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Marketing and Neuroscience What Drives Customer Decisions? A White Paper Based on the American Marketing Association’s Virtual Event Marketing and Neuroscience: What Drives Customer Decisions? Featuring: Barbara O’Connell, Senior Vice President, Consumer Neuroscience Practice, North America, Millward Brown Steven Walden, Senior Head of Research and Consulting, Beyond Philosophy Andrew Pohlmann, Managing Partner Professional Services, NeuroFocus Connecting. Informing. Advancing.

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1AmericanMarketingAssociation|Connecting.Informing.Advancing.

Marketing and NeuroscienceWhat Drives Customer Decisions?

AWhitePaperBasedontheAmericanMarketingAssociation’sVirtualEventMarketingandNeuroscience:WhatDrivesCustomerDecisions?

Featuring:

Barbara O’Connell, SeniorVicePresident,ConsumerNeurosciencePractice,NorthAmerica,MillwardBrown

Steven Walden,SeniorHeadofResearchandConsulting,BeyondPhilosophy

Andrew Pohlmann,ManagingPartnerProfessionalServices,NeuroFocus

Connecting.Informing.Advancing.

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About this white paper:

OnMay10.2011,theAmericanMarketingAssociationheldavirtualevententitled:MarketingandNeuroscience:WhatDrivesCustomerDecisions.Thisuniqueeventgivesmarketersanopportunitytogainaccesstoleadingexpertsintheneurosciencefieldwhoareusingneurosciencetosupplementandenhancetheirresearchandmarketinginitiatives.

Attendeesoftheeventlearnedhowneuroscienceisbeingutilizedbyleadingcompaniestouncoverthehiddendriverswithinacustomer’sdecisionmakingprocess.Duringtheeventweexploredwhichneuroscience-basedtechniquesaremosteffectiveandlearnedaboutpracticalapplicationsforthiscuttingedgetechnologythatcanhelpmarketerstogainbottom-lineresults

Sessions:

Increasing our Brainpower: Using Neuroscience Effectively

Barbara O’Connell, SeniorVicePresident,ConsumerNeurosciencePractice,NorthAmerica,MillwardBrown

Scientificresearchinmultiplefields,suchasneuroscience,behavioraleconomicsandpsychology,hashighlightedthatconsumers’decisionsaredrivenasmuchbygutinstinctasconsideredthought.Yethowcanmarketersunderstandsomethingasnebulousas“gutfeel”?Overthepastfewyears,therehavebeenanincreasingnumberofagencieswhoaredeployingmethodsusedbyneuroscientiststoanswermarketingquestionsthatconventionalresearchcannot.

Barbarawilltalkaboutwhatinformationthesemethodscanprovidetomarketers,whentheymakesense,andbestpracticestokeepinmindwhenemployingthem.

Exploring the “Neuro” Frontier: 10 Psychological Principles of Customer Experience Management

Steven Walden, SeniorHeadofResearchandConsulting,BeyondPhilosophy

Today,theabilitytoleverageemployeeandcustomerassetstoextendbrandimpact,drivebusinessresults,andimproveloyaltycanmakethedifferencebetweensurvivingandthriving.Learnaboutthe10keypsychologicalprinciplesthatorganizationsuseincustomerexperiencemanagementandthebusinesscasefortheiruse.

The Brain Makes Behavior: How Top Marketers Are Applying Neuromarketing Knowledge for Marketplace Success

Andrew Pohlmann, ManagingPartnerProfessionalServices,NeuroFocus

Neuromarketingisontheglobalbusinesscommunity’smindtoday.Fewmarketingfirmsoffertherarecombinationoftop-tierneuroscienceexpertiseandactualclientapplicationstoexplainhowtousethismarketingresearchbreakthroughinthereal,notthetheoretical,world.

AndrewPohlmannwilloutlinethewaysinwhichauthenticfull-brainneurologicaltestingisdeliveringtargeted,reliable,andactionablelearningsforcompaniesaroundtheglobe.

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Table of Contents

IncreasingOurBrainpower:UsingNeuroscienceEffectively 4

LessReallyIsMore 4

ConsumersNotGoodatTellingWhyTheyBuy 4

NeuroscienceOffersNewPossibilitiesinMarketResearch 5

Considerations:Ethics,Hype,Practicality 5

IntegrationIsKey 5

NeuroscienceTechniques 6-8

GettingtheBestOutofNeuroscience 8

Exploringthe“Neuro”Frontier:10PsychologicalPrinciplesofCustomerExperienceManagement 9

TheOldversustheNewParadigm 9

HowNeuroscienceFitsIn 9

NewOpportunityforMarketing 10

TenPrinciplesofExperiencePsychology 10-12

BusinessImplications 12-13

TheBrainMakesBehavior:ApplyingNeuromarketingKnowledgeforMarketplaceSuccess 13

BreakthroughsinNeuroscience 13-14

Five“Neuro-Lessons”forMarketing 14

SpectrumofApplications 14

ApplicationofNeurosciencetoMarketing 15

CoreMetrics 15

MarketPerformanceIndicators 15

DeepSubconsciousResponse 15-16

NeuroLab:TheFutureofResearch 16

BenefitsofNeurotesting 16-17

NeurologicalBestPractices 17-18

Applying“NeuroLessons”forSuccess 18

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Increasing Our Brainpower: Using Neuroscience Effectively

Adilemmafacesmarketerstoday,BarbaraO’ConnellofMillwardBrowntoldanAmericanMarketingAssociationvirtualeventaudienceonMay10,2011.“Recentresearchinneuroscience,behavioraleconomics,andpsychologyrevealsthatconsumers’decisionsaredrivenasmuchbygutinstinctasconsideredthought,buthowcanmarketersunderstandsomethingasnebulousasgutfeel?”sheasked.

Whileconventionalmarketresearchusespowerfultechniquessuchassurveys,interviews,andgroupdiscussions,O’Connellsaid“neuroscienceisbeginningtooffersomenewpossibilities”inhelpingmarketersunderstanddecision-makingdriversthatarebasedmoreonintuitionthanonreasoningoranalysis.Neurosciencetechniques,suchasbrainscanningandeyetracking,measurepeople’sresponsesindirectlyratherthandirectly.

O’Connellgaveanoverviewofneuroscience,itsadaptationandvaluetomarketresearch,specifictechniques,andexamplesofapplications.Sheconcludedthatwhileneurosciencemethodsareausefuladditiontoconventionalmarketresearchmethods,greaterinsightcanbeachievedintoconsumers’responsestobrandsandmarketingwhenbothtypesofapproachesarecombined.

Less Really Is More

O’ConnellcitedsocialscientistBarrySchwartz,authorofTheParadoxofChoice:WhyMoreisLess,whoarguesthatthelargenumberofchoicesavailabletoconsumerstodaycancauseanxietyandbringabout“decisionparalysis.”

Forexample,O’Connellsaid,agourmetgroceryintroducinganewlineofjamsetupatablewith24varietiesofjam,andofferedsamples.While60%ofthecustomersstoppedandtastedthejams,only3%ofthemactuallymadepurchases.Thenextday,thegrocerysetupthetablewithonlysixvarieties,andwhileonly40%ofthecustomersstopped,30%ofthemactuallybought.

