Beyond neuroscience – whatever happened to neuromarketing?
David Penn
A few years ago, a new kind of market research study hit the headlines. At the Baylor Institute in Houston (1), neuroscientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor brain response during a test of taste and brand preferences for Pepsi vs Coke. They found that in a blind product test (where preference for Pepsi vs Coke was balanced) only those parts of the brain relating to sensory judgement were active; whereas when respondents were told what they were drinking, preference switched in Coke's favour and parts of the brain...