This post is also available in Dutch.
Through tools like eye-tracking, brain scans, and biometric data, marketers aim to influence our purchases—often without our awareness. But is this neuroscience-backed marketing tool an innovation or a form of manipulation? Who is really benefiting from it?
What even is neuromarketing?
Think of neuromarketing as classical marketing on steroids. Neuromarketing looks at brain activity using techniques like fMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and EEG (Electroencephalogram) to dissect our subconscious reactions to things like colors, sounds, and writings on packaging or ads. For example, what goes on in our brains when we recognize brands (Essentially, marketers aim to find what gets us grabbing items off the shelf. If companies understand what consumers are drawn to, they can design more effective marketing campaigns which make their products more appealing. More personalized ads, a stronger emotional connection with products, it’s all about hitting the right buttons. But are those the buttons we want pushed?
The dark side of neuromarketing
While some people might argue that neuromarketing simply helps us find what we like faster, critics believe there’s something more sinister at play. Neuromarketing doesn’t just target our conscious decisions; it digs into our subconscious, using emotional triggers like fear, insecurity, or excitement to make us buy things.
The beauty industry, for example, plays with individuals by provoking new insecurities and beauty standards; the solution being consuming their products. This constant targeting can harm our mental health, add anxiety and stress, especially in vulnerable groups like children or those struggling with cognitive impairments.
In other areas, psychological mechanisms like “loss aversion,” which makes losses feel worse than equivalent gains feel good, can be exploited to create a false sense of scarcity—for example, by promoting “limited-time” products. This makes people impulse buy, pushing them towards overconsumption. Consumers might feel they’re in control, but these techniques exert a strong influence on the subconscious of the general public, making us spend money on arguably unnecessary items—sometimes even driving people into debt.
Invasion of privacy
Data collection methods also raise some serious privacy concerns. Companies gather sensitive information, often without your full understanding. Wearables, for example, collect anything from your heart rate to brain activity. Neuromarketing companies offer clients the possibility to bypass focus groups or other marketing research by peering into a consumer’s brain while viewing products or brands. But what happens when neuromarketing becomes so effective we can’t even notice it anymore? Can a layperson truly give informed consent by quickly signing forms when it comes to this level of data collection?
Where do we go from here?
It’s clear that neuromarketing raises some serious ethical questions. From privacy concerns to mental health, this new form of marketing needs stricter oversight. While businesses might argue that it helps them create better products and advertising, the balance between profit and consumer well-being has tipped too far in the wrong direction.
Currently, this type of marketing is normalized and expected. Being aware of these patterns can help us resist as consumers, but to address the problem, we must reclaim agency and push for stronger regulations on its use. In this new age of technology, innovation can be great—but it also creates new problems. Boundaries must be set up to protect us as individuals in situations of unethical large-scale power dynamics.
Credits
Author: Elhaam Hasan
Buddy: Viola Hollestein
Editor: Helena Olraun
Translation: Dirk-Jan Melssen
