From Max Sutherland’s Weblog: www.sutherlandsurvey.com

1

Neuromarketing - in Retreat.

By Max Sutherland

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

D r . M a x S u t h e r l a n d ’ s c o l u m n i s p u b l i s h e d m o n t h l y a n d p o s t e d o n t h e we b a t

w w w . s u t h e r l a n d s u r v e y . c o m

.

R e c e i v e a n a d v a n c e c o p y b y e m a i l -

f r e e s u b s c r i p t i o n

. M a x S u t h e r l a n d i s a u t h o r o f t h e b o o k

' A d v e r t i s i n g

& t h e M i n d o f t h e C o n s u m e r ’

( p u b l i s h e d i n 8 l a n g u a g e s ) a n d i s a r e g i s t e r e d p s y c h o l o g i s t . H e w o r k s a s a n

i n d e p e n d e n t m a r k e t i n g c o n s u l t a n t i n A u s t r a l i a a n d U S A a n d i s a l s o A d j u n c t P r o f e s s o r a t B o n d U n i v e r s i t y .
C o n t a c t

m s u t h e r l a n d @ a d a n d m i n d . c o m

.

I n

‘ B r a nds o n th e B r a i n ’

, ( Fe b . 0 3) , I s a id ne u ro m a r ke t in g w as do m i na t ed m o r e b y

s a le s p i tch t ha n s cie n c e. T h e s m ok e an d mi r r o rs m e rc han t s we r e o u t t h e re r u n n in g
w e l l a h ead o f t he pa c k. No w , ei g ht e en m o nt h s la t e r , ne u ro m a r ke t in g i s i n re t r e at –
n o t i n to ob l iv i on - ju s t i n to ’ th e c l os e t’

.

T h e s c i e nti fi c d re a m o f b ei ng a b l e t o p ee r i n to t h e h u m an bra i n i s p os s i b l e to day t h ro u gh
n e w br ai n s c a n ni ng te c hn ol og i e s . B ra i n w a v e r ec or d i n g d e v i c es ha v e b e en a v ai l a b l e f o r
d e c a de s bu t n o w t h ey c a n pi npo i nt m o re p r ec i s el y w h i c h r e gio n s a re a c t i v e as peo p l e
r e s p o nd to p ro du c t s o r m ak e b r a nd c ho i c es or a r e e x p os ed to
a d v e r tis em e n t s .

M a r k et i n g’s us e of th e s e n e w d e v i c es ha s b ee n c a l l e d
‘ n eu ro mark e ti ng ’. Ye t i t is re al l y j us t a n e xt e ns io n o f t h e us e o f

p u pi l o m e te r s

,

g a l van ic s ki n r es p on se

,

e y e t ra c k i ng

,

voic e

s t ress analysis

a nd e a rl i e r b r ai n wa v e me a s u r es – e a c h

h e r al de d i n i t s ti m e a s a r e v ol u t i o na r y br e ak t hr oug h . D es pi te
h y p e b y c o n s u l t an ts o ff e ri ng th e se e a rl i e r tec h no l o g i e s , n o ne of
t h e m e v e r r e all y f oun d wi d es pr e a d, l as ti n g u s e i n m a r k et i n g
(

a l t h ou gh e y e tr ac k i n g h as c a rve d ou t a s m a l l n i c he

) .

T h e i nc rea s i n gl y c om m e r c i a l n a tu r e o f s c i en c e ha s s o m et i m e s
r e s u l t e d i n h y pe d c l a i m s w i t h r e p or ti n g o u ts tr i pp i n g t h e s c i e n ti fi c s u bs t an c e . In ge n et i c s
t h i s i s re fe r r ed t o as ‘

g e n oh y p e

’ : i n m ar k et i n g , i t i s ‘ n e ur o ma r k e ti n g’ . I n t h e r us h to to ut

t h e us e o f t he s e new d e v i c es , s up pl i e rs w e r e o bl i vi o us t o t he fe a rs t ha t h y p e d c l ai m s
m i g h t p ro v o k e i n s oc i e t y .

