Neuromarketing, marketing strategy, consumer, coca-cola, pepsi, customer transparency, ethics, consumer behavior, NeuroFocus, morality, NMSBA Neuromarketing Science and Business Association, EGNM Ethical Guideline in Neuromarketing
In 2004, a study conducted at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, demonstrated that certain brand attributes and messages can shape personal preferences through their effect on the human brain. Using the famous Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi rivalry as a basis for their research, they scanned the brains of 67 volunteers with magnetic resonance imaging as they tasted each beverage. When the participants were not aware of the drink they were consuming, half preferred Coca-Cola and half chose Pepsi, with each drink creating activity in the brain's reward system. However, when the participants did know what they were drinking, a majority preferred Coca-Cola. Their brain scans revealed heightened activity in areas associated with memory and emotion, which can be interpreted in this context as brand loyalty. This suggests that the Coca-Cola brand has such power and influence that it can prepare consumers' brains to enjoy the beverage (Blakeslee, 2004). This study holds significant implications, outlining the advantages of neuroscience for marketing purposes while also raising awareness of the potential risks and threats associated with leveraging brain science to create more effective products and commercials.
[...] The scope of the questions expands with the advent of medical, scientific and technological innovations to encompass issues like surrogate motherhood, cloning, and genetic engineering (Singer, 1998). Therefore, innovations in the field of neuroscience and neuromarketing raise new ethical issues. Following these emerging ethical issues raised by neuromarketing and neuroscience in general, neuroethics has emerged and evolved into an independent field. This concept was first coined in 2002 by American author and journalist William Safire and has then been defined in various ways by different authors. [...]
[...] It is important to note that the different stakeholders involved in the neuromarketing research process hold different views on the ethical issues raised by this field. While the perspectives of the companies commissioning the studies and the research agencies conducting them are shaped by their direct interests, the views of the participants involved in the studies and the general public are globally shaped by the image conveyed by mass media (Hensel et al p.4). Therefore, examining the actual perception of each group is essential to assess the acceptability of neuroscientific methods from an ethical standpoint, and to address the initial question of this study: whether looking into the customers' brain can be morally justifiable and acceptable. [...]
[...] Harvard Business Review. [...]
[...] R., & Wood, G. (2007). An ethical basis for relationship marketing: a virtue ethics perspective. European Journal of Marketing, 37-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560710718102 Penenberg, L. (2011, August 8). NeuroFocus Uses Neuromarketing To Hack Your Brain. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/1769238/neurofocus-uses-neuromarketing-hack-your-brain Singer, P. (2023, November 18). [...]
[...] Conducting a neuromarketing study using these tools is a complex procedure. It starts with a clear understanding of the objectives and purposes of the study, enabling the design of a study that will add value by addressing initial questions. For example, a brand may seek to evaluate a specific packaging to better tailor it to a specific segment of consumers. Then, a sample must be defined, and technologies and metrics must be employed to address the specified initial questions. The design of the experimental protocol is a critical step in a neuromarketing study, encompassing stimuli, potential resting periods, the context of the study, tasks that have to be carried out by participants, and methods to control possible biases. [...]
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