“Choosingwhichof24varietiestobuyseemedtobetoodauntingatask,”saidO’Connell.“Whereasselectingfromsixwasamuchmoremanageablechoice.”

Consumers Not Good at Telling Why They Buy

“Consumersreallyaren’tverygoodattellinguswhytheybuywhattheybuy,”O’Connellsaid.Sheshowedachartthatanalyzedthefactorspeopleciteasimportantintheirdecisiontobuyabrand,comparedtotheiropinionsaboutthebrandtheyboughtlast.Thechartshowedsomeinterestingdifferences.“Factorspeopledon’tsayareimportanttothemdofigureintotheirdecision,”saidO’Connell.

Easeandconvenienceoflocatingabrand,aswellashowitmakestheuserlook—modern,popular,fun,cool—aremoreimportanttopeoplethantheyadmit.Meanwhile,manypeoplesay“cheapest”isimportanttothem,butfindingsshowthisimportanceisoverstated.

Itisgenerallytruethatconsumersareableandwillingtoexpresstheirattitudesifasked,butresearchshowsthatinsomesituationstheymaybeunwillingorunabletorevealtheiropinions.Thisreactionvariesamongindividualsaswellascultures.Forexample,peopleinIndonesiaandIndiaarereluctanttoexpressanegativeopinionaboutTVadstheyhavejustwatched,whilethoseinFranceandSingaporearemuchlesshesitanttodoso,O’Connellsaid.

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Neuroscience Offers New Possibilities in Market Research

Marketresearchusesmanytriedandproventools,bothqualitativeandquantitative,includingsurvey-basedinterviewingandgroupdiscussionsordevelopmentwork,touncoverattitudesandpreferences.Buttechnologicaladvanceshavecreatednewwaystogainunderstandingaboutwhypeopledowhattheydo,andwhatdrivesattitudesandbehaviors.

O’Connelldefinedneuroscienceas“abroadtermencompassingavarietyoftechniques,allofwhichuseindirectratherthandirect/explicitmeasurementofpeople’sresponse.”Mostofthesetechniques,suchasbrainscanning,brainwavemeasurementandeyetracking,havebeenusedinmedicaloracademicsettingsforyearsandarenowbeingadoptedbymarketers.

“Theadditionofthesetechniquestotried-and-trueresearchapproachescanprovidedeeper,richer,morenuancedanswerstomarketingquestions,”saidO’Connell.

Considerations: Ethics, Hype, Practicality

O’Connelladdressedsomeconcernsthathavebeenraisedaboutneuroscience.

Ethicalconcernsareunfounded,shesaid,becauseneurosciencemethods“onlymeasurebutdonot‘brainwash’orinfluencebehavior.”

Thereishypeaboutwhatneurosciencecandeliver.Theabilitytomeasurehowcertainareasofthebrainrespondtostimulicanaddvalue,but“itcomesdowntointerpretation,”O’Connellsaid.Andsomemeasureshavelimitations.Forexample,neurosciencecanmeasurepositiveornegativeemotionalresponses,butconventionalresearchmustbeusedtodeterminethespecificemotionsexperienced.

Practicalityandscalabilityareissues.Sometechniquescanbeexpensive,thesetting,clinical,andsamplesizes,small.

Thus,“neuroscienceisausefuladdition,butnotareplacement,”O’Connellsaid.However,“itishappeningnowandbeingadoptedbymarketers,”although“neuroscience,likeanynewtechnique,mustbehelduptoscrutiny.”

Integration Is Key

Threeimportanttestshelpresearchersdecidehowneurosciencetoolscanprovideadditionalinsight:

Dothetoolsyieldmeaningfulresults?Makesense?Aretheyuseful?Scalable?

Dotheydeliverincrementalinsights?Providenewlearning?Justifythecost?

Aretheybetterbehaviorpredictors,andmorescientificandobjectivethanconventionaltools?

Neurosciencetechniquesareparticularlyusefulinuncoveringtwotypesofinformation:thingspeopledonotwanttoreveal,andthingspeopleareunawareofordonotrealizehaveinfluencedthem.

Ultimately,integrationwithconventionalmarketingresearchtechniquesiskey.“Itdoesnotalwaysmakesensetouse[neuroscience]approaches,”O’Connellnoted.“Youmustconsiderthemarketingquestionsandresearchobjectives,andwhichmethodsarebestsuitedtoansweringthosequestionsandmeetingthoseobjectives.”

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Neuroscience Techniques

Neurosciencetechniquesprovideindirectmeasurementsofresponsestomarketingandbrands.Manyhaverootsinmedicineandacademia.O’Connelldescribedtheprosandconsandsomeapplicationsofdifferentmethods,includingbrainscanning,brainwavemeasurement,eyetracking,implicitassociationmeasurement,andfacialcoding.

1. Functional magnetic resonance imaging

Functionalmagneticresonanceimaging(fMRI)measuresbloodflowtovariouspartsofthebrainduringdifferenttasks,exposuretostimuli,orexperiences.Butlarge,expensiveequipmentandtheunnaturalorunusualexperienceofthetestlimitfMRItosmallsamplesizesandmakeitnon-scalable.

2. Electroencephalography

Electroencephalography(EEG)usessensorsorelectrodesonthescalptomeasureelectricalimpulsesemittedbythebrain.Itissimplerthanbrainscanningandgoodatmeasuringchangesovershorttimeperiods.Initsfullmedicalform,itisexpensiveandnotscalable,usessmallsamples,andtakestimeforcalibration.Measuringfewersitesallowsforlargersamplesandgreatercosteffectiveness.

Wireless,dryEEGheadsetssuchastheEmSenseEmBandandNeurofocus’MyndprovideoptionsforEEGthatarelessintrusiveandmorescalable.EmSenseEmBandheadsetscombineEEGbrainwavemeasureswithotherbiosensoryinputs,includingheartrate,headmotion,breathing,blinking,andbodytemperature.

O’ConnellpresentedanEEGapplicationtoevaluateaTVadforabodylotionproductthatshowedthevalueofintegratingconventionalandneuroscienceapproaches.Theapplicationusedtheexplicitsurvey-basedcopytesttoprovideanoverallassessmentofthead’sperformance,alongsidebrainwavemeasurementsfromEmSensetoallowgranularanalysisofmoment-by-momentviewerresponsetothead.

“Whilethereisconvergencefromthetwomethodsonsomepoints,”O’Connellsaid,“thereareinsightsfromtheexplicitmeasureswedidnotgetfromthebrainwavedata,andlikewisethebrainwavedataprovidedinformationthatthecopytestdidnot.”

Askedhowthetwocomponentsworktogether,O’ConnellsaidEmSensecanprovideinformationonpositiveornegativeemotionsbutcannotidentifyexactemotionssuchasdelight,happiness,orsurprise.IntegratingEmSenseresultswithcopytestingresultsprovidesawayofidentifyingtheexactemotions.

Anotherparticipantaskedwhethercontradictoryresultshavebeenfound.O’Connellsaidresultshavebeenpuzzlinginsomecases,butnotcontradictory.Sometimesitmaytakemorebrainworktoreconcilethetwosourcesofinformationtodevelopastorythatmakessense.

