The neuromarketing consists in applying neuroscience techniques of neuroscience in marketing with the aim of analysing, investigating and understanding consumer behavior. Thus, by studying the impact of advertising in all five senses and from the analysis of the cerebral processes that take place when buying, it seeks to predict the most of your behavior when consuming. This helps to improve any aspect related to the marketing of a product (design, target, branding, pricing, etc) and to influence the decisions of the final purchase. It is clear then that is widely used by some brands to position themselves against others.
Logically, neuromarketing is a technique that has evolved so far since it started, but many of the techniques are maintained. The techniques used are: functional magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography to monitor physiological functions; encephalography to measure the electric and magnetic changes in the brain and eye-tracking based on infrared to track and record the gaze of the person evaluated when viewing a page on the computer and specify what areas get their attention and why. Regarding the cases, the most famous is the one of the shopping carts: the wheels are deflected slightly toward the shelves and so we are forced to look at them and find products that we did not plan to buy. The classic experiment used as an example when talking about neuromarketing is the "Pepsi Challenge". This challenge consisted in making the consumers try Pepsi and Coca Cola without visual differentiation, obtaining the result that 50% preferred the taste of Pepsi. Instead, doing exactly the same but with the brand, 75% chose Coca Cola. By studying the brain related processes it was found that when drinking any of the two beverages the area responsible for brain reward positive was activated, but when a recognizable brand appeared an additional zone was activated. In an online environment like the present one, neuromarketing have discovered some aspects that can influence decisions in the final purchase, so they can also be applied in the point of sale:
The brain responds to visual stimuli faster than to words, so the more audiovisual and image content is included, the more attractive the offer is.
The brain is activated when there is pain, and when shopping this is related to the price. For this reason, the fact of measuring out figures, putting a few payment options or use synonyms of the word “price” can lead to a positive shopping experience.
The brain prefers what is recognizable and tangible, so always look for clear and direct messages about what the costumers are buying.
In this digitalized era, consumers look for what appeals directly to their emotions, so when a product is being promoted is advisable to take this into account.
Currently, the traditional advertising no longer comes in handy, the stimuli must overtake the ordinary and become personalized. For this reason, neuromarketing is gaining ground since years ago and continues evolving in this digital age.
