6 August 2025

Neuro market research—also commonly labelled consumer neuroscience—has emerged over the last decade as a compelling attempt to peer behind the curtain of conscious thought. Firms in this field aim to measure the brain’s emotional and implicit responses to advertising, branding, pricing and product design using tools such as fMRI, EEG and rapid implicit association tests (RIAT). The ambition: to predict consumer behaviour more reliably than traditional surveys can. Yet the journey from raw brain data to actionable insight has proven complex and contested.

Why Neuro Market Research?

Conventional market research often depends on what consumers say—questionnaires, focus groups, surveys. But mounting evidence shows a substantial gap between what people claim to feel or do, and what their unconscious brain activity reveals. As David Ogilvy famously observed, “Consumers don’t think how they feel. They don’t say what they think and they don’t do what they say.” Neuro research seeks to bridge that gap by capturing subconscious reactions.Dutch company Neurensics, for example, posits that consumer behaviour is primarily driven by unconscious brain responses, measurable via fMRI, EEG or RIAT, supplying more predictive power at comparable cost to traditional methods.

Academic and behavioural studies reinforce the point: emotional content in advertising tends to outperform rational appeals—sometimes by a factor of nine in driving sales. Thus, tools that expose emotional resonance may offer genuine value.

Methods in Use

• fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging): Offers high spatial resolution to track deep brain activity when participants view ads or product concepts.
• EEG (Electroencephalography): Detects surface electrical activity with millisecond precision, ideal for tracking attention and cognitive load.
• RIAT (Rapid Implicit Association Task): A behavioural task that reveals automatic associations and preferences.
• Qualitative follow‑up: Interviews or questionnaires that contextualise neural responses with reported feelings.

Neurensics: Pioneering Neuro Research in the Netherlands

Founded in 2010 in Amsterdam, Neurensics was the first Dutch agency to deploy fMRI commercially in market research—a deliberate departure from the more common EEG‑focused approach in the US. Founders Martin de Munnik and Walter Limpens teamed with neuroscientists Victor Lamme and Steven Scholte to analyse brain responses to television advertisements. The company’s early work marked the first neuro‑based study of ad impact in the Netherlands.

More than fifteen years on, Neurensics has conducted over 70,000 MRI brain scans—said to be the most commercial scans globally—and analysed more than 1,300 advertisements, advising over 300 advertisers in at least ten countries.

Expertise and Team

Neurensics brings together neuroscientists, behavioural psychologists, established academics and marketing professionals. Its leadership includes co‑founders and science directors such as Victor Lamme, Steven Scholte, and Kai‑Marcus Müller, recently appointed Director of Pricing Research & Consultancy. Martin de Munnik and Limpens remain central to the company’s direction.

Core Capabilities

Neurensics’ toolkit addresses marketing questions across multiple domains:

• Ad testing: measuring emotional engagement and attention to advertising content
• Concept evaluation: assessing messaging before production
• Brand growth and association: uncovering unconscious brand ties
• Value‑proposition and pricing research: determining optimum pricing strategies via NeuroPricing™
• Packaging and product variation testing: evaluating visual and behavioural impact.

A notable innovation is NeuroPricing™, derived from a pricing‑prediction algorithm developed in Germany (under Professor Müller), which Neurensics acquired in 2024. The model reportedly predicts optimal price points based on measured brain responses, now applied by major brands like Starbucks and Frito‑Lay.

Success Case Studies

• Using fMRI plus eye‑tracking and follow‑up questionnaires, Neurensics supported Dutch telecom brand Tele2 in ad optimisation, helping secure the 2018 Silver Effie Award. The research identified which unconscious associations needed nurturing to boost brand satisfaction and conversion.
• For Centraal Beheer insurance, pre‑testing of advertising via neuro‑based measurement led to specific campaign adjustments implemented by the client’s agency. Natasja van Buuren from Centraal Beheer praised the actionable insight derived from the process.
• Smint & Frisk (a confectionery brand) also benefited: fMRI research uncovered emotional processing patterns that helped shape more engaging campaigns, sustaining brand growth.

Criticisms and Limitations

Despite the promise, critics suggest neuromarketing remains niche and sometimes over‑promised. Many “neuro” firms simply repackage well‑understood behavioural psychology with a neuroscience veneer; poor measurement practices have drawn scepticism. Some experts regard the field as an elaborate marketing ploy lacking robust scientific foundations.

Measurement tools have imperfect resolution: fMRI is slow and expensive, EEG lacks depth, and many neural phenomena lie below measurable thresholds. The vagueness of interpreting brain data for marketing use raises questions: does a spike in activation really translate to conversion or brand affinity? Some analysts suspect the field’s practitioners borrowed neuroscience terminology to add legitimacy, rather than advancing substantive insight.

Neurensics aims to address these issues by weaving together quantitative neuro-data and qualitative insights. In 2020, it hired Waldo Swijnenburg as Senior Research Consultant to elevate the integration of neuro techniques with qualitative research. His mission: enrich brain‑based metrics with respondents’ narratives to create richer, more actionable conclusions.

Their approach typically begins with measuring subconscious responses to stimuli, followed by targeted qualitative probing—ensuring clients not only see activation curves but understand their meaning in context. Results are delivered promptly—often within five business days—complete with tailored consultancy, optimisation suggestions and neuroscience‑driven strategic advice.

Final Reflections

Neurensics continues to leverage academic leadership, scaling its footprint through webinars, conferences and publications. The publication credentials of leaders such as Victor Lamme reinforce its scientific credentials. The acquisition of NeuroPricing™ and appointments of leading academics (e.g. Prof. Kai‑Marcus Müller) reflect an ambition to elevate neuro research from a fringe offering towards a refinement of market science, deployed for pricing and campaign ROI optimisation.

For marketers seeking deeper understanding of emotional drivers and pricing psychology, neuro research offers fresh tools. Yet success depends on clear integration with qualitative follow-up and human expertise. For those willing to pay for that clarity, companies like Neurensics may offer a competitive edge—turning the murmur of unconscious signals into actionable strategy.