Neuromarketing
aInternational Journal of Psychophysiology 63 (2007) 199 – 204 www.elsevier.com/locate/ijpsycho
What is ‘neuromarketing’? A discussion and agenda for future research
Nick Lee ⁎, Amanda J. Broderick, Laura Chamberlain
Marketing Group, Aston Business School, Aston University, UK Received 1 February 2006; received in revised form 1 March 2006; accepted 30 March 2006 Available online 12 June 2006
Abstract Recent years have seen advances in neuroimaging to such an extent that neuroscientists are able to directly study the frequency, location, and timing of neuronal activity to an unprecedented degree. However, marketing science has remained largely unaware of such advances and their huge potential. In fact, the application of neuroimaging to market research – what has come to be called ‘neuromarketing’ – has caused considerable controversy within neuroscience circles in recent times. This paper is an attempt to widen the scope of neuromarketing beyond commercial brand and consumer behaviour applications, to include a wider conceptualisation of marketing science. Drawing from general neuroscience and neuroeconomics, neuromarketing as a field of study is defined, and some future research directions are suggested. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Neuroscience; Neuromarketing; Neuroeconomics; Marketing; Neuroimaging
1. Introduction Recent years have seen an explosion in the abilities of neuroscientists to directly study cortical activity in terms of frequency, time, and space. The psychological and physiological sciences have been quick to apply such techniques to make startling advances in our understanding of the brain and cognition. However, most social sciences have yet to adopt neuroimaging as a standard tool or procedure for research. In particular, while economics has begun to utilise neuroimaging techniques in its research – resulting in the creation of ‘neuroeconomics’ (e.g. Braeutigam, 2005; Kenning and Plassmann, 2005; Rustichini,
What is ‘neuromarketing’? A discussion and agenda for future research
Nick Lee ⁎, Amanda J. Broderick, Laura Chamberlain
Marketing Group, Aston Business School, Aston University, UK Received 1 February 2006; received in revised form 1 March 2006; accepted 30 March 2006 Available online 12 June 2006
Abstract Recent years have seen advances in neuroimaging to such an extent that neuroscientists are able to directly study the frequency, location, and timing of neuronal activity to an unprecedented degree. However, marketing science has remained largely unaware of such advances and their huge potential. In fact, the application of neuroimaging to market research – what has come to be called ‘neuromarketing’ – has caused considerable controversy within neuroscience circles in recent times. This paper is an attempt to widen the scope of neuromarketing beyond commercial brand and consumer behaviour applications, to include a wider conceptualisation of marketing science. Drawing from general neuroscience and neuroeconomics, neuromarketing as a field of study is defined, and some future research directions are suggested. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Neuroscience; Neuromarketing; Neuroeconomics; Marketing; Neuroimaging
1. Introduction Recent years have seen an explosion in the abilities of neuroscientists to directly study cortical activity in terms of frequency, time, and space. The psychological and physiological sciences have been quick to apply such techniques to make startling advances in our understanding of the brain and cognition. However, most social sciences have yet to adopt neuroimaging as a standard tool or procedure for research. In particular, while economics has begun to utilise neuroimaging techniques in its research – resulting in the creation of ‘neuroeconomics’ (e.g. Braeutigam, 2005; Kenning and Plassmann, 2005; Rustichini,