Have you ever been part of a neuromarketing experiment where the researchers actually scanned your brain? How many people do you know that have been? Probably not too many. Still, there are heaps of neuromarketing articles too be found. All of us at New Neuromarketing are, of course, very happy with this, as it gives us much to write about.

But if we look closer at a multitude of this research, we notice that often behavioral or attitudinal data is used. Experiments investigate what people do, what they say they will do or how they feel. Especially the latter is slightly ironic, as an important basis of neuromarketing research as it was intended, is that people are horrible at predicting what they will do or at evaluating how they feel.

That is why researchers want to learn as much as they can about our brains, and what happens when we buy products, watch advertisements and interact with brands in other ways.

The wonderful world of science keeps surprising us. Each month, numerous and diverse interesting ‘did-you-know-that’ insights are published.

We stroll through every marketing, neuroscience and behavioral science journal for the best facts and straight-forward applications. However, as there’s so much worthwhile going on in the large field of science, not every article makes it to NewNeuroMarketing.

It’s one of the most intriguing questions in neuromarketing today: how can we predict people’s choices by having a peek into their brain activity?

Our brains are made up of many clusters of neurons, each devoted to specific – but often yet weakly understood – functions and processes. Scientists and marketers unite in pursuit of so-called ‘buying buttons’. These specific brain areas are particularly responsive towards alluring products, commercials or otherwise money-spinning marketing stimuli. 

Wow. Just wow.

Let me share two experiments that have changed my view on the power of brain imaging forever.

Can your brain predict who will be the next Lady Gaga?