Brain Scan Machine

T h e At t ack
L a s t y ea r , c ru s a de r R a l ph N ade r s o un ded th e s oc i a l a l a r m (

N a d e r G r ou p Sl a m s E m o r y f o r

B r a i n R es e a rc h

) a nd t he re s u l t h as b e en a ba c k l as h an d a ret r e at .

N a d e r’ s org a ni z a ti on, ‘ Co m m e rc i a l A l e r t’ ,‘ us ed t h e m e d i a a nd i t s

w e b s i t e

to c o nd e m n

n e u ro m a rk e ti ng e x pe r i m en ts as un et hi c al . N eu r o ma r k e ti n g, i t s a y s , i s l i k e l y t o b e u s e d t o
p r o m o te “h u m a n di s e a s e a n d s u ff er i ng ”. I n a

r e qu e s t t o a fe d e ra l age n c y

i n the U . S. , i t

a s k e d th a t e x p e ri m en t s at E mo ry U ni v e rs i t y be i n ve s ti ga te d , c l ai m i ng th e y v i ol ate fe d er al
g u i d el i n es f o r re s e a rc h o n h u ma n s ub j e c ts . M or e r ec e nt l y, i t

re q ue s t e d th e U .S . Se n at e

C o m m i t t ee on C o mme r c e, Sci e nc e an d T r a ns po r ta t i o n

t o i nv e s ti g at e.

A t th e s am e t i m e as ne u ro m ar k et i n g l au n c h ed , t he p ri m e p ro s pe c ts for n eu r o m ar k et i n g
s e r vi c e s we r e a l r e ady r e el i n g fr o m a tt ac k . M a rk et i ng s t an ds ac c u s e d o f b e i n g a c au s e i n
t h e s o c i al e p i d e m i c s o f o be s i t y, di ab e te s , alc o ho l i s m a n d g am b l i n g . T he l e ga c y of B i g

Copyright M. Sutherland August 2004

From Max Sutherland’s Weblog: www.sutherlandsurvey.com

2

T o b ac c o ha s l ef t bi g b r an ds o f f oo d , d ri nk s , a l c oh ol et c pa r ti c ul a rl y v ul n e r ab l e t o ‘ gu i l t b y
a s s oc i a ti on ’ . Th r o win g n e ur om a r k et i n g i n to t h e exi s ti ng f l ame s w as p o te n ti al l y e x p l o s i v e.

S o c i al c ri ti c i s m o f m a r k e ti n g i s n ot ne w , a s l ea di ng b r an ds l i k e C oc a - Co l a, M c Don a l d s et c ,
c a n at t es t b ut th i s wa s r e m i n i s c e nt o f Van c e P ac k ar d ’ s d e m on i s i n g f i n ge r po i n te d a t
s u bli m i na l a d v e rt i s i ng i n t h e 19 5 0’ s .

T h e Re t r ea t

S i nc e Com m e r c i a l A l e rt ’ s a tta c k , t he c o n s u l t an c y i n v ol v e d i n th e e x p e ri m e n ts a t E m or y
U n i v e rs i t y, ha s c h a ng e d i t s n am e

( f ro m ‘ B r i gh t ho us e I ns ti tu te fo r T h oug h t S c i en c e s ’ to

B r i gh t ho us e Ne u ro s t r a te gi es G r o u p ) and s a y s i t no l o ng e r c o n du c t s ne u r o m ar k e t i n g a t t he
u n i v er s i t y

.

