Mainline Marketing: The Future Of Neuromarketing Essay Example
Mainline Marketing: The Future Of Neuromarketing Essay Example

Mainline Marketing: The Future Of Neuromarketing Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 10 (2533 words)
  • Published: March 31, 2018
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Currently, there are three main non-invasive methods used to measure physiological responses to advertising stimuli: electroencephalography (EGG), magneto encephalographic (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fem.). These methods are currently utilized by businesses, entertainment industries, architecture firms, and politicians. The practice of enumerating is highly controversial as it involves measuring the effects of various stimuli on brain activity and drawing conclusions related to consumer behavior.

Academic disciplines primarily focus on understanding how different combinations of stimuli affect human decision-making in order to improve quality of life, while corporations and individuals in Laos are more concerned with increasing wealth and power. The controversy surrounding enumerating stems from the lack of ethical boundaries, limited transparency from enumerating firms, limited knowledge of complex brain functions, and the prevalence of companies applying neuroscience methodologies without a background in neuroscien

...

ce.

Due to the uncertainties surrounding enumerating, it is understandable that the media and consumer alert groups are spreading messages of fear regarding mind-reading and mind-control. Although enumerating emerged in 2002, it is still a relatively new concept that has gained more attention since 2010.

This paper will discuss the methods for collecting and analyzing data, ethical implications, current applications, and future possibilities. The use of interdisciplinary teams comprising neurologists, biologists, chemists, psychologists, psychiatrists, physiologists, consumer behaviorists, and marketing professionals with Pad's is crucial in properly guiding the potential of enumerating to enhance communication, learning, and products and services for consumers. Cooperation between these disciplines is essential for understanding the correlation between mankind's perception of stimuli and its impact on consumer behavior. In Moron's (2011) article on brain mapping methods, he highlights the advantages and disadvantages of three non-invasive methods currently

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

employed. The first method involves using EGG to track electrical currents within synaptic connections that are triggered by different stimuli. Although EGG is effective in capturing rapid changes in brain activity over short intervals, it has limited spatial resolution and cannot provide an accurate correlation between brain activity and stimuli.According to Moron (2011), the insights gained from using EGG alone are insufficient to understand the cognitive process responsible for brain activity. However, MEG offers better temporal and spatial resolution compared to EGG, although it is limited to surface brain activity, making subtropical imaging impossible. Moron (2011) further adds that specific frequency bands in MEG have been correlated with cognitive tasks such as object recognition, verbal working memory, and event recall. Despite its limitations, MEG technology cannot provide useful data on higher cognitive functions and emotional reactions. On the other hand, fem can map the BOLD response related to neuronal activity influenced by specific stimuli, with optimal spatial resolution but slow speeds. Moron (2011) highlights fem's advantage in imaging deep brain structures involved in emotional responses. In conclusion, Moron suggests that most researchers working with MEG combine both MEG and fem for their studies.According to Moron (2011, p.134), optimizing temporal and spatial resolution is essential while providing the added value of timestamping cognitive sequences at incredible speed, within just a few milliseconds. Moron believes that enumerating, or listing out information, is beneficial and represents the future of marketing, a view I agree with. Utilizing neuroscience to map brain activity in response to different stimuli has endless potential in understanding consumer behavior triggers. Currently, technology limits us to fixed positions with limited motion, limiting our ability to

test certain senses. However, as technology progresses, the ability to simulate real-world experiences that encompass all senses simultaneously will provide more accurate results. Combining magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional electrical mapping (fem.) in the future will better reflect real-world outcomes. In an article by Keller, Lee, Chamberlain, and Rainmaker (2013), they distinguish between the scientific and business perspectives on enumerating. Consumer neuroscience, from a scientific standpoint, aims to improve the consumer's quality of life, while enumerating from a business perspective focuses primarily on conducting experiments and interpreting research for financial gain. Savor et al. present a case application by McClure et al.The research aims to study brain activity related to brand preference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The DELFT (doorplates preferential cortex) is activated during the representation and integration of goals and reward. On the other hand, the FMP (ventricular preferential cortex) is associated with decision making and brand preference. This experiment suggests that preference is processed in different brain areas depending on sensory information, such as taste. However, the DELFT, hippopotamus, and mandarin show enhanced response when judgments are based on both sensory inputs and the brand. The study also highlights the importance of nationalizing for brand success and suggests subconscious and emotional factors in consumption behavior. Interestingly, blindfolded consumers preferred the taste of Pepsi, but brain activity remained uniform for both brands. However, when consumers could see which brand they were consuming, the results overwhelmingly favored Coca Cola. Very few corporations are sharing their results despite the use of enumerating techniques. The article by Rarely and Berne (2010) discusses various applications of enumerating techniques in fields such as architecture, entertainment, and politics.The article includes two

