EEG in Neuromarketing
The electroencephalogram, which we will now call with its acronym EEG, is a technique widely used in Neuromarketing.
It is a non-invasive, convenient and reliable method that can record brain activity.
Thanks to the EEG, you can understand how the brain responds to and advertisement, to a packaging, a product, a website and much more.
With this device, we can measure the affective value (whether a stimulus is perceived as positive or negative), the probability of memory, the degree of attention and engagement (personal relevance).
To date, the most commonly used traditional marketing research techniques have focused on targeted interviews, questionnaires, focus groups and surveys.
However, they are techniques based on the study of behavior demonstrated or explicitly recorded by the participant.
Therefore, in many cases, the responses given by the participant have been biased or distorted, consciously or unconsciously.
This is because very often we are influenced by stereotypes, prejudices, or by social and moral rules.
To overcome these difficulties, in recent years, Neuromarketing experts have begun to take an interest in implicit investigation techniques to investigate potential consumer purchasing decisions and learn about crucial quantitative data to guide future brand strategies.
In a laboratory of Neuromarketing in fact, there is certainly no lack of technologies for monitoring the human body such as eye tracking, of which we have spoken extensively here, or precisely the EEG.
How does EEG function in Neuromarketing
The EEG test involves the application of electrodes to the scalp of the tested person.
The EEG records electrical neural activity in the form of brain waves and is able to provide considerable temporal accuracy, even up to the millisecond.
It emits Hz frequencies for each cortical area.
The electrical signal of the brain is reproduced through a graph, which the computer transforms into analysis of results.
In short, with this method, you can measure the states of brain activation that an advertisement, a product, a packaging, a website etc… are able to evoke in people.
Companies that use EEG in Neuromarketing
Many companies use EEG to make targeted neuromarketing analyses.
Paypal, for example, has used Neuromarketing to increase the use of the online payment service by e-shoppers. The company found that commercials that focus on Usps such as speed and convenience trigger a significantly higher response in the brain than promoting functions such as safety.
Yahoo instead used Neuromarketing to evaluate a 60-second TV commercial in which people were dancing around the world and were happy. The colossus aimed to bring more users to the use of the search engine and has therefore performed some tests with the EEG to evaluate the effectiveness of the ad. The results showed good stimulation in areas that control memory and emotional thinking.
Furthermore, Hyundai has used the EEG technique in Neuromarketing to evaluate the designs of some prototypes. Following the results, the company has done some design changes on the external part of the prototypes.
To clarify, remember that EEG’s used for Neuromarketing research are (almost never) suitable for detecting pathologies.
And also, the EEG test in Neuromarketing aims to test the brand, advertising, website etc… not the research participant.
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