MARKET RESEARCH
MARKET RESEARCH
THE SYSTEM 1 RESEARCH REVOLUTION
By Elissa Moses
Introduction
Market Research is rapidly changing the world over . Advancements in consumer understanding , thanks to discoveries in Neuroscience , Behavioral Science and Psychology , make it possible now to understand much more about consumer response to marketing from an emotional and behavioral perspective .
We can now overlay the essence of what people think rationally via questioning and ratings with how they feel viscerally and emotionally in ways we can now measure , but the consumers cannot put into words . This provides an important new window into the reactions and motivations of consumers toward brands , advertising , packaging , product experience and merchandizing .
This new world of research , often referred to as Neuromarketing , was triggered by advancements in understanding how the brain functions and the emergence of Behavioral Economics . Behavioral Economics is the study of psychological influences on consumer
‘‘ Modern Neuroscientists have taught us that the emotional nonconscious side of brain processing is hundreds of times more important than realized and the primary driver of decisions and behavior . For marketers , understanding System 1 responses to marketing stimuli is becoming invaluable for optimizing campaigns , brands , etc . and better understanding behavior .’’ decision making and behavior . It was made globally famous by Nobel Prize Winner Psychologist and Neuro Economist Daniel Kahneman in his best seller Thinking Fast and Slow .
In the book , Kahneman popularizes the notion of two separate operating systems in the brain , System 1 and System 2 . System 1 is nonconscious , emotional and fast . System 2 is rational , deliberate and relatively slow to enable reflection and analysis .
Modern Neuroscientists have taught us that the emotional nonconscious side of brain processing is hundreds of times more important than realized and the primary driver of decisions and behavior . For marketers , understanding System 1 responses to marketing stimuli is becoming invaluable for optimizing campaigns , brands , etc . and better understanding behavior .
After more than 100 years trying to understand consumer behavior by mostly asking questions and observing , we now have an array of nonconscious measurement tools which can help us get at how people feel when they see an ad ,
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