Make Marketing History

The views of a marketing deviant.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

The Shaky Foundations Of Neuromarketing.

That is the problem with all neuroscience. We don't really know what we are seeing when we watch the brain work. Is it the thing itself - the thought, the flash of insight - or just an aspect of it, the bark rather than the dog.

Professor Lawrence Parsons - Sheffield University.

9 Comments:

Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

Is the professor talking about neuromarketing or neuroscience? One may have more validity than the other.

6:20 AM, November 18, 2008  
Blogger john dodds said...

The point is that neuromarketing is predicated upon false assumptions about neuroscience.

8:51 AM, November 18, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not always.

6:35 PM, November 18, 2008  
Blogger john dodds said...

Fair point Angus - it's very often predicated would have been more accurate. But if we're working from scan technology, we have long way to go before we can be prescriptive. Will you give me examples that say otherwise?

2:24 AM, November 19, 2008  
Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

Exactly my point Angus.

John, I have an example that I've been itching to talk to media companies about. I want to talk about billing digital media based on some analyses of how the brain works in different media. I think this makes more sense than the alternatives. Will share with you once I've pitched the media companies. They don't get it yet.

I just think neuromarketing is fashionable to slag off. Yes it's pants but if I can think of ways to use new (albeit glimmers of) information than I don't need neuroscience to tell me what does and doesn't work. What works works right?

4:13 AM, November 19, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

'fraid not, Charles.

It's snakeoil of the first order.

The prof is right. Imaging technology is way ahead of our understanding of what we're seeing.

But even if we knew that that specific brain activity = specific mental activity, there'd still be a million miles from that to behaviour.

As your choice in shades reveal, just because something is fashionable doesn't make it wrong.

4:25 AM, November 19, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

charles,

PHD in the UK are doing something with neuroscience. maybe worth asking them about it?

as for other media agencies 'not getting it', i think it's more to do with us agreeing with mark's point above.

9:46 AM, November 20, 2008  
Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

Mark, you know I have the deepest respect for you work. Let me share my thoughs with you about making a more transparent world before dismissing my ideas?

3:14 AM, November 21, 2008  
Blogger Charles Edward Frith said...

The Ralph Laurens are a classic Mark ;)

3:15 AM, November 21, 2008  

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