Double Parity

I don’t know where I first read about Buyology, but I was instantly intrigued by it’s premise of adding rigor to the rather fuzzy field of marketing via brain imaging and neuroscience. And for the first third of the book, I got what I was hoping for – a scientific look at the mental machinery of consumerism and its relationship with certain marketing techniques.

For example, why do we often feel happy after a purchase? Answer: Dopamine.

> When we first decide to buy something, the brain cells that release dopamine secrete a burst of good feeling, and this dopamine rush fuels our instinct to keep shopping even when our rational minds tell us we’ve had enough.

Why do we want what other people have? Answer: Mirror Neurons.

> In short, everything we observe (or read about) someone else doing, we do as well – in our minds…Thus mirror neurons not only help us imitate other people, they’re responsible for human empathy. They send signals to the limbic system, or emotional region, of our brains – the area that helps us tune in to one another’s feelings and responses – so we can experience what it’s like to walk…in another person’s shoes.

Does product placement work? Yes, when used appropriately.

> And products that play an integral part in the narrative of a program…are not only more memorable, they even appear to have a double-barreled effect. In other words, they not only increase our memory of the product, but they actually weaken our ability to remember the other brands.

Does subliminal advertising work? Yes. At times even better than explicit advertising.

> The reason is that since the subliminal images didn’t show any visible logos, the smokers weren’t consciously aware that they were viewing an advertising message, and as a result they let their guard down.

Does sex sell? Not really.

> …the sexually suggestive material blinded them to all the other information in the ad – even the name of the product itself.

Lindstrom is an engaging storyteller and sucks you into his narrative. However, as I got further into the book, I noticed the perspective changing. Instead of keeping the focus on the results and implications of his imaging studies, the latter portions of the book were more a survey of current trends in advertising and a discussion future directions – Reality TV, user-generated content, Paris Hilton-esque human brands – content that often seemed unrelated to his neuromarketing study.

Lindstrom also devotes significant portions of latter chapters to neuromarketing advocacy. Ironically, a book meant to break down preconcieved notions of advertising ends up being becoming an ad itself. I suppose the author could only suppress the marketer inside him for so long.

Overall, though, I found Buyology to be an interesting and quick read. A good starting point to exploring neuromarketing.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Amazon)