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The buzzwords for marketing in the 1950’sand 60’s were Consumer Behavior.  Marketers realized that they could sell more products by understanding what consumers really wanted. Today, marketing is more sophisticated and incorporates the fields of social psychology and neuroscience as well. We don’t just want to understand the psychology behind how people react to products; we want to understand the physical effects on the body as well.

The Power of Gaming

Not too long ago, Pokemon Go was the most popular gaming experience on the planet. What made it so appealing? The game appealed to both our sense of nostalgia and our modern sensibilities. A recent article in Wired, suggests part or the reason it was so successful was because we’re hardwired to crave rewards and recognition.

Prestige is important for a lot of people. Pokemon Go rewards us for our achievements and it also appeals to our love of technology. It doesn’t hurt that it gets us moving as well. In short, this game is a marketing marvel that uses human psychology to perfection.

Near Misses on the Slots

As popular as Pokemon Go was, its creators were still only really relying on assumptions about human psychology for success. It worked, but many marketers and researchers are trying to gain an even deeper understanding of human behaviour in order to sell more products and services.

A few years ago, a neuroscientist by the name of Reza Habib conducted a study to find out what’s actually going on physically in the brain when we gamble. Habib compared addictive gamblers to casual gamblers. There was a clear difference in brain activity between the two types of test subjects. Addictive personalities get excited even when there’s a near miss. Casual gamblers realize a near miss is still a loss.

Gaming companies can use this information to create effective products that keep you coming back. Have you ever bought a scratch ticket because your last one was so close to being a big winner? This is the near miss phenomenon we’re talking about.

The company that prints those tickets produces a certain amount of near misses on purpose to keep you coming back. It’s a bit of marketing genius and can significantly increase their bottom line. This is a great example of the close relationship between neuroscience and human psychology.

A New Way – Neuromarketing  

This use of neuroscience to help sell products is a relatively new phenomenon. In fact, Ale Smidts, a Professor of Marketing Research at the Rotterdam School of Management, only coined the term Neuromarketing in 2002. Still, it’s an approach to marketing that’s being used by many successful companies today.