Archive for February, 2009



13
Feb
09

Yes, But Does Neuromarketing Work?

Even though it’s been around for a while now, neuromarketing is still very much in its early stages of research and application. But we all want to know, does it work? And how well?

Dr. A.K. Pradeep, CEO of Neurofocus, is back to talk about predicting marketplace performance. Probably the most compelling point he makes is when he explains how a major insurance company brought him six ads to study with neuromarketing.

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Neurofocus chose the one they deemed “most effective.” Other highly rated marketing research companies deemed that same ad as “most mediocre.” But the insurance company’s independent studies showed that the ad in question garnered the highest response rate among consumers. (Details at 1:20)

Yes. It works. And well. So get ready for it. Soon it will be everywhere.

12
Feb
09

The Ethics of Mind Control

Mind control? Really? That’s what I keep reading in reference to the ethics of neuromarketing. Just because someone knows how to push your buttons doesn’t make it mind control. But it’s definitely intimate.

There are also a lot of references to the movie “Minority Report” and how the technology recognized Tom Cruise’s character and showed ads that spoke directly to him (you know we’re going there). Surely neuromarketing is the beginning of our road to such a place, but I have to say that I’d be happy to never see another ad for a ladies’ razor or have to hear about those “not so fresh days.” I want ads that appeal to me and me alone. Otherwise they are an annoyance.

I’m crawling down off my soapbox now to admit that I’m focused purely on the silver lining of all things neuromarketing, and to ask for your opinion. There are no videos today. No links. No photos to entice you to read. Just a pure platform for your thoughts on the ethics of everything we’ve talked about this week.

So spill it. Or I’ll be forced to read your mind.

Tomorrow: Our last day of neuromarketing and the official word of whether or not it actually works.

11
Feb
09

How Did Neuromarketing Not Catch This?

The following video is supposed shows that warning labels on cigarettes make smokers want to smoke more. How do we know this? Neuromarketing! But you are supposed to buy the book, Buyology, written by Martin Lindstrom (featured in this morning’s post) to find out why this is.  Watch the vid and I’ll tell you what’s wrong with it:

Why This Ad Makes Me Want To Smoke

I was a smoker for 11 years and have been smoke-free for three. And you don’t have to hook me up to a machine for me to be able to tell you that showing cigarette smoke in such a seductive manner makes me want a cigarette. Everyone I know who smokes would agree.

In college, I read “One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn—a book chock full of smokes. This led to a discussion on the hypothesis that smokers enjoy seeing smoke from their lungs is because it puts them in touch with their own mortality. (Before any of you non-believers declare this as “stupid”, know that the same can be said for those who partake in extreme sports or even who enjoy driving fast.)

You Would Think They’d Catch This

After all, if reading the warning label compels smokers to smoke, why wouldn’t seeing the smoke itself? It’s all about how we play with our mortality and why danger can sometimes be so attractive.

I have done a lot of research on neuromarketing and have learned in past few days to respect Martin Lindstrom. However, this is a great chance for us to remember that neuromarketing is no substitute for knowing your market and common sense.

11
Feb
09

Did Obama Neuromarket Himself Into the White House?

I’m not making any accusations here, but political figures do indeed use neuromarketing to help them with their campaigns. And let’s face it, Obama’s campaign was one of the most brilliant political (and even nonpolitical?) campaigns we’d seen in decades.

Now, while I actually have no scruples about whether or not I’m advertised to with neuromarketing, I do have concerns with the political side of this. I EXPECT ads to tell me what I want to hear, to put things in an attractive light.

But while I understand why politicians need to be attractive to their “markets”, I’m not comfortable with them catering their messages to my brain responses. After all, we’re supposed to elect them because they are genuine.

The short video below is from AdAge and discusses the controversy of brain scanning in political ads. For more on Obama’s campaign, check out this article in Time.

10
Feb
09

I Can Make You Read This

980734_18929264Studies show that you aren’t reading this sentence because of the title or because you are interested in what I have to say, but because you like the photo.

Why? Because the photo is eliciting some kind of emotional response in you, therefore your eyes are being drawn to it, and you choose to read this story to find out what the heck it’s all about.

In a Telegraph article, Paul Bray states:
“There are…’mammalian’ elements dealing with the senses and emotions…most decisions are based on emotion and rationalized afterwards…this makes life more fun for most of us…but a nightmare for designers and advertisers.”

EMOTION IS KILLING THE FOCUS GROUP

When in a focus group, participants tend to tell you their rationalizations, not their emotions. After all, we can’t communicate raw emotion. We can show it in our faces, but then it’s up to others to rationalize it for us. And when someone asks us how we feel about something, we have to find ways to “put it into words.” But words just won’t do.

That’s why neuromarketing is on its way to replacing focus groups. We can now study the brain’s reaction without human rationalization. No more failed product launches because I can show you images and see your raw emotional responses. Packaging can be designed to ensure your hand grabs my company’s box of crackers off the shelf.

