Neuromarketing: Body, Brain Measures & Consumer Behavior
Body Measures & Somatic Responses
Facial Expressions
Measure emotional responses to stimuli like ads or products.
When to Measure: Evaluating responses to packaging designs or product features.
Tools Used: Facial Action Coding System (FACS), Facial Electromyography (EMG) sensors.
Example: Tracking audience reactions to a new TV commercial using EMG sensors.
Facial Muscle Movements
Understand emotional responses to ads.
When to Measure: Assessing emotional impact during exposure to advertisements.
Tools Used: Electromyography (EMG) sensors.
Example: Gauging emotional responses to an advertising campaign using EMG sensors.
Eye Movement and Fixations
Understand visual attention and interest levels.
When to Measure: During tasks involving visual stimuli like ads or websites.
Tools Used: Eye Tracking Devices.
Example: Optimizing website layout using eye-tracking data.
Eye Blinks and Startle Reflex
Gain insights into cognitive and emotional processes.
When to Measure: During unexpected events triggering startle responses.
Tools Used: Eye-tracking devices (Electrooculography – EOG).
Example: Monitoring eye blinks during marketing content viewing.
Body Measures & Automatic Responses
Behavioral Response Time
Assess how quickly individuals interact with stimuli.
When to Measure: During decision-making tasks or interactions with websites.
Tools Used: Response time measurement software (E-Prime, Psychtoolbox).
Example: Measuring user response time on an e-commerce website for user experience improvement.
Electrodermal Activity (EDA)
Measures skin conductance, indicating emotional arousal.
When to Measure: During tasks evoking emotional or physiological responses.
Tools Used: Skin Conductance Sensors.
Example: Evaluating emotional impact of a TV commercial using skin conductance sensors.
Heart Rate
Indicates emotional arousal and attention levels.
When to Measure: In marketing studies to understand consumer reactions.
Tools Used: Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG).
Example: Using wrist-worn heart rate monitors to assess emotional engagement in advertising.
Blood Pressure
Provides cardiovascular response information.
When to Measure: Before, during, and after specific tasks or stimuli.
Example: Measuring blood pressure in a clinical trial to assess medication effectiveness.
Respiration
Reflects physiological arousal and stress responses.
When to Measure: Incorporated into neuromarketing studies for consumer responses.
Tools Used: Pneumography.
Example: Monitoring respiratory patterns during VR ad experiences to gauge emotional responses.
Pupil Dilation
Indicates emotional arousal, attention, and cognitive load.
When to Measure: Common in neuromarketing research for assessing consumer reactions.
Tools Used: Pupillometry.
Example: Assessing packaging design reactions using eye-tracking glasses with pupil dilation measurement.
Brain Measures & Blood Flow
Blood Oxygenation (fMRI)
Maps brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation.
When to Measure: In neuromarketing studies to understand consumer responses.
Example: Using fMRI to map brain activity during memory tasks in neuroscience studies.
Positron Emissions (PET)
Measures brain blood flow, glucose metabolism, and neurotransmitter activity.
When to Measure: Conducted during cognitive tasks or resting states.
Example: Using PET scans to observe brain metabolism changes in neurodegenerative disorders in clinical studies.
Brain Measures & Electrical Activity
Electrical Fields (EEG)
Records scalp electrical activity, capturing changes in brain activity with millisecond precision.
When to Measure: Used in neuromarketing studies to understand consumer responses.
Example: Using EEG to evaluate customer engagement with various label designs for a new beverage product.
Magnetic Fields (MEG)
Measures magnetic fields from brain neuronal activity with precise timing (in milliseconds).
When to Measure: Taken during tasks or stimuli to analyse brain activity timing and location.
Example: Employing MEG sensors to understand the neural pathways and timing involved in processing elements of a commercial for a high-tech product.
Conceptual Consumption
Conceptual consumption: How people consume a brand rather than a product.
Expectations
Brand expectations influence consumption, even unconsciously. For instance, consumers may prefer a brand due to perceived quality.
Example: Coca-Cola vs. Store Brand Soda – Despite taste test similarities, Coca-Cola’s perceived quality influences consumer choice.
Goals
Brands activate both conscious and unconscious goals, impacting behavior and aspirations.
Example: Nike and “Just Do It” – Nike’s slogan motivates both conscious fitness goals and deeper aspirations.
