Neuroscam? Not So Fast…

It's been a rough few days for neuromarketers. First, Matt Wall of Slate wrote a thoughtful article, What Are Neuromarketers Really Selling?. Then, PopSci jumped on the bandwagon and writer Shaunacy Ferro published Why Neuromarketing Is A…

Cultural Differences in Reading Faces

The hottest new thing in neuromarketing is facial coding - the reading of fleeting facial expressions to determine true emotional reaction. Although the concept isn't new - it dates to Paul Ekman's groundbreaking research in the 1950s to…

When Your Computer Watches Back

I frequently joke about journalists who use the term "Orwellian" to describe neuromarketing, but Orwell's novel 1984 did foresee one technology that may become a reality: a television (or at least a monitor) that watches you back. The…

The Neuromarketing Challenge

OK, readers, I need some input. Here's my plan. Every neuromarketing firm says it has data showing the effectiveness of its methods. I really believe that some actually do know what they are doing. But, there's little or no…

Stirring the Neuromarketing Pot

The gloves are coming off in the debate about which neuromarketing technologies are most effective. The initial "neurostandards" report from the Advertising Research Foundation didn't pick any winners from the different approaches to…

Disney Media and Advertising Lab

Back in 2009, we reported on what seemed to be a secret neuromarketing lab in Austin operated by Disney. As much as we hear about neuro-cinema and neuro-enhanced movies, it seems that Disney's goal is more prosaic: determining which…

Avoid the Corner of Death!

What's the worst place to put your logo, and where do advertisers most often put their logo in print ads, TV spots, and direct mail pieces? The answer is the same: the lower right corner, an area dubbed the "Corner of Death" by facial…

Hire Happy People!

Want your customers to have a better experience? Instead of trying to train your employees to smile, just hire happy people. Apparently, you don't have to be an expert in reading faces to tell the difference between a real smile and…

About Face by Dan Hill

Book Review: About Face - The Secrets of Emotionally Effective Advertising by Dan Hill At a time when neuromarketing discussions are dominated by brain scans - EEG on the commercial side, and fMRI for academic research - Dan Hill and…