Popular Brands May Brand the Brain

The participants' brains seemed to have more trouble processing lesser-known logos. In these cases, their working memory kicked into gear and processing took much longer, the researchers found.

Sanberg said that the findings, while interesting, don't tell us anything definite about consumer's shopping preferences or behaviors. "This is just showing that the brain is lighting up," he said. "But clearly, people's responses to brands -- I would imagine that there would be other behavioral correlates of this."

Besides demonstrating that strong brandingdoesmatter, neurologically speaking, the fMRI results "suggest that a benchmark test for strong vs. weaker brands is possible," Born said. That could open the way to further research into what makes great brands great. "Further investigations are necessary to define in detail the conditions for optimal branding," she said.

However, this research, which was funded by the university, isn't just about maximizing profits for industry, Born stressed. When the needs of consumers from different backgrounds, age groups or cultures dovetail smoothly with the launch of commercial products, everyone wins, she said.

"A lot of mistakes have been made in the past not recognizing the different 'landscapes' of needs," Born said. The result: product roll-outs that have misfired, wasting the company's time and money while leaving consumers unsatisfied.

"Thus, this research -- taking individual needs more seriously -- may contribute to higher [consumer] satisfaction and better quality of life," Born said.

More information

There's more on how the brain works at Harvard University.

SOURCES: Christine Born, M.D., radiologist, department of clinical radiology, section MRI, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany; Paul Sanberg, Ph.D., director, Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa; Nov. 28, 2006, presentation, Radiological Society of North America annual meeting, Chicago