O’ConnellcitedseveralspecificsituationsforwhichitwouldmakesensetouseacombinedEEGandsurvey-basedapproachtohelpidentifyanyproblemsandoptimizeadperformance:

• Launchinganewcampaign,introducinganewspokesperson,orrepositioningabrand

• Developinganadwithacomplexnarrativestructure,oronethatusesmetaphorstoconveyitsmessage

• Developingadsthatrelyheavilyonemotionalstrategies

• Cuttingdownasuccessful30-secondspotinto15secondstoincludeonlythemostcompellingscenesandscenesthatarebestlinkedtothebrandandconveykeymessages

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Somebroadapplicationsinwhichbrainwavemeasurementscanaddinsighttosurvey-basedmeasuresincludeaddevelopmentandassessment,concepttesting,logoandpackagedesign,producttesting,andin-store(mobileequipment)/virtualmarketingshopperinsight.

3. Magneto Encephalography

Magnetoencephalography(MEG)detectsthemagneticfieldgeneratedbythebraintomeasurebrainactivity.LikefMRI,itusesbigscannersandisexpensiveandnon-scalable.

4. Facial Coding

Facialcodingmeasuresmicro-expressionsthatcorrespondtodifferentemotionalstates,suchashappiness,sadness,skepticism,andsurprise.Itcancapturearangeofemotions,notjustpositiveornegativeoneslikeEEGorbiosensorymetricscan.Itcanbedoneusingasimplecameraorwebcam,butthemanualcodingrequiredmakesittime-consuming,somewhatsubjective,andexpensiveforlargesamples.Someagenciesofferautomatedfacingcoding,whichcanbefaster,lesssubjective,andeasiertoscale,butitcapturesamorelimitedrangeofemotions.

5. Eye Tracking

Eyetrackingrecordswhataparticipantislookingat,inwhatorder,andforhowlong.Itisportable,non-invasive,andrelativelyeasytouseandscale.Evensmallsamplesizesof30or40samplesprovidereliableresults.Someagenciescanoffereyetrackingwithin-homewebcams,andkitscanbecarriedtoanylocation.

O’Connellpresentedsomeapplications,includinga“heatmap”ofaprintadusingcolor-codingtoindicateareasthatreceivedhigherorlowerinterest,anda“gazepath”thatshowswherearespondentislookingonanad,inwhatorder,andforhowlong.

Inonestudy,peoplewerepresentedwithtwoscenes,atranquilforestandatrainwreck.Whentheywereaskedtolookattheforest,theydid,buteyetrackingshowedthattheyalsolookedatthetrain,eventhoughtheymostlyclaimedtohavelookedonlyattheforest.

Eyetrackingisclearlyvaluableforadvertisingorothervisualstimulitolearnwhatpeopleactuallylookat,O’Connellsaid.Itgivesmoreaccurateinformationthanself-report,sinceresearchshowsthatclaimedviewingisnotalwaysthesameasmeasuredactualviewing.Forexample,peopletendtooverestimatetheirviewingofbrandnamesortaglines—twokeyelementsofadeffectiveness—perhapstopleasetheinterviewer.

O’Connellsaideyetrackingcanbeusefulinaddevelopmentandassessment,concepttesting,logoandpackagedesign,onlineusabilityandmicro-sitedevelopment,andin-storemarketing.

6. Other Biometrics

Othermetricsthatusemeasuresofautonomicarousalwithoutdirectmeasureofbrainactivityincludegalvanicskinresponse,heartrate,respiration,andbodytemperature.However,theseresponseslagbehindbrainactivitybyseveralseconds,anditishardtousethemtodetermineemotionalstatesortoknowwhetherthestatesarepositiveornegative.Forexample,excitementandstresslooksimilaronthesemeasures.Theyalsorequirecumbersomeequipment,andthesamplesizesareoftensmall.

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7. Implicit Association Measurement

Implicitassociationmeasurementusesbehavioraltaskstoinferparticipants’attitudesandfeelingsaboutvariousstimuli,suchasbrands,ads,orconcepts.Thetheoryisthatthinkingaboutabrand,forexample,willactivateanetworkofunconscious,orimplicit,associationsbasedonaperson’sexperience,knowledge,andemotions.Implicitmeasurementcanprovideinformationaboutwhatpeoplethinkandfeelthatmaybeeitherinaccessibleoraboutwhichtheyareunaware.Itgoesbeyondinformationthatcanbeprovidedbyaskingpeopleexplicitquestions.

Implicitmeasurementuseslexicaldecision,orwordchoice,tasks.Thespecificsofthetaskandthenatureofthedependentvariable(e.g.,wordchoice,reactiontime)mayvaryasafunctionofthestimulus.Implicitmeasurementcantellushowconsumersthinkaboutabrand,itsmessaging,ideals,andotherconceptsthattheymaynotbeawareoforareabletoexpressexplicitly.Itcanalsobeusedtorevealconsumers’emotionalresponsetoabrand,whetherpositiveornegative,andthestrengthofthatreaction.

Aparticipantaskedhowimplicitassociationactivatesverbalassociation.O’Connellsaidrespondentsareaskedtothinkexplicitlyaboutabrand,forexample,andthenareaskedsomequestionsaboutitto“activate”theirassociationsaboutthatbrandbutthefocusisonthebehavioraltaskand,insomecases,theirreactiontime.Further,thewordsselectedforsomeofthesetasksareveryimportant,sinceonlythosewords—andnotothers—canbeevaluated.Thewordchoiceisdrivenbythenatureofthestimulusandcanemploybothpositiveandnegativewords,emotionalwords,orideal-based,aspirationalwords,asappropriate.

Thesetasksarerelativelyeasytoadministeronlineandarenottime-consuming.Theylendthemselvestoavarietyofapplications,includingbrandequityassessmentandpositioning;concept,logo,package,ornametesting;adorproductdevelopment;andbrandandspokespersonaffinity.

O’Connellsaidthatoftenconsumerswillgivefunctionalbenefitswhenaskedexplicitquestionsbutwillnotbeabletoreadilyexpressbenefitsthatareabstractorrelatedtohigher-orderideals.“Implicitassociationwillhelpusgetatthosethings,”shesaid.

Getting the Best Out of Neuroscience

O’Connelloutlinedthebestpracticesofneuroscience:

• Becritical,shesaid.Shesuggestedaskingthesamequestionsofneurosciencemethodsasofanyconventionalresearchtechnique,and“askforproof,goalongforfieldwork,ortakethetestyourself.”

• Lookforexperience.“Thisisacomplexarea,sofamiliaritywiththeapproachesandascientificperspectiveisimportanttounderstandwhatisclaimversuswhatisreality,andwhenneuroscience-basedapproachesofferthemostvalue.Likewise,experienceindrawingtogetherneuroscienceandconventionalresearchiskeytomaximizingyourvalue.”

• Integrate.“Thesemethodsdonotrevealtheinnertruth,”O’Connellsaid,notingthatneurosciencetechniques“needinterpretationinlightofotherinformation.”

“Neurosciencetechniquesareanadditiontoourtoolkitforunderstandingconsumers,butgroups,surveys,trackingconsumerconversationsinsocialmedia,andallothermethodsresearchersemployhavearoletoplay,”saidO’Connell.“Realunderstandingcomesfromintegratinginformationratherthanfocusingononlyoneperspective.Itisinthiscontextthattheseapproacheswillprosper.”

