Let’s be honest: if marketing were easy, we'd all be running billion-dollar empires from beach bars.
 
Instead, most of us are here trying to figure out why customers say one thing, feel another, and do something completely different. (David Ogilvy wasn't lying when he said, “Consumers don’t think how they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.”)

So, how do we market to people who don’t even know what they really want themselves?

Enter neuromarketing — the gloriously brainy meeting point between neuroscience and marketing.

I recently tuned into a fantastic CIM webinar by psychology expert Katie Hart on “Neuromarketing and the Science of Desire,” and let me tell you — it was an absolute mind-opener. Here are the biggest takeaways marketers need to know:

1. 95% of Decision-Making is Subconscious - Yes, really. Your customers are making decisions based on things they aren’t even aware of (and no, they’re not being awkward on purpose). Marketing lesson:  Traditional research methods like surveys and focus groups only scratch the surface. Real persuasion happens at the subconscious level — through emotions, gut reactions, and instinctive responses.
2. Emotions Rule the Brain (and the Basket) - When it comes to making choices, feelings beat facts almost every time.  That's why people will walk away from a "rational" deal if it feels unfair — and why FOMO (fear of missing out) is still marketing gold.  Marketing lesson: Tap into emotions first, logic later.  Think excitement, curiosity, belonging, exclusivity — not just product specs and bullet points.
3. Attention is a Precious (and Flighty) Resource - The brain processes 11 million bits of information every second — but we’re only consciously aware of about three (Three! No wonder we forget why we walked into a room).  Marketing lesson:  You have seconds to grab attention. Use contrast, colour, faces, movement — anything that makes your audience stop scrolling and actually notice you.  Hot tip: your customer's own name or something highly relevant to them will slice through the noise like a knife through a Victoria sponge.
4. Anticipation Beats the Reward - Here's the wild part: dopamine (the brain’s "reward chemical") peaks during anticipation, not when we actually get the thing.  So that mouth-watering new product teaser? That "something exciting is coming soon" post? Yep — pure brain candy.  Marketing lesson: Build hype. Create anticipation. Drip-feed excitement before the "big reveal." Get people imagining how good it’s going to feel — and they’ll crave it before they even see the price tag.
5. Price Hurts (Literally) - Seeing a price tag triggers the same brain region that processes pain (Yep. That’s why we all wince at shipping costs at checkout). Marketing lesson: Don’t lead with the price.
   First, build value, desire, and emotional connection — then reveal the cost once your customer is already mentally picturing themselves owning it.

Neuromarketing Done Right

Now, a quick word on ethics: neuromarketing isn’t about brainwashing or trickery.  You can’t force someone to want something they don’t already want (and honestly, who has the energy for dark magic?)  It’s about understanding human nature better — and creating marketing that feels natural, exciting, and right for your audience.  Because at the end of the day, people don’t want to be "sold to."

They want to be seen, understood, and delighted.

In the words of Katie Hart: "There’s no buy button in the brain — but there are plenty of ways to spark desire."

And if that’s not a reason to get a little bit nerdy about marketing science, I don’t know what is.

Ready to put neuromarketing into action for your business? At Marketing Doris, we make sure your brand isn't just seen — it's felt.

Drop me a message if you'd like to sprinkle a little (science-backed) magic into your marketing.