NeuroRelay

Below you can read the book review of Introduction to Neuromarketing & Consumer Neuroscience (by Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy, published in 2014) that I wrote for publication for the 11th issue of Neuromarketing Theory & Practice Magazine (published by Neuromarketing Science & Business Association).
This fall marks the start of the first consumer neuroscience online course on Coursera.org, having as instructor Professor Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy from Copenhagen Business School. As a basis for this course, Thomas Ramsøy published Introduction to Neuromarketing & Consumer Neuroscience, providing the reader with an introduction to the basic brain mechanisms in consumer choice, but most important, how current knowledge can inform our understanding of consumption behavior.
The author explores different constructs that are vital in neuromarketing research, such as: sensation, perception, attention, consciousness, emotion, feeling, memory, learning, motivation, preference, decision making, also offering up to date information about how neuroscience can be applied to assess consumer cognition and emotion.
From the beginning of the book, Ramsøy warns the reader that neuromarketing and consumer neuroscience is nothing like pulling a software solution off the shelf and just start running studies. In order to understand the brain and the consumer, the author first kills the simplistic view of the mind and brain by showing how reverse inference can lead to false results. As he underlines, applying neuroscience requires hard work, knowledge of the brain, scientific and methodological verification, but also hardware, software and statistics. The author also provides a list of some of the most notable academic journals that publish neuromarketing findings and acknowledges the importance of NMSBA in the development of the field.
In one of the chapters, the author explains the functions related to consumer behavior for the most important brain structures, their names and localizations, but he also offers details on the deep structures of the brain and the neurochemistry of the brain cells. The book offers an overview of how brain structures can encompass multiple function when it comes to emotions.
I especially enjoyed reading the chapter that presents the neuromarketing toolbox for academic and commercial study of consumers. It presents the most useful methods employed nowadays with examples, graphics and interfaces from the studies conducted by the author, his collaborators or other well knows researchers and companies worldwide. This is the part of the book that will not only leave you with the desire and curiosity to deploy by yourself such studies, but will also explain in a comprehensive manner how each method is used and which kind of insights it provides.
Introduction to Neuromarketing & Consumer Neuroscience is an essential read for students and researchers that use neuroscience in their current studies or plan using it in the future. The style in which the book is written is perfectly suited to the teaching modules in the field of neuromarketing and the references provided are of great value. Business managers might find it also a nice reference for understanding the consumer decision making and how their business could benefit from using neuromarketing research.