Neuromarketing Myths (No. 2) – It’s all about brain scans

By Duncan Smith

Here’s the second instalment to our Neuromarketing Myths series. 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.

 

It’s all about brain scans

It is true that neuromarketing started out with a strong focus on technologies such as fMRI (brain scans) and EEG (measuring electrical brain activity). Modern neuromarketing now however is much more about scalable psychological and cognitive tests that can be carried out online. This is not just because they are cheaper,  faster to turn around and allow us to test many more participants, but also because they tend to provide clear and comparable data that can directly answer many market research questions. Automated facial encoding using webcam and implicit testing (refered to as IAT or IRT) is now becoming mainstream.

Neurobollocks

Many people who don’t have a background in psychology and neuroscience seem to believe that brain imaging techniques such as fMRI will give them better answers. Research has shown that people are more likely to be convinced by statements if these are presented next to a brain image and they seem to be similarly seduced by the idea of brain scanning in market research. But results from these studies are often much less clear than they may appear.

Neuromarketing has had some bad press, quite rightly at times. One particular neuromarketing study was lambasted after a New York Times OP-Ed piece compared iPhone addiction to cocaine use and falling in love because the insula’ lit up. The problem is that the insula lights up for loads of things. The same brain area may also be involved in working memory, physical pain, disgust, anger, visual perception, motor sequencing, and memory retrieval.

Insight professionals want to better understand the mechanisms of decision making and neuromarketing can and does help. It’s just a shame that some people get it so very very wrong and make the industry look stupid.

 

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

Blog 3 – Neuromarketing Myths (No. 3) – It’s too inaccessible and expensive

Blog 4 – You Have to Choose between Neuromarketing and Traditional Market Research Methods


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