A Qualitative Model of Customer Purchase Decision-Making Based on Neuromarketing (FMCG Industry)
Keywords:
Neuromarketing, Consumer decision-making, Supermarket goods, Sensory marketing, Qualitative research, Grounded theoryAbstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a qualitative model explaining how neuromarketing influences customer purchase decision-making in the context of FMCG industry. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological design with an interpretive approach. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 13 experts in psychology, neuroscience, and marketing, selected via purposive snowball sampling from a pool of approximately 50 specialists located in District 6 of Tehran. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and verified by participants. Data analysis followed grounded theory principles and the coding framework of King and Horrocks (2010), moving from descriptive coding to interpretive coding and thematic integration. Credibility and trustworthiness were ensured through prolonged engagement, triangulation, peer debriefing, and member checking, applying the four criteria of Guba and Lincoln—credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The analysis yielded 146 initial codes that were categorized into contextual, causal, strategic, and intervening conditions, with outcomes integrated under a central category of neuromarketing. Contextual conditions emphasized content structuring and emotional engagement, while causal conditions highlighted the role of sensory stimuli such as packaging, color, and music. Strategies included storytelling, multisensory experiences, and visual displays, whereas intervening conditions revealed cultural differences, conflicting information, and brand switching behaviors as mediators of consumer response. Outcomes indicated increased purchase intention, brand trust, emotional stimulation, and consumer satisfaction. Collectively, the findings illustrate how subconscious cognitive and emotional mechanisms shape purchasing behavior in supermarket settings. Neuromarketing provides a powerful framework for understanding and influencing consumer behavior by integrating sensory, emotional, and cognitive dimensions into marketing strategies. This study highlights the importance of tailoring neuromarketing interventions to cultural and contextual factors while emphasizing trust and ethical responsibility in fostering sustainable consumer–brand relationships.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Samira Soltanizadeh (Author); Mahmoud Ahmadisharif (Corresponding author); Alireza Rousta (Author)
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