4
The Technology Techniques used in neuromarketing today include both brain imaging and brainwave measurement. Brain imaging techniques, such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Magnetoencephalography (MEG), produce wonderfully detailed 3-D images which highlight activity in different areas of the brain as the subject performs an assigned task. However, the technology is not particularly convenient to use; it tethers both researcher and subject to an immobile apparatus which is expensive to operate, and it requires that the subject's head be positioned inside a large machine. A more flexible approach is brainwave measurement, or Electroencephalography (EEG), which uses electrodes placed on the scalp to measure the electrical activity of the brain. While the information it provides is much less precise than that from imaging techniques, EEG technology has the advantage of being relatively unobtrusive, and allows research subjects to enjoy some freedom of movement. Beyond the buzz – What does it mean? The various brain measurement techniques show us parts of the brain "lighting up" in response to stimuli, but what those brain responses actually mean is subject to interpretation, based on neu- roscientists’ understanding of what different brain structures do. This understanding is not as complete or stable as many believe. For example, we reviewed the results of the fMRI experiment con- ducted by neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni at UCLA in February, 2006. Five volunteers viewed ads which aired during the U.S. Super Bowl. Iacoboni reported that a scene in one ad, NEURO- MARKETING: Beyond the buzz It is every market researcher’s dream: an objective view of con- sumers’ innermost thoughts, unobscured by the confounding influences of interviewer and question biases and respondent post-ration- alization. That is the promise of "neuromar- keting," an emerging discipline which uses neuroscience tech- niques to understand consumers’ responses to brands and market- ing. So how does the reality match up to the promise? GRAHAM PAGE Global Director of Innovations Millward Brown graham.[email protected] www.millwardbrown.com www.mb-blog.com M I L L W A R D B R O W N S P O V A p r i l 2 0 0 6

NEUROMARKETING:Beyond the buzz - Kantar Millward Brown · Implications for the future Our view? Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market research in

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Page 1: NEUROMARKETING:Beyond the buzz - Kantar Millward Brown · Implications for the future Our view? Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market research in

Implications for the future

Our view? Current neuromarketing

techniques can't yet replace conventional

market research in brand and advertising

applications. The results yielded by brain

studies are too general and open to

interpretation to be useful in isolation, and

the procedures involved are often too cum-

bersome and expensive to apply broadly.

This does not mean there is no future

potential for neuroscience techniques to be

applied in market research. They hold the

potential to identify the transient or early

responses to brands and advertising and so

add to our current understanding based on

introspective verbal responses.

Neuroscience remains one of the most

interesting and potentially valuable avenues

open to us as researchers and we will

continue to actively investigate the merits

The Technology

Techniques used in neuromarketing today include both brain

imaging and brainwave measurement. Brain imaging techniques,

such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and

Magnetoencephalography (MEG), produce wonderfully detailed

3-D images which highlight activity in different areas of the brain as

the subject performs an assigned task. However, the technology is

not particularly convenient to use; it tethers both researcher and

subject to an immobile apparatus which is expensive to operate,

and it requires that the subject's head be positioned inside a large

machine.

A more flexible approach is brainwave measurement, or

Electroencephalography (EEG), which uses electrodes placed on

the scalp to measure the electrical activity of the brain. While the

information it provides is much less precise than that from imaging

techniques, EEG technology has the advantage of being relatively

unobtrusive, and allows research subjects to enjoy some freedom

of movement.

Beyond the buzz – What does it mean?

The various brain measurement techniques show us parts of the

brain "lighting up" in response to stimuli, but what those brain

responses actually mean is subject to interpretation, based on neu-

roscientists’ understanding of what different brain structures do.

This understanding is not as complete or stable as many believe.

For example, we reviewed the results of the fMRI experiment con-

ducted by neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni at UCLA in February,

2006. Five volunteers viewed ads which aired during the

U.S. Super Bowl. Iacoboni reported that a scene in one ad,

of different approaches as they evolve.

