Neuromarketing: what it is and how it influences our buying decisions

What is neuromarketing and why is everyone talking about it?

Neuromarketing studies how the brain responds to stimuli from brands, products, and campaigns. It’s not just about asking people how they feel, but about measuring what actually happens on a physiological level: what triggers emotion, what captures attention, and what is remembered most vividly.

The growing presence of neuromarketing in society can be seen in its market expansion: in 2023, it generated 2.8 billion dollars and is projected to reach 7.5 billion by 2030. This corporate interest highlights the importance of understanding the brain processes that influence customer and consumer decisions.

At the same time, countries such as Colombia have promoted tourism as a driver of economic development, attracting over 5.5 million non-resident visitors. This reinforces the need to offer differentiated experiences that go beyond the basic package, because many tourism decisions are driven by emotional responses that influence purchases.

Neuromarketing vs. traditional marketing: the key differences

Unlike traditional marketing, which focuses on logic and persuasive communication, neuromarketing examines what happens in the unconscious mind, where most decisions are actually made.

What is neuromarketing based on?

The main characteristics that set it apart from other disciplines are:

• Focus on the unconscious: acknowledges that much of purchasing is emotional, not rational.
• Use of advanced technology: EEG, fMRI, eye-tracking, GSR.
• Objective measurement: physiological data is more reliable than verbal responses.
• Multidisciplinary approach: integrates neuroscience, psychology, marketing, behavioral economics, and statistics.
• Holistic perspective: analyzes the full consumer experience, from emotions to behavior.

In practice, each technique contributes a layer: EEG detects patterns of electrical activity linked to attention or cognitive load; fMRI tracks blood flow as an indicator of neuronal activity; and GSR measures emotional arousal through skin conductance.

What is neuromarketing for in today's world?

Optimizing the customer experience means understanding which stimuli generate positive and memorable emotions. In practice, this translates into tools and approaches that make it possible to design more persuasive messages and experiences, such as:

• Eye-tracking: Reveals where a potential customer’s gaze lands on a brochure, website, or image. The results are often displayed in heat maps, fixation sequences, and attention spans by area, which are highly useful for prioritizing design and visual hierarchy.
• Emotional anthropomorphism: Describing destinations or products with human traits (“a waterfall that embraces you with its freshness”) to foster a deeper connection.
• Mirror neurons: Showing people enjoying a service can spark empathy and a desire in the viewer to experience it. Combined, these strategies humanize the destination and amplify empathy, increasing both trial intent and willingness to pay when the emotional promise is credible.

Neuromarketing and customer experience: the path to success

Researchers such as Uma R. Karmarkar have demonstrated that:

• The brain integrates price, quality, and attractiveness into a single representation of value.
• The way information is presented alters value perception.
• Uncertainty and risk shape purchasing decisions. In tourism, addressing uncertainties (weather, safety, perceived quality) through trust signals (social proof, guarantees, clear policies) reduces the psychological cost of making a decision.
• Decisions emerge from the interaction between emotion and cognition, not from a purely rational process.

In particular, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) integrates price, quality, and attractiveness into a unified sense of value. If the price is framed in a strong emotional context (e.g., “a unique experience”), it can boost willingness to pay by reinforcing that value perception.

How does neuromarketing influence our buying decisions?

Many purchasing decisions are triggered in the limbic system, where fast emotional responses operate. These do not always create shared value or long-term loyalty. Understanding this “drive” is key to designing experiences that foster loyalty rather than just one-off purchases.

The power of emotions when buying

Emotions are the first filter in any consumer decision. Before a customer evaluates price, quality, or functionality, the brain has already generated a rapid emotional response that shapes what follows.

Emotional anthropomorphism—attributing human qualities to a product or destination—creates closeness and makes the consumer feel understood. Mirror neurons, in turn, activate empathy: when we see someone enjoying a tourist service, trying a product, or living a positive experience, our brain simulates it as if it were our own.

This process explains why campaigns built on human stories, authentic testimonials, or images of shared experiences often work better than a simple list of technical features.

