Neuromarketing unmasked: A review of current state in the field

Abstract

Neuromarketing showed up as a new interdisciplinary field that bridges neuroscience and marketing. A relatively young field that was born within the "neuroculture" matrix is covered with a veil of mystery and often misrepresented in the media as a powerful tool used by corporations to manipulate consumers' preferences, purchasing behavior, etc. In this paper, we have done an extensive literature review in order to put light on some dilemmas and take off the veil of mystery that surrounds neuromarketing. Firstly, (i) we discussed the definition and context in which neuromarketing emerged, (ii) important brain areas in consumer neuroscience which find their application in neuromarketing research, (iii) techniques used in neuromarketing (neuroimaging and non-neuroimaging), (iv) ethical issues in the field of neuromarketing (a part of neuroethics), and (v) limitations and recommendations for future development of neuromarketing.