In 2004, they gave study participants a soda and recorded brain activity. When participants were simply given an unknown drink, the results were fairly consistent, but when the name of the drink was pre-cleared, brain regions associated with memory and emotion were activated. (via The Guardian). Another experiment found that when participants were told the price of the wine they were drinking, their brains perceived “expensive” wine differently, even though the samples were all the same. was shown (according to INSEAD).

Neuroscience experiments also show business implications. A study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology measured brain activity in participants listening to music. After three years, the most active songs sold the most. One Stanford team successfully predicted the popularity of a movie by tracking her EEG recordings of participants watching the movie trailer (via Harvard Business Review).

No wonder Frito-Lay sought this kind of methodology to improve its business.