Small Data, big impact: How a small Brazilian company leveraged data strategies and neuromarketing theoretical concepts to drive brand success Ana Cláudia Peixoto, Andrei Bonamigo, Jakub Berčík Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing, 2025 Neuromarketing is a multidisciplinary field with a focus on how the brain processes information and influences decision-making. Traditionally, it has been the domain of large corporations, which use Big Data analytics to decode consumer behaviour. However, the high cost of these sophisticated tools presents a significant barrier for small businesses, which often lack the necessary IT infrastructure and data analysis capabilities. This paper details a three-year action research project conducted at Touca Caracol, a small Brazilian beauty and hair care company. The project aimed to optimise digital and social marketing strategies by integrating neuromarketing principles, such as sensory branding, heuristics and neurodesign, with Small Data analysis, leveraging accessible and manageable data from sources such as direct customer feedback and social media monitoring. The results were substantial: approximately 1,000 per cent increase in Instagram followers and 300 per cent growth in monthly revenue in four years. These results stemmed from a deep understanding of consumer behaviour, prioritising customer experience and building a strong brand identity that resonated with the target audience’s needs and emotions. This case study contributes to a path for the democratisation of neuromarketing, providing practical guidance and demonstrating the potential for small businesses to achieve sustainable growth and market impact through the strategic application of accessible research methods. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks/business.
Exploring the influence of health and nutritional benefits information on sensory evaluation of edible gels in seniors Vladimir Vietoris, Jakub Berčík, Miroslav Veverka, Gayatri Chhetri, Marek Dvořák, Melina Korčok Applied Food Research, 2025 Growing awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health has increased consumer attention to food composition, especially among seniors. Aging-related issues like reduced appetite and oral health problems create a need for personalized food products. While adapted textures and clear labeling, including health and nutrition claims, can help, sensory properties remain a key priority. This study examined how the incorporation of health and nutritional benefits information influences consumers' sensory perception of gels containing arabinogalactan (AG) and beta-glucan (BG) using sensory evaluation, electroencephalography (EEGfpla), and emotional feedback. Thirty participants engaged in the two-phase trial, with the second phase offering consumers insights into the advantageous composition of the gels. The study provided valuable insights; however, the limited sample size is a drawback that may impact the statistical power and generalizability of the results. The results indicate that while sensory ratings slightly improved with health and nutritional information, the differences were not statistically significant. However, emotional response measurements showed increased arousal and engagement, particularly for AG gels, indicating that this information might be valuable in enhancing product perception.
The impact of nutritional FoPL on Slovak consumer behavior: Insights from online Eye Tracking and FaceReader analysis Adriana Rusková, Jakub Berčík, Filip Tkáč, Katarína Neomániová Italian Journal of Food Science, 2025 Promoting a healthy lifestyle is a primary objective for governments and the food sector, targeting increasing obesity rates through efficacious interventions. One method involves employing Front-of-Pack Labeling (FoPL) to convey explicit nutritional information. The primary objective of this study was to examine consumer reactions to determine their views toward clear information on FoPL, evaluating the effects both explicitly and implicitly through eye-tracking and face-reading technologies. A survey evaluated preferences for cereals, yoghurt, and protein bars, evaluating visual attention and emotional responses before and after the introduction of two types of FoPLs. The study concludes that nutritional labeling can effectively promote healthier eating habits, especially for cereals and protein bars.
