15 Terrifying Examples Of Neuromarketing At Work

As a consumer, you might be surprised to learn that the things you buy are often influenced by what’s happening around you.

The colors and shapes of products can subconsciously affect whether or not we make that purchase, while music in stores and supermarkets helps us feel more relaxed – which is why they play it there! Sound familiar?

While these examples may seem obvious when you look at them one by one, what about when they’re all together? Let’s take a look at 15 examples of neuromarketing at work (in no particular order):

Neuromarketing: 15 Neuromarketing Examples

Key Takeaways
1. Neuromarketing techniques can subtly influence consumer decisions.
2. Emotion-triggering content can lead to stronger brand connections.
3. Color psychology plays a significant role in consumer perceptions.
4. Neuroimaging reveals hidden insights into consumer preferences.
5. Subconscious cues can drive impulse buying behavior.
6. Personalized marketing resonates with individual consumer desires.
7. Storytelling leverages brain engagement and boosts brand recall.
8. Visual cues and imagery influence product value perception.
9. Social proof and FOMO trigger feelings of urgency and desire.
10. Music and sound can shape emotional responses to ads.

Table of Contents

1. Red Bull

Red Bull is a global energy drink whose slogan is ‘Red Bull Gives You Wings’. The Austrian company was founded in Thailand in the 1980s and has since grown to be the most consumed energy drink in the world. It’s available in over 165 countries.

The drink’s marketing strategy focuses on an edgy, youth-focused approach that often leans towards somewhat creepy and dark themes.

For example, one of its recent ads shows a man being buried alive as a sacrifice to Santa Muerte a goddess who is believed to grant wishes to those who worship her, and then rising from his grave to deliver his message of hope for humanity.

Red Bull has also sponsored extreme sports events such as cliff diving and wingsuit flying competitions which have resulted in multiple deaths during competition due to the high risks associated with these activities (more on this later).

Understanding cognitive biases is crucial in the world of marketing. Our article on learning from cognitive biases explores 19 ways to leverage these biases to create effective marketing strategies.

2. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is one of the most successful brands in the world and has a long history of using neuromarketing techniques to influence consumers.

The soft drink giant uses its advertising campaigns to create a strong brand image, which includes memorable slogans like “Coke is it!” and “The real thing.” Most people who live in a developed country have been exposed to Coca-Cola at some point in their lives.

In 1984, Coca-Cola employed the ad agency Ogilvy & Mather for their North American campaign for premium soft drinks called Tab Clear (which was later discontinued).

During this period, it was common for advertisers to use celebrities or famous athletes as spokespeople to gain attention from consumers and it worked!

The marketing campaign featured Los Angeles Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saying “I’m gonna make him mine!! I’m gonna make him mine!! And then I’m gonna break his back!!

This guy’s not getting away!!!” While this may sound silly now, at the time these commercials were extremely effective at capturing attention and increasing sales of Tab Clear.

3. Apple

The Apple logo is a representation of Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity. The company name was inspired by the Beatles song “Apples and Oranges.”

The apple logo represents Newton’s theory, in which an apple fell on his head as he sat under a tree. It led him to develop his theory of gravity, which helped change how we understand physics today.

While the logo may not be immediately obvious to all consumers, Apple uses it strategically in their marketing campaigns when they want to communicate something about themselves that has nothing directly related to computers or cell phones (like how they were founded).

Learning from experts is essential for mastering neuromarketing. Discover the 15 key insights we gained from a conversation with a rocket scientist about applying neuroscience to marketing strategies.

4. Music In Stores And Supermarkets

Why do you think supermarkets have piped-in music? The answer is simple: it’s a subtle way of influencing your behavior. Music can influence the way we shop, what we buy, how much we spend, how long we stay in a store, and even how much we buy.

Researchers at Dartmouth University tested this by having two different groups of shoppers listen to different types of music while they browsed the grocery store aisles.

One group listened to slow tunes like “Tubular Bells” by Mike Oldfield and “Shaft” by Isaac Hayes (the theme song from Shaft), while the other group heard fast tracks like “Tequila” by Dan Schaffer or “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne (you never would’ve guessed that one!).

