The Marketing of Neuromarketing: Brand Differentiation Strategies Employed by Prominent Neuromarketing Firms to Attract Media Clients

Abstract

Many media-based companies, such as networks, program producers, and production studios, are captivated by the promises made by the burgeoning field of neuromarketing. Market research firms specializing in brain-imaging techniques claim to reveal powerful subconscious audience dispositions and motivations unobtainable from conventional self-report research methods. A qualitative content analysis of the marketing strategies of 22 prominent neuromarketing websites discovered an array of brand differentiation techniques intended to either (a) legitimize the underlying science of neuromarketing or (b) attract clients through proprietary services. The study concludes with some applied and conceptual criticism of this research tool and a cautionary note for media firms interested in adopting it.