Neuromarketing Myths (No. 1) – We can brainwash you!

Neuromarketing techniques are increasingly being used by companies in order to test their brand perceptions, new concepts, products, packaging, communications and much more. Its use is so widespread that it is surprising how much misunderstanding there still is around neuromarketing. Here we will try and remove some of the mystery surrounding our profession, and address the most common misconceptions we encounter on a day-to-day basis.

We can read minds (and brainwash you)

One of the most common things we hear when new clients first get in touch with us (or even when we just talk to friends about our jobs) is that they feel there is something ‘spooky’ or ‘scary’ about what we do. People either seem to think that we try and ‘read their mind’ to uncover aspects of themselves that they weren’t even aware of, or brainwash them into buying the latest product, or both.

Let’s be clear here: While it’s flattering that you put this much faith into our abilities as psychologists, neuroscientists, market researchers and data analysts, we’re really not that great. What seems to create this fear in people is neither currently possible nor desirable. Fundamentally, we try to answer the same questions as traditional market research, we just believe we have a better approach to it. Instead of just asking people for their opinion, we measure things such as their gut feelings about a product, how their opinion about a brand has been (very subtly) changed by communications, and whether they pay attention to an advert or not.

None of this has anything to do with brainwashing (not any more than advertising always has) or subliminal messaging. We are simply capturing people’s opinions and attitudes in a more effective way than traditional market research alone does.

Every year $billions are spent on ineffective market research. The aim of neuromarketing is to make market research spend more effective.