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Exploring the “Neuro” Frontier: 10 Psychological Principles of Customer Experience Management

Inmarketing,theproblemtypicallyishowtodrivecustomerstous,togetthemtobuy,togetthemtorecommend,saidStevenWalden,SeniorHeadofResearchandConsultingatBeyondPhilosophy.Thepsychologyofcustomerexperiencehelpstoaddressthischallenge.

Thestudyofcustomerexperiencehasevolved,Waldensaid.Followinganearlierfocusonwhysatisfiedcustomersdefect,aroundtheyear2000,“customerexperienceturnedmarketingonitsheadbyfocusinglessontherationalandmoreonthoseemotionalclues.”

Thenaround2005,attentionturnedtoquantifyingtheeffectsoftheexperienceandmeasuringtheemotions.In2010,focusshiftedtothepsychologyofcustomerexperience.

Customerexperience“isaboutcreatinganemotionalconnectionwithyourcustomersorclients,clueingthemin,entertaining,makingwowmoments,momentsofdelight.”Focusingonthepsychologyofthisexperience,Waldenoutlined“principleswecanactuallydoonthegroundtocreatethatemotionalconnection,”andheexploredtheuseofneuroscienceinmarketingtohelpunderstandwhatdrivescustomerdecisionmaking.

The Old versus the New Paradigm

Customerexperienceisnolongerjustaboutthe“4Ps”fromtheoldparadigm—themixtureofprice,product,promotion,andplace,Waldensaid.Inthenewparadigm,itisaboutseeingtheexperience,feelingwowedbytheexperience,havingthatfeelingembeddedinmemory,andcreatingtheemotionalconnectionthatmakesthecustomerwanttoreturnandstaywiththatcompanyinthelongterm—ineffect,creatingloyalty.

“Theeconomicsbehindexperienceareallaroundloyalty,recommendation,customerlifetimevalue,”hesaid.

How Neuroscience Fits In

WaldenreferredtoProfessorAntonioDamasio,aleadingexpertinneuroscience,whowrote,“Overtime,emotionsandtheircorrespondingbodilychange(s)becomeassociatedwithparticularsituationsandtheirpastoutcomes.”Whenmakedecisions,peopleconsciouslyorsubconsciouslyassociatethesephysiologicalsignals,or“somaticmarkers,”andtheirevokedemotionswiththeirpastoutcomes,andtheybiasdecision-makingtowardcertainbehaviors.

Evidencefrombrainscansshowsthatemotionsimpingedirectlyonconsumerdecisionmaking,Waldensaid.Thatfitswithwhatthepsychologyofcustomerexperienceisabout:findingthatemotionalconnection.

Furtherevidencecomesfromstudyingpatientswithdamagetocertainregionsoftheirfrontallobe.Theycanstillreasonlogically,butbecausetheyhavelosttheabilitytofeelemotion,theirdecision-makingabilityisflawed.“Youneedemotiontodecide,”Waldensaid.

Otherevidencefromneurosciencehighlightstheimportanceofsubconsciousandmemorablemoments.Evenwhenpeoplecannotrememberhowtheymadeadecision,theyliketosaytheymadethelogicaldecision.However,evidencesaysitisnotalllogicalandthesubconsciousiscritical.Waldennotedthatthesubconsciousprocesses200,000timesmoreinformationthantheconsciousmindandprocessesemotionsabout10timesfasterthantheconsciousmind.

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New Opportunity for Marketing

Suchevidencepresentsanewopportunityformarketing.Companiescandifferentiatethemselvesbyfocusingoncreatingemotionalvalue,findingthosethingsthatareblindtotheconscioussideofclients,andbuildingthatemotionalconnection.Aclassicexample,Waldensaid,isthateveryonesaystheybuyIBMforitsdeepfeaturesandbenefits,butthekeypointisthatnooneevergotfiredforbuyingIBM.

Moreover,itisimportantforcompaniestolookathowcustomersperceivethem.Organizationstendtoseetheirexperience,includingtheiradvertising,callcenter,andpointofsale,almostasaconcrete,detailedpainting.However,customerstendtoseetheirexperienceasanimpression.Understandingthatandusingpsychologicalprinciplesofhowpeopleperceivewillhelpcompaniescreatenewmarketplacesandopportunities.

“Putsimply,experiencepsychologyistheapplicationofpsychologicalprinciplestothepracticeofcustomerexperiencemanagementfoundedonneuroscience,”saidWalden.

Heclarifiedthatexperiencepsychologydiffersfromconsumerpsychology.Whereasconsumerpsychologyfocusesonhowthecustomerviewstheorganization,experiencepsychologyisaboutwhattheorganizationcontrols;itfocusesonwhatandhowtheorganizationdeliversintermsofcustomerandemployeeexperience.

Ten Principles of Experience Psychology

Waldenoutlinedthe10keyprinciplesofexperiencepsychologyandhowcompaniescanusethemintheirbusiness.

1. We make decisions based on preconceived expectations and prejudices of what an experience will be—not what it is.

Waldengavetheexampleofwatchingavideoofafootballgame.Evenwithanobjectivestimulusandobjectivecriteria,suchas“Isupportmyteam,”peoplestillfeelpredisposedtoacertainposition,andthereisanemotionalbias.Thisappliestoeverysituation.Theimplicationisthatthereisapre-experiencetoconsider,oftensubconsciouslyreceived,thatsetsthetoneofanyexperience.

Knowingthisprinciple,“youcanbreachexpectationstocreateanewmarketspace,”saidWalden.HecitedtheexampleofalibraryintheUnitedKingdomthatsuccessfullytransformeditselffromaboringenvironmentforacademiclearningtoanewmarketspacebyofferinganewexperience,anentertainmentspace,“anewemotionalwow.”Shoppingmallsnowaskforthelibraryintheirmalltoencouragecustomerstocome.Breachingpreconceivedexpectationscanallowcompaniestoexpandtheirmarketandgetnewcustomers.

2. We don’t always consider all elements of an experience, only those most noticeable.

AccordingtoProfessorDamasio’ssomaticmarkerhypothesis,memorablemomentsembeddedinmemoryaredraggedoutwhenmakingdecisions.Theimplicationofthisprincipleisthatthereisaperceivedexperiencethatisoftenreceivedthroughsomaticmarkermomentsofpleasureorpain.

Creatingawowmoment,suchasthelookofalushstoreortheuseofmusicinastore,canchangetheperceivedexperienceandinfluencehowpeoplefeeltowardthatstore.Theyarenotrational-basedorlogicalmoments;rather,theyaffectpeople’semotions.AnotherexampleistheChangiAirportinSingaporethatchangeditsdesignto“Lovemark”itstravellers’airportexperience.Lovemarksisamarketingconceptthatworkstomovebeyondthebrandintoexperience.

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3. We identify a moral code in what you do, even if it is not directly relevant to the purchase in question.

Whencustomershavearelationshipwithacompanythroughtheirexperienceorthebrand,thecompanymeanssomething,andthecustomerswanttoseethegoodthecompanydoes,whichcanmakethemmoreforgivingifsomethinggoeswrong,Waldensaid.

