What is Neuromarketing? Why do we need it? and are we already being brainwashed

Neuromarketing is the art of using brain measuring devices to see correlations in consumer behaviors that can benefit a marketing campaign. Neuromarketing began when a scientist decided to use an MRI machine to view how subjects would react to different brands and why they were loyal to such brands. The brands measured were pepsi cola and coca cola and the information obtained was used to understand what drove consumers to  prefer one brand over the other. The results were outstanding as it highlighted the affects the brand had on the frontal lobe; the area responsible for cognitive reasoning, short term memory, and planning. This started research on different marketing campaigns and how they affected the human brain.

The use of different mechanical devices made it possible to measure brain movement at different levels but not as efficient as the functional magnetic resonance imaging or fMRI. Neuromarketing has taught us that only 20% of our brain is focus on cognitive functions compared to the other 80% focus on instincts and subconscious thoughts. This part of the brain is called the reptillian brain and it is the part of the brain that looks for mental shortcuts that make it easier to learn. I believe this is the reason the Internet is so addicting because it makes information more easier and appealing to our reptilian brain. Although, neuromarketing is seen as a great advancements in marketing , it also calls for great ethical concerns.  

The main ethical concern is whether it should be use since it may alter a consumers brain to crave a product which is synonymous to mind control or brainwashing. Although it has many practical applications for the business environment  like understanding the needs and wants of the consumers , it may still be frowned upon in our society. A great deal of people enjoy their individuality and don't mind invasion of web real estate when they sign in on a social media site, but if the consumer were to find out their minds have been hacked by a brand they would not be complacent because their individuality has been alter due to neuromarketing. On a positive note, neuromarketing may be beneficial for ad campaigns meant for helping people such as smoking commercials aimed at smokers to stop smoking. The brain is a delicate body part which no consumer would like to have  it altered with, therefore in order for neuromarketing to become more practical, it must conform to ethical rules and regulation like any other new and upcoming technology.