Understanding the Brain and How it Processes Information
Neuroscientist now are confident in their understanding of the functional
areas of the brain. The rapid advancement in this field has come from being
able to put humans into a fMRI machine and watch, in real-time, what areas
of the brain are being stimulated.
The fMRI machine was invented in 1990 by Bell Laboratories and was a
giant leap forward in helping us to understand how the brain processes
information. fMRI stands for ‘functional magnetic resonance imaging’ and
can measure brain activity in real time. This can provide a visual
representation of which parts of the brain are being triggered as people
undergo tasks, listen, and view information.
Neuroscience is the science that has come out of the study of the nervous
system and seeks to understand the biological basis of behavior.
My first encounter with the power of the fMRI machine came in 2012 when I
by chance came across a researcher from Israel, Eric Feingold of Feingold
Technologies. Feingold had developed an algorithm that could predict the
effectiveness of a sales message by examining only the tone of voice of a
person presenting.
The way the algorithm was developed was by putting subjects into fMRI
machines and then testing different messages and recording which parts of
the brain lit up. They sampled a million messages and found that the resulting
algorithm was an accurate predictor of successful sales communication. It
was a fascinating example of the power of neuroscience and how it could be
applied to help people be more successful.
Influential Israeli-American psychologist Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast
and Slow, 2011) showed how marketers could use brain research to speak
directly to the subconscious and influence buying decisions.
Understanding how the brain works and how it has evolved is essential to
understanding how to influence and connect better with people. The goal of
your brand statement should be to trigger the right areas of the subconscious
to influence positively the perception people have of you.