Fluency
Consumers prefer products with clear messaging and easy understanding.
Example: Google’s Search Engine – Google’s intuitive interface creates a positive user experience.
Values
Brands linked to specific values attract consumers who identify with those principles.
Example: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty – Dove’s advocacy for inclusivity and authenticity resonates with consumers valuing diversity.
Conspicuous Consumption
Consumers purchase goods & services to showcase wealth & status, often driven by peer recognition & social standing.
Example 1: Choosing an expensive luxury watch over an economical one with similar functions, solely for status symbol purposes.
Example 2: Purchasing a designer handbag primarily for its logo and brand prominence, not just for quality but to signal social status to others.
Inconspicuous Consumption
Consumer choices not visibly material but exclusive, aiming for a better quality of life & social mobility, without overt displays of status.
Example: Investing in non-material experiences like art galleries or educational courses for personal growth instead of displaying possessions for status.
Creating a Brand in the Brain
Establishing a brand in memory involves creating associations that are then reinforced over time.
Novelty to Grab Attention
Introduce the brand uniquely to capture attention, breaking through emotional resistance with distinct visuals or messaging.
Create Familiarity
Consistent exposure across various channels helps build familiarity & brand recognition.
Create & Reinforce Associations
Build direct & indirect associations with the brand’s attributes, values, or emotions through experiences & messaging.
Encourage Habitual Buying
Foster repeat interactions to form habits, like through product usage or loyalty programs.
Brand associations in the mind are linked with promises, established through conditioning involving exposure, positive emotions, & repetition.
Growing Brain-Friendly Brands
Developing and managing brands aligned with how the brain processes information, makes decisions, and forms emotional connections.
Triggering Buying Goals
Ensure visual representation of the brand with associated concepts to stimulate buying intentions.
Strong Emotional Associations
Successful brands foster strong, positive emotional connections with consumers.
Associations with Purchase Occasions
When a brand strongly relates to specific events, it indicates successful reinforcement of conceptual connections in marketing and advertising.
Positioning and Branding
Positioning: is the way you want to be perceived by your customer when comparing to your competitors.
Branding: is emotional. It is about those associations. It is how beer reminds you of the beach.
Introduction
Novelty can overwhelm consumers, reducing purchase likelihood due to excessive new information.
Transition from Novelty to Familiarity
While novelty may deter buyers, gradual familiarity helps consumers acclimate to new products.
Familiarity vs. Distinctiveness
Greater familiarity might lead to decreased excitement as novelty wanes.
Enhancing Product Standout
A new product can stand out among familiar competitors by:
Physical Distinctiveness
Being visually different enough to capture attention at the point of sale.
Signaling Consumer Goals
Implicitly or explicitly conveying the goals it helps consumers achieve.
Distinctive Product Attributes
Packaging attributes that contribute to product distinctiveness:
- Colour
- Shape
- Brightness
Exam Questions – U3
Find Eye Movement Sensations
Eye movements are measured to understand cognitive processing and interest levels. The tools used for measurement are Eye Tracking Devices. For instance, when watching a horror movie, using eye tracking devices helps analyse where participants focus their attention, revealing which elements evoke the most interest or fear responses.
Identifying Measures for Engagement in Horror Movies
Engagement in horror movies can be measured using Eye Tracking Devices and Heart Rate Monitors. Eye tracking aids in understanding visual attention, while heart rate monitors measure emotional responses, indicating engagement levels, particularly during intense scenes in the movie.
Measures for Optimizing a New Website
Utilizing Eye Tracking Devices and Behavioral Response Time measurement tools would be beneficial for optimizing a new website. Eye tracking helps in layout optimization, while response time measurement identifies elements affecting decision-making or interaction, enhancing user experience.
Differences Between Blood Flow and Electrical Measures
Blood Flow Measures (fMRI, PET) visualize brain activity through blood flow and metabolic changes, offering insights into specific brain locations. Electrical Measures (EEG, MEG) record electrical activity or magnetic fields with high temporal resolution, providing real-time data about neural firing and synchrony, suitable for tracking rapid brain responses. Blood flow measures focus on brain activity in localized areas, while electrical measures provide real-time neural activity data.