“Donateasyoubuy”programsora“saynotopaperandplastic”campaignareexamples.Theimplicationisthatexperiencereflectsonwhothecompanyisasanorganizationandcancoloranyotherreceivedinformationaboutthecompany.

4. Sometimes we don’t know about the things that influence us; we just subconsciously perceive them.

Acustomermaybuyacarandsaythedecisionwasbasedonprice.However,thekey,influentialdifferencemighthavebeenhowthesalespersonengagedthecustomer.Theimplicationisthatcustomersperceivevaluefromseeminglyinconsequentialtouchpoints.

Anotherexampleisagrocerystorewheretheremovalofcarpetingcausedsalestoplummet.Thecarpetanditsfeelmayoffersubconsciousclues,butthesearecriticalandoftendifferentiating.“Remember,whenthingsareveryclosetogetherincommoditizedmarkets,smallthings,subconsciousorunconsciousthings,makethatdifference.Emotionalwowsmakethatdifference.That’showpeoplewilldecide.”

GeekSquadisanotherexampleofacompanysuccessfullycreatinganemotionallyandsubconsciouslyengagingexperience—theblacktie,secret-agentblackglasses,andtheblackandwhitecars.Theexperiencedoesnothavetobesignificantorbrilliant,onlyenoughtoencouragepeopletobuy“forthesimpleemotionalhitthattheyget,”Waldensaid.

Theprincipleappliesalsotodirectmailaimingtomakeahitwithaone-secondmomentwhenpeoplereadtheliterature.Heuristicsstudieshaveshowntheresults.Inonestudy,researchersflashedoneofthreeimagesinfrontofthesubjects:asmilingface,afrowningface,oraneutralgeometricshape.TheythenshowedaChinesecharactertothesubjectsandaskedhowtheylikedit.Thesubjectspreferredthecharacterstheysawafterhavingseenthesmilingface,eventhoughitwasflashedforonly1/250thofasecond.

5. Emotional twinges affect our “in the moment” decision making and hence behavior.

Productsandservicesdesignedtoimpartanimpressionofconfidenceorotherpositiveemotionalcontentwillmakepeoplefeelthedifferenceandfeelpleasedtohavethatexperience.“Thekeyconceptthereisthatroutineexperiencescanbefun,”saidWalden.Theimplicationisthatemotionalexperienceweighsheavily,moresothanrationalexperience,incommoditizedmarkets.Thisconceptcanbeseeninmanyapplications,suchas“pressthisbutton”displaysandanimalmascots.

6. We are prone to be wary of anything that threatens our well-being.

Indecisionmaking,gainingalittlemeanslessthanlosingalot,Waldensaid.Peoplearemuchmoreaversetolosingsomething,andevenalittlenegativeemotioncangoalongwaytodestroytrust.Companiesmustunderstandwhatdestroystrust.Theimplicationofthisprincipleisthatcustomersjudgepricesrelativetoareferencepointandaretwiceassensitivetolosses.

7. It is about what we want from an experience at a deep level and as we traverse it.

Companiesmustunderstandcustomers’goalsandwantsatadeeplevel,whichareoftenmorethanisexpressedonthesurface.Buyingdecisionsmaybebasedonhowasalespersonspoketothecustomer,forexample.Companiesmustusethesegoalsintheirproductandservicedesigns.

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Thisprincipleisalsoaboutbuildinganattachmentbetweenemployeesandcustomers,andunderstandingthedeepmeaningoftheserelationshipsandwhatpeoplereallywant.Waldencitedtheexampleofanorchestrathatusedthisconcepttobuildgreaterattachmentbetweenindividualplayersandtheirfans,therebydifferentiatingtheexperiencefanshavewiththeorchestra.

8. Our memory of an event is not perfect, but subject to manipulation.

Thisprincipleisaboutthe“peak-endrule,”whichhighlightstheimportanceofthebestorworstmomentsandthelastmomentofanexperience.Forexample,onenegativeexperience,suchasanincorrectbill,andanunfavorablelastexperience,suchasapriceincrease,canleaveanoverallbadimage,whereasapeakorendexperiencethatispleasant,suchasthewaythecustomerleftthemall,cangreatlyimprovetheexperience.

9. We like to follow the herd, be seen as part of the group.

Customersarenotjustindividualsbutliketofeeltheyarepartofacommunity.Socialmediaareoneexample.AnotherisHarley-Davidson,whichturnedthemotorbikeindustryaroundbycreatingacommunityofbikerstoconnectwitheachother.

10. We get bored with the same old, same old. Sometimes innovation for its own sake is important.

Companiesmustaskthemselves“whatisthecostofnotinvesting,notbeinginnovative,orbeingold-fashioned,”Waldensaid.Theyshouldavoidbeingold-fashionedandout-dated.

Business Implications

Whentheymeasure,mapthecustomerjourney,pilotandtestnewconcepts,engagesocialwealth,andLovemarktheirexperience,businessesmustconsidertheimpactofemotionandthesubconscious.

Waldensaidneurosciencehasdemonstratedexperimentallythatcustomerexperiencedefinescustomeremotion,andthesubconsciousandunconsciousinfluencehowpeoplemakedecisions.Organizationscanbuildpredictivemodelsfromthesemeasurementsandultimatelygaininsales.

Notingthatthemarketresearchindustryendorsesthecaseforfocusingonhowemotionsdrivevalue,Waldenaddedthatanyexperiencedesignshouldencompassthe10principlesofexperiencepsychology.Heencouragedcompaniestoask,“Areweandcouldweusethisateachpointinourclientjourneytocreateadifferentiationthatgoesbeyondthe4Psandcreatesemotionalthought?”

Askedwhichprincipleisthemostimportant,Waldensaid,“Itdependsonwhatyouwantasabusinessandwhereyouaresituatedasabusiness.”Asastartingpoint,herecommendedusingalltheexperiencepsychologyprinciplestounderstandthebusinessandmapoutthecustomerexperience.Lookatall10principlestoseewherethegapsareandwhereitmightbepossibletobreachexpectationsordosomethingdifferent,creative,andnew.

Aparticipantaskedhowacompanycanusetheprinciplestobuildabettercustomerexperience.Waldensaidacompanymightfirstdecidewhatexperienceitwantstolookat,suchascustomerbillingoranotherfunction.Itwouldthenflowcharteachstep,analyzethequestionsbehindeachprinciple,anddecidewhatisgood,whatisbad,andwheretoaddvalue.

Waldensaidcompaniesmustbeconsciouslyawareofhowtheymeasure,topredictivelydiscoverwhatdrivesandwhatdestroysvalue.Someemotionsareunconsciousandcannotbemeasuredviastandardmethods.Aclassicexampleisthatpeoplesayadvertisingisnotimportant,yetwhenmeasuredthroughtheemotions,itisfoundtobeveryimportantsubconsciously.

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Companiesneedeffectivetools,suchastheEmotionalSignature,thatgobeyondrationalmeasurementsandthatfitwiththeirbusinessneeds.Waldennotedtheimportanceofchoosingatoolthatisreliable,easilyexecuted,hascredentials,andcangetanswersaboutnotonlytheemotionsthatdrivevaluetothebusinessbutalsowhattodotoinfluenceimportantsubconsciousattributesintheexperience.