Organoleptic properties and neuroimaging response on the perception of edible gels Jakub Berčík, Vladimír Vietoris, Melina Korčok, Adriana Rusková, Ján Durec, Katarína Neomániová Heliyon, 2025 The rapidly increasing number of elderly people in the world highlights the need for the development of innovative foods with modified textures that do not expose the elderly to the risks associated with food consumption (risk of aspiration, suffocation, and chocking). Providing specific food such as edible gel for the elderly population and the study of their properties is a challenge for the scientific community. There are some available gels in the supermarkets destined for the sports population, with specific texture and technological properties that could be used and extrapolated for senior people. To explore this potential, five types of sport commercial gels purchased from a local Slovak market were characterized in order to evaluate their technological properties and to know if these types of gels are suitable for the senior population. The energy gels were evaluated using acceptance testing, involving 75 seniors who evaluated important organoleptic attributes by a combination of hedonic and intensity scales. The same consumer panel then profiled the gels using the Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) technique. The prevalence of food neophobia was measured with the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and also using neuroimaging and biometric methods. The results suggest that there are significant differences in the perception of edible gels, as confirmed by measurements via electroencephalography (EEG) and Facereading. We conclude by suggesting the potential of specific foods such as edible gels for the elderly population as our findings also confirm that the composition of these specific and sustainable foods may elicit different perceptions. This highlights the need to use biometric and neuroimaging methods in food research in order to create more optimal formulations for specific populations.
FaceReader as a neuromarketing tool to compare the olfactory preferences of customers in selected markets Jakub Berčík, Anna Mravcová, Esther Sendra Nadal, David Bernardo López Lluch, Andrea Farkaš Spanish Journal of Marketing Esic, 2025 Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine FaceReader as a tool to compare the olfactory preferences of two selected countries. This paper examines the olfactory preferences of customers in the bakery department of a grocery store in the Slovak and the Spanish market. Design/methodology/approach The aim of this study is to examine subconscious/unconscious preferences in the selection of aromas suitable for the bakery department in the Slovak and the Spanish market. In this case, it is not a classical qualitative sensory testing of the perception of fragrances. The aim is to identify the associations of scents related to the selected sales department through images of the selected aromas. A special platform is used to obtain subconscious/unconscious feedback, which allows online collection of implicit feedback using the software FaceReader 7. Findings The authors noticed the different moods of the two groups of respondents when they answered the question about what they associate with the smell of bakery products. The Spanish respondents were slightly pleasantly disposed, while the Slovak respondents were slightly unpleasantly disposed. The smell of bakery products evoked more memories and emotions in the Spanish respondents than in the Slovak respondents, which can be explained by the higher pleasant mood. The main contribution of this work lies in the new opportunities to obtain feedback that can be used in marketing research and that rely not only on explicit but also implicit data. The extension of the methodological apparatus to implicit feedback presupposes some form of control of the data collected by the questionnaire. The use of biometric tools can represent an efficient alternative in terms of time and money to the use of neuroimaging tools in the selection/research of aromas for specific stores/departments. Research limitations/implications It must be noted that the sample is small, and adequate conclusions cannot be made about entire population. Based on empirical findings and pandemic-related limitations, the authors plan to conduct similar research with real aroma samples and with even larger sample of tested respondents, considering weather, season, olfactory sensitivity (anosmia, hyposmia and normosmia) and participant fatigue (beginning and end of the week). Originality/value Today, marketers are facing the greatest challenge of how to attract consumers’ attention. Every individual has a different perception of the shopping environment based on his own experience, beliefs and attitudes. This is why new marketing techniques and approaches are becoming increasingly popular in the marketing environment.
Consumer emotional response to nutritional labels in the context of cake selection Adriana Rusková, Jakub Berˇčik, Peter Vaško, Patrik Jurčišin, Vladimír Vietoris Scifood, 2025 Food's appearance, flavour, aroma, and presentation all contribute to a sensory experience that can stick in your memory. Food is now an art form that communicates values, narratives, and cultural identity and is a source of nourishment. However, these days, elements like nutritional makeup and the availability of healthier substitutes are now significantly impacting visitors' decisions. This change results from people's shifting eating patterns and increased interest in leading more nutritious lives. Modern gastronomy must balance aesthetic, taste, and health considerations to meet sustainability and quality standards. This change presents a chance to reinterpret the culinary experience and reaffirm its applicability in the contemporary world. This study uses face reading to examine how knowledge about the nutritional makeup of cakes affects people's emotional reactions. Even though this knowledge can only slightly reverse consumer decisions, the data indicate that it considerably alters emotional responses. Even minor emotional changes can substantially impact consumers’ preferences regarding a product. Purchasing decisions made during shopping are strongly influenced by emotions. This impulsive behavior often does not align with selecting healthy food options. In this study, visual attractiveness was evaluated using biometric measurement, specifically eye tracking, in addition to declarative methods. The study verifies a congruence in consumer preferences by utilizing heat maps to compare conscious evaluations with biometric data on visual attention. A detailed analysis of customer behavior, combining eye gaze tracking and emotion analysis, provides a more comprehensive understanding of decision-making processes. The findings indicate that front-of-pack labelling is crucial in shaping product preferences, as demonstrated through facial expression analysis and eye movement tracking. These insights can contribute to more effective marketing strategies and improved health-oriented product presentation.