However, we feel reassured by our work to

date that well designed survey and qualita-

tive approaches do not miss anything vital.

While consumer responses may be subject

to a variety of influences, they still represent

a robust means for evaluating both brands

and advertising.

NEURO-MARKETING:Beyond thebuzz

It is every market

researcher’s dream: an

objective view of con-

sumers’ innermost

thoughts, unobscured

by the confounding

influences of interviewer

and question biases and

respondent post-ration-

alization. That is the

promise of "neuromar-

keting," an emerging

discipline which uses

neuroscience tech-

niques to understand

consumers’ responses

to brands and market-

ing. So how does the

reality match up to the

promise?

GRAHAM PAGEGlobal Director of Innovations

Millward [email protected]

www.millwardbrown.comwww.mb-blog.com

M I L L W A R D B R O W N ’ S P O V

A p r i l 2 0 0 6

MECHANICAL CREATED AT 100% OF ACTUAL SIZE

COLOR OUTPUT IS 100% OF MECHANICAL SIZE

Colors*:

*Printer: Colors indicated are simulated for layout purposes,

DO NOT MATCH COLOR ON COLORBREAK OUTPUT

ALL ARTWORK IS HI-RES UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

Date: 3/13/06

Job #:

Program Description: Millward-Brown POV Template

Element:

Flat Size: 8.2675” x 11.693”

Finished Size: 16.535” x 11.693”

Fonts:

Digital File Name:

Page 1 of 2

Program: Quark 6.5

PMS 383 PMS 7491 PMS 2748

Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market researchin brand and advertising applications.

Page 2: NEUROMARKETING:Beyond the buzz - Kantar Millward Brown · Implications for the future Our view? Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market research in

in which a caveman is crushed by a

dinosaur, produced activity in the amygdala,

a midbrain structure which is present in all

animals. The amygdala is involved in emo-

tional processing, including "fight-or-flight"

responses. Iacoboni interpreted the activity

in this region as an indication that the

respondents perceived the scene as

threatening.

ing picture, while their brain activity is

simultaneously observed. We are able to

associate areas of the brain with emotions

because people are able to describe the

emotions they are experiencing.

Therefore, when we observe portions of the

brain light up, we are not so much observ-

ing the unconscious as the neural under-

pinning of a conscious experience.

Putting science to the test

If neuroscience techniques can provide

meaningful and discriminating results, they

can certainly be useful in consumer

research. But as a practical matter, they

also need to provide additional insights not

already supplied by survey

research if they are to

justify their additional

cost.

To put neuromarket-

ing to the test,

Millward Brown joined

forces with the U.S. company

Brainwave Science.

We compared the results of our TVLink™

advertising pre-test to those obtained using

Brainwave's patented EEG brain-measure-

ment technique.

The results were compelling. The scenes in

the test ad which generated the strongest

brain response were the same scenes

which TVLink identified as the most

emotionally powerful. The weak brain

response recorded for scenes featuring the

brand was consistent with the TVLink

finding that the ad was not well-branded.

(For more details on this experiment, see

Admap, September, 2005.)

Clearly the Brainwave Science approach

passed the first test above; it provided

meaningful insights about advertising. Yet

the survey-based research yielded similar

findings, so the incremental value of the

neuromarketing data in this case is

questionable. In fact, the data from

Brainwave Science could not be fully

understood without also referring to the

survey data, which uncovered the nature of

the consumers’ reactions to the copy, e.g.,

did they feel good or bad about what they

were seeing? Did they find the joke funny?

Without answers to questions such as

these, we can't make concrete recommen-

dations to our clients.

However, the respondents themselves

reported that they found the ad funny.

While Iacoboni highlighted this as a "dis-

connect between verbal reports on ads and

brain activity while viewing the ads," we

don't really regard these responses as con-

tradictory. Part of the amygdala's job is to

respond to sensory input which suggests a

potentially dangerous situation, e.g., "There's

a snake!" But that same sensory input is

subsequently evaluated by other parts of

the brain, which may conclude "No, it's only

a twig." The accompanying release of ten-

sion often manifests itself in a humorous

response to a situation which may have

initially appeared threatening. Thus the

apparent disconnect may simply be a

reflection of the fact that the brain as a

whole is far greater than the sum of its

parts. Relying solely on the brain response

in a particular region, without probing the

subjects’ conscious experience of an event,

may lead to faulty conclusions.

