What makes some products irresistible? Neuroscientists are trying to find the answer — and to pass it along to marketers.
But, instead of getting people to answer questionnaires or participate in focus groups, scientists are using their brain waves. Machines that look for brain tumors or strokes are being used to test a consumer’s brain waves when shown different products. This is slowly moving toward the difficult goal of finding a “buy button” inside the skull and to test products, packaging and advertising for their ability to push that button.
Evidence shows that most buying decisions are driven by memory and the subconscious. Scientists also say that many things influence a consumer’s buying decisions. Companies of all types are more interested than ever in this area. They can use the results to guide production decisions and derive other benefits from them.
Still, we have to remember that this research will neither revolutionize marketing nor make us consumer slaves. As John Van Horn, a professor of psychology and brain science at Dartmouth College, has remarked: “The human brain is the most complicated thing in the universe.”
但是，科学家们并不是让人们回答调查问卷或是参加关注群体，他们用的是脑电波。当向消费者展示不同的产品时，用于检查脑瘤或脑中风的机器会被用来测试他们的脑电波。这是一个向艰难目标缓慢前进的过程，那就是找到消费者头脑深处的“购买按钮”，并检测产品、包装和广告开启该按钮的能力。
有迹象显示很多购买的决定由记忆和潜意识驱动。科学家们还认为有很多因素影响着消费者的购买决定。所有类型的公司都比以往对这个领域更加感兴趣。他们可以运用该项结果去引导产品生产并从中获取其他的益处。
然而我们必须记住，这项研究既不能引起营销的革命化，也不能使我们变成消费奴隶。正如英国达特茅斯大学的一位心理学和大脑科学教授约翰·范·霍恩所说的那样：“人脑毕竟是整个宇宙中最为复杂的东西。”
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