“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world” the words of Mark Twain, an American writer in the late 1800s. “I know because I've done it thousands of times.” In the present day, it’s crystal clear that smoking and alcohol consumption is a great health risk, but still, it’s very difficult for people to quit or decrease their consumption of these indulgence. 

The motto “Prevention is better than cure” (Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus) has motivated scientists around the world to look into ways to help people live healthier lives and avert diseases. Moreover, more and more companies are becoming socially responsible and looking into ways to promote healthy purchase decisions.

But how to do that?

The average internet user is bombarded with a stream of online banners on a daily basis. From promotional offers to brand advertisements, these digital displays attempt to capture our attention while navigating websites, tempting us to engage with the advertised content. But what differentiates an effective banner from a forgettable one? How can marketers cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression on their target audience?

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in using behavioral economics principles to "nudge" individuals towards making healthier and more sustainable choices. One area where these nudges may be particularly effective is in reducing food waste and increasing vegetable intake.

For me, personally, when I’m listening to the radio in the morning and the host is telling a personal story, I find myself immersively listening and feeling empathy. However, the moment they talk about the daily news I’m just laid back casually. 

The same holds true for sales pitches where the salesperson starts by telling a bit about his personal life and background before going into the material.

Would you have recognized the hit-potential of Dua Lipa before it was cool? Or Drake? 

Most probably, you won’t. As you know, there’s a lot of money going round in the music industry. But the question remains how much is invested efficiently, as this can only be addressed when the song is a few weeks in the air. But what if we would have the power to predict what song will be in the charts for weeks, which everyone will be humming and thus which song is the blockbuster of the month and the cash cow of the record label?

Recent research by Unravel Research has done exactly this. But first, let’s explain the theory behind the story. 

Social media usage is still rising. In addition to more and more users (321 million new users since 2019), the time spent has increased: we’re spending more than 40 percent of our waking hours online. As the public is online, so are your customers, and your business should as well.

Most likely, you'll recognize that vague feeling when talking to a customer support chat service, that the "person" you're chatting with might actually be a computer. 

Indeed, the market size of chatbots is expanding: starting at $250 million in 2017, it will be more than $1.34 billion in 2024 (Pise, 2018). A chatbot is an automated speech generator that can respond to both written and auditory text. More than 21% of US adults and even more than 80% of generation Z (born between 1996 and 2010) use voice/text bots for information search and shopping.

Wat exactly makes communication ‘work’? And what does successful communication look like in the brain? The latest brain research shows it is not so much a matter of specific brain areas lighting up, but rather the degree to which multiple brains react in the same way.

Ask yourself: when you want to buy a pair of shoes, what is the first thing you do?

Chances are, you’ll start browsing for your favourite colour, your favourite brand. You’ll choose a few models you like, maybe order them online. Or first go to the shop to try them on and then, maybe browse some more to find the best prices. And finally, you buy a pair of shoes.

For 87% of all shoppers, the buying process involves researching online before doing a purchase in a physical store.

What is the perfect face for a beauty ad? And which would you use for domestic violence prevention?

In advertising, the primary mission is to promote products or to convey ideas using persuasive language and images. Faces are a key aspect of ads and are often portrayed differently depending on the product advertised and message communicated. But what makes a face visually persuasive?

Are you up to date?

Knowledge is expanding faster and faster nowadays, it’s said to double every 12 hours! This means that there’s a lot of neuromarketing facts including new tips and tricks you might have missed. The past half year, there have been articles on dominance, packaging, the prediction of Tinder dates, pricing green products, and sound/smell in stores and ads. We summarized the main findings below. Sit back in your beach chair and get ready for some new inspiration!

As a seller, you try to aim for every product to be sold at the highest final sale price. But what most negotiators do not realize, is that the initial list price is the starting point for the negotiation. In other words: your opening offer is extremely important for the final sale price.

When looking at neuromarketing, a lot of emotions have been examined. One that may have been underexposed, is jealousy. Until now! A recent manuscript by Huang, Dong & Wyer Jr (2016) elaborates the role of jealousy in product preference. I bet you have encountered jealousy at least once in life, think about your partner having an intimate conversation with a man or woman you don’t know. Jealousy is an emotion that is encountered quite a lot in everyday life, and after reading this, you as a marketeer, can use this specific emotion to your advantage.