Marketing Research:
Neuromarketing and In-Depth Interview
MAIA OZDEMIR
Faculty of Management and Economics
Tomas Bata University
Mostni 5139, 760 01 Zlin
CZECH REPUBLIC
ozdemir@fame.utb.cz, maia.ozdemir@windowslive.com
Abstract: What the customers really feel? This question is critical for formulating competitive marketing
strategies. For decades, marketing researchers tried to find out an excellent answer using various methods such
as focus groups, surveys and so on; sometimes asking consumers directly and sometimes applying an indirect
approach, such as choice-based conjoint. But, neither method is foolproof. In the frame of this paper we will
discuss some weak points of neuromarketing by demonstrating results of our research and give suggestions
toward gaining more precise data.
Key-Words: Culture, Cultural genesis, Evolution, In-depth interview, Marketing research, Neuromarketing
1 Introduction
Significance of marketing is out of any doubts.
Companies world wide spend trillions of dollars
each year on advertising, marketing, and product
R&D. For decades advertisers, marketers, and
product developers are making an effort to apply
social psychology to discover the tools to tap into
the consumer’s brain. Some marketers believe that
most of biases occur because of responses changed
by the customer’s conscious mind. Development of
technology gives a wide range of opportunities for
the new generation marketing research.
The latest technologic discovery in modern
marketing research is EEG scanner. Its developer
Dr. Pradeep at the 75th Advertising Research
Foundation conference explains: “The skullcap-size
device sports dozens of sensors that rest on a
subject's head like a crown of thorns. It covers the
entire area of the brain, so it can comprehensively
capture synaptic waves.” Consumer-research firm
NeuroFocus, managed by Dr. Pradeep, “promises
something deeper, with unprecedented access into
the nooks and crannies of the subconscious” [1].
New point of view most times gives an advantage in
the marketing field. It helps to develop creative
strategies. However, neuromarketing has a few
points that contradict to results of our research. In
this article we will discuss these weaknesses,
present our research and make some suggestions
toward future direction of modern marketing
research.
2 Problem Formulation
Neuromarketing is a quite new method of marketing
research. The first attempts to apply neuroscience to
other fields were taken in the middle of the 20th
century by the neurologist Paul MacLean. He has
proposed that we have not one brain, but three. It is
interesting that similar ideas can be found in many
esoteric spiritual traditions like Kabbalah and
Platonism, but MacLean made an effort to bond
three planes of consciousness to physical parts of
the brain [2]. This idea was not wide accepted in the
medical field but psychologists are still using it.
Since that time neuroscience and technology
developed very quickly, and the appearance of
neuromarketing seems to be very natural. Without
any doubts, neuromarketing is a necessary
application for gaining more precise data in
marketing research. However, this approach is not
foolproof too.
One of well-known neuromarketing companies is
science based consumer-research firm NeuroFocus.
According to NeuroFocus CEO Dr. Pradeep,
people’s brains are similar with “some differences
between male and female brains” [1]. However, our
research shows that human brains are “remarkably
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 127
alike” just within some cultural groups. Differences
between groups are still very important.
The probably cause of Dr. Pradeep’s wrong
assumption about the similarity of brains may be
explained by Ian Addie in his article Is neuroscience
facilitating a new era of the hidden persuader? :
“By nature of the electrodes being placed on the
scalp, EEG can only effectively measure brain
activity at the surface of the brain, while we know
that a lot of mental processes, including some of
those responsible for controlling emotion and
memory formation, occur deep within the brain and
outside of the reach of EEG. So the current
techniques used in neuromarketing are far from
ideal for their purpose. However, even if these
techniques were not without their limitations, it is
necessary to have an accurate and comprehensive
understanding of brain function if the results are to
be correctly interpreted and completely understood
– and in this regard we are also currently
lacking”[3].
3 Problem Solution
Cause of the differences between groups may be
based on evolutionary domain. The brains started to
differ in the period when according to the most
widely accepted “Out of Africa” Hypothesis; Homo
erectus was spreading across the world. At that time
human groups moved into different geography
regions with different characteristics that had huge
influence over future development of culture. There
are a number of evidences for impact of geography
characteristics on the cultural genesis. Emergence of
science in ancient Egypt was connected to the need
for development of irrigation system for
Agriculture, building pyramids, mummification of
bodies and so on in the desert climate. Also, the
most widely accepted myth about the origin of man
that describes the creation of man by the gods from
the most common material in the area; in different
cultures man is created from clay, soil, wood,
coconut, bones of animals or of fish, etc [4].
The physical differentiation of brain’s parts at that
time may be explained in terms of neuroplasticity.
This so deep physical differentiation was an
absolutely necessary for survival process of
adaptation. Now it is an inherited base of our brain
that is similar just within the certain culture group
members.