Aparticipantaskedwhetheracompanyshouldlooktoall10principlestoevaluateanexperience.Waldensaidyes.Experiencepsychologyasksaboutthejourney,notthedestination,hesaid.Itasksabouthowtocreatethatemotionalthought,andhow,if,orwhenexperiencepsychologycanbeused.Theprocessofaskingthesequestionsiscriticalbecauseitchangesthethinkingabouthowtodifferentiatethebusinessinthemarket.

Anotherparticipantaskedwhethertherehavebeenobstaclestoexperiencepsychology.Resistancewillcomefromthosewhodonotliketheword“emotion,”Waldensaid.However,demonstratingthebusinesscaseandreturn,thescientificapproach,andthetechnicalreliabilitywillunblockboard-levelinvestmentdecisions.Further,hesuggestedpositioningexperiencepsychologynotasananalyticaltoolbutasananchortoenablecreativity.The10principlesareanaidtothatcreativeprocess.

Askedwhethertherearetoolstoassistwithcustomermapping,Waldensaidacompany’sresourceswilldetermineitsneed.Resourcescancomefromresearch,consultanthelp,anexpert,orinternally.The10principlescanbeusedtoflowcharteachlevelofexperience.Headded,however,thatgettingindependentverificationisimportanttobridgetheinternalandexternalviews.

The Brain Makes Behavior: Applying Neuromarketing Knowledge for Marketplace Success

Behaviorbeginsatthebrain,saidAndrewPohlmann,ManagingPartnerProfessionalServicesatNeuroFocus.“Measuringandunderstandingreactionsinthebrainarecriticaltounderstandinghowyourconsumerwillbehave.”

Pohlmannnotedthreetrendsthathavebeenconvergingtoexplaintoday’sneuromarketingrevolution:acceleratingbreakthroughsinneuroscience,theincreasingpowerofcomputingtechnology,andtheevolutionoftraditionalresearch.

Breakthroughs in Neuroscience

Pohlmannreferredtoaninterviewin2009withDr.EricKandel(NobelLaureateinMedicineandamemberoftheNeuroFocusAdvisoryBoard)andCharlieRoseinthePBSBrainseries.Duringthisinterview,CharlieRosecommented,“Wehavelearnedmoreaboutthebraininthepastfiveyearsthanduringallofhumanhistorycombined.”

Today,itisfarmorepossibletoreliablymeasureeffectsinthebrainsofconsumersanddrawconclusions,Pohlmannsaid.

Breakthroughmethodologiesinneuromarketingareonlypossibleduetoparalleladvancesincomputingcapacity,softwaretools,andalgorithms.Exponentialgrowthincomputingtechnologyhasenabledtheprocessingofthebillionsofpiecesofdatacollectedduringneuroscienceexperimentsandconsumerresearch.Datathatmighthavetakenmonthstoprocessnowtakedaysorevenhours.

Anotherbreakthroughisthenotionofsubconsciousprocessingandtheconsumerexperience.Thehumanbrainprocesses11millionbitsofsensoryinformationeverysecond,butour

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consciousmindscanhandleonlyabout40bitspersecond.Thebrainprocessestheremainingbitsofinformationunconsciously.Thequestioniswhetherwearemeasuringandappropriatelycapturingthatdecision-makingprocesswithinourconsumerresearch,Pohlmannsaid.

Five “Neuro-Lessons” for Marketing

Pohlmannlistedfivelessonslearnedfromneuroscienceresearch:

• Mostprocessinginthehumanbrainoccurssubconsciously,belowthelevelofconsciousawareness.

• Mostofthissubconsciousprocessingisemotional,notlogical.“Logical”referstoaconsideredconsciousdecision,while“emotional”referstotherealmofthesubconsciousornon-conscious.

• Subconsciousprocesseshaveasignificanteffectonshoppers’attitudes,decisions,andbehaviors.

• Subconsciousprocessesdonotcontrolusentirely,buttheyformthevastmajorityofourdecision-making.Consciouschoicerepresentsaminority.

• Consumerscannottellyouabouttheseinfluencesbecausetheyareunawareofthem.Therefore,itisimportanttocombinelogicalandneurologicalprocesses.

Spectrum of Applications

Neuroscienceisusefulinafullspectrumofapplications:

• Brand:Brandanalysislendsitselfwelltoneuromarketingmethodology.Forexample,consumersentimentindicesareemotionallybased.Evaluatingwhatconsumersreallyfeelaboutabrandmustbeunderstoodatthesubconsciouslevelsincethenotionofabrandisalreadyanebulousconcept.

• Products:Whileitishardforconsumerstoarticulatewhattheywantfromproductsandservices,neuroscientificmethodscanfindoutbymeasuringanindividual’ssensoryresponsestoaproductthroughouttheconsumptionexperience.Researchshowsthatadvertisingandpromotionsdrivesaleswhentheyhighlightthehighest-impact“neurologicalhighpoints”basedonthosemeasurements.

• Packaging: Packagedesignandperformance—howaproductfeelsinthehandsandhowitlooksontheshelf—areveryimportantforthepurchasingdecisionmoment.Neurosciencecananalyzetheneurologicalresponsestographics,designelements,andmessages.

• Advertising: Neurosciencecanmeasureconsumers’subconscioussecond-by-secondresponsestoadvertisingandothermessaging.ThetimingplacementofaTVadhassignificantimpact,asdotheprogramandadthatprecedeit.AdsappearingonTV,online,inprintorevenoutdooralllendthemselveswelltoneurologicaltesting.

• In-store marketing:In-storeapplicationsofneuromarketingresearchrangefromstudyingindividualsinalivestoresetting,tostudyingthemwhileviewingavideoofin-storeexperiences,tousing3Dvirtualrealitysystemstocreateanimmersiveenvironmentinwhichtheycanviewandmanipulatevirtualproducts.Neurosciencecanmeasureneurologicalreactionsthroughouttheseexperiences.

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Application of Neuroscience to Marketing

NeuroFocususesEEGasitspreferredmethodology.Densearraysofupto64high-definitionsensorscollectdata2,000timeseverysecond,fullycapturingactivityacrossallbrainregionswhileaconsumerisexperiencingabrand,product,packaging,advertising,orin-storeexperience.

NeuroFocusblendsEEGwitheyetrackingandskinconductancemeasurements.Inadditiontoknowinghowconsumersarereactingneurologically,itisalsoimportanttoknowwhattheyarelookingat.Buteyetrackingalonecanbemisleading.Forexample,ifconsumersarelookingatapackageforalongtime,itcouldbeduetoconfusionratherthaninterestorenjoyment.Therefore,understandingbotheffectsiscritical.Onlybycorrelatingbrainwaveactivitywithvisualfocuscanyouarriveatthataccurateunderstanding.

Core Metrics

ThreeprimaryNeuroMetricsthataremeasureddirectlyatthebrainaretheunderpinningsofNeuroFocus’sunderstandingofhowconsumersinteractwiththestimulusbeingstudied.

• Attention: Attentionmeasuressustainedfocusandshiftsinfocusovertime.Itisimportanttounderstandwhichpartsofastimuluscapturesattention,andwhenattentionwanes.

