Goh Time MMSG May

This may have all started with René Descartes, Sigmund Freud, or perhaps Ivan Pavlov had a part to play. Whoever it was, the engine behind consumer behavioral studies in the marketing arena was jumpstarted as a result of the findings from the forefathers of psychology.

Penetrating into the minds of consumers and trying to determine what they really think is a phenomenal challenge.

Even today, most marketers rely on the traditional methods of decoding consumers' thoughts and preferences - either through face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, or other methodologies - to understand their purchase motivations. But how reliable are these results? Consumers don't always know what's on their mind, and even if they do, they're not always willing to disclose.

This probably explains why some marketers and agencies had to resort to their own experience and gut feel to make decisions that go against what research is telling them to do.

In recent years, some marketers have started to use "neuromarketing", a cognitive psychology in marketing and communication, as a way into consumers' minds.

Using brain scans isn't new in marketing. The technology first became available in 1994, and people who have adopted it so far have tended to be advertisers, not agencies. Neuroscience has been used to test branding recollection and purchasing behaviour on in industries/categories such as automotive, food and beverage, retail chains.

The food industry is one area in which the work has been exploited. As people grow older they lose their sense of smell, thus removing one central component that food companies have at their disposal in making their products attractive. MRI scans revealed

that appealing to the other senses can work just as well in influencing consumer purchase behaviour. Boosting the visual elements of foodstuffs, such as packaging and even the way they look, can compensate for the olfactory deficit.

Another example came from media agency PHD, which has adopted a neuroplanning system a few years ago to help model media plans for maximum engagement. The system

was developed by PHD in the UK a few years ago with UK-based Neurosense, a  specialist consultancy company which combines marketing expertise with cognitive neuroscientific methods such as psychology, psychophysics, and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to gain insights into consumer thought and behaviour.

One of the key benefits of using such techniques to determine consumer preference has one major advantage over traditional approaches. In a traditional focus group setting, the findings and views of the respondents can be largely influenced by the dynamics of the group - whether this is for testing of new products, brand statements, or creative. Sometimes, the conclusions of the group are also affected by the "marketing director wannabes" whose opinions may overwhelm the group's and inevitably, resulting in other respondents "hiding" how they really feel. Many of the media preference or impact tools used by other research agencies are based on such interventionist surveys. MRI scans bypass this altogether.

Imagine if the advertisers are able to decipher exactly what the consumers want in terms of tastes, colors, designs, occasions and so on. Success rates in product launches and other marketing endeavours will be much higher. Marketers and advertisers will not have to play guessing games since neuroscience will enable near-precise targeting to home in on consumers' "buy" buttons.

However, this will inevitably mean only advertisers who can afford such a big-ticket research expense will gain unparalleled knowledge of consumer behaviour - the big boys will get bigger, whilst the small ones will slowly fade into extinction. It will not be surprising to see neuromarketed goods on the market as early as next year. So, the question is, have we found the holy grail of marketing and advertising?

The emergence of neuroscience has spurred marketers to rethink their investment in conventional research methods. The truth of the matter is, neuromarketing alone is not a gamechanger for marketers. And the implications that neuroscience techniques will replace traditional forms of consumer research may not be true - not for the time being, anyway. The topmost practical reason is the cost factor - fMRIs and EEGs (electroencephalogram) can cost an arm and a leg - which will make it commercially prohibitive. Therefore, neuromarketing may still be limited to the big boys who can afford to use the science on pilot trials and key projects.

If you are still critical about neuromarketing, do remember it is not what people say, it is what they think that matters. At the end of the day, it's all in the mind.

Jim Goh
Executive director, business development
APAC, Omnicom Media Group