Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Alen Ćorović
Experts estimate that only five percent of our brain makes purchasing decisions. Therefore, marketing experts use different technologies and strategies to awaken the desire for shopping more effectively among consumers. This gave birth to a new branch of marketing called neuromarketing, which studies the customers, or rather people’s thoughts and feelings. Neuromarketing uses modern medical technology, economics and psychology, and the role of professionals who deal with neuromarketing is to make use of the remaining 95 percent of the brain that affects the decision-making, while consumers are not even aware of it.
What is neuromarketing, how it functions and what kind of results it yields? We will find out the answers to this question from a top expert in this field, Thomas Trautmann, who will be a guest speaker at the Branding Conference on 3 June in Sarajevo. Trautmann has over 25 years of experience in engineering and marketing with high-tech and industrial companies such as Robert Bosch, Hewlett-Packard, AOL, Steelcase and Sapa Building Systems. Prior to joining the company SalesBrain, he worked as a CMO at Turck Doutec where he introduced the NeuroMap process, experiencing it firsthand.
What do you know about Bosnia and Herzegovina and what is the first association that comes to your mind when our country/region is mentioned?
Thomas Trautmann: I don’t know your country and my arrival at the Branding Conference will be the first time I visit. I’m very curious and want to find out more by talking to the citizens of Sarajevo.
What do you look forward to regarding your visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Branding Conference?
Thomas Trautmann: Meeting new people! Meeting new minds!
Can you state any brand from Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Thomas Trautmann: No! Sorry!
What can we expect from your presentation at the Branding Conference?
Thomas Trautmann: You’ll be surprised. You’ll be thrilled and motivated!
How did you start dealing with neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: I used neuromarketing at my previous job, when I worked as an executive manager. Then I realized that the combination of experience of engineers and scientists (in the field of artificial neural networks), combined with experience in marketing and sales, leads to one field: neuromarketing.
Could you explain to us in brief, what is neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: It’s the application of models and knowledge of neurological sciences in marketing, sales and strategy development, aimed at attracting attention and convincing customers and making new business on a scientific basis.
Which methods and approaches are used in neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: For this you will have to listen to my introductory speech!
How do you measure success of neuromarketing projects?
Thomas Trautmann: With raise in sales!
What’s on the mind of consumers?
Thomas Trautmann: I don’t know, do you? I think consumers themselves don’t know that. That’s why we use models of neurological sciences to “dive” into their minds and emotions (without hurting them, of course).
How can neuromarketing be used to improve communication on social networks?
Thomas Trautmann: By targeted influence on the part of the brain that makes decisions, or rather by using a suitable stimulus to the so-called reptilian brain, in order to motivate it to make a decision.
Antimarketing activists, like Gary Ruskin from Commercial Alert, warn that neuromarketing is being used to manipulate the consumer, and that it’s often used unethically. What are your thoughts on this?
Thomas Trautmann: These are comments which the aforementioned organization – which otherwise uses manipulation techniques (intimidation) – commonly uses to attract attention. Neuromarketing in a scientific way promotes and explains why certain people can have a greater influence on others. Also, it helps in focusing on decision-makers, and doesn’t talk about products, services and companies. The function of the part of the brain that makes decisions, the reptilian brain, is protection and survival, and it will never endanger itself. If I want to buy a shirt, you might sell me a better shirt than I thought I would buy, but you won’t be able to sell me a car.
How important is neuromarketing in the new era of communication?
Thomas Trautmann: Now we have to have the methods and skills to really help companies (and individuals) to focus on the client, who is an individual or a group of individuals, and not only on themselves, and to remain at the rational level. The client feels better, the company sells more. Isn’t it fantastic?
What are the limitations of neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: Ethics. We never targeting weak groups (children, people with intellectual disabilities). We never work with the tobacco industry, arms manufacturers, and so on. When I say we, I mean the SalesBrain.
Can you give us some examples of neuromarketing projects you’ve worked on?
Thomas Trautmann: I’ll present some of them during the lecture.
What are the most interesting and unique examples of consumer behavior that you’ve encountered so far?
Thomas Trautmann: It’s impossible to summarize it all under one specific behavior. We can only summarize it by saying that consumers are not rational!
What can we expect from neuromarketing in the future?
Thomas Trautmann: Faster and cheaper access to the neurological scientific methods and deepened knowledge about the brain (keep in mind that 90% of the current knowledge about the brain is less than 10 years old).
What are the biggest misconceptions about neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: Using neuromarketing in the same way as you would use traditional methods of marketing … or the existence of significant bias.
Why and when should a company invest in neuromarketing?
Thomas Trautmann: At that moment when they want consumers to think about them and when they want to sell more.
In accordance with neuromarketing research, which trends in communication can we expect? What attracts consumers the most?
Thomas Trautmann: There’s no more rational content!
Visual content is becoming more important in advertising. What is the position of neuromarketing on the importance of visual?
Thomas Trautmann: Visual content is one of the stimuli for the reptilian brain. It is its primary channel!
