Is neuromarketing taking over, and are consumers at the mercy of the buttons being pushed by smart marketers? What options do you have as a brand to lobby the brain for more loyalty through psychologically smart marketing?

Perceptual Fluency
Attachment is one of the brain’s three happiness motivators. Consumers like to belong. Being connected to like-minded people brings about a feeling of happiness, because of the possibilities it gives for sharing experiences. And the peace of mind that comes from making a sound and trusted choice is because it feels good to have others around us who’ve made the same decisions. However, your brain doesn’t simply accept everything. Consumers may reserve their loyalty for friends, products and brands that slip past the anti-marketing radar unnoticed. It does this by not creating too much friction at the moment the brain processes the message. It’s an extremely sensitive process, and neuromarketers identify milliseconds in processing time as problematic differences that can lead to very different outcomes. The way to a sense of connection only arises when the brain experiences perceptual fluency. Thanks to communication that the consumer understands, appreciates and can immediately place in a broader context. A form of flow is created which quietly reassures that things will go well.

Sympathie en loyaliteit
Neuromarketing is not scary. Consumers experience it as completely safe (if it’s used properly). Thanks to communication that generates sympathy, it’s an important source of trust and of more perceptual
fluency. For example, by using the right words, terms and benefits which exactly match the personality of the consumer.

Consumers experience sympathy for others who are just like them. It’s important to use the same terms, recognisable situations and even a body language that matches how we ourselves like to sit, stand and move. The better you copy the personality and identity of a consumer, the easier it is to get the message you want to convey across.

Neuromarketing offers both research and implementation options to get to know the personality of the target group and to modify the communication accordingly. It’s like a red carpet to increased loyalty, by actually understanding which form of presentation offers the greatest chance of success.

Knowledge article – October 2020