As their eyes scanned past products on their shopping list, both groups were asked whether or not they’d purchase each item if it were discounted from its regular price.

The results showed that when customers had been exposed to upbeat songs during their trip through the store, they bought more items than when they’d listened to slower pieces even though these same shoppers had been told nothing about discounts beforehand!

5. The Color Of Your Toothbrush Box Does Not Affect The Quality Of Its Content!

Your toothbrush box color has nothing to do with the quality of its contents. It’s just there to increase sales, brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand recognition, and preference.

This is a good example of how neuro marketers use color as a way to create value for customers that don’t exist in the product itself.

The notion that your toothbrush would be better if it were blue instead of green or red is based on nothing but suggestions and assumptions, neither of which are worth buying into!

Unraveling the psychology behind buyer decisions is crucial in marketing. Explore our article on how your brain influences buyer decisions and discover the 11 reasons why your brain holds the key to winning over buyers.

6. Are Women More Likely To Purchase Coffee?

It’s no secret that men and women have different preferences. We know that women are more likely to purchase tea, for instance, while men are more likely to buy coffee. But does this mean that you should be targeting your products toward one gender over another?

And how can you use neuromarketing to help you make better decisions about who to target with your marketing efforts?

Neuromarketing research has shown us that there are multiple factors at play when it comes to targeting a specific gender. For example, in the case of coffee:

Men prefer darker roasts and flavors such as mocha or hazelnut; these types of coffee tend to have a higher caffeine content than other blends (which is why they’re so popular).

Women generally prefer lighter roasts like a medium roast or light roast; they also tend toward decaffeinated varieties because they’re often pregnant or breastfeeding. Women also prefer sweeter options like a vanilla latte or caramel macchiato over iced caramel macchiatos.

There is some evidence indicating that women may be more likely than men (by about 20%)* Women are also more likely than men (by about 15%)

7. We All See Ourselves As Slightly Above Average, Don’t We?

You may think of yourself as an above-average driver, but are you? If you’re anything like most people, the answer is probably no. According to a study in a 2011 British Journal of Psychology paper by researchers at the University of Oxford and Dartmouth College.

We all see ourselves as slightly above average in terms of our looks, intelligence, and athletic ability but way below average in terms of how much we spend and how honest we are.

The reason for this? It’s called “positivity bias.” The more positive experiences we have with something whether it’s driving or eating sushi the better we perceive ourselves to be at that activity. And when our egos get involved, things can get very expensive very quickly!

8. FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out!

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a powerful motivator. I’m sure you’ve felt it before—the sinking feeling that if you don’t go to this party, or buy this product or service, then everyone will think of you as being lame and uncool.

It’s true: we all want to belong somewhere; we all want to be part of the crowd. We all want to be seen as cool. And what better way than by doing exactly what everyone else wants?

Enhancing sales strategies with neuroscience insights can lead to remarkable results. Learn more about how understanding the human brain can boost your sales and capitalize on the power of psychological triggers in your marketing campaigns.

9. Shoppers Make Purchases Based On Price Comparisons… Or Do They?

As you may have guessed, this is where neuromarketing kicks in. When people are in a store, they are more likely to buy something if they think they are getting a good deal. In other words, shoppers will pay more for something if they believe it’s cheaper than its competitors.

That said, shoppers don’t always make purchases based on price comparisons alone. Sometimes we use other triggers to decide whether or not we want something and often these triggers can be manipulated by marketers without us even knowing it!

10. Does Wine Taste Better When It’s More Expensive?

You may have heard that wine tastes better when it’s more expensive. The logic is simple: if you pay more, then you expect the product to taste better. So your brain tricks itself into believing that it does. But is this true?

A 2012 study by UC San Diego looked at how people reacted to a wine tasting when they were told different prices for the same bottle of wine—$5 or $50—as well as different information about where the grapes were grown and who produced them it.

They found that overall perception of quality was higher among those who thought they were drinking an expensive glass.

There wasn’t much difference between those who thought they were drinking cheap or expensive wines (there was only one point difference on a 100-point scale).

The researchers also found another interesting effect with pricing: when asked what price range would be appropriate for a particular type of wine, people tended to choose lower numbers than those suggested by experts in wine;

In other words, their expectations about how much something should cost impacted how well they thought it tasted!

