Ethics and Neuromarketing (eBook)

Andrew R. Thomas is Associate Professor of Marketing and International Business at the University of Akron; and, the bestselling author of 21 books. His most recent works include The Customer Trap: How to Avoid the Biggest Mistake in Business and Global Supply Chain Security. His book The Distribution Trap: Keeping Your Innovations from Becoming Commodities was awarded the Berry-American Marketing Association Prize for the Best Marketing Book of 2010. Direct Marketing in Action was a finalist for the same award in 2008. Andrew has traveled to and developed sales and distribution channels in 120 countries on all seven continents. Nicolae Alexandru Pop  currently serves as Professor for the Marketing Department of the Bucharest University of Economic Studies. He is also a specialist in relationship marketing, international marketing and neuromarketing. He is also Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Bochum, at Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, at Politehnica University of Bucharest, visiting professor la HEC Montreal, TU Darmstadt, ISCAE Casablanca, Goethe University Frankfurt Main and CNAM Paris. Dr. Pop is also Doctor honoris causa of the University of Oradea. Ana Maria Iorga is a neuromarketing expert that has a passion for bringing science to marketing. She is holds a double MBA degree in Marketing and Finance from the University of Ottawa and is currently a PhD student in neuromarketing at the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. She has over 10 years of experience as an advertising professional and entrepreneur, leading a full-service advertising agency. In 2012, she founded Buyer Brain, a consumer neuroscience research lab. Cristian Ducu holds a PhD in Moral Philosophy from the University of Bucharest and he is the General Manager of the Centre for Advanced Research in Management and Applied Ethics, an independent research and consulting NGO. In the last 13 years, he specialized in Applied Ethics (mostly, Business Ethics, Communication Ethics, Bioethics, and Ethics in New and Emerging Technologies) and taught various classes in these fields at the University of Bucharest and National University of Political Studies and Public Administration.

Contents 5
Abbreviations 7
Contributors 8
Chapter 1: Introduction 15
Chapter 2: Neuromarketing: Understanding the Application of Neuroscientific Methods Within Marketing Research 18
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Understanding Neuromarketing 19
2.3 Neuroscience Measurement 19
2.3.1 Psychophysical 19
2.3.2 Electrical Brain Activity 21
2.3.3 Metabolic Brain Activity 22
2.3.4 Multi-Model Measures 24
2.4 Neuromarketing Taxonomy 24
2.4.1 Consumer Attention 25
2.4.2 Consumer Arousal 27
2.4.3 Product/Brand Appraisal 28
2.4.4 Product/Brand Preference 30
2.4.5 Purchase Behavior 32
2.4.6 Memory 34
2.4.7 Brand Extension 35
2.5 Conclusion 37
References 38
Chapter 3: Topoi in Neuromarketing Ethics 44
3.1 Preliminary Distinctions 45
3.1.1 Neuromarketing: From Research to Applications 45
3.1.2 Neuromarketing Ethics: Neuroethics—Bioethics 46
3.2 Mapping the Territory 48
3.2.1 Ethics of Neuromarketing Research 48
3.2.1.1 Ethics in Neuromarketing Research Governance 48
How Much Can We Really Say from a Neuromarketing Study? 49
Governing Research Subjects’ Participation in Neuromarketing Studies 52
Informed Consent in Neuromarketing Research 56
3.2.1.2 Ethics and Research Data Practices 57
Research Design and Scientific Validity 57
Confidentiality, Anonymity and Data Security 58
Dual-Use Research 60
3.2.1.3 Ethics and Publication Practices 61
Authorship Issues 61
Cherry-Picking and Salami-Slicing 61
Research Transparency 62
3.2.2 Ethics of the Use of Brain Imaging Technologies in Neuromarketing 62
3.2.2.1 The Use of Brain Imaging Technologies 62
3.2.2.2 Privacy 63
3.2.2.3 Incidental Findings 67
3.2.3 Ethics of Neuromarketing Applications 70
3.2.3.1 Manipulative Marketing Practices 70
3.2.3.2 Exacerbating the Emotional Factor 71
3.3 Conclusions 73
References 73
Chapter 4: A Guideline for Ethical Aspects in Conducting Neuromarketing Studies 78
4.1 Introduction 78
4.2 Conceptual Background 79
4.2.1 Neuromarketing 79
4.2.2 The Ethics of Neuroscience and Neuromarketing 81
4.3 Analyzing Ethical Challenges in Neuromarketing 82
4.3.1 Protection of Research Subjects 82
4.3.1.1 Tool-Specific Investigation 83
4.3.1.2 Coverage by NMSBA Codes 85
4.3.1.3 Additional Aspects 86
4.3.2 Protection of Vulnerable Niche Populations from Marketing Exploitation 86
4.3.2.1 Tool-Specific Investigation 87
4.3.2.2 Coverage by NMSBA Codes 87
4.3.2.3 Additional Aspects 87
4.3.3 Full Disclosure of Goals, Risks, and Benefits 88
