mapping the consumer mind discovering the true drivers of behaviour through neuroscience

Mapping the consumer mind: discovering the true drivers of behavior

through Neuroscience

Aaron Reid, Ph.D.

Sentient Decision Science, Inc., USA

I. Are consumers rational?

II. The trouble with traditional quantitative methods

III. Methods for tapping the consumer subconscious

IV. Does the rise of consumer Neuroscience mark the end of qual?

I. Into the boardroom: combining qualitative insight with subconscious measures to predict real sales results

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This Afternoon

I: Are consumers rational?

Emotional reactions are immediate (Gladwell, 2008) and more accurately predict product market sales (Reid & Graiko, 2010).

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WHY MEASURE THE SUBCONSCIOUS?WHY MEASURE THE SUBCONSCIOUS?

Psychologists estimate that 95% of human thought occurs below conscious awareness (Bargh & Chartand, 1999).

Psychologists estimate that 95% of human thought occurs below conscious awareness (Bargh & Chartand, 1999).

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Apple’s emotional appeal

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iPad dominates the emotional excitement index

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Be, be the charming type.Take off your gloves and show what they hide.I’ll let you try, if you close your eyes, I’ll have an answer for your (ass)! There goes my love, there goes my love, there goes my love, love, love, love, love! Made

some

thing

up

68%

Corre

ct

Recal

”Where is the time.”

”Pack up your bags.”

”Ride your life.”

”Something about an answer for your wife.”

”jazz up your life” ”something about a simple life”

”LOL! They were there but I don’t remember one.”

Consumers have no conscious recollection

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The Illusion of Reason Based Choice

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Do we really know why we do what we do?

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Question: How effective is this drug I took? (Ariely, 2008)

Consumers who took a drug that cost 50 cents per pill reported greater pain relief than consumers who took a drug that cost one cent per pill, even though each drug was a sugar (placebo) pill.

Answer: it depends on how much I paid for it.

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Question: how likely are you to pay for a brand name drug? (Zaltman, 2003)

Consumers explicitly say there is no difference between generic and brand name drugs – but are more likely to buy brand name drugs when their symptoms are severe.

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Answer: it depends on how sick you are.

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People will drive 5 minutes to a store across town to save $5 on a $20 pen, but won’t drive 5 minutes across town to save $5 on a $600 suit.

Question: how much is 5 minutes of my time worth? (Zaltman, 2003)

Answer: it depends on whether I’m buying a pen or a suit.

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Self-reported overall life satisfaction

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Question: How happy are you with your life? (Schwartz & Clore, 1983)

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Question: Why Am I So Happy? (Dimberg & Ohman, 1996)

People who were unaware that they were primed with a smiling face (for 100ms) reported greater feelings of well being.

Answer: I have no idea.

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Question: How did you get into this profession? (Pelham et al., 2002)

People named Dennis or Denise are more likely to become dentists than people with other names.

Answer: I thought I was goal oriented...

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II: The trouble with traditional quantitative methods

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The can’t or won’t say problem: A turning point for Market Research

If consumers can’t tell us why they do what they do – how accurate are

explicitly stated importance questions?

If consumers won’t tell us how they really feel – can we trust traditional

quantitative research?

II: The trouble with traditional quantitative methods.

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The power of self-identification with a brand Chrysler : Eminem


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Imported from Detroit: “that’s who we are”; “that’s our story”; “it’s about where it’s from”


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Chrysler boosts subconscious in-group associations of the self and success

Explicit Subconscious

Self-identification with the Brand

Success

Subconscious Brand Associations


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Does the in-group manipulation drive preference for the brand?

Preference for brandSubconscious Associations of the Self with brand


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VW’s Vader: Using the force of subconscious self-identity to boost your family brand


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Men care about inspiring wonder and what Mom thinks about it… VW : Vader


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Is the connection made with the brand? VW : Vader


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VW boosts subconscious in-group associations of family among men

Explicit Subconscious

Self-identification with the Brand

Family

Subconscious Brand Associations


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Are there any explicit reasons to buy? VW : Vader


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Does the subconscious connection related to family drive preference for the brand?

Preference for brandSubconscious Associations with brand


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Explicit measures struggle to reveal what consumers can’t or won’t tell us

If explicit measures struggle to capture self-identification with a brand badge as outwardly facing as a car, will they really capture meaningful differences

in brand status for a CPG or B2B brand?

I consider Cheetos to be “me” (it reflects who I consider myself to be).

Can you imagine admitting to

identifying with a snack food?


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If consumers can’t tell us why they do what they do – how accurate are

explicitly stated importance questions?

Please rate how important the following characteristics are to you when evaluating a presidential candidate?