lists in the appendices, one displaying optimal locations for implementing enumerating applications in product development using fem.technologies, and another listing ethical issues and things to consider when hiring an enumerating firm. According to Rarely and Berne (2010), fem.can be used during the design process to refine the product before release, or after the product is fully designed to measure neural responses as part of an advertising campaign. In an article by Fisher, Chin, and Assailant (2010), it is emphasized that assessing the scientific authenticity of enumerating companies is important before randomly selecting one. They found that out of 16 enumerating companies analyzed, 5 offered fem.services, 9 offered EGG services, and 12 offered various other neuroscience-related technologies such as magneto encephalographic, software services, eye tracking, galvanic skin response, electrocardiography, electromyography, and analysis of pupil dilation, blush, blinking, heartbeat, or breathing. One company did not offer any technology.Instead of offering comprehensive market research methods, the companies in question solely rely on focus groups and other basic strategies. However, they attempt to make these methods seem more scientific by incorporating neuroscience terminology (232). Additionally, only five out of the companies employ academics, and just nine involve professionals with PhDs or medical backgrounds. As a result, it becomes challenging to find a trustworthy company for conducting accurate surveys. The analysis of the previous company's survey can be found in Appendix C at the end of this paper. Consequently, there is a proliferation of inexperienced companies that promise neuroscience-based results but fail to deliver satisfactory data. This trend adds to the growing list of fraudulent practices.

Considering the existing literature, it is evident that market research is still an emerging field

that struggles to maintain credibility in a profit-driven business environment. Our limited understanding of the human brain and its influence on consumer behavior poses a constraint on accurate enumeration. Moreover, we have only a few technologies, such as EGG, MEG, and fem, capable of interpreting synaptic responses and increased BOLD activity. However, these technologies offer only a fragmentary view of the complex human brain. The experiment comparing Coca Cola and Pepsi mentioned in Savor et al.'s (2013) research further emphasizes the fact that each technology provides only a small piece of the puzzle due to its limited focus compared to the brain's complexity.The key to gaining a deeper comprehension of the stimuli that provoke consumer behavior can only be achieved by incorporating numerous technologies to create a more comprehensive picture. Over time, technological advancements and an improved understanding of neuroscience will unfold. Doctors such as Fisher et al. (2010) argue that ethical guidelines and transparency are unnecessary, suggesting that intervention may be warranted if enumerating could truly manipulate consumer behavior undetected. However, current technology does not allow for this practice, known as stealth enumerating (p. 235). While the need for ethical standards in enumerating may seem premature given the technology used for data collection and analysis, I believe it is crucial to act proactively. Once understanding and technology are in place, attempting to catch up with regulatory measures will be too late. The code of ethics for enumerating should encompass concerns such as transparency, privacy rights, discrimination, regulatory voids, and potential health risks. Additionally, many enumerating firms lack qualified personnel with neuroscience backgrounds, rendering their data less valuable.Too many companies are embracing this trend with

hopes of finding the "buy button" that will enable them to create and promote products in order to increase their profits. In the near future, using enumeration could lead to better products being available at a lower price, benefiting consumers. If companies save money by conducting enumeration tests before investing in production, those savings could be passed on to consumers. However, I am skeptical about this and believe that corporations will prioritize financial gain over consumer well-being.

In conclusion, the future of enumeration relies on advancements in both understanding the human brain and the technologies used to analyze its synaptic and BOLD activities in response to various stimuli. Another possibility is developing a Bio-Anna-Chip with EGG, MEG, or fem.capabilities to safely implant into key brain response centers. This would allow data to be collected from a select group of volunteers over several weeks and transmitted via RIFF technologies to a portable hard drive.Currently, the best approach is to implement all technologies simultaneously and create a realistic shopping experience, incorporating real-world stimuli, to accurately assess consumer behavior. Virtual reality technology can enhance the experiment by providing visuals and mobility without physical movement. Additionally, a code of ethics should be drafted, agreed upon, and enforced by a diverse board of directors from relevant academic disciplines.

It is imprudent to wait for misuse of research enumeration to shut down companies that falsely claim to provide enumeration research without meeting basic requirements such as technology and qualified staff. In the future, enumeration will streamline the product development cycle and enhance consumer quality of life. The benefits of enumeration outweigh the risks.

