How Companies Get Into Your Head

About a hundred years ago, companies in the Western world encountered a unique challenge: consumers had everything they needed. This led to an ingenious solution: persuade people that they need more, even things they didn't know they needed. This has evolved into a sophisticated practice known as neuromarketing, where companies study your brain to keep you buying more. As one expert puts it, neuromarketing is like marketing on steroids.

Neuromarketing has its roots in a 1950s experiment where messages like "DRINK COCA-COLA" and "EAT POPCORN" were flashed on a cinema screen, too briefly for the audience to notice. Although later debunked as a hoax, this incident highlights an important truth: there isn't a straightforward 'buy button' in the brain.

Neuromarketing today is far more sophisticated. It involves understanding the subconscious part of our decision-making process. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalograms (EEGs) gauge brain activity while eye-tracking, heart rate, and skin conductance measurements reveal our reactions to products.

Neuromarketing in Action

1. Cheetos' Orange Dust Appeal: When Frito-Lay probed into consumer attitudes towards Cheetos, brain studies revealed an unexpected truth. Consumers enjoyed the messiness of the orange dust, finding it fun and subversive. This led to a highly successful ad campaign centered around this pleasure.

2. Decision Fatigue: Retailers exploit our brain's two modes: the fast, unconscious System 1, and the effortful, deliberate System 2. After a tiring shopping experience, consumers are more prone to make impulsive purchases influenced by System 1.

3. Price Perception: Our brains seek context for pricing. For instance, placing a $50 bottle of wine next to a $15 one makes the latter seem like a great deal. This anchoring effect shapes our perception of value.

4. The Hedonic Treadmill: Brands capitalize on the fleeting nature of pleasure. The constant release of new products, like the successive models of iPhones, keeps consumers chasing the next source of happiness.

5. Subtle Primers: Companies use subtle cues, like the smiley design of Coca-Cola cans or watches set at 10:10 in ads to leverage the pareidolia effect, to nudge consumer preferences.

6. Music Influence: An experiment showed that playing French music in a wine store led to more sales of French wine, and German music to more German wine sales.

Despite the powerful tools at their disposal, neuromarketing is not a guarantee that consumers will make mindless purchases. We still have significant control over our decisions. Being aware of neuromarketing tactics can help us make more informed choices. Ultimately, our likes and dislikes play a crucial role in our buying decisions, underscoring the power we hold as consumers and individuals.