This example also raises the question of

whether neuromarketing really reveals the

"unconscious" mind. Historically, our under-

standing of brain function has come from

work with animals as well as people who

have experienced brain damage. Much of

our new learning in this area comes from

studies in which "normal" (i.e., not brain-

damaged) individuals verbalize their

reactions to a stimulus, such as a frighten-

Relying solely on the brainresponse in a particular region,without probing the subjects’ conscious experience of an event,may lead to faulty conclusions.

When we observe portions of thebrain light up, we are not so muchobserving the unconscious as theneural underpinning of a consciousexperience.

Page 3: NEUROMARKETING:Beyond the buzz - Kantar Millward Brown · Implications for the future Our view? Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market research in

in which a caveman is crushed by a

dinosaur, produced activity in the amygdala,

a midbrain structure which is present in all

animals. The amygdala is involved in emo-

tional processing, including "fight-or-flight"

responses. Iacoboni interpreted the activity

in this region as an indication that the

respondents perceived the scene as

threatening.

ing picture, while their brain activity is

simultaneously observed. We are able to

associate areas of the brain with emotions

because people are able to describe the

emotions they are experiencing.

Therefore, when we observe portions of the

brain light up, we are not so much observ-

ing the unconscious as the neural under-

pinning of a conscious experience.

Putting science to the test

If neuroscience techniques can provide

meaningful and discriminating results, they

can certainly be useful in consumer

research. But as a practical matter, they

also need to provide additional insights not

already supplied by survey

research if they are to

justify their additional

cost.

To put neuromarket-

ing to the test,

Millward Brown joined

forces with the U.S. company

Brainwave Science.

We compared the results of our TVLink™

advertising pre-test to those obtained using

Brainwave's patented EEG brain-measure-

ment technique.

The results were compelling. The scenes in

the test ad which generated the strongest

brain response were the same scenes

which TVLink identified as the most

emotionally powerful. The weak brain

response recorded for scenes featuring the

brand was consistent with the TVLink

finding that the ad was not well-branded.

(For more details on this experiment, see

Admap, September, 2005.)

Clearly the Brainwave Science approach

passed the first test above; it provided

meaningful insights about advertising. Yet

the survey-based research yielded similar

findings, so the incremental value of the

neuromarketing data in this case is

questionable. In fact, the data from

Brainwave Science could not be fully

understood without also referring to the

survey data, which uncovered the nature of

the consumers’ reactions to the copy, e.g.,

did they feel good or bad about what they

were seeing? Did they find the joke funny?

Without answers to questions such as

these, we can't make concrete recommen-

dations to our clients.

However, the respondents themselves

reported that they found the ad funny.

While Iacoboni highlighted this as a "dis-

connect between verbal reports on ads and

brain activity while viewing the ads," we

don't really regard these responses as con-

tradictory. Part of the amygdala's job is to

respond to sensory input which suggests a

potentially dangerous situation, e.g., "There's

a snake!" But that same sensory input is

subsequently evaluated by other parts of

the brain, which may conclude "No, it's only

a twig." The accompanying release of ten-

sion often manifests itself in a humorous

response to a situation which may have

initially appeared threatening. Thus the

apparent disconnect may simply be a

reflection of the fact that the brain as a

whole is far greater than the sum of its

parts. Relying solely on the brain response

in a particular region, without probing the

subjects’ conscious experience of an event,

may lead to faulty conclusions.

