By ISABELLA CASTAÑEDA RODRÍGUEZ | EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL
Neuromarketing is transforming the way we understand our purchasing decisions, showing how unconscious emotions influence us more than we realize.
In this episode of Territorio Negocios, Claudia Quintanilla, Professor of the Department of Marketing and Business Intelligence at EGADE Business School, and Rachel Rodríguez, Project Leader at the Behavioral Research and Public Opinion Lab in Expedition FEMSA at Tecnológico de Monterrey, shared key findings on the subject.
Pablo Necoechea, Regional Director of EGADE Business School in Mexico City and Querétaro, hosted the episode.
When talking about shopping, Quintanilla highlighted that “95% of the decisions we make are unconscious.” She added that the democratization of technology allows brands to identify what generates trust and attraction in consumers, combining psychology, marketing, and neuroscience to optimize their strategies.
For her part, Rodríguez noted that neuromarketing reveals “what people sometimes don’t say or even don’t know they feel.” She explained that this capability helps companies connect more authentically with their clients and strengthen loyalty.
Among the most commonly used tools, they mentioned the electroencephalogram, eye tracking, facial coding, and the galvanic skin response sensor, among others. Rodríguez commented that these technologies, combined with artificial intelligence, help measure emotions objectively and complement traditional research.
Quintanilla presented success stories such as Frito-Lay, which discovered that shiny packaging generated emotional rejection, and Coca-Cola, which identified brain areas associated with reward to design more effective campaigns.
Rodríguez added the case of Cheetos, whose campaign was rejected in focus groups, but neuroscientific analysis revealed positive emotions. “Cheetos decided to launch it, and it has been one of the brand’s most successful campaigns,” she stated.
Both experts agreed that neuromarketing does not manipulate the consumer but rather complements market research. “It does not seek to manipulate or control. In reality, what it aims to do is better understand the consumer to design experiences they can ultimately enjoy more,” concluded Quintanilla.
This and more episodes of Territorio Negocios are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
