Analyzing consumer behavior in an increasingly digital age not only brings the technological challenge of adopting new service channels or virtual stores, but also paying attention to human behavior in the face of this new reality. Neuroscience has helped us understand consumer behavior in today's society, identifying triggers and conditions that can affect the emotional aspect of consumption. The complexity of the human mind is a still unexplored and somewhat complex and intriguing side.
Take a classic example: let's imagine a super-stratified segmentation, the famous demographic lists. A man, aged 30-35, living in a megalopolis, class B+, married with no children. Well, that same man can wake up in the morning, pick up his smartphone before he's even brushed his teeth, be bombarded by messages on WhatsApp groups from family, friends and church and then start "just a little look" on his social networks. Advertisements start "subtly" appearing to you - impacting or just appearing - and soon one of them leads you to the thought "Yeah, I really need to change my cell phone" even if yours is practically new, just one model older than the last one released. A "buy now" link pops up and, in a few clicks, he buys his new smartphone. That same day, after analyzing it calmly and rationally, he may feel a sense of frustration and regret for having made an emotional purchase that will have an impact on his personal finances. In other words, in the morning you're inclined to buy with a rested brain and the pleasure of having bought something you wanted, in the afternoon you're euphoric and excited, and in the evening you're frustrated! This example can be applied to the purchase of durable goods, which are more prone to rationality, as well as services and non-durable goods, which are more susceptible to the impulse to consume.
Does this mean that we are just puppets who unwillingly buy everything that big corporations throw at us, or can we choose?
Not quite! Totally rational behavior is rare and so is total control. Between these two extremes there is a gray area and we can move the needle between "making choices that are very reasoned and meticulous" or "very impulsive and not meticulous at all". If you really like something, this will be the determining factor in whether or not you spend money, time and resources in general. This speaks volumes about the power we have as consumers and individuals. A good example of this is Heineken's conscious drinking campaign, which doesn't directly seek to sell the product, but rather to alert its consumers to the dangers that irresponsible drinking can bring, especially the act of driving after drinking a few cans.
In this scenario, and within a broader perspective that encompasses loyalty to products and brands, it is up to companies and organizations to think ethically and transparently about their relationships with their customers. This approach, aimed at a sense of belonging, or even purpose, can bring enormous benefits in the relationship with consumers, even avoiding greater investments in bringing in new consumers or retaining customers. That said, there is no doubt that organizations need to reinforce their positions on different digital channels, offering a high level of service, quality and availability, but without forgetting that behind logins and passwords, there are human beings and all their consumer complexity.
Neuromarketing is a very powerful tool. It gives us access to what we don't even trigger most of the time in our subconscious, but just having this information, knowing it and how our brain works, can help us improve our decisions. We don't have to stop using a call to action (CTA) or the principles of semiotics with brightly colored ads and buttons, emotional music in the ad for the more sentimental or even argumentative and rational appeals for the most demanding audiences. As marketing and sales professionals, we have a great responsibility: to sell more, better and responsibly.