This example also raises the question of

whether neuromarketing really reveals the

"unconscious" mind. Historically, our under-

standing of brain function has come from

work with animals as well as people who

have experienced brain damage. Much of

our new learning in this area comes from

studies in which "normal" (i.e., not brain-

damaged) individuals verbalize their

reactions to a stimulus, such as a frighten-

Relying solely on the brainresponse in a particular region,without probing the subjects’ conscious experience of an event,may lead to faulty conclusions.

When we observe portions of thebrain light up, we are not so muchobserving the unconscious as theneural underpinning of a consciousexperience.

Page 4: NEUROMARKETING:Beyond the buzz - Kantar Millward Brown · Implications for the future Our view? Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market research in

Implications for the future

Our view? Current neuromarketing

techniques can't yet replace conventional

market research in brand and advertising

applications. The results yielded by brain

studies are too general and open to

interpretation to be useful in isolation, and

the procedures involved are often too cum-

bersome and expensive to apply broadly.

This does not mean there is no future

potential for neuroscience techniques to be

applied in market research. They hold the

potential to identify the transient or early

responses to brands and advertising and so

add to our current understanding based on

introspective verbal responses.

Neuroscience remains one of the most

interesting and potentially valuable avenues

open to us as researchers and we will

continue to actively investigate the merits

The Technology

Techniques used in neuromarketing today include both brain

imaging and brainwave measurement. Brain imaging techniques,

such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and

Magnetoencephalography (MEG), produce wonderfully detailed

3-D images which highlight activity in different areas of the brain as

the subject performs an assigned task. However, the technology is

not particularly convenient to use; it tethers both researcher and

subject to an immobile apparatus which is expensive to operate,

and it requires that the subject's head be positioned inside a large

machine.

A more flexible approach is brainwave measurement, or

Electroencephalography (EEG), which uses electrodes placed on

the scalp to measure the electrical activity of the brain. While the

information it provides is much less precise than that from imaging

techniques, EEG technology has the advantage of being relatively

unobtrusive, and allows research subjects to enjoy some freedom

of movement.

Beyond the buzz – What does it mean?

The various brain measurement techniques show us parts of the

brain "lighting up" in response to stimuli, but what those brain

responses actually mean is subject to interpretation, based on neu-

roscientists’ understanding of what different brain structures do.

This understanding is not as complete or stable as many believe.

For example, we reviewed the results of the fMRI experiment con-

ducted by neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni at UCLA in February,

2006. Five volunteers viewed ads which aired during the

U.S. Super Bowl. Iacoboni reported that a scene in one ad,

of different approaches as they evolve.

However, we feel reassured by our work to

date that well designed survey and qualita-

tive approaches do not miss anything vital.

While consumer responses may be subject

to a variety of influences, they still represent

a robust means for evaluating both brands

and advertising.

NEURO-MARKETING:Beyond thebuzz

It is every market

researcher’s dream: an

objective view of con-

sumers’ innermost

thoughts, unobscured

by the confounding

influences of interviewer

and question biases and

respondent post-ration-

alization. That is the

promise of "neuromar-

keting," an emerging

discipline which uses

neuroscience tech-

niques to understand

consumers’ responses

to brands and market-

ing. So how does the

reality match up to the

promise?

GRAHAM PAGEGlobal Director of Innovations

Millward [email protected]

www.millwardbrown.comwww.mb-blog.com

M I L L W A R D B R O W N ’ S P O V

A p r i l 2 0 0 6

MECHANICAL CREATED AT 100% OF ACTUAL SIZE

COLOR OUTPUT IS 100% OF MECHANICAL SIZE

Colors*:

*Printer: Colors indicated are simulated for layout purposes,

DO NOT MATCH COLOR ON COLORBREAK OUTPUT

ALL ARTWORK IS HI-RES UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

Date: 3/13/06

Job #:

Program Description: Millward-Brown POV Template

Element:

Flat Size: 8.2675” x 11.693”

Finished Size: 16.535” x 11.693”

Fonts:

Digital File Name:

Page 1 of 2

Program: Quark 6.5

PMS 383 PMS 7491 PMS 2748

Current neuromarketing techniques can't yet replace conventional market researchin brand and advertising applications.