References:
- Rarely, D., Berne, G. S. (2010). Enumerating: the hope

and hype of nonrecurring in business. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(4), 284-292. DOI: 10.1038/ nunnery
- Fisher, C. E., Chin, L., Kleptomania, R. (2010). Defining enumeration: practices and professional challenges. Harvard Review of Psychiatry (Taylor & Francis Ltd), 18(4), 230-237. DOI: 10.3109/10673229.2010In the study "Enumerating and consumer resilience: contributions to neurology" by Savor et al. (2013), the authors discuss the potential ethical issues surrounding the introduction of nonrecurring into an environment focused on increasing product sales to consumers. The concern revolves around the privacy of thoughts, as businesses may gain the ability to read the minds of consumers. It is questioned whether nonrecurring can be used to gauge a person's preferences beyond the specific task at hand. Transparency of purpose is suggested as a potential solution, where subjects are made aware of the purpose they are contributing to, and their data is only used for that purpose.

The discussion also explores the need for individuals to have control over revealing their personal preferences. If nonrecurring reveals private preferences that are unrelated to the research question on neurotransmitters, it can be considered a privacy breach. Furthermore, concerns arise about using this information to discriminate against or exploit specific individuals or groups based on their neurological traits. The utilization of nonrecurring data has the potential to target marketing efforts towards specific people or subgroups.This tactic, exploiting a biological weakness that only exists in some individuals, may be repugnant to many people. It can also be used to strategically time pricing moves based on specific biological states, such as increasing beverage prices when someone is known to be thirsty. There are two routes of influence: central and peripheral. The central route

influences consumer preferences by emphasizing the functional aspects of a product, while the peripheral route manipulates preferences through elements indirectly related to the product, such as the sex appeal of people in advertisements. Nonrecurring could potentially enhance both types of influence, but optimizing the peripheral route is considered ethically dubious by some. Generalizing brain responses obtained from a small group of subjects to a large population is a common practice in scientific literature. However, if nonrecurring is used in product design and leads to harm, it would bear some responsibility. Abnormal findings account for approximately 1% of symptoms, and the clinical significance of an MR abnormality is unknown. Some will be false positives, while others will require referral and treatment. Currently, there is no standard procedure for handling these situations.

Having a written policy for abnormal findings is a standard practice. However, not having one exposes the enumerating firm and clients to medical liability. Traditional marketing methods have not been subject to oversight by institutional review boards (IRB) because they are not considered experimentation. While MR scans are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use, marketing settings may bypass FDA and IRB requirements since no diagnosis is being made. It is advisable for the growing enumerating industry to adopt an industry standard of independent review, which clients should demand.

The public's reaction to nonrecurring usage in product design or marketing is an important consideration. Genetically modified food can provide insight into the public's response. Companies may not always prioritize the consumer's best interests. The relationship between companies and consumers is complex, with some goals being compatible while others conflict. On

one hand, companies aim to design, manufacture, and sell products that consumers want, resulting in mutually beneficial goals. On the other hand, companies may prioritize maximizing short- or long-term profits, potentially at the expense of consumers.

Understanding consumer preferences can be utilized for both beneficial purposes, serving the interests of both companies and their consumers, as well as for objectives that solely benefit the company at the expense of their consumers. The decision on which approach neurotransmitters choose remains uncertain (Rarely and Berne 2010, p.289).

Appendix B provides a non-exhaustive list of standard practices in applying nonrecurring methods in cognitive neuroscience and related fields when hiring an enumerating firm (Rarely and Berne 2010, p.289).

To determine the gains from nonrecurring, competent neurotransmitters will thoroughly examine the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal, including comparing it to traditional methods. For instance, they will assess what nonrecurring can yield compared to conventional approaches (Rarely and Berne 2010, p.289).

In order to derive meaningful insights from brain activation, it is important to correlate it with another measurement. Merely assessing brain activation without anchoring it with another behavioral measurement is generally unhelpful. Therefore, it is necessary to have an additional behavioral measurement to provide context for interpreting brain activation. Any claims suggesting that an individual's thoughts can be determined solely based on brain activation should be viewed skeptically (Rarely and Berne 2010, p.289).

The number of subjects required for the research also needs to be considered (Rarely and Berne 2010, p.289).A sample size of at least 30 is required for any task that expects individual responses to vary, except for the simplest tasks (REF. 4). When comparing groups or treatments, a larger sample size

is needed to detect differences. When characterizing simple stimuli, each element should be varied one at a time. For meaningful results, a minimum of 10 repetitions within a stimulus category are needed for statistical power, although 20-30 repetitions are more likely to achieve meaningful results. The type of software used to analyze nonrecurring data is not mentioned.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New