Central and Peripheral System in Action
The central nervous system (CNS), consisting of the brain & spinal cord, orchestrates higher cognitive functions, decision-making, & information processing. In contrast, the peripheral nervous system (PNS), including nerves & ganglia outside the CNS, manages involuntary bodily functions & relays sensory information to & from the CNS. An example illustrating CNS activity might involve complex decision-making processes during problem-solving, whereas PNS activity could be observed in automatic bodily responses like heart rate changes in response to emotional stimuli.
What Do We Measure Within the Central and Peripheral Systems?
Within Central and Peripheral Systems, various physiological & cognitive parameters are measured to assess responses to stimuli. This encompasses measurements of autonomic responses like heart rate, skin conductance, pupil dilation (PNS), as well as cognitive processes like brain activity (CNS). These measurements help evaluate emotional, cognitive, & physiological reactions to different stimuli, aiding in understanding how the nervous system responds & processes info.
Exam Questions – U4
Conceptual Consumption Through 4 Principles (Example of Each)
Expectations
Brand expectations significantly influence physical consumption, even unconsciously. For instance, people may consume a less tasty food product because of strong brand associations with taste quality.
Example: Coca-Cola vs. Store Brand Soda – Many consumers prefer Coca-Cola over store-brand soda despite blind taste tests often showing no significant difference. This preference arises due to the strong brand association of Coca-Cola with superior taste and quality. Even if consumers cannot distinguish the taste, the perceived quality associated with Coca-Cola influences their choice and consumption.
Goals
Brands can activate both conscious and unconscious goals, impacting behavior. A brand promoting health can activate a conscious goal of making healthier choices for well-being.
Example: Nike and “Just Do It” – Nike’s marketing slogan “Just Do It” doesn’t just promote sports products but also encourages a mindset of determination and perseverance. This messaging not only activates the conscious goal of engaging in physical activity but also taps into the unconscious goal of motivation and achieving personal goals. Nike’s branding encourages consumers to push their limits and strive for excellence, aligning with both their conscious fitness goals and their deeper aspirations.
Fluency
Consumers are inclined to prefer products with clear and easy-to-understand messaging, leading to a positive response due to processing fluency. A consumer might be drawn to a brand due to its simple and clear advertisement.
Example: Google’s Search Engine – Google’s search engine is a prime example of a product that excels due to processing fluency. It’s simple and intuitive interface, along with the accuracy and speed of search results, provides users with a clear and easy-to-understand experience. This high level of processing fluency leads to a positive response and user preference for Google’s search engine.
Values
Brands associated with specific values, like Red Bull’s association with an adventurous lifestyle, might attract consumers who identify with those values.
Example: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty – Dove, a personal care brand, has a campaign promoting diverse representations of beauty, aiming to challenge conventional beauty standards. Their advocacy for body positivity and inclusivity aligns with values such as empowerment, self-acceptance, and inclusiveness. By celebrating real beauty in various shapes, sizes, ages, and ethnicities, Dove attracts consumers who value authenticity and diversity, creating a strong emotional connection with their audience.
Understanding Brand Experience in the Mind & Memory’s Role in Brand Building
Brand experiences reside in memory as a result of cumulative interactions & associations. Positive experiences from using the product, good customer service, or memorable advertising contribute to a favorable brand experience. Memory plays a crucial role in building brands by storing associations, emotions, & positive feelings connected to a brand, whether implicitly or explicitly.
Positioning Through Packaging, Colour, and Shapes
Brands can position themselves effectively by employing distinctive packaging attributes. Elements like colour, shape, & brightness influence perception & help create a strong visual identity, aiding in brand recognition & differentiation from competitors.
Logo Creation Using Shapes and Colours for a Specific Product
The choice of shapes and colours for a product’s logo depends on the brand’s intended message & target audience. For instance, bold & angular shapes with vibrant colours might suit a tech product targeting a younger demographic, while softer, rounded shapes with calming colours could be suitable for a wellness brand targeting a more mature audience.
Launching a New Product: Strategies for Standing Out vs. Blending In
To stand out, strategies might include creating distinctiveness through unique attributes in packaging or signalling the goals the product helps consumers achieve. Conversely, blending in might involve leveraging familiarity gradually while balancing novelty to avoid overwhelming consumers. Establishing associations with positive emotions or clear messaging could help a new product blend in gradually.