An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing

We first need to define the field – what are the key concepts, what are the key methods and reasons for employing neuroscience to study consumers and communication effects? In this module, we will introduce the topic and how some specific studies provide key insights into what neuroscience has to offer in relationship with more traditional methods.

In the second module of this course we are turning to the functions of the brain, and we will first focus on attention and consciousness. This module will focus on some key concepts in attention and consciousness.

In this module we will have contents filled on the topic of sensory neuromarketing. How are our senses affected differently as consumers? What can you do to organise your communications to better use all the senses? How does the brain actually use the senses? What tools do we have for assessing the use of senses, and how they affect consumers?

In this module, everything is about emotions and feelings, and the relationship between emotions and preference. As we will see, our minds have a dual side: a conscious and an unconscious response and motivation, which are crucial to understanding consumer preference and choice. Indeed, unconscious emotional responses may turn out to be driving consumer choice to the same - or even larger - degree than conscious feelings. Are conscious feelings a mere after-the-fact rationalization upon conscious choice?

This module will focus on Learning & Memory. We will determine not only that there are multiple kinds of memory, but that they also serve multiple purposes. If anything, learning is the vehicle we need to understand the most in consumer behaviour. What causes memory, and can we be affected unconsciously by our memories? How can we measure memory effects, and what is the relationship between brand equity and the brain? This module, we also have an interview with Prof. Richard Silberstein, who shares his view on neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience. Prof. Silberstein is the Founder and chairman of the neuromarketing company Neuro-Insight (http://www.neuro-insight.com/).

This module, we will focus on both the ethics of neuromarketing, as well as aberrant consumer behaviours. We see that consumer choice can sometimes become the centre focus on a person's life, be it pathological gambling, "shopaholism" or digital dependencies. This module, we will focus on some of these issues, and combine them with the ethical aspects that we face when talking neuro. This module we also end off with two interviews: one with Prof. Jan Trzaskowksi at the CBS, who is working on marketing and the law, where we discuss what the ethical and legal aspects of neuromarketing is. As you will see, Jan has a very particular take on this that I am sure you will find interesting. Our second interview is with Carl Marci, who is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Innerscope Research (http://innerscoperesearch.com/) on his background and their take on neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience.