Can neuromarketing add value to the traditional marketing research? An exemplary experiment with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

Abstract Whether neuromarketing methods can add value to marketing research depends on their cost-utility ratio and their ability to offer hidden information that cannot be obtained using other marketing research methods. Due to the limitations of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for real-world situations and its high costs, the aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of a mobile functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. Two experiments dealing with brands and labels are used to discuss how and if neuromarketing can enrich marketing research and to what extent existing limitations and challenges can be overcome. In both experiments, differences in prefrontal cortex activity were measured. Thus, it is possible to measure brand- and label-related prefrontal cortex activation using fNIRS. As fNIRS is mobile and allows for experiments outside the laboratory, this considerably expands the field of usage of neuroimaging processes and can therefore decrease the costs of neuroimaging.