Brain Blast | Marketing on the Mind
The latest news on the brain and beyond.
From EEGs to fMRIs, organizations are using brain-sensing tools to gain insight into the minds of their patients, subjects, and customers. The applications of these tools are extensive; they’ve allowed researchers to understand and, by extension, attempt to change how people learn skills, consume information, and experience stimuli. Discover the newest innovations in the world of applied neuroscience below.
Business by design: Testing a brain-based sales model
Does it spark joy? In Belgium, patrons interested in buying a rug from Ikea’s exclusive Art Event collection were first required to have their brainwaves monitored via an EEG headband. Only those whose brainwaves indicated a strong emotional response to the rugs were allowed to purchase one. It’s a fascinating example of how businesses are creatively incorporating neuroscience.
Story via Inc
The ripple effect: Enhancing memory artificially
The results of a recent study at NYU may change the way scientists approach the treatment of memory disorders. Researchers artificially extended the length of brain signals called “sharp wave ripples” in animal subjects. Subsequently, the subjects displayed significantly improved performance in memory-based tasks.
Story via New York University
Hungry for more: Feeding the brain’s craving for information
Whether it be phone notifications or Wikipedia articles, research suggests that we may be biologically driven to seek out information, regardless of its value. Through fMRI scans of participants’ brains, a team at UC Berkeley noticed that information, even if it is useless, triggers the human brain’s reward system in the same way as money, drugs, and food.
Story via UC Berkeley
Forging a path: Building new skills and neural patterns
Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition scientists found an association between the development of new skills and the creation of new neural activity patterns in monkeys’ brains. This team hopes to develop neurofeedback tools which can help humans who have suffered brain injuries form new neural activity patterns and, by extension, relearn skills they’ve forgotten.
Story via University of Pittsburgh
Under the influence: Assessing marketing strategies
To test the effectiveness of advertising strategies, a marketing team asked study participants to wear a brain-sensing headset while they viewed different ads. In general, when subjects were shown content from relevant social media influencers, their brain activity was indicative of substantially higher levels of emotional engagement and memory encoding than when they viewed ads on television.
Story via The Drum
Better together
Are you ready to harness the power of EEG to improve the way you think, work, sleep, and more? Backed by years of neuroscientific research, Versus’ non-invasive mobile EEG system can help you focus on demand and relax with ease. Join the mental wellness movement by ordering the Versus headset here.