Why Does The Devil Wear Prada? Using Neuroscience to Expose The Luxury Mind
Graphic by Ruth Ellen Berry.
What draws us to luxury brands like Prada or Givenchy? Is it the quality? The status? The desirability? The way society has been conditioned to view wealth and power has heavily influenced fashion marketing. Knowing something is made by a well-known or well-respected brand can completely change our opinion of that piece of clothing and make us more inclined to want it. Why is that?
We have neurological systems that override our personal opinions and attach them to the regards of others. Science is vital to many key practices in marketing. Fashion is an international industry that caters to all sorts of demographics, which means fashion marketers must have unique ways to cater to all of their audiences. Retail can be used to satisfy various needs, such as social status, belonging, entrepreneurship and stress relief. As fashion evolves, marketing must evolve as well. Shopping is not only about selling; it is about developing and sustaining trusting relationships with consumers. Neuromarketing is crucial to this process.
Neuromarketing research shows that emotions play a key role in our decision-making processes. Our emotions are associated with certain objects, memories and physical feelings. The emotional responses we feel to these things are encoded in our brain, which trains us to value certain items and experiences over others. More specifically, our perception plays a major role in the emotional responses that we produce. Perception is based on information we gather about a product, which influences our purchasing decisions. Advertisements, reviews and promotions all shape how we form an image of certain items. Depending on the reward we feel from the images we’ve created, the feelings associated with that image are then encoded into our brain. The next time we are met with that image or something associated with it, we are more likely to activate our brain’s reward and pleasure systems because we’ve been conditioned to do so.
In a 2014 study conducted by the Copenhagen Business School’s Department of Marketing, researchers tested the effects of luxury brand names on consumers. They showed participants luxury brand names, like Gucci, and high-street names, such as H&M, before showing them a piece of clothing. Participants who heard these names before being shown the article of clothing had emotional reactions to the names, such as pupil dilation or changes in their brain responses. These participants exhibited a cascade of emotional responses before even being presented with an article of clothing. Our brains react more to products that we believe hold value because we associate value with reward. Companies are then able to use this information to appeal to their customer base.
People also may turn to luxury brands to try and find a sense of belonging. Humans psychologically need to feel as though they belong, otherwise they face extreme mental and physical threats to their health. “Retail therapy” is a legitimate way that people attempt to satisfy their need to feel safe and secure. But people can use this kind of shopping to satisfy other needs as well. Many people see luxury items as a “treat,” seeing as they are things they wouldn’t normally be able to afford. Once again, using luxury items as a reward trains our brains to always view them as such. This response is why people value authentic luxury goods over fake ones. In fact, the quest that humans face for authenticity develops in early childhood. A Yale study from 2007 showed that even with an identical clone of their toy, children prefer the original to the fake: this same idea applies to fashion. The memory or feeling that comes from purchasing a luxury good is why we value authenticity. A fake does not activate the same reactions because it’s not special — it’s something you can afford in everyday life. If someone values luxury items, then they will not be satisfied with a replica, even if it is exactly the same. The emotional attachment that people develop to certain objects plays a major role in how those objects are encoded into our neurological systems.
In the fashion world, everything is purposeful. The ads you see, the placement of specific designer brands throughout a store and even your own shopping habits all play a vital role in the way neuromarketing caters to you. Brands must know what neurologically triggers their customers and what they value. People want something that feels personalized: they want to feel like they belong. It’s important to cater to a person’s emotions because they are one of the strongest factors in the decision-making process. Luxury brands hold value because they give us a sense of belonging. They are marketed in a way that caters to the human needs of security and community. When you buy luxury items, you are being introduced to a community of luxury consumers that you are now a part of. Neuromarketing is vital to establishing a loyal consumer base and will play a major role in the future of fashion.