One of the most studied human organs right now is the brain. As a result, neuroscience, the scientific field devoted to understanding the nervous system — the brain, the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves — has been reaching into other disciplines.
One of them is marketing, and that fusion is where neuromarketing comes from. Neuromarketing is by now considered a science in its own right. Its purpose is to research and understand the factors that lead a consumer to decide on a purchase. It is a field that brings market knowledge together with principles of neuroscience to explain the logic of consumption and what motivates people.
Neuromarketing is built on technical and methodological tools that aim to understand the consumption journey through the processing of neurological information. By assessing brain activity — memories, perceptions and emotions — it seeks insight into the behaviours a consumer develops and their tendencies towards purchase. From there, more refined and precise marketing strategies can be developed.
Another characteristic is that this kind of scientific approach lets companies identify the sensory, cognitive and emotional stimuli that also shape post-purchase decisions. On the basis of that data, relationship strategies can be built, and with them brand loyalty.
Several techniques are used, including neuroimaging such as functional magnetic resonance, electroencephalography (EEG) and psychophysiological measurements, to analyse brain activity and people's emotional responses to sensory stimuli.
These tools allow a deeper analysis of consumer preferences and motivations, making it possible to create advertising campaigns that speak to an audience with far greater affinity.