The idea of transmission of cultural events to later
generations is not new. Darwin did believe that
learned in one generation characteristics could be
inherited in later generations. According to him, the
process of inheritance was working by transmitting
particles, called ‘gemmules’, produced throughout
the body to offspring in the sex cells. Darwin
claimed that gemmules hold characteristics specific
to the body part that produces them [5].
According to Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, cultural evolutionists agree that at the
level of the population, cumulative evolution
requires that fitness-enhancing cultural traits are
preserved in the offspring generation [6].
The similarity of brains within the culture group
was proved either by our following research.
3.1 Methodology of Research
3.1.1 Aim of Research
The main Aim of our research is extracting from
all answers common for each group patterns that
influence decision about buying a new housing.
3.1.2 Sample of Research
The research was conducted in Turkey, Czech
Republic and Russia. Samples of research are three
ethnic groups: Turkish, Czech and Russian.
3.1.3 Instrument and procedures
Instrument of our research is in-depth interview
because of its flexibility and providing more
detailed, unconscious and thus more trustful
information.
In order to reach the Aim of research, we
conducted in-depth interviews with 17 Turkish, 25
Czech and 7 Russians using simple random
sampling techniques. Number of the interviews
depended on ability to find out some strong
common pattern.
The first set of interviews was conducted in
Bursa/Turkey. Assistants were selected from Senior
Psychology students in Uludag University.
The second set of interviews was conducted in
Zlin/Czech Republic. Assistants were selected from
Senior Management and Economics students in
University of Tomas Bata in Zlin.
The third set of interviews was conducted in
Moscow/Russia.
In order to increase the reliability of results, the
following unified interview protocol was developed
for all culture groups.
Questions for the interview:
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 128
- The ideal home (what home the participant want to
live in? more details about it (plan, odors, colors))
-Childhood memories (the strongest something s/he
remember first, may be positive or negative, some
experience about home)
-More details about the childhood home (plan,
odors, colors)
-What makes one place a home?
Guidelines:
-a voice recorder will be used during the interview
-main points, participant’s age, sex, education level
and occupation will be written after the interview in
MS Word.
During the interview, the most attention must be
paid to the following:
-something necessary for survival that might be
developed in past generations as a product of an
adaptation;
-early childhood memories.
3.1.4 Ethical considerations
At the first part of each interview an interviewer
gave all necessary information about research aims,
anonymity and security of all private data.
3.1.5 Data analysis
For the purpose of our research we have used
Conceptual analysis of the data gained.
The first of all, participants’ answers were reduced
to phrases relative to the Home and a necessity for
survival. Then the phrases were distributed by
subcategories that later were combined into
categories. These categories are some common
patterns for each of the target groups. Than every
interview was scanned for existence or absence of
the pattern found. Concepts were coded even if they
have appeared in different forms but meant similar
enough. The coding was conducted manually
writing down concept occurrences. Other irrelevant
information was ignored.
3.2 Results of Research
The strongest common pattern for Turkish group
is Cleanliness (Table 1). 15 of 17 participants used it
or it’s synonyms in their answers.
The strongest common pattern for Czech
group is Nature (Table 1). 22 of 25 participants used
it or it’s synonyms in their answers.
The strongest common pattern for Russian
group is Heat (Table 1). 6 of 7 participants used it or
it’s synonyms in their answers [7].
4 Conclusion
Even if certain problems may be solved by
increasing the sensitivity of EEG, the brain
complexity shouldn’t be forgotten.
In conclusion, it is clear, that neuromarketing and
in-depth interviews may complete each other and
draw together more accurate picture of what the
customers really feel.
References:
[1] 1. Penenberg A, They have hached your brain,
Fastcompany.com, September, 2011, pp. 85-
125.
[2] 2. U.S National Library of Medicine, Website:
http://oculus.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/f/findaid/findaididx?
c=nlmfindaid;cc=nlmfindaid;view=reslist;s
ubview=standard;didno=maclean534.
(27.10.2011)
[3] 3. Addie I, Is neuroscience facilitating a new
era of the hidden persuader? International
Journal of Market Research, Vol. 53, Issue 3,
pp. 303-305
[4] Исхакова О.А., Зарождение и становление
культуры. Культурогенез. Культура древних
цивилизаций. Московский автомобильно-
дорожный институт, 2003
[5] Darwin, C., The Descent of Man, Second
Edition, with an introduction by Adrian
Desmond and James Moore, London: Penguin,
1877/2004
[6] Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Website:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutioncultural/
(27.10.2011)
[7] Ozdemir M, Marketing management in
construction industry: cultural differences in
consumers´ housing choice, Problems of
Management in the 21st Century, Vol.1, 2011,
ISSN: 2029-6932
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 129
Neuromarketing and In-Depth Interview
MAIA OZDEMIR
Faculty of Management and Economics
Tomas Bata University
Mostni 5139, 760 01 Zlin
CZECH REPUBLIC
ozdemir@fame.utb.cz, maia.ozdemir@windowslive.com
Abstract: What the customers really feel? This question is critical for formulating competitive marketing
strategies. For decades, marketing researchers tried to find out an excellent answer using various methods such
as focus groups, surveys and so on; sometimes asking consumers directly and sometimes applying an indirect
approach, such as choice-based conjoint. But, neither method is foolproof. In the frame of this paper we will
discuss some weak points of neuromarketing by demonstrating results of our research and give suggestions
toward gaining more precise data.