• Emotion: Emotionisthemostimportantdriverindecisionmakingandalsothemostdifficulttomeasurethroughtraditionalmarketingresearchapproaches.Thismetricmeasurestheintensityofemotionalengagementandtheautomaticmotivationalclassificationofstimuliasconsumersgothroughtheconsumptionexperience.Pohlmannnotedsomechallenges.“Whenyouasksomeoneaboutanemotion,youchangetheemotion,”hesaid.Andrequestingconsumerstoquantifyorrankemotionalresponses,suchasonascaleof1to10,isevenmoredifficultforthem.

• Memory:Thememorymetricmeasurestheformationandstrengtheningofconnectionsinlong-termmemory.Undergoingexperiencesislikearead-writemechanism;aconsumerisbothrecallingmemoryandcreatingnewmemory.

Market Performance Indicators

ThreeMarketPerformanceIndicatorsarederivedfromtheprimaryNeuroMetricstoilluminatetheformationof:

• Persuasion/purchase intent: Thisindicatorrevealstheeffectthatastimulushasonconsumers’likelihoodtobuy(orview).

• Novelty: Thisindicatortellshownewanddifferentsomethingappears—averyimportantindicatorforproductslikeconsumerelectronics,wherenewproductsarereleasedfrequently.

• Awareness:Thisindicatortellswhetherconsumersunderstoodorcomprehendedthemessagebeingcommunicated.

Deep Subconscious Response

Anothermeasureisdeepsubconsciousresponsetoabrandormessaging.Tocreateabaselineresponse,consumersarefirstexposedtocoremessagingsuchaswords,phrases,orterminologythatrepresentcertainattributes.Thentheyareexposedtoastimulus,forexampleaTVad,apackage,orsomeformofbrandrepresentation.Tomeasuretheeffectofthe

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stimulusonconsumers’subconsciousperceptions,thebaselinetestisrepeated.Anysignificantdifferencerecordedbetweenthebaselineandthepost-stimulusresponseindicatestheeffect,or‘lift’thatthestimulushadonthoseperceptions.

NeuroLab: The Future of Research

ManyofNeuroFocus’clientsarecommissioningNeuroFocustodesign,construct,staff,andoperatededicatedNeuroLabstoconductneuromarketingstudiesonanongoingbasis.Theydosobecausetheabilitytodotestingthiswayiscost-effectiveandoffersthegreatestlatitudeofresearchprojects.Thiscollaborationallowsthemtohaveadedicatedteamandmeetstheirneedsforconfidentiality.

Benefits of Neurotesting

Pohlmanndescribedsomeliveexamplesofneurologicaltesting:

• NeuroFocushelpedNewScientistmagazinemakeadefinitiveselectionofaspecificcoverdesignamongthreepossiblechoicesforanissueofthemagazine.Theprojectteamdeterminedtheeffectivenessofeachzoneonthecovers,lookingatthetitle,thelead-inforthearticle,andimagery.Theselectedcoverworkedwellbecauseofitssmooth,circularexplorationimageryanditsredfont.Theothertwocovershadsharpedgesorcornersintheirimagery,givinganimpressionofchaosorviolence.Theselectedcoveralsoleveragedthepop-outparadigmofwhitetext.Theresultingissuewasthesecond-highestsellingissueoftheyearandasalesincreaseof12%overthesameissueinthepreviousyear,despiteaweakenedeconomicenvironment.

• A&ENetworksworkedwithNeuroFocustostudyadperformanceforitsprogramIntervention.Neurologicaltestinghelpedtoidentifythat50%ofadsscoredasignificantlyhighereffectivenessinInterventionversusacompetitivedrama,andtheother50%scoredthesameeffectiveness.Thestudyalsoshowedtheeffectofpriming.Withitsstrongemotionalprogramcontent,Interventionsustainedhighviewerattentionthroughouttheprogram,benefittingadvertisers.

• Neurodesignimprovedshelfperformanceforabeerbottlerbyidentifyingseveralareasforimprovingthebottle’spackaging.Theyincludedreducingfromthreefontstotwo,ensuringthenameisvisibleonthebackofthebottle,changingtoaclearbottlesothebeerisvisible,usingsilverfoilonlyaroundtheedgesofthecap,andshowcasinglimeflavoronthelabel.Thenewdesignresultedintheproductregainingmuchofthemarketsharepreviouslylosttoacompetitor’sproduct.

AparticipantaskedhowNeuroFocusidentifiedwhatdetailstoimproveonthebottle.Pohlmannsaidpurchasedecisionscanbeaffectedbypricing,distribution,promotion,andmanyotherfactors.Thehypothesiswasthatitwasapackagingissue.Theteamlookedatthebottlefrommanydifferentperspectives—front,back,ontheshelf,etc.—andanalyzedfromeachperspective.Italsousedeyetrackingtodeterminetheeffectivenessofdifferentzonesonthebottleandappliedsomeofitsneurologicalbestpracticesforpackagingdesign.

• Aneuro-designedaislemakeoverresultedinincreasesinbothaislesalesandtargetproductsalesafterchangingtheaisle,whichwassurroundedbysharpmetaledges,toadoptfeaturessuchasroundedcorners,roundedend-caps,naturalshelvingmaterials,andcategoryseparation.Neurologicaltestingwasusedtosimulatetheenvironmentindifferentwaysandhelpedguidethemakeoverfromaneurologicalperspective,includingusingeyetrackingtoseehoweasyitwastonavigatethroughthedisplays.

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Aparticipantaskedhowneurologicaltestingcanapplytodirectmail.Pohlmannsaidbrainwaveactivitymeasurementscoupledwitheye-trackingcanrevealconsumerresponsestoeachstaticimageaswellaseachpageintheDMmaterial.Directmailisafantastictestscenariobecauseitgivesimmediatefeedbackandallowstesting,iterating,andvalidatingandrefiningofassumptions,whicharenotalwayspossiblewithotheradvertisingmedia.

Whenboththeneurologicalapproachandthesurveyapproachareusedinaproject,sometimestheresultsdocontradicteachother,whichisagreatreasontoconductboth,Pohlmannsaid.Understandingwheretheyarethesameandwheretheydifferwilldriveabetterdecision.

Inresponsetoaquestionaboutscentandsoundmarketing,PohlmannspokeabouttheTotalConsumerExperience.ThisNeuroFocusmethodologyanalyzeshowallthesensorystimuli,includingsight,sound,touch,taste,andsmell,affectconsumers’subconsciousexperienceofaproduct.Itcanprovideclearfindingsastowhichpartsoftheexperiencearedrivingengagement,especiallyifstudyingdifferentpackagingwiththesameproduct.

Neurological Best Practices

PohlmannintroducedaNeuroFocusbookwrittenbyDr.A.K.Pradeep,CEOatNeuroFocus,titledTheBuyingBrain:SecretsforSellingtotheSubconsciousMind.Hesharedsomeofthebestpracticesfromthebook.

Best Practices Focusing on Women

• Womenareattractedtoimagesofwomeningroups,especiallywhenenjoyingasharedactivity.

• Womenengagefasterwithfacesandrespondtodirecteyecontact.

• Womenprocesslanguagemorefluentlythanmen,sorespondmorereadilytotext-basedads,includingtext-basedpuzzles.

