Neuromarketing is ultimately the science of choice. Buying something might seem like a simple task, particularly when it’s routine – there might not seem to be much going on when you buy your favorite brand of bread. But behind every purchase decision – from habitual grocery shopping, to buying a house, and everything in between – lies a complex network of ideas, memories, emotions, and desires that guide that decision.
There’s so much information and detail behind these ideas that we’d need a book to explain it all properly – fortunately, many others have done so before us. To help guide you towards a better understanding of the field of neuromarketing, we’d like to highlight some of the best reads available.
Here, we have compiled a list of our current top 10 neuromarketing books focusing on consumer behavior, decision-making, and the subconscious mind. The authors include some of the most influential neuromarketers in the world, and their combined knowledge will give you a better understanding of what really goes on in our minds and brains when making purchasing decisions.
1. Brainfluence: 100 Ways to Persuade and Convince Consumers with Neuromarketing
Author: Roger Dooley
Brainfluence is a must-read neuromarketing book, teaching its readers how to attract new customers by applying neuroscience and behavior research to practical techniques. The book contains key strategies for targeting consumers through various marketing mediums, online and print ads as well as in-person sales.
2. Consumer Neuroscience
Editors: Moran Cerf & Manuel Garcia-Garcia
Consumer Neuroscience provides thorough and insightful knowledge about the world of neuromarketing from a range of experts and thought-leaders in the field. The book provides an overview of the psychological components of consumer neuroscience, as well as a rundown of the tools and techniques (EEG, eye-tracking, and beyond) that are used to provide such knowledge.
3. Predictably Irrational
Author: Dan Ariely
Thoroughly upending the idea that humans are rational creatures, Dan Ariely takes us on a tour of our counterintuitive behaviors, and why we act in such ways. By exploring how seemingly minor details can impact our emotions and behaviors in surprising ways, the book provides a lesson in predicting our own irrationality – and better prepared to see it in others.
4. Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing
Author: Douglas Van Praet
Before marketers develop strategies, they must understand human strategies, behavior and the consumer’s unconscious decision making. Van Praet simplifies the human brain into seven actionable steps to behavior change and includes real world successful examples such as Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign.
5. Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy and the New Science of Desire
Author: Martin Lindstrom
Buyology is the result of a 3 year neuromarketing study of more than 2.000 people’s reactions to various logos, ads, campaigns, jingles and products. The book is an interesting journey into the subconscious mind and includes well-known brand examples such as Nokia and Marlboro.
6. The Buying Brain: Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious Mind
Author: A. K. Pradeep
The Buying Brain is an in-depth guide to using neuroscience in everything from product concepts, design, packaging, pricing, advertising and building a better brand. Pradeep states that up to 95 % of our decisions are made by our subconscious mind, so creating products directly appealing to our brains is the key to success.
7. Decoding the New Consumer Mind: How and Why We Shop and Buy
Author: Kit Yarrow
The book gives marketers an insight into the unconscious relationship between consumers and products, brands and retailers. Yarrow also combines innovation and technology with neuroscience to create tools to enhance brand image, gain product loyalty and create an emotional, yet uncomplicated experience for the consumer.
8. How We Decide
Author: Jonah Lehrer
The New York Times bestseller explores our reasoning behind making decisions in business, purchasing products and other aspects of life. As various decisions depend on different blends of subconscious feelings and conscious reasoning, Lehrer provides the tools to improve how we think and therefore how we make better decisions and influence others to do the same.
9. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Author: Nir Eyal
In this #1 bestseller, Nir Eyal explores the factors leading to successful products and how companies can take certain steps to ensure user habits and create products people love. He, furthermore, explains the Hook Model – a 4 step process designed to subtly encourage customer behavior and ensure product loyalty without expensive marketing campaigns.
10. Thinking, Fast and Slow
Author: Daniel Kahneman
Nobel prize winner Daniel Kahneman’s essential read, “Thinking Fast and Slow” traces the scientific studies that have formed most of modern neuromarketing (largely carried out by himself and his longtime counterpart, Amos Tversky. This book provides foundational knowledge for understanding behavioral science, and reveals ways of thinking better in everyday life too.
Bonus:
11. What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You
Author: Melina Palmer
Melina Palmer introduces a practical yet entertaining way to explore the world of neuromarketing. Through her experience as a neuromarketing thought-leader and researcher (often with iMotions software), Melina is able to share her expertise on topics ranging from cognitive biases to business profitability. By introducing real-world examples of behavioral economics in action, this book teaches you not only how to employ best-practices for your business, it also teaches you how to spot them in the wild.
We hope you have found some great inspiration and will be filling your head with knowledge. If you are still thirsty for more insights into the neuromarketing world, feel free to check out our free pocket guides, to take your insights to the next level.
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