Neuromarketing and experimental approach

Teacher(s)

Pleyers Gordy;

Language

English

Prerequisites

Basics of marketing

Main themes

Developments in the field of cognitive (neuro)sciences emphasize that consumers’ perceptions and behaviors (regarding, for example, a product, a brand, or an idea) may result not only from controlled/conscious processes, but also from mechanisms that operate at an “automatic” level, without consumers’ deliberate intention or awareness (especially in certain circumstances). Taking this automatic level into account is essential to better understand and predict consumer reactions, which may be influenced by numerous factors.
This course also addresses other recent developments in consumer research, such as those relating to virtual reality technologies. These technologies can make it possible to create immersive experiences of products, ads, points of sale or other relevant environments (e.g. holiday or tourism destinations), and therefore open up various and promising applications for marketing and consumer research.
This course is mainly based on the “experimental approach”, which consists in manipulating marketing variables (relating, for example, to the product or to other elements of the marketing mix) while removing the influence of any other factor, in order to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between these variables and consumers’ responses (e.g. emotions, beliefs, behaviors). This approach is therefore very useful for understanding and optimizing the impacts of marketing variables/decisions on consumers.
Overall, this course largely deals with “consumer influence”, i.e. both the fact that consumer reactions may be influenced by many factors, and methodological aspects for examining these influences.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Mastering knowledge (2.1, 2.2, 2.4) Applying a scientific approach (3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5) Managing teamwork (6.1) Communicating (8.1) Students will able to : Understand the basics of the experimental approach (basics, advantages, limitations, etc.) and its benefits compared to other methods. Judge the interest of using an experimental approach in the context of a specific marketing issue. Design an appropriate experimental approach to examine consumers’ reactions towards a marketing concept. Convert the results of an experimental study into guidelines for marketing decisions/strategies. Understand how modern marketing can take advantage of recent developments in cognitive sciences Understand how perceptions and behaviors may be shaped by “non-conscious” influences relating to multiple factors. Have a general knowledge about various techniques that make it possible to capture “non-conscious” reactions, and about the (dis)advantages associated with each technique. Develop a critical look at influence processes that can be used to the detriment of consumers (ethical issues and consumer protection). Be familiar with benefits that immersive technologies can offer when it comes to analyzing and optimizing consumers’ experience and reactions in various fields.

Content

Section 1 : The experimental approach

• Basics of the experimental approach (i.e. defining a research design that would make it possible to reliably examine the causal impacts of specific variables on consumers’ reactions)
• Illustrations of various types of experimental studies (conducted in laboratory, in natural settings, or online)
• Immersion in a lab experiment

Section 2 : Immersive technologies

• Introduction
• Marketing applications (e.g. product development, virtual stores, advertising, tourism, experiential marketing); illustrations/evidence from recent studies

Section 3 : ‘Neuromarketing’

• Introduction
• Theoretical frameworks relating to the importance of “automatic” processes/influences
• Overview of techniques (e.g. neurological or physiological tools) to analyze consumers’ reactions (basic principles, advantages, limitations, etc.).
• Main applications and illustrations
• Problematic aspects

Teaching methods

Lectures on theoretical/methodological inputs (with practical illustrations), case studies, scientific articles.

Evaluation methods

1. Individual written exam combining multiple-choice questions (using the “standard setting” method: lll.sipr.ucl.ac.be:3838/SSS/) and open questions, relating to all the concepts covered in the course [70% of the global score]; it may be replaced by an oral exam in August.
2. Group work focusing on a specific issue/article relating to the course (to be chosen/discussed), with a short oral presentation [30% of the global score].

!!! This course requires active participation in all the sessions, which provide many additional elements that are included in the slides. It is quite unlikely that the exam for this course is successfully passed by students who would not be able to attend the sessions (e.g. which may apply, in particular, to incoming students; to whom no favors/exception will be made). !!!

Bibliography

• Slides (Moodle)

• Scientific articles

Faculty or entity

> CLSM