Best Practices Focusing on Men:

• Menareimpulsiveshoppers.Keepyourmessageshort,simple,andfocused.

• Menrespondtomessagesshowingadvancementandsuccess.Theseincludeimagessuchasathletesperformingafeatorskill,oranenviableman.

• Menareattractedtospatialimagery.

General Best Practices

• Placeimagesontheleft,textontheright.Thelefthemisphereofthebrainisbetteratprocessingtextandnumbers,andtherighthemisphereisbetteratprocessingimagery.Movingimagestotheleftandtexttotherightwillmakeitmorenaturaloreasierforthebraintoprocessinformation,andwhataconsumerfindseasiertoprocessmaybeviewedasmoreappealing.

• Minimizevisualclusters.Havevisualanchorsandkeeptothreetofivecoreimagesorimageclusterstomakeiteasiertonavigateanad.

• Useuniquefontsandfonttreatments,butmakesuretheycanbeeasilydecoded,ortheeffectwillbackfire.Makeiteasyandentertainingforconsumerstoprocessinformation.

• Leadwithemotion.Emotionisacriticalcomponentofpersuasion.Goodemotionalengagementwiththeconsumerisvitaltodevelopingagoodbrandconnectionandinfluencingfuturebehavior.

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• Motion,novelty,error,andambiguityarefourwaystoattractattention.Thesetechniquescanalsohelptosendadditionalmessaging.

• Sustainattentionwithsimplepuzzlesandsurprises.Puzzlesshouldnotbetoodifficult,ortheywillfrustrateandturnofftheconsumer.Theyshouldbeeasilysolved,andapuzzlethatcanengagetheconsumerandbeinteractedwithwillcaptureevenmoreattention.

• Useiconicsignaturesofyourbrand.Captureconsumerexperiencesandusethemforprovocativeadvertising,suchassnappingaKitKatbarinhalf,usinganiPad,andopeningacartonofyogurt.

• Enforceconsistencyinbrandingacrossproductsandpackages.Avarietyoftouchpointswillhelpbuildthebrandandengagement.

• Useasmanysensesaspossibleinpresentingyourproduct.Amultisensoryexperiencewillhelpbuildtheemotionalexperienceaswell.

• Emphasizeyourproduct’slinkstothenaturalworld.

• Embedtheproductsothatthestorycannotberememberedwithoutit.

Applying “Neuro Lessons” for Success

“Assomeoneisinteractingwithaproductinaproductexperience,theprocessofmakingapurchasedecision,makingarepeatpurchasedecision,orbuildingloyaltywithabrandisreinforcedwithinthebrain,”Pohlmannsaid.“Understandingwhichpartsoftheproductexperiencearethemostevocativeneurologicallycanprovidegreatrawmaterialformarketingcollateral.”

Hesaid,“Tounderstandwhatyourconsumerreallythinksaboutyourmarketing,youneedtounderstandboththeirlogicalandemotionalresponses,whetherthoseresponsesoccurconsciouslyorsubconsciouslyintheirbrains.”

AparticipantaskedwhetherdifferentmethodologiesapplytoB2BversusB2C.Pohlmannsaidthecoremethodologyisthesame,althoughthestimuliortouchpointsareverydifferent.ThesameprinciplesapplywhenlookingattheB2Bexperiencebecauseultimatelythebusiness-to-businessinteractionisahuman-to-humanorbrain-to-braininteraction.

Thecurrenttrendistowardintegratingthearticulatedresponsesandneurologicalresponses,butPohlmannsaidhebelievesthat“inthenot-too-distantfuture,neurosciencewillbecomethebenchmark,andthestatedresultswillbecometheadd-on.”

“Sincethebraindoesmakebehavior,it’sveryimportanttointegratethatwithinyourconsumerresearchmethodology,butcertainlynotlosesightofwhatyourconsumersaresayingtoyouaswell,”headded.

Pohlmannemphasizedtheimportanceofhaving“goodconversationswithyourconsumers,understandingwhatdrivestheirbehaviorfromattitudinalorusagestudy”whencomingupwithaninitiallistofinnovationstoconsider.

Narrowdowntheinnovationlistbyworkingdirectlywithconsumersandothersintheindustry,hesaid.Thentaketheneuroscienceapproachandcombineitwithstatedresultswhenmakingthefinaldecisions.

“Whenitcomestomakingdecisions,itisveryimportanttounderstandhowyourconsumersareinteractingwithyourbrandoryourproduct,”hesaid.

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Barbara O’Connell SeniorVicePresident,ConsumerNeurosciencePractice,NorthAmericaMillwardBrown

BarbaraiscurrentlytheNorthAmericanleadfortheGlobalConsumerNeurosciencePractice.BarbaraisresponsibleforbotheducatingandspreadingthewordwithinMillwardBrownontheuseofournewsolutionsandtheirinterpretation.

BarbarajoinedMillwardBrownin1996.Barbaraisexperiencedwithbrandandadvertisingtracking,copytesting,brandequity,advertisingdevelopmentresearch,customresearchsolutionsandmediamodelingwithavarietyofFortune100companies.

Barbaraheldapost-doctoralfellowshipatTheSalkInstituteinLaJolla,California,hasaPh.D.inpsychologyfromtheUniversityofCaliforniaatSanDiego(fundedlargelybyaNationalScienceFoundationFellowship),anM.A.inpsychologyfromtheUniversityofColorado,BoulderandaB.A.fromTheJohnsHopkinsUniversity.

Steven Walden SeniorHeadofResearchandConsultingBeyondPhilosophy

StevenisSeniorHeadofResearchandConsultingforBeyondPhilosophy™andco-authoroftheirlatestbook:CustomerExperience:FutureTrendsandInsights.Ahighlyengagingandprofessionalspeaker,hebringsthetopicofCustomerExperiencetolifeusinganecdotesgleanedfromhis14yearsofconsultingexpertise.InCustomerExperienceheisrecognizedasanexpertinunderstandinghowtousetheemotionsandthesubconsciousmindofclientsandconsumerstogeneratevalue.

Andrew Pohlmann ManagingPartnerProfessionalServicesNeuroFocus

PriortojoiningNeuroFocus,AndrewservedinvariousseniorleadershiprolesatsuchfirmsasJPMorganChase,WashingtonMutual,Citigroup,andAlticorspecializingincorporatestrategy,productdevelopment,businessdevelopmentandmarketing.HewasaPartnerwithMeridianConsultingwhereheassistednumerousglobalbrandstoimplementworld-classmanagementmethodologiesandinnovationprograms.

About the American Marketing Association

TheAmericanMarketingAssociation(AMA)istheprofessionalassociationforindividualsandorganizationswhoareleadingthepractice,teaching,anddevelopmentofmarketingworldwide.Ourprincipalrolesare:

Connecting:TheAMAservesasaconduittofosterknowledgesharing.Informing:Providingresources,education,careerandprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesAdvancing:Promoting/supportingmarketingpracticeandthoughtleadership.

Throughrelevantinformation,comprehensiveeducationandtargetednetworking,theAMAassistsmarketersindeepeningtheirmarketingexpertise,elevatingtheircareersandultimately,achievingbetterresults.

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American Marketing Association

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