Attention, memory and perception: how the brain reacts to a brand

Neuromarketing explores how our brain selects, stores, and retrieves information throughout the purchasing process.

• Attention: Works like a filter. Of the countless stimuli we encounter, only those with a distinctive impact stick. Factors such as color, typography, sound, and even the scent of a space play a role here.
• Memory: Determines whether an advertisement, in-store experience, or digital content lingers in our minds and influences future choices. A strong emotional stimulus, combined with coherent design, is more likely to be remembered than something neutral or undifferentiated.
• Perception: Linked to subjective interpretation. Two people may see the same advertisement but interpret it differently based on prior experiences. This is why neuromarketing aims to create multisensory, consistent messages that reduce ambiguity and reinforce the emotional footprint.

Together, these three processes show that the consumer does not act as a rational evaluator of pros and cons, but as a being influenced by stimuli that determine which brand stands out, which one is remembered, and ultimately which one is chosen.

Practical applications of neuromarketing in companies and brands

Neuromarketing is not just theory: it is already present across multiple sectors such as tourism, education, retail, and digital marketing. Its application makes it possible to transform ordinary experiences into memorable ones, generating greater loyalty and differentiating brands from the competition.

An example can be found in the education sector with the Escuela Superior de Empresa, Ingeniería y Tecnología (ESEIT) , which incorporates elements of social marketing into its support model, along with technological innovation and sustainability criteria. This vision not only seeks to attract students but also to offer educational experiences that connect emotionally and strengthen long-term commitment.

It also integrates ICT tools, virtual practice labs, and experimental scenarios that develop skills in real-life contexts.

From packaging to pricing: decisions based on neuroscience

In sectors like tourism or education, the concept of packaging goes far beyond a simple box or wrapping. It can be understood as the way a brochure, curriculum, or even a website is presented. Neuroscience shows that small details—such as clean design, choice of colors, or how the price is displayed—directly influence value perception.

Digital neuromarketing: impact on websites, UX, and online campaigns

In the digital environment, neuromarketing is applied to user experience, web design, and online campaigns to build a deeper connection between consumers and brands. Tools such as heat maps and eye-tracking reveal which areas of a page generate the most interest, allowing companies to optimize menus, information hierarchies, and purchase buttons.

Benefits and challenges of neuromarketing

Competitive advantages for companies that apply it

Neuromarketing offers companies the chance to stand out in increasingly saturated markets, where capturing consumer attention is a constant challenge. This not only boosts sales but also strengthens long-term loyalty. It also helps optimize resources, reduce uncertainty in campaigns, and design proposals aligned with what truly resonates with customers.

Scientific and technological limits of this discipline

Despite its vast potential, neuromarketing still faces major hurdles. Technologies such as fMRI or EEG involve high implementation costs, limiting access for small and medium-sized businesses. There is also a shortage of knowledge and specialized talent in regions like Latin America, where training and resources remain scarce.

At the same time, ethical dilemmas are central: without proper regulation, neuromarketing could slip into excessive emotional manipulation or risks to consumer privacy, raising an open debate about its boundaries and social responsibility.

Conclusion

Neuromarketing is not optional—it is an imperative in today’s global and competitive market. Its ability to create immersive, high-value experiences is already transforming industries such as tourism and education. However, it is essential to address its ethical, technological, and sustainability challenges to ensure that neuromarketing becomes a tool for innovation, not manipulation.

Technological obsolescence must be monitored on three levels: perceived (the feeling that “what came before is no longer valid”), functional (incompatibilities), and psychological (the pressure of the new, which distorts real value).

Responsible adoption gains traction when aligned with the quintuple helix of innovation (academia, business, government, society, and the environment), coordinating incentives and maximizing impact. The final reflection lies with you: as a prosumer, you determine the scope of your decisions.

At Planeta Formación y Universidades, we work to help students, professionals, and companies explore these trends with a solid and applied foundation, connecting science, innovation, and real-world practice. Our goal is to develop professionals capable of harnessing the potential of neuromarketing without losing sight of the critical and human perspective it requires.