A n i n au g ur a l c o n fe re n c e o n ne u r o m ar k e t i n g, s c he d ul e d fo r A p ri l 2 004 , o r ga ni z e d b y
B a y l o r C ol l e ge o f M ed i c i n e i n H o u s t on , T e x a s w as

c a nce ll ed be ca us e o f t oo f ew

registrations

. Th i s pr o m p t ed on e

c o m m en t at o r

t o s a y : “Ei th e r c orp orat e Ame r i c a d o es n't

b e l i ev e the hy pe s u rr o u nd i n g n e u ro ma r k e ti ng o r th e i r ma r k e t i n g d ep ar t me n t s do n ' t
u n de r s t and w h at " ne u r o ma r k e t i n g " me a n s . ” D o ub t l e s s , th e m o u nt in g p u bl i c d i s q u i e t i s
a l s o a f ac to r . A s

Newsweek

ob s er v e d, ne u r o m ar k e t i n g s u p pl i e rs ar e no w t r yi n g to

d i s t an c e th e m s el v es fr o m t h e t e r m wi th c l ie n ts a nd fu n de rs o f t h e m , of t en pr e fe rr i ng to
r e m a i n

a no n y m o u s

.

In research ing t hi s c ol um n, I found that SSPT, a promising ad -testing technology I wrote
a b ou t i n Fe b 2 0 01 , (Ne w H i -t ec h A d -t es ti n g M e th od ) ha d c ea s ed c o mme r c i al ope r a ti on .
T h e f ou n de r of i t, Ric h ar d S i l be r s t ei n ( of t he B ra i n S c i e nc es In s ti tu te i n A us t ra l i a ) t ol d m e
t h at th e b ra i n- w a v e te c hn ol og y h ad fo u nd i n c r e as i n g a c c ep ta n c e wi th g l ob al ad ve r ti s e rs
b u t t ha t “ th e c o m pan y w a s und e rc a pi ta l i s e d to pu rs u e th e r ap i d e x pa ns i o n p at h i t ha d s et
i ts el f ”. A no t he r c o mp a n y o f fe ri n g

NASA developed brai n wave technology

a ls o s ee ms to

h a v e d i s ap p ea r ed .

N e u r o m ark e ti ng i s i n r et re a t on a n u m ber o f fr o nt s .

Ge t R eal
D e s pi te t he al a r m , no m a gi c ‘ bu y - b u tt on ’ i s be i n g re v e a l e d - a s a q ui c k p e ru s a l of th e
s t ud i e s rep o r te d s o f a r , s h o ws (

s e e my ne u r op s yc ho l og y webp a ge

) . A n u m b e r of f i n di ng s

c o n v er ge o n t h e p ref r o nt al c ort e x l oc a ted i n t h e l ow e r fo r ehe a d ( s e e i l l u s t r at i o n) b ut n o -
o n e i s c l ea r y et as to p re c i s ely w h a t al l t h i s m ea ns .

P r e f r o n t a l C o r t e x :

N o m a g i c ‘ b u y - b u t t o n ’

C h r i s F ri th of th e I ns ti t ut e o f N e u r ol og y i n Lo n do n (

A

P r o b e I nsi d e t he M in d of th e S h o p pe r

) p u t s i t i n m o r e

re al is tic pe rsp ec ti ve: "J us t b ec a us e y o u c an s ee an d
me a s u r e an i n c r e as ed l e v e l of a c tiv i t y i n t h e b ra i n ,
p e op l e fe el th at i s mo re a ut h ori t at iv e th an so me o ne
s ay i n g wha t t h ey a re th i n k i ng o r fe el i n g. B u t w e do n ' t
r e al l y k now e n ou gh a b ou t h o w t he br ai n w o r k s a s a
s y s te m t o b e a bl e t o a pp l y t hi s r es e ar c h . I t i s t o o ea r l y t o
s ay w ha t fi n di ng s l i k e th es e me a n. "

