Neuromarketing and behavioural science help us understand the unconscious processes that guide people’s decisions, including those linked to purchasing.
These disciplines offer marketing and communication professionals a deeper view of consumer behaviour, allowing them to shape more effective strategies and build stronger, long-lasting relationships between people and brands.
NEUROMARKETING
and behavioural sciences
basics
Did you know that…
Over 75% of the decisions we make every day, in any context, are guided first by unconscious processes that are instinctive, automatic and emotional?
In fact, rationality comes into play only afterwards, moderating the actions driven by the older and more primitive parts of our brain.
this happens because...
The brain is made up of three different parts, formed and structured at different stages of human evolution.
The PROTO-REPTILIAN BRAN, the oldest and most instinctive, is responsible for survival, and has a decisive influence on the decision-making process. It works in close contact with the LIMBIC SYSTEM, which processes emotions, also at an unconscious level and at a high speed.
The third and most recent part of the brain is the NEO-CORTEX, which is responsible for conscious and rational thought. Its operation requires a great deal of energy and cognitive effort, thus it operates slower than the aforementioned areas.
Three parts, two interdependent systems
The Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman was the first to theorize
the subdivision of the three brain parts into two different systems:
System 1 > proto-reptilian and limbic brain
System 2 > neo-cortex
System 1 is fast, automatic and intuitive. We rely on it to make decisions, take action and maintain habits we follow unconsciously. It works through intuition, associations and feelings. Guided by emotions, it is highly energy efficient.
System 2, on the other hand, is linked to the most recent part of our brain. It is slow and energy intensive, and its functioning is easily affected by stress or illness. System 2 relies on logic, analysis and rational thinking, and we use it to handle complex tasks, learn new things or engage in demanding conversations.
heuristics and cognitive biases
Our brain has limited attention and energy, so it tries to save resources through heuristics and cognitive biases.
HEURISTICS are mental shortcuts that allow us to quickly form a general idea about something without excessive cognitive effort and are a fundamental concept in neuromarketing research. They are strategies often based on memories, sensations and mental associations stored in our brain, and they are used frequently to draw conclusions and make quick decisions.
COGNITIVE BIASES are mental reflexes based on cognitive patterns that are not entirely accurate, because they stem from wrong or distorted perceptions, assumptions or ideologies that are not filtered through critical judgment.
nudges
Theorised by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein, nudges are interventions that leverage cognitive biases to modify behaviours and guide them towards more ethical and effective choices for individuals and society.
Mostly used in Behavioural Economics – the discipline that applies behavioural and cognitive science principles to decision-making in economic contexts – nudges are now applied effectively in areas beyond economics and into everyday life, ranging from social policies to advertising and communication.
emotions and senses
guide our decisions
Neuroscience has confirmed that non conscious emotional and cognitive processes are active when we decode communication, evaluate our adhesion to brand identity, and process our buying decisions, a set of mechanisms closely examined in neuromarketing.
It is emotions, decoded by the limbic brain, that influence our decisions at an unconscious level, and they must be taken strongly into account when it comes to facilitating and motivating a choice.
It must also be considered that brands and products exist in our mind as a network of images, largely connected to sensory features. This is why presenting stimuli that evoke touch, taste, smell, sight, or hearing triggers involvement and brings a vivid image of the brand to the consumer’s mind, thus facilitating his or her choice.
Cialdini’s Principles
Robert Cialdini, a Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University (USA), studied the main heuristic mechanisms behind unconscious behaviour. He theorised and described six principles to consider in persuasive communication.
The six principles are:
1. RECIPROCITY: when people receive a favour, they are more willing to return it. In other words, we are more likely to listen to or consider a proposal from a brand or a person if they have done something practical or meaningful for us.
2. COMMITMENT AND CONSISTENCY: people tend to perform actions that are consistent with those they have taken in the past, even when these new actions were not planned in advance.
3. SOCIAL PROOF: people often adjust their behaviour and decisions to match those of the majority.
4. LIKING: attractive or particularly likeable people are generally more persuasive.
5. AUTHORITY: people who hold a leadership position or are recognised as authorities have greater persuasive power. This is why many brands hire well known and acclaimed endorsers.
6. SCARCITY: consumers tend to hold a more positive, unconscious perception of what they see as exclusive or hard to obtain. Our brain is especially sensitive to the possibility of gaining, and even more of losing, something. “Flash” or limited time offers are based on this principle.
For more information on this topic, check out this article.
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