Neuromarketing: a Tool to Understand Consumer Behaviour

Abstract

This paper studies the concept of neuromarketing in consumer behaviour, emphasising the fact that consumers are not entirely rational in their decision-making process, because emotions influence their behaviour. Consequently, the neuromarketing field emerged as a way to understand the subconscious motivations of consumers. The scientific problem of this paper is to analyse how neuromarketing techniques can be effectively integrated with traditional marketing research methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour. It emphasises the fact that traditional marketing research tools may not reveal all essential insights into consumer behaviour research. Therefore, market research practices should employ neuromarketing tools such as eye tracking, facial expression analysis, biometrics and neuronal activity measurements. First, six principal neuromarketing research areas are identified: branding, product design and innovation, advertising effectiveness, shopper decision-making, online experiences, and entertainment effectiveness. Next, a simplified human behaviour model, consisting of three phases, unconscious, conscious and observable, is discussed. Finally, the paper focuses on criticisms of neuromarketing and ethical issues.