Visual presentation of food can influence appetite and emotions Jakub Berčík, Adriana Rusková, Kristína Predanócyová, Filip Tkáč, Katarína Neomániová Cogent Food and Agriculture, 2025 Visual attention refers to the cognitive process of selectively targeting certain visual stimuli in the environment, while others are ignored. In the case of food, it also has a strong influence on the taste, perception of the experience, and emotions related to food. The primary aim of this paper is to investigate how the visual presentation of food (burger) prepared under two conditions using identical raw materials, and a third condition utilizing a more nutritionally balanced composition (vegetarian), with varying visibility of vegetables (colored food elements), affects consumer preferences. Alongside traditional Tablet Assisted Personal Interviewing (TAPI), biometric techniques including Eye Tracking, Facereading, and Electroencephalography (EEG) were employed to capture unconscious emotional responses. We found statistically significant differences in emotional response due to the visualization of food. We also found that how food looks has a direct effect on how people think it smells and tastes. A significant discovery is that these disparities were validated not only at a declarative level but also at a subconscious level, offering a novel perspective on the perception of visual design and food arrangement, as well as enhancing targeting and application in the marketing management of foodservice establishments.
The Impact of Aromas on Consumers' Emotions: Conscious and Unconscious Evaluation Katarína Neomániová, Jakub Berčík, Patrik Jurčišin Periodica Polytechnica Social and Management Sciences, 2024 At present, aromas are increasingly used in multisensory in-store communication to create a more enjoyable purchasing environment that can influence consumer emotions, behaviour and decision-making. We often do not realise the power of an aroma's influence on our mood, but its influence at the point of sale makes sense, of course, if it is used correctly. It is possible to monitor the impact of aromas on consumers' emotions in a variety of ways, whether through classical research methods implemented at a conscious level or through more advanced methods. Obtaining more accurate data on consumers' emotions in this way makes it possible to create a purchasing atmosphere that contributes to increased sales and, ultimately, profit. This paper explores the impact of aromas on consumers' emotions by applying different research methodologies, with the place of implementation being the real-world conditions of the selected retail establishment. The evaluation of the data obtained in the aromatisation and non-aromatisation periods confirmed that the importance attributed to aroma marketing in commercial establishments is well founded. At the same time, by comparing the results, we have identified differences in the conscious and unconscious evaluation of the impact of aromas on consumers' emotions, confirming the practical importance of implementing and using various techniques in research.
The influence of front-of-pack labelling on consumer decision-making: a comprehensive study using electroencephalography and FaceReader Jakub Berčík, Jana Gálová, Adriana Rusková, Kristína Predanócyová, Elena Horská, Filip Tkáč International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2024 Front-of-pack labels (FOPL) can influence consumer behaviour in a variety of ways, and companies that prioritise accurate and transparent nutrition labels can see benefits in increased sales and brand loyalty. However, there are several types of FOPL on the market that differ in visual appeal and consumer clarity. The aim of the study was to reveal the impact of the nutrition label Nutri-Score as well as other factors on consumer decision-making when choosing healthier alternatives for selected food types. In addition to traditional research methods such as questionnaires, in-depth interviews, also emerging methods such as eye tracking, FaceReader and electroencephalography were used to collect implicit feedback. Research suggests that there are significant differences between implicit and explicit feedback when examining the impact of Nutri-Score on the decision-making process. Last but not least, the study presents ideas for future research in real-world settings using emerging methods.
