19 Oct 2018

The rise of neuromarketing tools which facilitate the harvesting of consumer insights increases the demand for professionals who are able to properly interpret the collected data. The information itself is very important, but the real added value is created by those who can properly analyze it and reach certain conclusions which will help to improve the product or service.

At the same time, it’s erroneous to think that in order to be able to properly interpret such data you have to have a scientific level of knowledge in neuroscience and behavioral economics. Very often, basic expertise in how modern consumers behave online and offline is sufficient for marketing purposes. Thanks to contemporary tech, which made online education accessible, as well as the development of MOOCs, everyone who faces the need to work with neuromarketing data and consumer insights can get the required knowledge. In order to facilitate this task for you, we’ve collected ten online courses which will help you gain the necessary expertise.

1. An Introduction to Consumer Neuroscience & Neuromarketing

Developed by: Copenhagen Business School

Description: This course is for those who want to get a basic understanding of how our conscious and unconscious layers of the brain cooperate in the adoption of decisions. It will be also helpful for those of you who want to get practical knowledge on how the neuroscience is applied in marketing. It will enable you to get behind the scene of the conscious process of decision making and discover mental mechanisms on which customers rely when adopting a purchase decision.

Follow this link to join the course.

2. Introduction to Neuroeconomics: How the Brain Makes Decisions

Developed by: National Research University Higher School of Economics

Description: This course is oriented on the provision of general knowledge on how the decision-making in economics works. Patterns of adopting decisions by consumers under different circumstances – trust, risk, and cooperation are also considered in this course. It’s full of supplementary reading materials and videos which clearly explain the basics of consumer decision-making even to those, who have no, or very little knowledge of neuroscience or psychology. The course also foresees interactive communication with other participants via the forum, so be ready to share your views on the topic and receive insights from other students.

Follow this link to join the course.

3. Market Research and Consumer Behavior

Developed by: IE Business School

Description: This course is divided into two main parts – market research and consumer behavior, which means that you will get insights into two domains which are the main sources of valuable data about customers and their interaction with products. It’s based on neuromarketing tools, and thus will help you learn how to properly collect and analyze data, read survey reports and transform the obtained conclusions into practical and actionable insights. After completing this course you are expected to have a comprehensive view on how customers adopt their decisions, which variables are crucial in this process, as well as how to target their subconscious mind in order to establish their emotional connection with the product.

Follow this link to join the course.

4. Consumer Behavior

Developed by: Indian Institute of Technology

Description: The course was developed on the intersection of three scientific fields – psychology, economics, and anthropology. It scrutinizes the differences between individual and collective decision-making patterns of consumers. It also digs into the issue of how the consumers’ brain interprets information about the product received from different sources, as well as how the opinion of other people influences the purchase decision. Some practical advice on how to apply insights of the course while designing the marketing strategy for a product is also given.

Follow this link to join the course.

5. From neuron to behavior

Developed by: Institut Pasteur

Description: In case you are inclined to understand how a human brain works from a biological perspective, this course is the way to go. It explains how brain functions are connected with the brain structure. It also provides interesting insights into how our conscious and unconscious mind perceive information coming from the external environment and how it is transformed into experiences which then have a crucial impact on individual decision-making patterns. The main advantage of this course is that it can be taken by everyone, regardless of the depth of knowledge of the subject as it explains quite complicated neuroscientific concepts in simple terms.

Follow this link to join the course.

6. Buyer Behavior and Analysis

Developed by: Curtin University

Description: The content of this course is quite diverse and covers subjects sprawling from basic consumer behavior concepts to influence of cultural factors and gender on the selection of products and application of persuasion techniques to make customers buy your products. This course gives a holistic overview of behavior-based marketing and clearly explains why the analysis of data on consumers’ attitudes and interaction with products is crucial for the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

Follow this link to join the course.

7. Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behavior

Developed by: University of London International Programs

Description: Fans of such companies as Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Nike and other big business leaders will definitely enjoy this course as it dwells on how to build a strong brand and transmit its values to customers through products and content. This course will help you understand what the holistic brand means in the 21st century, why it’s something more than just a visual identity of the organization and how to transform customers into brand’s ambassadors. It’s a very valuable course for those who try to understand how they can influence the consumers’ behavior by using non-material assets of the brand, such as its perception, social responsibility, environmental policy, etc.

Follow this link to join the course.

8. Why Experience Matters: Qualitative Research

Developed by: Griffith University

Description: One of the most practical courses on the list which explains how to use personalized research methods for the analysis of consumers’ behavior. The author of the course predominantly dwells on qualitative research approaches which can be used both for the interpretation of consumers’ behavior, as well as for the evaluation of the impact of selected marketing approaches on the decision-making process.

Follow this link to join the course.

9. The Power of Markets I: The Basics of Supply and Demand and Consumer Behavior

Developed by: University of Rochester

Description: The content of this course goes beyond the subject of consumer behavior and investigates topics of correlation of demand and proposition on the market, as well as how they can be influenced by the marketing. The part of the course which looks closely into the consumers’ behavior is very instructive and provides an in-depth perspective on limitations which customers face when adopting a purchase decision. Several case studies are also considered within the course in order to illustrate the presented theory with practical examples.

Follow this link to join the course.

10. Firm Level Economics: Consumer and Producer Behavior

Developed by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Description: In this particular course the consumer behavior is analyzed through the lens of the demand curve. Among other topics, it dwells on how market mechanisms of goods and value distribution determine the consumers’ behavior and directs their attention to particular segments of the market.

Follow this link to join the course.

Сhoose which one better suits your business purposes. Acquire practical knowledge on how to collect and analyze consumers’ behavior data and use it for the improvement of your marketing strategy.