We continue #DialoguesWithBusiness. The project is aimed at a better understanding of the market situation. Within our #Dialogues, we also focus on various topics in the marketing field. We invited Aiman Kazybayeva, Ph.D., Associate Professor, the leader of the “Marketing” educational program and the head of the Neuromarketing laboratory at Almaty Management University, to discuss an interesting topic of neuromarketing.
A conversation about neuromarketing should start with the origins of this concept, its roots, namely the consumer behavior. Since the dawn of the new millennium, the consumers and consumer behavior have changed significantly. The basic paradigm in the consumer’s mind has changed. Staying in a massive flow of information, the conditions of vast choice, the consumers often behave spontaneously, at a higher degree of emotionality. The rational model of behavior is giving way to the emotional one. The purchase decision algorithm is changing – the emotion comes first, then follows the action, and after that, the consumer analyzes the reason for the actions made.
Such a state of affairs made both theorists and producers of goods and services think about it. Manufacturers began to analyze deep insights of consumers and the emotional and value factors that influence the decision making. This has been reflected in the communicative policy of brands, in advertising which has become more emotional and intertwines the value guidelines of the brand with consumer values. Such communication leads to both steady growths of sales and increased consumer loyalty. Theoretical grounds evidence the irrationality of consumer actions and a high level of emotional influence. The developed and proven theories allow predicting consumer behavior, but the emotional component of behavior is always intriguing. So, how can we measure emotions? Neuromarketing allows us to study consumer behavior in different settings in terms of the processes going in the brain.
Neuromarketing solves the following tasks:
- Testing of aids
- Testing of products (taste, visual and tactile features, packaging)
- Scientific research on consumer behavior
The neuromarketing portfolio includes the following biometric measurement tools: Eye Tracker, electroencephalographs, polygraphs, Facial scanners, MRI. These tools allow tracking consumer reaction patterns. Almaty Management University has become the basis for studying the effectiveness of mastering the educational material depending on the inclusion of audio/video aids. The results inspire: the involvement of students in the learning process has increased by 20%.
In fact, these methodological measurements indicate that neuromarketing is an efficient tool that can help an educator build a productive training course. Recent years have witnessed the rising interest in neuromarketing in Kazakhstan. An increasing number of brands are looking for additional insights into consumer behavior. However, neuromarketing is more of an applied research method. Further development of neuromarketing as an industry is possible subject to the popularization of this direction, raising the public awareness by research companies/centers possessing this technology, and the presence of competition in the market.
