My Take on Using Behavioural Science in Marketing: How Our Brains Shape What We Buy

I recently spent an evening completing the course ‘Behavioural Science in Marketing’, and it was a game-changer. 

As someone working in an SEO department at a marketing agency, I’m always looking for new ways to understand what makes people click, scroll, and buy. This course dove into the science behind why consumers make their choices, and I’m excited to share some of the insights I learnt. 

Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing is where neuroscience meets marketing tactics, tapping into how consumers’ brains work to influence buying decisions.

Understanding the brain’s reaction to different stimuli can better align our marketing strategies with consumer behaviour. This approach directly connects with the 7P’s of marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical evidence) and offers a fresh take on engaging audiences in more meaningful ways. 

Mental Models

Mental Model is a key concept in human perception. Our brains are constantly creating mental models, which is when our brains fill in visual information, giving us the perception of blind spot-free vision. This is an estimation of what we perceive to be there in reality. 

It’s our brain’s way of piecing together what we see, hear, and experience into something that makes sense.

So, when marketing plays into these models, it feels natural and aligned with how our brains work. The gap between objectivity and subjectivity is the best place to be when marketing. It is an opportunity to alter how consumers perceive reality. 

An example of ways we can alter the consumer’s mental model positively is when Pepsi realised the ‘classic Pepsi challenge’. 

Consumers were each given a bottle of Pepsi and Coca-Cola without any labelling and had to say which drink they preferred.

Surprisingly, 53% of the participants chose Pepsi, meaning 47% chose Coca-Cola. 

However, once the experiment was completed again with the labels on the bottles, 80% of the participants chose Coca-Cola. This proves consumers only look at the brand name when choosing products.

Visual Processing

The McGurk Effect is a classic example of how vision dominates other senses, especially when conflicting information is present. 

In short; what we see can override what we hear. This explains why your brand’s visual identity is so important. Think of PureGym’s blue and black theme or UPS’s signature brown—it’s instant recognition.

Photoreceptors: Rods and Cones

Let’s get a bit scientific. 

Our eyes have two main types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. 

Rods

Rods are all about motion and low light, working mostly in our peripheral vision. For example:

• Peripheral Placement: Position supporting info like reviews or trust signals around the edges where rods detect motion and low light.
• Subtle Motion: Use gentle animations or movements at the periphery to catch attention and subtly guide the user’s gaze toward key actions.
• Softer Tones on the Sides: Avoid bright colours on the edges; softer tones help keep the focus on the centre without distractions.

Cones

Cone on the other hand, handles colour and focus, helping us see the finer details in the centre of our vision. For example 

• Center Key Elements: Place essential items like product images and “Buy Now” buttons in the centre, where cones excel at picking up detail and colour.
• Bright and Contrasting Colours: Use vibrant, high-contrast colours for calls-to-action and main messages to grab attention quickly.
• Sharp, Detailed Visuals: High-quality images and clear text in the centre enhance focus and make products more appealing.

This is why your main message should always be front and centre, while other elements can be placed in the periphery, like in website dashboards. 

Consumer Focus

It’s all about placing the most critical content in the direct line of sight. 

For example, when designing a website, dynamic features like dashboards or other less crucial elements should be positioned around the edges where peripheral vision can pick them up without taking away focus from the main message. 

The main message could be a primary call-to-action such as “Sign Up,” “Buy Now,” or “Get a Quote”; these call-to-actions should be front and centre on the page. Another main message could be the headline and value proposition that clearly states what the page or product is about.

Statistical Learning

The brain loves patterns—it’s always on the lookout for regularities in the environment. That’s why consistent messaging works so well in marketing. 

Repetition helps cement a brand’s identity, making it more recognisable and trusted over time. 

There are many brands who use repetition in their marketing, two main ones being Coca-cola and Apple. 

Coca-cola is known for its iconic red and white colour scheme, which adds to the classic script logo and repetitive use of slogans like “Open Happiness” Coca-Cola’s marketing is all about creating a recognisable and trusted identity that feels familiar no matter where you see it.

Apple uses a minimalist aesthetic—clean lines, white space, and simple messaging that focuses on innovation and user experience. The repetition of its sleek design language, product-focused ads and the “Think Different” slogan has made Apple one of the most instantly recognisable brands globally.

Attention and Contrast

Attention comes in two flavours: endogenous and exogenous. 

Endogenous attention is goal-driven. For example, when you’re actively searching for something specific. 

Exogenous attention is when something grabs your attention unexpectedly, like a pop-up ad.

Contrast plays a big role here. Making your message pop against the background and pulling focus, shapes what we and consumers buy by making key elements like “Buy Now” buttons or special offers stand out. 

