The Story of Taste: Using EEGs and Self-Reports to Understand Consumer Choice

The authors investigate consumers’ willingness to switch from a preferred manufacturer brand to an unfamiliar private-label brand if taste is perceived as identical. Consumer decisions are examined through recordings of electrical brain activity in the form of electroencephalograms (EEGs) and self-reported data captured in surveys. Results reveal a willingness of consumers to switch to a less-expensive brand when the quality is perceived to be the same as the more expensive counterpart. Cost saving options for consumers and advertising considerations for managers are discussed

Yo DJ, That’s My Brand: An Examination of Consumer Response to Brand Placements in Hip-Hop Music

This study examines the impact of hip-hop culture identity and the role of product congruency in brand placement in music. By using original songs to conduct a 2 (prominence) × 2 (hip-hop culture identity) × 2 (congruence) experiment, the authors establish that brand prominence positively impacts memory; thus, brands that appear in a song\u27s chorus may be recalled more often than those appearing in the verse. A significant interaction between prominence and congruence revealed that subtly placing incongruent brands may enhance brand attitudes; however, contrary to extant literature, highly prominent placements of congruent brands enhance brand attitudes. While no significant interaction between hip-hop culture identity (HHCI) and congruence was found, individuals with high levels of HHCI had more positive attitudes toward the congruent brand despite exposure to said brand