Copyright M. Sutherland August 2004

From Max Sutherland’s Weblog: www.sutherlandsurvey.com

3

C o s t
C o s t w o uld ha r dl y be a di s i nce n ti v e i f ne u r o m ar k e t i n g m a tch e d t he o ve r - h y pe d c l a i ms bu t
t h e c o s t - va l ue o f i nfo r m a ti o n d o es p r ese n t a r eal i t y - c he c k . I f p e op l e i d e nt i f y w i th C oc a -
C o l a a nd th i s l i g h ts u p t h ei r p re f r on ta l c o r t e x, th a t’ s i n t er es ti n g …. bu t a n f M R I bra i n
s c a n ne r

c o s ts $ U S 2. 5 m i l l i o n a n d r en ts f o r $ U S 1,0 0 0 p er ho u r

s o th e q ue s t i o n m u s t

a l wa ys be, wh at c an yo u d o wit h t h at i nfo rma ti o n?

H i d d en Pe r s u ad e rs ?
L i ng e ri ng ‘ hi d de n p er s ua d er ’ fe a rs s ti l l h a ng o v er f r o m t he 1 9 50 ’ s whe n a d v e rt i s i n g
p r o m o te r a n d r es ear c he r , J am e s Vi c a ry c l a i m ed p o w e rf ul re s ul ts f rom f l as hi ng ‘ dr i n k
C o c a- C ol a’ an d ‘ Ea t p o pc o rn ’ s u b l i m i n al l y o n a m ov i e s c r e en. V ar i o us c o un t ri es t h en
r u s h e d to b a n ‘ s ub l i m i n al ad v e r ti s i ng ’ bu t d ec a des l a te r, af te r m o re t ha n 2 0 0 f ai l u re s b y
o t he r r es ea r c h e rs t o r e pli c a t e h i s fi nd i n gs , V i c a r y a d m i tt ed hi s r es ul ts w e r e

f ab r i c a te d

.

1

T h es e f ear s r e m ai n e v e n t h oug h t h e al ar m w a s a fa ls e a l a r m. T h e p ubl i c ’ s b el i e f t ha t
s u bli m i na l a d v e rt i s i ng w o rks an d t h at ma r k e ti n g us es i t t o ma n ip ul a te c o ns u mpt io n ,
p e rs is ts .

2

W h e n ge ni es esc ape f ro m th ei r b o tt l e , eve n s h a m o n es , p eop l e c l i n g to a b el i e f

i n t he i r m a g i c al p ow e r s . A s A n d r e w Eh r e nb e rg o n c e s ai d ‘A d v e r t i s i n g i s i n a n o dd
p o s i ti on . I t s ex tr e me p ro ta g on i s ts c l a i m i t h as ex t ra o rd i n ar y p o w er s a n d i t s s ev e re s t
c ri ti c s b el i e v e th e m.’

3

A l l i n all , i t i s n ot a g o od ti m e f o r c o m p an i es t o fl i rt w i t h t ec hn o l o gi es th a t s m ac k o f
‘ hi d de n p er s ua d er s ’ . W hi l e neu r os c i en c e tec h n ol og y u nd o ubt e dl y ho l ds pr o m i s e, a n y
n o ti on of i t fi nd i n g a h i d de n ‘ bu y - b u tt on ’ i n th e b r ai n i s m o re f an t as y th a n f ac t. Y e t i t i s a
f e a r th a t w i l l n o t b e e as i l y dis p e l l ed .

W h e r e T o N e u r om ark e t in g ?
S o , wi th ma r k e t er s di s t a nc i n g th e m s el v es fr o m t h e t e r m , c o nf e r en c es c a n c e l l ed an d
c o m p an i es fo l d i n g, w h e r e to ne u r o m ar k e t i n g?