By using bold colours and strong contrast, brands grab our attention and guide us towards what they want us to see and do—like clicking, signing up, or buying—shaping our buying choices almost without us noticing. 

Designing for Memory

To make your brand memorable, anchor your message to something familiar.

This connection helps solidify the association in your audience’s minds, making it easier for them to recall later. Much like the iconic McDonalds “I’m lovin’ it” whistle.

Utilising Emotion

Emotions aren’t just feelings. They are powerful tools that help our brains decide what’s important. 

Emotions drive attention and memory, making certain moments stand out. 

Some Emotional Marketing Techniques brands could use are:

• Text – Use text with emotional cues like “love”, “happiness” and “hate” in banners on brand websites. Strong words are stored and remembered greater than neutral words like “desk”, “board” and “plant”.
• Images – Much like text, brands need to be emotional with their imagery too. Emotional facial expressions boosts memory more than non expressive faces

It’s all about connecting with your audience on a human level in your brand ads.

Memory with Audio

Music is a superpower in marketing.

It activates multiple parts of the brain and can make your brand memorable. 

Think of those catchy jingles/songs that stick in your head long after the ad is over. When we hear a catchy jingle, it creates an emotional connection and helps the brand stay top of mind, even when we’re not actively thinking about it. This familiarity builds recognition and trust, subtly influencing our buying decisions. 

For example, the “we buy any car” song becomes a trigger—every time you hear it, you instantly think of the brand, making you more likely to choose them when you need the service they offer.

Quick, Intuitive Decision Making

System 1 thinking is when we make snap decisions without much thought.

It’s fast, instinctive, and most of the time, it’s our brain’s default mode. 

When using this in marketing, it’s a must to not interrupt the flow of a customer purchase. Always keep the experience smooth and avoid giving customers any reason to hesitate. 

For example, businesses can avoid disrupting System 1 thinking by keeping the checkout process quick and simple, having fewer steps, easy forms and no surprise pop-ups. 

This keeps customers in the flow, making them more likely to finish their purchase without stopping to rethink.

Slow, Deliberative Decision Making

System 2 thinking is when we are deliberate and analytical, especially  for big purchases. 

For these scenarios, give your customers time to weigh their options. 

Using price comparisons on your site, like Fly High Web does with our package options. This can keep customers from looking elsewhere and make the decision-making process feel more manageable. 

Pleasure and Pain as Motivators

The pleasure-pain principle plays a big role in purchasing decisions. 

We feel pain when paying but experience fleeting pleasure when we buy something we desire.

The goal is to balance these feelings such as; 

• Having a high purchase price paired with a small, additional fee, which feels less significant next to the bigger number.
• Promoting free shipping, persuading the customers to purchase higher priced products in place of the shipping fee.

Love of Randomness

People are naturally drawn to randomness—it adds a sense of excitement and surprise. 

Think about a discount wheel that offers a random prize versus a guaranteed 10% off coupon. 

The wheel is way more engaging because of the element of chance. This sense of randomness can be a powerful tool in making your marketing mix more dynamic.

An example of these would be Druids, who use a “spin to win” wheel on their website. And Demon Plates, who currently offer 10% off and promote it using a pop up of their website.

The Science of Pain

We are wired to avoid pain more than we are motivated to gain pleasure. 

This is where framing comes in handy.

Tell people what they’ll miss out on if they don’t act, can be more motivating than highlighting the benefits. 

Sofology’s “Don’t miss introductory prices” message is a great example of using the fear of missing out and by using “offer ends [date]”, to drive the customer to purchase a product. Instead of just talking about the benefits, they focus on what you’ll lose if you don’t act, like missing out on special prices. This taps into our natural dislike of losing out on deals, making us more likely to buy now rather than wait.

Loss Aversion

No one likes losing, and loss aversion taps into that fear. 

Highlight what your audience stands to lose if they don’t engage with your product, and you might see more conversions. 

Emphasising a discount gained versus a fee that’s waived can make the offer feel much more appealing. For example, Promotions can feel better when framed as avoiding a loss. Instead of saying “Save £50,” say “£50 fee waived.”

When using email marketing, use pain-focused messages like “£50 discount ends tomorrow” instead of just “summer sale.” Both offer the same savings, but people are more motivated when they feel they’re avoiding a loss. 

This course was a great insight into how the brain works and how it affects people when they shop. 

Whether it’s about visual cues, emotional appeals, or playing on our love for randomness, a whole lot is going on behind the scenes of every purchase. 

And honestly? Knowing a bit about how it all works makes me even more excited to apply these insights in my SEO work at Fly High Media.

It’s not just about rankings (which is of course, a massive part of marketing). It’s about understanding user experience. What makes people click, engage, and convert is important.

Using these behavioural science tips helps us craft content and design that truly connects, making our strategies smarter and more impactful.