The Customer’s Mind in Focus: How Neuromarketing Can Benefit You?

The Invisible Hand of the Subconscious: Where 95% of Our Decisions Are Made

Every day, you make countless decisions—not only important ones but also trivial ones, like what to eat for breakfast, whether to hit the snooze button, or which foot to place on the floor first. We don’t spend much time (if any) deliberating over these small choices. Even with more significant decisions (such as purchasing expensive equipment), our conscious thought process is often minimal. According to research by Professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of purchasing decisions occur in the subconscious mind. It seems we don’t consciously think through most of them.

Of course, our conscious mind works hard during the decision-making process, rationalizing and justifying our choices with various arguments. However, we likely do this after we’ve already made the decision subconsciously. It’s in the subconscious that the mind shapes our preferences, creates associations, and determines what we find attractive and valuable. Most of our choices are therefore influenced by our feelings, meaning our decisions are driven by emotions—we are more likely to choose what evokes positive feelings.

How Can You Influence Subconscious Buying Decisions? How do you influence buying decisions, which—surprisingly—are largely outside of conscious control? Neuromarketing enthusiasts see an opportunity in this space. They encourage exploring the mechanisms that govern our brains and subconscious and then applying this knowledge in practice. Most of us already know that building strong emotional connections between a brand and its customers brings significant benefits. But how does neuromarketing delve deeper into these dynamics?

Neuromarketing in a Nutshell: Types of Research and Applications

EEG, MRI, and eye-tracking are the most popular methods used to monitor brain activity and eye movement. These studies help us better understand how visual and emotional stimuli affect purchasing decisions.

• EEG (Electroencephalography) measures the brain’s bioelectrical activity. Electrodes are placed on the subject, who is asked to watch or listen to an advertisement. By analyzing changes in electrical potential, it is possible to determine whether reactions to stimuli were positive or negative.

• Eye-tracking allows researchers to follow the subject’s gaze, identifying which elements draw the most attention and in what sequence they are noticed. Insights from this type of research are valuable for magazine publishers and product packaging designers.

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) can be used to monitor the activation of different brain regions in response to various stimuli—such as advertisements, product labels, prices, or marketing messages. Researchers can then assess the type and intensity of emotional responses.

Brands from various industries use neuromarketing insights to shape their strategies. Of course, the results are rarely made public and are closely guarded from competitors. One of the most famous case studies comes from the food and beverage industry. A renowned taste preference test using unbranded drinks revealed that while consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi, they favored the Coca-Cola brand. Coca-Cola regularly uses EEG and MRI studies to evaluate the effectiveness of its advertising campaigns. The result is a consistent creation of positive emotions associated with the brand: joy, togetherness, unity, energy, and enthusiasm—all outcomes of years of focused effort.

The Brain vs. Surveys: Neuromarketing vs. Traditional Research

Traditional consumer research methods have limitations. They are largely declarative, meaning they do not allow for an objective analysis of the emotions and feelings triggered by ads or interactions with a product or brand. Respondents share their impressions, but each person expresses and describes these in their own way. Various factors (intentions, embarrassment, reluctance) can also affect the responses given in surveys, leading to distorted results that may not reflect actual thoughts or opinions.

Neuromarketing research, by directly observing brain activity, provides more objective and precise results.

• Data is the foundation of effective marketing planning. Insights into the thought processes and emotions of your target audience are an exceptionally valuable source of knowledge.
• Physiological reaction studies allow you to better understand your target group—how they react to products, ads, and marketing strategies on a subconscious level.
• Using neuromarketing insights, you can more effectively shape your brand image and communication, leading to greater brand recognition and competitiveness in the market.
• Neuromarketing helps you understand the emotions and associations tied to your brand. This allows you to consciously create a valuable emotional connection with consumers.

Even if you don’t have access to an MRI machine, you can still use what we know from neuromarketing to improve your brand communication!

The Key Insight: Building Positive Brand Associations. Marketing is no longer just about showcasing a product or service in the best possible light. It’s about brand building—telling your brand’s story and emphasizing the values it upholds, what matters to it, and what it focuses on in its operations.

How to Create a „Path to the Hearts” of Your Customers? When analyzing the motivations that drive consumers to buy a product, emotional factors must be considered. These motivations may include the desire to stand out from the crowd, the need for safety, improving self-esteem, caring for the environment, feeling a sense of belonging, or achieving prestige. Which of these needs can your brand satisfy? The answer will determine your communication strategy.

How Can You Communicate the Emotional Values of Your Brand?

• Narrative and Storytelling: Connect emotionally with your audience by sharing your brand’s mission and values. Demonstrate how your brand can impact their lives. These messages should evoke strong emotions and help the audience identify with your brand.

• Personalization: Your target group should consist of people who share the values your brand represents. Get to know your audience better and offer them communication tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

• Building and Engaging Communities: Engage in dialogue with your audience and encourage as much interaction as possible. Be where your customers are. For instance, if environmental care is a core value of your brand, increase your presence at eco-related events or support local initiatives—and organize your own!

• Consistency: Ensure consistency across all communication channels. Your brand should become easily recognizable and associated with the values and emotions it genuinely represents. Consistency should cover all aspects of your brand’s communication—visual identity, verbal messaging, customer interactions, social media engagement, and internal communication.

• Authenticity: None of the above methods will be effective if they aren’t backed by genuine values. Consumers appreciate brands that stand out for their honesty and transparency—they don’t just talk about their values but act in alignment with them.
  
  

Neuromarketing as an Interdisciplinary Field. Neuromarketing draws on various scientific disciplines, each offering useful insights depending on the needs and characteristics of your business. It’s essential to be aware of the research already conducted in each of these areas. While marketing as a field evolves rapidly, changes in how our minds work don’t occur at the same pace as the emergence of new marketing tools. Neuromarketing provides foundational, consistently relevant knowledge that is indispensable for any marketer striving for increased effectiveness.

• Neuroeconomics explores how the brain reacts to factors like pricing, risk, and rewards, helping marketers understand the financial stimuli that influence consumer decisions.

• Neurolinguistics examines the relationship between the brain and language, analyzing how specific words and phrases affect consumer reactions.

• Color Psychology plays a key role in brand image design and creating appealing products.

• Research on visual and auditory perception focuses on how we interpret and process visual and sound stimuli.
  
  

Key Takeaways

1. Neuromarketing studies the decision-making process of consumers, demonstrating that most decisions are made subconsciously, with emotions playing a critical role.
2. Building emotional connections between a brand and its customers can lead to significant benefits. The human brain is programmed to respond to emotional stimuli.
3. Brain activity studies like EEG, MRI, and eye-tracking allow marketers to better understand consumer reactions, providing valuable tools for assessing the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
4. Traditional consumer research methods, such as surveys, have limitations because respondents’ answers may be influenced by intent rather than actual behavior. Neuromarketing provides more objective results.
5. Neuromarketing draws on knowledge from various scientific fields such as neuroeconomics and neurolinguistics. Each of these fields evolves more slowly than marketing tools and technologies, making neuromarketing a fundamental, ever-relevant source of knowledge for any successful marketer.
   
   

By applying these insights, marketers can enhance their strategies and build stronger emotional connections with their audience.