A c ti v i t y i s r e t re at i ng i n to t h e c l o s et . S tud i es a r e be i ng c o mme n t ed upo n b y r es ea r c h e rs i n
m o r e m e as u re d t erms . A numb e r of

s tu d i e s

a re c l o t he d i n a m o r e s oc i a l l y ac c e p ta bl e

l a be l -

n e ur o ec o no m i c s

. I t hi nk als o t her e wi l l b e a r ef oc us i n g o f a p pl i c a ti o ns t ow a r ds

p r o du c ts an d c au s e s t ha t h a v e a c l e a r s o c i al be nef i t - a pp lica t io ns l ik e ro ad s af et y
m e s s a g es , t r yi ng to p e rs u ad e p e op l e to g i v e u p s m o k i n g o r t o res i s t ove r - e at i n g.
D e v e l op i ng an d t es ti n g s t r at eg i es d es i gn e d t o c u re r at he r t ha n c r ea te s oc i a l p ath o l o gi es
i s h ar d t o a r g ue wi th. B y r e tr ea t i n g ‘ i nt o t he c l o s e t’ , t he te c hn o l o g y wi l l c o nt i n ue t o b e
e x p l or e d –a n d t o p ub l i c a pp l au s e r at he r t ha n p u bl i c al a r m .

T h i s u nd er s c o re s tha t t h e to o l i ts el f i s no t t h e p rob l e m b ut i t i s a l l i n h o w i t i s us e d an d
w h a t i t i s u s ed f o r (ju s t l i k e m a r k e ti n g i ts el f ). Th ere a re s o me ad v o c a te s f or an e t hi c a l
c h ar t er . (S i l b e rs te i n ’ s c o m p an y N u e ro Vu , re fu s e d t o w o rk on c i ga r et te s o r a n y “ p r od uc ts
o r s e r vi c es w hi c h , wh e n us e d a s i nt en d ed , d e m o ns t r a bl y c aus e h a r m to pe o pl e. ”. )
J u dg in g by Bi g T oba cc o , th e mo ra l co mp a ss o f i nd i v i d u al s i s no t a r ea l i s t i c a ns w e r – bu t
w h a t a bo ut i n du s t r y c o de s w i th en f or c eme n t ?

A t th i s s tag e , t he c od e s of et hi c s o f t he

A m e r i c a n

a n d

E u r o pe a n

ma rket i ng o r ga ni za ti o ns

a r e s i l e n t o n n e ur om a r k et i n g . Mo u nt i n g s oc i a l p res s u r e m a y s ee t h at c h an ge esp e c i al l y i f
n e u ro m a rk e ti ng t ec h n ol o g y de l i v e rs on i ts pr o m i s e an d f i n ds wi d er use .

Copyright M. Sutherland August 2004

From Max Sutherland’s Weblog: www.sutherlandsurvey.com

4

C o n c lu sio n
U n l i k e s u bl i m i n al a dv e r t i s i n g, n e u ro m a rk e ti ng s uf fe r s f ro m hyp e no t h oa x .

W e ne e d t o g et

r e al ab ou t n eu r o m a rk e ti ng a n d t he c l a i ms m a de f or i t . Tu r ni n g b ac k t ec h no l o gi c a l
d e v e l o p me n t i s i m po s s i b l e . Li k e c l o ni ng an d s tem c el l r es e a rc h , s om e a pp l i c a t i o ns wi l l b e
d e s i ra bl e b u t o th e rs w i l l r eq ui r e gu i d el i n e s , ' eth i c a l c ha r te rs ' a nd pe rh a ps e v e n l eg i s l a ti on
t o c on t ro l t h e di r ec ti o n o f t h e te c hn ol og y . Fo r t h e m o m e n t , ne u r o m ar k e t i n g i s i n r e tr ea t .
B u t i t i s a r e t re at ‘ i nto th e c l ose t ’ no t i nto ob l i v i on .

1

W. Weir, 'Another look at subliminal "facts" ', Advertising Age, Oct. 15, 1984, p. 46

2

Stuart Rogers (1993). How a Publicity Blitz Created the Myth of Subliminal Advertising. Public Relations Quarterly,

Winter: 12-17.

3

Andrew Ehrenberg, 'Repetitive advertising and the consumer’, Journal of Advertising Research, vol. 1, Sept. 1982, pp.

70-79

Copyright M. Sutherland August 2004