Reflection on Neuromarketing

Due to the brain recording of an emotional stimuli, the more there is of emotion, the more an ad is effective. However, it is difficult to determine how an ad taps into emotions and this is where neuroscience gets interesting for both the advertising manager and the client. By evaluating what appears engaging to someone, section by section, neuroscience enables a better understanding of why emotional ad campaigns work. Furthermore, as stated in the New York Times web article “Making Ads That Whisper to the Brain” written by Natasha Singer, 98% of the brain’s activity is unconscious. As a result, neuromarketing can be useful by going beyond the traditional market research methods as consumer surveys and focus groups to have a better overview of consumers thinking.
In the Hahn tv spot, alike the P&G ad that we have seen in class, the neuro testing report shows that some segments are more stimulating than others. It also demonstrates that some parts are more appealing to one gender to another for example. However, beyond the gender, some segments stand out like the drum kit scene which was really effective thanks to a good memory encoding. As a consequence, lessons can be drawn by the brand: this scene could be used by the brand in their communication strategy.
Moreover, what I found particularly fascinating was the link between an effective ad from the neuroscience point of view and its effect on sales. The internet article “IPA Effectiveness Award winner John Lewis credits Neuro-Insight research” from neuro-insight.com written by Joe Fernandez highlights the strong correlation between these two elements. Indeed, John Lewis’ Christmas 2011 advertising campaign was awarded the Grand Prix at the IPA Effectiveness Awards has led to an important increase the sales and the profit of the brand as a consequence of a change in consumer behavior and perception.
However, from a consumer point of view, I consider that neuromarketing is, in a way, a “drift” in our