The neuroscience behind the Pink Blazer

Over the years, companies have become more aware that the focus is no longer on the product. Attention is focused on the consumer, in a way that is adaptive to the changing nature of consumer pathways in the digital economy (Kotler et al, 2017). Therefore, the importance of increasingly understanding consumer behavior, how their minds work to take action. And neuroscience applied to marketing has contributed a lot to this. Over the past two decades, neuromarketing has advanced significantly in a variety of research areas, including consumer behavior, decision theory, and, more recently, service research (e.g., Smidts et al., 2014; Harris et al., 2018 ; Hsu and Chen, 2020; Baldo et al., 2022). Neuromarketing suggests that traditional methods suffer from various biases and are heavily influenced by cultural factors, physiological states (eg, fatigue, stress) and socioeconomic status (eg, Fazio and Olson, 2003). Throughout this article, the effect of the color pink on human behavior will be addressed; the correlation between searches for clothes in that color and barbiecore; the woman’s heuristic buying style; the justification of a decision-making and the hormones released in the satisfaction of the purchase.

Pink Color

According to the Cambridge dictionary, color is the appearance that something has as a result of the reflection of light. Each of them provokes a sensation in the individual. In the book ”Psichology of color”, by the German sociologist Eva Heller, 2000 people aged between 14 and 97 years old in Germany were consulted, showing the effects of colors on the human being’s psychology. And when asked about a color that refers to sentimentality, dreams and romanticism, most chose pink. Anyone who despises pink as ”typically feminine” might be surprised to learn that, by ancient tradition, pink is a masculine color. The most famous financial newspaper in the world, the “Financial Times”, has been printed on pink paper since 1888. (Eva Heller, 2000) Its more intense tones are directly related to modernity and are commonly used to awaken the public’s attention. (Rock Content) A memo drafted by the US Department of Naval Personnel stated that prisoners needed only 15 minutes of exposure to the pink cell to reduce their aggressive behavior and potential for violence. (BBC) Figuratively, it means happy, prosperous or cheerful, for example, ”pink future” or ”pink dreams”. (IBN)

Correlation between searches for clothes in pink and “BarbieCore”

“Barbiecore”, this concentration and attention on all things Barbie is on the rise in many products and even services.

And this is largely due to the live-action of the most famous doll in the world, which hits theaters in July 2024. Barbie, with her characteristic color: pink, influences searches for clothes with this shade. On June 28, 2023, in Brazil, when typing ”outfit” into the Google search field, the first suggestions to complete were related to Barbie.

It is possible to notice the similar search volume on June 3rd, the day after the official release of the Barbie movie trailer in the dubbed version. On the 12th of the same month this also happens and we can consider them as gift items because it is Valentine’s Day in Brazil.

Woman shopping style

“Men are from Mars, women are from Venus”, argues the American writer and author of books on behavior and relationships. And in the buying process, each one has its own particularity as well. According to Martha Barletta, a woman’s making process is different from men’s process.

While a man’s path to purchase is short and direct, a woman’s path is similar to a spiral, as it has the characteristic of returning to previous steps of the journey to check new information and considerations. Women are considered to be holistic shoppers.

The fact that their spiral purchase path has more touchpoints means they are exposed to more factors to consider. They tend to evaluate many benefits and features and consider looking at more brands. (Kotler et al, 2017). A Pew Research Center report in 2018 revealed that 41% of American households it was women who made the rules. About 74% of Indonesian women managed all family finances, according to a 2005 MarkPlus Insight survey. This influence of women is so notorious and significant that some campaigns and even packaging design for men’s products are designed with women in mind, as most of the time, they are the ones who go shopping for their boyfriends or husbands

The rationale for making a decision

The decision-making process is not always the easiest and fastest. It is well known that the brain values saving energy and activating its shortcuts to do so. In this way, it relies on past information and experience for this. Many parts of the brain are activated in this process, including the amygdala — a brain structure related to emotions, strongly activated in times of the savannah, where the instinct to fight or flee was much more acute. A myth is to think that a decision is made completely rationally.

The limbic system, also known as the “emotional brain” is responsible for most decision-making and only then sends this information to the cortex.

And that’s where you have the justification for decision making. Often identified in the phrases “I deserve it” when deciding or right after making a purchase. Neuroscientist Benjamin Libet and his research colleagues studied brain data, finger motor behavior and reports of when people felt they had made their decision to push a button. It was noted that the measured brain activity happened about half a second before the feeling of making a choice. Concluding that the brain unconsciously makes even the simplest choice before you feel like making it, before you realize it. A study by Knutson and colleagues, through fMRI it was possible to predict the probability that a person would purchase a product. Brain activity occurred 8 to 12 seconds before the actual choice. Therefore, it is necessary to excite in a campaign. “Emotion is the tool that nature developed so that the brain can assess whether the decision is correct (pleasure) or wrong (displeasure, pain)”, says Armando Freitas da Rocha, professor of neurosciences at the State University of Campinas ( Unicamp) and senior collaborating professor at the Faculty of Medicine of USP.

Hormones released on purchase satisfaction

Even if the limbic system has already decided on such a product, in the case of the article: the pink blazer, there was a history of searches, considerations, objections, comparisons and analyses, and this demands energy from the brain.

So once the purchase is made comes the satisfaction, and with it, some already known powerful neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters act as chemical messengers, carrying, stimulating and balancing signals between neurons, nerve cells and other cells in the body. Serotonin, endorphins, dopamine and oxytocin are considered happiness hormones, and therefore may also be involved in the moment of satisfaction with the purchase. Neuroscientist Ant´onio Rosa Dam´asio proposes that somatic markers direct attention to more advantageous options, simplifying the decision process. Pedro de Camargo says that the experience of buying something you want creates euphoria and increases the release of dopamine in the brain. Known as the ”give me more” neurotransmitter, dopamine activates the pleasure center in certain parts of the brain and makes us want to repeat the experience. That’s why we sometimes buy too much. According to the specialist in neuromarketing and in the biology of consumer behavior, estradiol, a hormone produced mainly in the ovaries, makes women behave more seductively. So, during ovulation, she tends to buy sexier clothes and makeup, because, even if she doesn’t realize it, at this time she wants to look more attractive.

Conclusion

A woman’s buying journey is not the same as a man’s, it has many more steps to consider revisiting previous steps in order to make sure that purchase. The color pink has its particularities, even more so when linked to the most famous doll in the world. Thus increasing the search for clothing items in this color, as illustrated in the article, the pink blazer. It was possible to demystify that a decision is not made in a purely “rational” way. In addition, hormones also have their influence on the buying process.

Understanding neuroscience and human behavior is of paramount importance to better understand the consumer, help him and himself.

This article hopes to shed light on products that can be judged as whims, everything has a reason behind it and most of the time, neuroscience and biology explain it.

References

Kotler et al, 2017; Smidts et al., 2014; Harris et al., 2018; 4 Hsu and Chen, 2020; Baldo et al., 2022; Fazio and Olson, 2003; Eva Heller, 2000; Eva Ascarza et al., 2023 Gaia Rancati et al., 2022 Rock Content; BBC; IBN; https://economia.uol.com.br/album/2014/04/24/saiba-como-os-hormonios-influenciam-o-con sumo.htm?foto=9 https://essentia.com.br/conteudos/hormonios-da-felicidade/ https://revistaeducacao.com.br/2016/05/10/aciencia-por-tras-da-tomada-de-decisao/