Welcome to 2011: a year when, according to Larry Dignan, “advertising [just] got creepier” (zdnet.com). Introduced circa 2002, but not widely accepted, neuromarketing combines neuroscience and marketing to observe consumer behaviors through brain mapping. NeuroFocus is now presenting a gadget called the Mynd (picture above) (zdnet.com). This wireless device is modeled off the typical EEG headset, minus the necessity of gel for the sensors, and is used to scan brainwave activity across the entire consumer noggin. With its ability to connect with Apple’s IPads and IPhones and other Blue tooth devices, the Mynd is revolutionizing into a “portable brain scanner” (fastcompany.com). Portability opens the door for new testing environments beyond the lab, which often unnerves test subjects. In theory, researchers envision the Mynd to be used at home, outdoors, and in public venues. It is even predicted that data collected from this emerging technology will be able to be shared through social networks sites, such as Facebook. This device has the potential to serve as a huge competitive advantage for any company that invests: hopping onto the bandwagon and into the consumer mind. But why are advertising companies so interested in the Mynd? Because they are very much interested in seeing what is going on in ours.
The Mynd has the capability to monitor consumers’ responses to advertising techniques and media concepts. Thus, allowing the advertising companies “to gain critical knowledge and insights into how consumers perceive their brands, products, packaging, in-store marketing, and advertising at the deep subconscious level in real time” according to Dr. A. K. Pradeep, CEO of NeuroFocus (zdnet.com). Advertisers will now be able to eliminate bad data collected through consumer surveys (I think we all can admit to our own minor discretions on while filling out product review forms) to improve their strategies and better implement their business goals. The Mynd puts the power is in their hands, and on our heads, to delve deep into the consumer psyche. If effective, companies will be giving us what we don’t even know we want! Creepy is right. Clearly the goal is to improve product lines and the advertising of these products to be more attractive to consumer. I’ll be curious to see if the Mynd could be used to stimulate, perhaps even 180, a struggling economy.
Larry Dignan leaves his readers with a final thought of the beneficial possibilities of the Mynd in management, especially come time for bottom-up management reviews. The Mynd would pick up on what subordinates really thought about upper management, leaving no room for lies and inefficiencies. Perhaps Loyola and other universities will consider adopting the Mynd technology for conducting Professor and course reviews at the end of the semester- especially after online reviews proved inefficient this past Fall semester.
I find it debatable whether or not this technology could cross the line as invasion of privacy because thoughts we don’t even know we are thinking are being taken from our subconscious mind. Personally, I am not too sure how eager I would ever be to strap on a Mynd.
I find this new "thinking cap" to be very innovative. As a marketing major, I'm sure its something I would marvel over if i was 2 or 3 years into my career. Micaela is right, how often do we honestly answer survey questions or product review forms as thoroughly and accurately as possible. Sure our results are helpful, but the fact that the Mynd can monitor consumers responses to marketing strategies at the deepest sub conscious level (and in real time) will prove to be extremely beneficial to advertisers. Much more so than perhaps a paper survey. But the other use of the Mynd which is interesting and not highlighted in this review is to help people with brain disorders. Newswire states that "The European Tools for Brain-Computer Interaction consortium will utilize Mynd as their core platform to develop practical, medical-grade technology that will improve the quality of life for people with neurological disabilities." It's wonderful to see that a product used for such superficial tasks as trying to get ahead in the advertising world can also be used to help those who have medical challenges!
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the mynd is exciting at the very least. Delving into the depths of a consumer mind to create the next the big idea, which we haven’t even thought of us a little mynd-blowing (pun intended). Unnerving test subjects by pulling them outside the lab is also something worth considering. Some people, in certain environments, would produce completely different results. Now, in all honesty, we must consider the other end of the spectrum. Like Alexa says, how often are we completely honest on surveys or even in general? There is a reason we let some things recede into the depths of our mind and not say them. I don’t know if I’d like something that would be able to probe every thought that I would have. Not only for privacy sake but for my own sake. There are things that I would never share with others and if there was a way for someone to tap into that, it could become a whole other issue. All in all, this looks like an amazing concept that could really revolutionize the marketing strategy.
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