11. Smiling While You Shop Can Help You Spend More Money!

As we’ve seen, smiling can make you more confident in your ability to make a purchase. If you’re more confident about making a purchase, you might be more likely to buy something. That’s why when someone smiles while they shop, they’re more likely to spend more money.

This is how neuromarketing works: if companies can get people into the right mood by making them feel good about themselves and their products, then those same people will tend to spend more money with them.

This is why so many retailers use soft lighting in their stores (to make shoppers feel relaxed) and music that makes people feel happy or excited (to get them in the mood for spending).

12. Bottles That Are Lopsided Are More Profitable!

When you think about it, this one’s kind of obvious. But you might be surprised to learn how much influence the orientation of your product’s label has on whether or not people buy it.

In a study from MIT, researchers found that lopsided bottles were more likely to be purchased than those with perfectly centered labels. They found that the product was more likely to be purchased if its label was not straight at all!

They also discovered that consumers preferred lopsided pricing tags over their straight counterparts (and this doesn’t just apply to bottles).

So what does this mean for marketers? It means that even seemingly small details like how your product is packaged can affect sales potential and it makes sense: after all, we’re visual animals who respond instinctively when presented with stimuli in our environment.

13. A Selling Secret The Drug Industry Uses To Keep You Buying Their Products, Even If They Don’t Work!

The drug industry is another place where neuromarketing can be found. There are some great examples of how drug companies use the psychology of human behavior to make you want to buy their products, even if they don’t work.

Drug companies don’t sell their drugs at a price that reflects the cost of making them. Instead, they sell them at an inflated price so that they can make more money from each product sale (and in turn spend more on advertising).

However, there’s a secondary benefit: encouraging you to pay more for your medication than it costs them to produce it.

The pharmaceutical company ensures that you will keep buying their products even if there are better alternatives on the market if only because it would seem too expensive not to continue doing so!

14. Money Is Not Valued Equally Across Cultures!

Money is not valued equally across cultures.

Money is not valued equally across genders.

Money is not valued equally across age groups.

Money is not valued equally across ethnicities.

Money is not valued equally across religions.

Money is not valued equally across political affiliations.

Subtlety is a key element in effective neuromarketing techniques. Dive into our guide on using 17 subtle neuromarketing methods to increase sales and discover the art of influencing consumer behavior without them even realizing it.

15. We Turn Right Subconsciously, But Only Some Of The Time!

The right-turn bias is a psychological phenomenon in which people turn right more often than left when exiting from a parking lot or driveway.

The bias is thought to be the result of the way that humans learn to drive. When learning to drive, teenagers and young adults are taught to check their mirrors and look over their shoulders before turning into traffic at an intersection.

This means they will instinctively look in their left mirrors before making a right turn – but not on the left side because that would be looking at oncoming traffic!

Conclusion

We hope that you found these examples of neuromarketing at work interesting and maybe even a little shocking. The truth is, this is just scratching the surface of what is possible with this exciting new field of study.

There are so many more fascinating examples we could have included here; we encourage you to look into them yourself if you want to be truly amazed!

FAQs

What is neuromarketing?

Neuromarketing is an interdisciplinary field that combines neuroscience, psychology, and marketing to understand how the brain responds to marketing stimuli and influence consumer behavior.

How does neuromarketing work?

Neuromarketing uses various neuroscientific methods such as EEG, fMRI, and eye-tracking to measure brain activity and physiological responses, revealing insights into consumer preferences, emotions, and decision-making processes.

What are some real-world examples of neuromarketing?

Real-world examples of neuromarketing include using color psychology to evoke specific emotions, designing product packaging to enhance visual appeal, and crafting persuasive messages that tap into consumers’ subconscious desires.

How can businesses benefit from neuromarketing?

Businesses can leverage neuromarketing insights to design more effective marketing campaigns, optimize product placement, create compelling content, and tailor their strategies to resonate with consumers on a deeper level.

Is neuromarketing ethical?

Neuromarketing raises ethical considerations regarding consumer privacy, informed consent, and potential manipulation. Responsible and transparent use of neuromarketing techniques is essential to maintain ethical standards in the field.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.