Major developments in the field of cognitive (neuro)sciences allow for better understanding of consumers’ “black box” and of multiple factors that may significantly influence their perceptions and behaviors (sometimes in a quite irrational way). This course outlines these advances, in terms of new knowledge that is being developed and of innovative techniques that make it possible to analyze “non-conscious” perceptions in consumers’ mind.
This course also addresses fascinating developments in new technologies related to virtual reality (which are becoming essential in today’s marketing). These technologies make it possible to immerse consumers regarding products, ads, points of sale or other relevant environments (e.g. holiday or leisure locations). They offer huge opportunities for marketing in the very near future. Therefore, virtual reality has recently been proclaimed as the most promising emerging technology at present for businesses to gain a competitive advantage.
On the methodological level, this course is mainly based on the experimental approach (in laboratory or natural environment), largely used in marketing studies dealing with cognitive neurosciences or virtual reality. This approach typically consists in presenting a sample of consumers [possibly through virtual reality] with a marketing concept (e.g. packaging, point of sale, etc.) whose a specific factor is manipulated (e.g. a design element) while removing the influence of any other factor, in order to analyze [possibly through techniques drawn from cognitive neurosciences] the causal impact of the manipulated factor on various consumers’ reactions (e.g. emotions, beliefs, behaviors). This approach is therefore highly valuable for understanding and optimizing the impacts that marketing concepts have on target consumers. For this reason, the experimental approach is attracting an increasing interest from companies.
- Enseignant: Pleyers Gordy