In this article, we will go deeper into neuromarketing discussing what is it and how to implement it and give you the keys to apply it to your business. So, if this topic catches your attention, you will want to keep reading. Get into people’s minds with neuromarketing.
What is Neuromarketing?
Did you know that marketing and science have effectively developed a way to persuade the public? Neuromarketing is a branch that seeks to understand customers’ behavior when choosing (or not) to buy a product. Currently, this is one of the most widely used techniques to evaluate a good or service’s consumption and performance in the market.
When neuroscience and marketing merge, we get a method for examining the public’s attention levels to a given product. Neuromarketing is usually applied in the phase before the launch of a good or service to the market, with the aim of evaluating the positive and negative points; and working on them until it is ready. In other words, it is like a test.
To understand what neuromarketing is, we must be clear that we are exposed to a great deal of advertising. It is normal to see at least 100 different commercials a day: online ads, billboards, or different kinds of advertising paper help us to buy something. But of them, only a couple fulfill their main objective: to sell you something. Why does this happen? Because the competition between brands is so intense, advertising is increasingly aggressive, and the brain tends to reject it.
Can you imagine the amount of information our brain has to process daily? According to statistics, more than 20 billion neurons work to process visual information alone. Now, imagine adding auditory and text stimuli to that. It’s no wonder that, at the end of the day, we end up saturated and fed up with everything.
In so much mental noise, neuromarketing appears as a series of techniques that help agencies and companies measure the level of interest consumers will have in a product. How do they achieve this? By testing stimuli in advertisements. In this way, they can predict whether the product will sell or not and make the necessary corrections in the communication campaign.
Neuromarketing Techniques
Now that you know what neuromarketing is, it is time to learn about the techniques used by consultants specialized in this type of persuasion. Below, we describe them briefly.
Electromyography (EMG)
This neuromarketing technique has to do with the expressions we make when we are confronted with a product. Whether consciously or unconsciously, our faces can express signals of liking or disliking people, objects, or ideas. Just remember that advertisement you see everywhere, of which you are already tired. You probably frown, twist your mouth or grimace. Electromyography works with intradermal microneedles that measure facial muscle activity. It is closely related to our reactions to particular things (in this case, a particular product). In addition, this technique can measure movements or twitches so fast that they may be imperceptible visually.
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)
It is a slightly more complex neuromarketing technique. It has to do with the electrical variations in our skin that happen according to our level of sweating. The secretion of sweat (which, in the end, ends up being water, an electrical conductor) is governed by the nervous system and is therefore treated as an emotional indicator.
When we are nervous or in a state of emotional arousal (e.g., excited or very angry), our sweat glands secrete more water. This, in turn, increases the skin conductance level, which is picked up by the GSR system. It is less accurate than the previous method, but it definitely helps to pick up emotional peaks. But how is the galvanic skin response measured? Usually, two electrodes are placed on the second and third fingers of a hand, and the variation of a low-voltage current applied to the electrodes is evaluated. However, more commercial versions involving special bracelets or watches have also been developed.
Also read: Four ways to build a great marketing team
Eye Tracking
It is a system that, using a high-speed camera, measures the movement of the eyeball to identify the most important points of attention in an image or video. It can also identify and calculate pupil dilation and blinking.
It has probably happened to you that, while watching an advertisement, one element catches your attention more than the others. It may be a telephone number, a photograph, or a particular word. The eye-tracking technique can reveal this information so that the professionals in charge of the examination can analyze what works in the stimulus and what does not. From this information, the famous heat maps are created, with the areas where the eyes paused the longest.
Heart Rate Test
It is the best-known neuromarketing method and the easiest to interpret. To apply it, it is necessary to measure a person’s heart rate when exposed to a stimulus. The indicators of interest are the acceleration and deceleration of the heartbeat, which are associated with interest and disinterest in something.
Mental measurements
There are neuromarketing techniques that are closely related to brain activity. To measure them, it is necessary to do particular laboratory tests, such as:
- Electroencephalography: electrodes are placed on the person’s scalp to detect which areas of the brain activity occur in response to a stimulus.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging: Unlike the previous one, this one analyzes more specific and deeper brain areas.
- Magnetoencephalography: It measures the magnetic fields produced in the brain with neuronal activity. It is much more precise than electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Neuromarketing is postulated as the tool of the future to be able to perfect the world of advertising and better reach the customer. Now that you know its bases and how it works, would you apply it? Look for a professional and throw yourself into the ring. We hope you found this article useful, and remember to share it with your colleagues. See you next time, marketer!
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