4.3.3.1 Tool-Specific Investigation 88
4.3.3.2 Coverage by NMSBA Codes 89
4.3.3.3 Additional Aspects 89
4.3.4 Accurate Media and Marketing Representation 90
4.3.4.1 Tool-Specific Investigation 90
4.3.4.2 Coverage by NMSBA Codes 91
4.3.4.3 Additional Aspects 91
4.3.5 Internal and External Scientific Validity 92
4.3.5.1 Tool-Specific Investigation 92
4.3.5.2 Coverage by NMSBA Codes 92
4.3.5.3 Additional Aspects 93
4.4 Summary and Implications 93
References 97
Chapter 5: Ethical and Legal Considerations in Research Subject and Data Protection 101
5.1 Introduction 101
5.2 Ethical Considerations on Neuromarketing Research 104
5.3 Privacy, Confidentiality, and Legal Issues 106
5.3.1 What Is Privacy? 107
5.3.1.1 Privacy and Informed Consent 108
5.3.2 What Is Confidentiality? 109
5.4 Potential Legal Issues 109
5.5 Neuromarketing and Consumer’s Free Will 110
5.6 Final Reflections and Future Perspectives 111
References 112
Chapter 6: Transparency and Reliability in Neuromarketing Research 113
6.1 Introduction 113
6.1.1 Issues Related to the Transparency and Reliability of Neuromarketing Research 115
6.1.2 (Mis)perception of the Potentialities of the Neuromarketing 116
6.1.3 To Increase the Transparency and Reliability of Neuroscience-Based Methodologies Offered by the Neuromarketing Companies 118
6.1.4 To Increase the Transparency and Reliability of Communication About Neuromarketing Methodologies 120
References 122
Chapter 7: Implicit Measures of Attitudes in Market Research 124
7.1 Theoretical Background 124
7.1.1 Reaction Time and Attitudes Accessibility 125
7.1.2 Attitudes and Behavior 127
7.2 Science in order to Help Societies 127
7.2.1 High Technologies to Serve and Protect 127
7.2.2 Neuro Against Smoking Project 128
7.2.2.1 Methodology 129
7.2.2.2 Findings 130
7.2.3 The Additional Value of Implicit 130
7.3 Summary 131
References 132
Chapter 8: Ethical Considerations regarding Stakeholders in Neuromarketing Research. Empirical Insights from NMSBA Corporate Members, TAAN Advertising Agencies and Romanian Companies 134
8.1 Introduction 134
8.2 A Company’s Market Success and the Marketing Mindset 135
8.3 From Stakeholders’ Management to Holistic Marketing 137
8.4 Studies Focused on Neuromarketing, Ethics, and Stakeholders 141
8.4.1 Neuromarketing Stakeholder and Ethics Research 142
8.4.2 Study 1 143
8.4.3 Study 2 146
8.4.4 Study 3 150
8.5 Conclusions 154
References 155
Chapter 9: Dealing with the Devils: The Responsibility of Neuromarketing Practitioners in Conducting Research for Ethically Questionable Client Agendas 158
9.1 Introduction 158
9.2 A Brief Review of Ethical Misconduct in Marketing Endeavors 159
9.3 From Stealth Marketing to Stealth Neuromarketing 162
9.4 Examples of What Could, but What Shouldn’t Be Tested via Neuromarketing 163
9.5 Current Industry Standards in Ethical Considerations of Client Relations 164
9.6 Future Directions 165
References 166
Chapter 10: The Limits and the Ethics of Consumer Profiling 168
10.1 Introduction 168
10.2 The Beginning of Neuromarketing 170
10.3 Measurements and Interpretations 171
10.4 Interpretations and Limitations 171
10.5 The Ethical Aspects of Consumer Profiling 172
10.6 The Essentialistic Human Mind 173
10.7 Machine Learning, Neuromarketing Big Data: Towards an Unpredictable Profiling Future—Ethical Challenges 176
10.8 Conclusion 178
References 180
Chapter 11: Ethical Dilemmas of Future Technologies 181
11.1 Introduction 181
References 192
Chapter 12: The Ethics of Neuromarketing in Sports 196
12.1 A New Consumer Marketplace Driven by Branded Experiences 198
12.2 Sports Brand Experiences, Econs, and Consumer Rationality 199
12.3 Sports Brand Experiences, Humans, and Irrationality 200
12.4 Innovation, Marketing, and Ethical Considerations for Sport 201
References 204
ERRATUM TO 206
Addenda 207
A.1 The NMSBA Code of Ethics for the Application of Neuroscience in Business 207
A.1.1 Definitions 207
A.1.2 Article 1: Core Principles 208
A.1.3 Article 2: Integrity 208
A.1.4 Article 3: Credibility 208
A.1.5 Article 4: Transparency 208
A.1.6 Article 5: Consent 209
A.1.7 Article 6: Privacy 209
A.1.8 Article 7: Participant Rights 209
A.1.9 Article 8: Children and Young People 210
A.1.10 Article 9: Subcontracting 210
A.1.11 Article 10: Publication 210
A.1.12 Article 11: Commitment 210
A.1.13 Article 12: Implementation 210
A.2 The European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity (Extract) 211
A.2.1 The Code of Conduct 211
A.2.1.1 Preamble 211
A.2.1.2 Code of Conduct 211
A.2.2 Background and Elucidation 212
A.2.2.1 Integrity in Science and Scholarship: Principles 213
A.2.2.1 Integrity in Science and Scholarship: Misconduct 213
A.2.2.3 Good Practices 216
A.2.3 Guidelines for Good Practice: Rules 217