Every day, we’re inundated with messages that tout product features and promote deals. But what goes on in the brains of consumers when they encounter these marketing tactics?
People have become more and more dependent on the Internet for information in recent years, and this has led to a “digital revolution.”
Though traditional marketers are still able to maintain their promotional philosophy of offering a product or service with a catchy slogan that sticks in your head, they cannot measure a campaign’s effectiveness the way digital marketers can.
But for digital or traditional marketing, a campaign’s success relies on more than just a laundry list of metrics. A successful marketing campaign will have high engagement, and that means not only views but also social shares or scroll depth, subscriptions for newsletters – and even leads.
And while these are all indicators of campaign performance, they don’t necessarily tell you how many people clicked through your ad because they found what was being advertised compelling – which can be summed up as “emotional resonance.”
Since we still haven’t figured out how to accurately gauge this type of response, marketers need another way to determine whether their campaigns were worthwhile investments from the start.
Neuroscientists and marketers are taking their collaboration to the next level by merging neuroscience with marketing.
When it comes to marketing, marketers have always wanted a clear idea of what’s working and what isn’t. Neuromarketing attempts to solve that problem by using neuroscience techniques in order to predict the emotional resonance of campaigns even before they are launched.
This is done through measuring physiological responses like heart rate or brain activity in addition to cognitive engagement such as eye contact on ads.
These new technologies can show crucial factors about consumers, on how to keep them engaging emotionally with brands where traditional methods can’t, with any certainty, identify the best course for future campaigns.
Apple, for example, knows this and takes advantage of the science with their brilliantly crafted Mac commercials: Not only are they well-thought-out pieces in themselves, but each commercial advertises different coloured computers or devices which take full advantage of human psychology when we see those specific shades.
‘Neuromarketing may not sound sexy enough as part of its name, but these new findings open up all sorts of marketing opportunities’
For most of us who are not brain scientists, it can be hard to understand when something resonates with our emotions and gives us an “aha!” feeling. But there is hope for figuring out this mystery!
There are companies spearheading this movement and developing technology that will allow publishers enough insight into measuring their audience’s response without needing blood tests/brain scans!
Innovative, cutting-edge technology has been developed to measure the oxytocin levels in our bodies. There’s a new device, called INBand, which wraps around the arm and measures how quickly one’s heart rate will drop after being subjected to social interaction with another person or community for at least 15 minutes.
So, for now, we’re learning that when our brain synthesises a chemical while consuming marketing materials, it’s one of the best indicators of emotional engagement and, in turn, quality content.
The new trend of measuring “happiness” shows promising results as it relates to health benefits like improved moods and reduced stress hormones; however, these aren’t established scientific facts yet, so further research needs to be done before we can take this information at face value.
So, let’s first talk about how neuromarketing works:
You may have heard of the human brain as a computer. Well, it’s true! The three main parts of our thinking process are: conscious mind (what we can be aware of), subconsciousness-mind (the part that controls daydreaming and other typically unconscious actions) and memory banks in between those two minds.
Neuromarketers’ intention is to know all about these workings because they can use it for commercial gain by looking at how people feel when exposed to products or services through advertising techniques – so they can drive you to a situation where you’re more likely to “convert”.
It sounds a bit scary, but it is something we’re exposed to day by day. Want some examples?
It’s old news that ads with people are better effective than those without. Advertisers have long been able to boost sales for baby products using close-ups of adorable little faces – and images and videos that include babies tend to attract longer and get extra attention from potential customers.
Eye-tracking technology (also called heat maps) though shows this isn’t enough – because looking at those cute babies can lead customers to get distracted. The solution came from changing a little perspective: if the infant is directing its gaze at the product or text… then the viewer will in fact focus on the advertising content.
Now, babies are just an “emotional anchor” to get you to watch an ad, but it takes more than babies to get you to understand what the ad is talking about.
Another example is the packaging: “neuroimaging” is new method advertisers are using to better understand the human brain and its responses.
This technology has allowed companies such as Campbell’s and Frito-Lay to redesign their packaging with colours, text and imagery that evoke positive emotions in consumers, leading them to purchase more of these products than they otherwise would have done.
What I want to make clear here is that you don’t need to be a huge organisation to use neuromarketing on your business strategies. Check this out:
5 examples of how to implement neuromarketing in your business – and why you should start doing it now:
Never underestimate the power of a smile. The Journal of Neuroscience has revealed that laughter is contagious and happiness releases endorphins in the brain, promoting togetherness, social inclusion-making it one powerful emotion to harness for business purposes!
When you think about it this way, smiling at customers should not be seen as just doing something nice but rather an investment with high return rates.
Sensory marketing is when a business uses many different senses to create an engaging and positive impression for their brand.
It’s been shown that appealing to all five of the human senses increases attention, trustworthiness, and purchase intent from customers by incorporating multiple sensory experiences into one advertisement or event.
By using sights (e.g., cooking demonstrations), sounds (e-learning seminars with soundtracks) smells (adding your favourite smell in stores,) touch/feeling products (as well as taste/flavour samples at food festivals) businesses are able to appeal more fully on how we perceive our world around us through these various sensations
When it comes to the sales of your products, every detail counts. From where you put them in a store (near entrances or at eye level) and how they are presented on shelves with similar items around each other, or the smell of freshly baked bread; the sound of bubbling water coming from a nearby pot… all contribute to customer attention.
Subtle changes such as pleasant smells and lighting can redirect their focus onto new areas within the space that might not have been noticed before.
It doesn’t need to be an uphill battle to convince a customer they should do business with your company. Even though it mightn’t seem like a big deal, you never know when someone might change their mind at the last minute – or require further information before making their decision.
According to BrainFluence, you can build trust with customers by lowering barriers of entry to then lead people to convert.
For example, someone is more likely to go ahead and try your product than a company’s that asks them to submit credit card details upfront in the online ordering process.
Psychological “tricks” are often employed by brands in order to make consumers buy their products. One way is using specific price points like $9.99 or removing the dollar sign altogether, which tricks consumers into thinking they’re spending less money than something actually costs.
There are other subtle ways marketers can “trick” their customers into making a purchase; these include understanding how colour affects selling prices and shelf placement for different types of items (like food).
According to New Neuromarketing, when it comes down to which type sells better on shelves—products with light colours sell better when placed up high while dark-coloured products perform well in low spots near your feet.
Tracking customers’ gaze on advertisements or products is an important way to learn what grabs their attention. By understanding patterns in eye-tracking, you can determine how your customer views different aspects of a product and where they would most likely interact with it.
This information allows companies to redirect the focus of ads/products so that viewers are more inclined towards engagement with the company’s brand rather than offers from other brands.
With new technology available for use at retail locations such as cameras mounted above store counters, businesses now have access to valuable data about this natural behaviour pattern amongst shoppers within brick-and-mortar stores around the world.
And if you’re an online store, you can rely on tools that provide website heatmaps – a powerful way to understand what users do on your website pages, where they click, how far they scroll, what they look at or ignore.
When you know what the users are doing on your website, you can adjust your marketing strategy accordingly.
Neuromarketing may sound like a concept that’s super tech, but essentially, neuromarketing is just referring to having an understanding of how people interact with brands/products.
Many businesses tend to put “people’s feelings” aside and focus only on the commercial aspect – and that’s something that must be revised.
If you’re ready to implement strategies that will help you achieve success in your business, don’t hesitate to contact me.
It would be my pleasure to assist you in reaching your goals by walking you down an effective and sustainable path.