neuromarketing" was coined by Ale Smidts in 2002.

Techniques and technologies

Neuromarketing studies the brain to predict and understand consumer behavior and to improve the effectiveness of advertising and marketing strategies. It uses various techniques and technologies such as:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI): This technique measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. It is used in neuromarketing to identify how a consumer is feeling towards a product or advertisement.

• Electroencephalography (EEG): This technique is used to record the electrical activity of the brain. It is used in neuromarketing to understand how a consumer's brain responds to a marketing stimulus.

• Eye tracking: This technology is used to measure where a person is looking and the movement of their eyes. It is used in neuromarketing to understand what a consumer is paying attention to.

• Galvanic skin response (GSR): This technique measures changes in sweat gland activity. It is used in neuromarketing to understand the intensity of a consumer's emotional response to a marketing stimulus.

Ethical considerations

The use of neuromarketing has raised ethical concerns. Critics argue that neuromarketing could be used to manipulate consumers' decisions, infringing on their free will. Others worry about the privacy implications of companies being able to 'read' a consumer's mind.

See also

• Consumer neuroscience
• Marketing research
• Behavioral economics
• Cognitive neuroscience