Key-Words: Culture, Cultural genesis, Evolution, In-depth interview, Marketing research, Neuromarketing
1 Introduction
Significance of marketing is out of any doubts.
Companies world wide spend trillions of dollars
each year on advertising, marketing, and product
R&D. For decades advertisers, marketers, and
product developers are making an effort to apply
social psychology to discover the tools to tap into
the consumer’s brain. Some marketers believe that
most of biases occur because of responses changed
by the customer’s conscious mind. Development of
technology gives a wide range of opportunities for
the new generation marketing research.
The latest technologic discovery in modern
marketing research is EEG scanner. Its developer
Dr. Pradeep at the 75th Advertising Research
Foundation conference explains: “The skullcap-size
device sports dozens of sensors that rest on a
subject's head like a crown of thorns. It covers the
entire area of the brain, so it can comprehensively
capture synaptic waves.” Consumer-research firm
NeuroFocus, managed by Dr. Pradeep, “promises
something deeper, with unprecedented access into
the nooks and crannies of the subconscious” [1].
New point of view most times gives an advantage in
the marketing field. It helps to develop creative
strategies. However, neuromarketing has a few
points that contradict to results of our research. In
this article we will discuss these weaknesses,
present our research and make some suggestions
toward future direction of modern marketing
research.
2 Problem Formulation
Neuromarketing is a quite new method of marketing
research. The first attempts to apply neuroscience to
other fields were taken in the middle of the 20th
century by the neurologist Paul MacLean. He has
proposed that we have not one brain, but three. It is
interesting that similar ideas can be found in many
esoteric spiritual traditions like Kabbalah and
Platonism, but MacLean made an effort to bond
three planes of consciousness to physical parts of
the brain [2]. This idea was not wide accepted in the
medical field but psychologists are still using it.
Since that time neuroscience and technology
developed very quickly, and the appearance of
neuromarketing seems to be very natural. Without
any doubts, neuromarketing is a necessary
application for gaining more precise data in
marketing research. However, this approach is not
foolproof too.
One of well-known neuromarketing companies is
science based consumer-research firm NeuroFocus.
According to NeuroFocus CEO Dr. Pradeep,
people’s brains are similar with “some differences
between male and female brains” [1]. However, our
research shows that human brains are “remarkably
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 127
alike” just within some cultural groups. Differences
between groups are still very important.
The probably cause of Dr. Pradeep’s wrong
assumption about the similarity of brains may be
explained by Ian Addie in his article Is neuroscience
facilitating a new era of the hidden persuader? :
“By nature of the electrodes being placed on the
scalp, EEG can only effectively measure brain
activity at the surface of the brain, while we know
that a lot of mental processes, including some of
those responsible for controlling emotion and
memory formation, occur deep within the brain and
outside of the reach of EEG. So the current
techniques used in neuromarketing are far from
ideal for their purpose. However, even if these
techniques were not without their limitations, it is
necessary to have an accurate and comprehensive
understanding of brain function if the results are to
be correctly interpreted and completely understood
– and in this regard we are also currently
lacking”[3].
3 Problem Solution
Cause of the differences between groups may be
based on evolutionary domain. The brains started to
differ in the period when according to the most
widely accepted “Out of Africa” Hypothesis; Homo
erectus was spreading across the world. At that time
human groups moved into different geography
regions with different characteristics that had huge
influence over future development of culture. There
are a number of evidences for impact of geography
characteristics on the cultural genesis. Emergence of
science in ancient Egypt was connected to the need
for development of irrigation system for
Agriculture, building pyramids, mummification of
bodies and so on in the desert climate. Also, the
most widely accepted myth about the origin of man
that describes the creation of man by the gods from
the most common material in the area; in different
cultures man is created from clay, soil, wood,
coconut, bones of animals or of fish, etc [4].
The physical differentiation of brain’s parts at that
time may be explained in terms of neuroplasticity.
This so deep physical differentiation was an
absolutely necessary for survival process of
adaptation. Now it is an inherited base of our brain
that is similar just within the certain culture group
members.
