MARKETING MYSTERIES
Science behind the brain’s response to advertising
A neuroscience study by Dutch academics may finally solve one of the great mysteries of marketing
Wasn’t that a great bank advert you saw on TV last night? At least, you thought so. Those watching it with you, thought it rubbish. Have you ever wondered why you are attracted to some ads and not others: what activates the "like" button in your brain and what switches it off? A neuroscience study by Dutch academics may provide some of the answers. Using a system called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) — which measures brain activity through blood-flow changes — they have identified some of the triggers that determine whether you like an ad and, by extension, the product it is promoting. The academics from the Rotterdam School of Management and Erasmus School of Economics say that, more than 60 years after the introduction of TV advertising, there is still no definitive answer to what constitutes a successful ad. Most previous research has relied on conscious responses by consumers, in which they record their own reactions and emotions. The problem, say the Dutch researc...
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