Even now, cars are being designed with neuromarketing technology to ensure you react to the grille and headlights (does it look like a face to you? You don’t know it makes you more likely to buy).

I’M NOT GOING TO GET INTO ETHICS

Sure it’s mind reading, but I’d be a much happier person if I liked everything I saw. I would be broke and wanting, but what an aesthetic world I would live in.

Tomorrow: Did President Obama neuromarket his way into the White House?

10
Feb
09

What Does Neuromarketing Really Measure?

Would you be surprised to know that attention deficit disorder research, mania and phobia research (I hate spiders, myself) and Alzheimer’s research are the keys to neuromarketing?

Dr. A.K. Pradeep, CEO of NeuroFocus discusses how attention, emotion and memory retention are the key things his company measures and why they matter. This is a great video that further breaks down the science of neuromarketing.

NeuroFocus is a breakthrough company in Berkely, CA that applies the latest advances in neuroscient to advertising while measuring attention challenges, emotional engagement and memory retention.

09
Feb
09

Watch How the Brain Reacts

This video shows how the brain responds to a Range Rover ad. I watched it a few times and it’s interesting to think about why parts of the ad make the brain “light up” at certain times. Why do you think this is?

Sands Research, based in El Paso, TX, does analyses on neuromarketing. This includes the annual analysis of the Super Bowl ads and their levels of emotional engagement.

09
Feb
09

Neuromarketing: What’s In a Brain?

1072657_92388444 Neuromarketing is an emerging trend that studies the brain’s reactions to various stimuli in ads, messages, visuals and marketing tactics, and then seeks to apply those findings in a way that makes marketing more effective.

Truly, this is a subject that can be discussed for quite some time. But rather than have you read endless amounts of copy about what neuromarketing is and how it works, I’ve decided to feature videos and other helpful bits from industry professionals on the subject.

As today is the first day of a full week of neuromarketing, we’re going to start with the basics. Did you know that Germany, Britain and America are the leaders in the study and application of neuromarketing?  Michael Brammer knew.

As chairman of Neurosense, a UK-based neuromarketing consultancy, Brammer definitely knows his stuff. Below is an interview in which Brammer talks about:
•    blogs as a form of neuromarketing
•    the future of neuromarketing
•    how it actually helps marketers
•    and practical applications on neuromarketing

For such a meaty subject, Brammer does a great job of simplifying the key ideas behind it—despite the pushy interviewer’s aggressive questioning.

This is a 6-minute clip but it’s worth every second. So press play and keep working while you listen, or sit back and enjoy.

More great videos and examples coming later today!

06
Feb
09

Ten Web Sites to Watch This Year

Ever heard of Qik? How about Blip.fm? Me neither. But according to Mark Sullivan of PC World, these are two of the top 10 Web sites he predicts will become popular in 2009.

Many of these sites seem to provide great solutions to help organize our lives and make them easier. I can definitely see why they’re predicted to rise to the top this year, especially as we become more entrenched in social networking, travel more often and demand instant entertainment in the palms of our hands.

Following is Mark’s full list:

1)    TV.com – Offers full-length movies and prime-time TV shows
2)    Qik – Enables you to share live video from your phone
3)    Boxee – Gathers video from the Web and puts it in an interface that can be accessed on your PC or TV
4)    BlackBerry Application Storefront – Displays and sells applications for BlackBerry users
5)    Loopt – Provides the ability to detect the location of the mobile application user and mixes location awareness with social networking
6)    Blip.fm – “Like Twitter for music.” Listen to songs and read other users comments (Blips) about them.
7)    Power.com – “The ‘social inter-networking’ site. Lets you log in once, then view (and post to) any of a long list of social networking sites that you sync the service up with — all from one place.”
8)    Tweetag – Enables you to search for trends in what is being said on Twitter as well as find discussions of topics you’re interested in.
9)    Hi5 – “The third-largest social network in the world”
10)  Tripit – “Tripit aggregates all [your travel] details, throws in some handy tools like maps, local attractions, dinner reservations and weather reports, and wraps it up in an easy-to-use master itinerary.”

05
Feb
09

Happy Birthday Facebook!

You’ve done it! You’ve made it five years. And you actually show no sign of slowing down. That’s truly amazing for any Web application, isn’t it? Let’s see what you’ve accomplished since your 2004 birth in a Harvard campus dorm room:

  • Originally called, “the facebook”, and only meant to be an inter-campus social site, 1200 people signed up for you in the first hour of your existence.
  • With in a year, you earned your true name, “Facebook” and it was estimated that 85% all of American college students were a part of your world.
  • Last year, the High Court of Australia ruled that you were a valid protocol to serve court notices to defendants.
  • Today, you are in 35 languages, with another 60 planned, and only half of your users are college students, with your largest growing market now being the over 30 group.
  • And now, Sony Pictures and the creator of West Wing are discussing a movie about your creation!

You’ve done a lot in your five years. If you were a human being, you’d still be taking naps in kindergarten. Hmm. A nap sounds pretty good about now…

picture-6

Read the birthday blog post from Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, here.




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