The idea of transmission of cultural events to later
generations is not new. Darwin did believe that
learned in one generation characteristics could be
inherited in later generations. According to him, the
process of inheritance was working by transmitting
particles, called ‘gemmules’, produced throughout
the body to offspring in the sex cells. Darwin
claimed that gemmules hold characteristics specific
to the body part that produces them [5].
According to Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, cultural evolutionists agree that at the
level of the population, cumulative evolution
requires that fitness-enhancing cultural traits are
preserved in the offspring generation [6].
The similarity of brains within the culture group
was proved either by our following research.
3.1 Methodology of Research
3.1.1 Aim of Research
The main Aim of our research is extracting from
all answers common for each group patterns that
influence decision about buying a new housing.
3.1.2 Sample of Research
The research was conducted in Turkey, Czech
Republic and Russia. Samples of research are three
ethnic groups: Turkish, Czech and Russian.
3.1.3 Instrument and procedures
Instrument of our research is in-depth interview
because of its flexibility and providing more
detailed, unconscious and thus more trustful
information.
In order to reach the Aim of research, we
conducted in-depth interviews with 17 Turkish, 25
Czech and 7 Russians using simple random
sampling techniques. Number of the interviews
depended on ability to find out some strong
common pattern.
The first set of interviews was conducted in
Bursa/Turkey. Assistants were selected from Senior
Psychology students in Uludag University.
The second set of interviews was conducted in
Zlin/Czech Republic. Assistants were selected from
Senior Management and Economics students in
University of Tomas Bata in Zlin.
The third set of interviews was conducted in
Moscow/Russia.
In order to increase the reliability of results, the
following unified interview protocol was developed
for all culture groups.
Questions for the interview:
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 128
- The ideal home (what home the participant want to
live in? more details about it (plan, odors, colors))
-Childhood memories (the strongest something s/he
remember first, may be positive or negative, some
experience about home)
-More details about the childhood home (plan,
odors, colors)
-What makes one place a home?
Guidelines:
-a voice recorder will be used during the interview
-main points, participant’s age, sex, education level
and occupation will be written after the interview in
MS Word.
During the interview, the most attention must be
paid to the following:
-something necessary for survival that might be
developed in past generations as a product of an
adaptation;
-early childhood memories.
3.1.4 Ethical considerations
At the first part of each interview an interviewer
gave all necessary information about research aims,
anonymity and security of all private data.
3.1.5 Data analysis
For the purpose of our research we have used
Conceptual analysis of the data gained.
The first of all, participants’ answers were reduced
to phrases relative to the Home and a necessity for
survival. Then the phrases were distributed by
subcategories that later were combined into
categories. These categories are some common
patterns for each of the target groups. Than every
interview was scanned for existence or absence of
the pattern found. Concepts were coded even if they
have appeared in different forms but meant similar
enough. The coding was conducted manually
writing down concept occurrences. Other irrelevant
information was ignored.
3.2 Results of Research
The strongest common pattern for Turkish group
is Cleanliness (Table 1). 15 of 17 participants used it
or it’s synonyms in their answers.
The strongest common pattern for Czech
group is Nature (Table 1). 22 of 25 participants used
it or it’s synonyms in their answers.
The strongest common pattern for Russian
group is Heat (Table 1). 6 of 7 participants used it or
it’s synonyms in their answers [7].
4 Conclusion
Even if certain problems may be solved by
increasing the sensitivity of EEG, the brain
complexity shouldn’t be forgotten.
In conclusion, it is clear, that neuromarketing and
in-depth interviews may complete each other and
draw together more accurate picture of what the
customers really feel.
References:
[1] 1. Penenberg A, They have hached your brain,
Fastcompany.com, September, 2011, pp. 85-
125.
[2] 2. U.S National Library of Medicine, Website:
http://oculus.nlm.nih.gov/cgi/f/findaid/findaididx?
c=nlmfindaid;cc=nlmfindaid;view=reslist;s
ubview=standard;didno=maclean534.
(27.10.2011)
[3] 3. Addie I, Is neuroscience facilitating a new
era of the hidden persuader? International
Journal of Market Research, Vol. 53, Issue 3,
pp. 303-305
[4] Исхакова О.А., Зарождение и становление
культуры. Культурогенез. Культура древних
цивилизаций. Московский автомобильно-
дорожный институт, 2003
[5] Darwin, C., The Descent of Man, Second
Edition, with an introduction by Adrian
Desmond and James Moore, London: Penguin,
1877/2004
[6] Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Website:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolutioncultural/
(27.10.2011)
[7] Ozdemir M, Marketing management in
construction industry: cultural differences in
consumers´ housing choice, Problems of
Management in the 21st Century, Vol.1, 2011,
ISSN: 2029-6932
Recent Researches in Economics
ISBN: 978-1-61804-061-9 129
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