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Not at all important

Not that important

Somewhat important

Very importantExtremely important

Conviction ✓

Honesty ✓

Optimism ✓

Intelligence ✓

Uniqueness ✓

Likability ✓

Physical

Attractiveness✓


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Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

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Strongly Disagree

Somewhat Disagree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Somewhat Agree

Strongly Agree

Apple is Cool ✓

Apple is Expensive

✓

Coke is Global ✓

Pepsi is Young ✓

Pepsi is Sexy ✓

Dove is High

Status✓

Cheetos reflect a part of my

Identity✓

If consumers won’t tell us how they really feel – can we trust traditional

research?


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III: Methods for tapping the consumer subconscious

Behavioral Science is the future of market research

Neuroscience PsychologyBehavioral Economics

SociologyCultural

Anthropology

Behavioral Science

III: Methods for tapping the consumer subconscious.

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Skin Conductance Response (SCR)

Skin conductance response (SCR) is a psychophysiological method for measuring degree of arousal.

–Some of the advantages of SCR include:

– Emotional data not on self-report

– Gauge emotional response to concepts

– More natural participant environment

– Less expensive than fMRI and EEG

–Some of the disadvantages of SCR include:

– Labor Intensive

– Time consuming data collection

– Extensive data analysis time

– More expensive than response time

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.46 peak

Reid, A. & González-Vallejo, C. (2009). Emotion as a tradeable quantity. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 22, 62-90

The larger diamond is only 27% bigger but it evokes 175% more emotional arousal.

.18 peak

1.05 CT

.83 CT


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Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)

fMRI measures blood flow in the brain. Brain scans show which areas of the brain are most active when processing a stimulus (e.g. exposure to a brand, advertisement, new product, sensory sample etc.).

Some of the advantages of fMRI include:

– Brain scan data is hard to argue with

– Functional Localization

– Definitive emotional data

– Heat maps show level of activity across brain

–Some of the disadvantages of fMRI include:

– Not yet broadly available to businesses

– Unnatural environment for participants

– Time consuming to collect data

– Less representative

– Time consuming to analyze data

– More expensive

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Electroenchephalography (EEG)

EEG measures electrical brain wave activity across the entire brain region to show which areas of the brain are most active when processing a stimulus.

–Some of the advantages of EEG include:

– Brain wave activity is very convincing

– Test arousal and boredom

– Approach/Avoidance Emotion (frontal Lobes)

– Source Localization Advances

– Less expensive than fMRI

–Some of the disadvantages of EEG include:

– Time consuming (one at a time participation)

– Less representative

– Time consuming to analyze

– More expensive

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Gawronski & Bodenhausen (2006) Psychological Bulletin Associative and Propositional Processes in Evaluation: An Integrative Review of Implicit and Explicit Attitude Change

Priming techniques are used to activate neural networks


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Cognitive Priming Activates Subconscious Associations

my stylemy style

conservativeconservative

put togetherput together

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Priming Activates Subconscious Associations

my stylemy style

edgyedgy

urbanurban

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my stylemy style

conservativeconservative

put togetherput together

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my stylemy style

edgyedgy

urbanurban

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My Style

*****

Not My Style

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my stylethemmeOut-group********************methem*****my style*****Out-group*****me*****

Tapping the subconscious automatic reaction to product


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Visceral reaction to the product is revealed – is this all we need to predict sales?

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oh god no! omg yeah!


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IV: Does the rise of consumer Neuroscience mark the end of qual?

44 44

A brain, is a brain, is a brain?


Differences between Male & Female BrainsDifferences between Male & Female Brains

Differences in aging brainsDifferences in aging brains

Differences across target consumers?Differences across target consumers?

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What characteristics define your target market? What do they value?


Ethnography and projective techniques reveal the why’s behind the target profile


Getting to know the customer: the best insights are read between the lines.


In-situ observation: environmental cues to value profiles


V: Into the boardroom: combining qualitative insight with subconscious measures to predict real sales results

Integrating across multiple methods – steps to success

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V: Into the boardroom…

I. Ethnography and projective deep dives to explore core consumer values, emotional motivations, storylines.

II. Establish key values of target market & measure in subconscious study.

III. Isolate consumers who score highest on subconscious values.

IV. Use their preferences to forecast market success of brand, advertising, product, etc.

Actu

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Subconscious Market Predictions

Subconscious forecasts market success.


Subconscious measures more accurately predict market sales (Reid & Graiko, 2010)

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General Consumer Targeted Consumer based on Qual

Traditional Measures

Subconscious Measures

Accu

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Pre

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Thank You!

Follow us on Twitter: @SentientInsight

Read our blog: www.sentientinsight.com

www.sentientdecisionscience.com

Presented at the International conference on

Qualitative Consumer Research & Insights

7 & 8 April 2011, Malta

For more information

Please visit: http://www.merlien.org

mapping the consumer mind discovering the true drivers of behaviour through neuroscience

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