NEUROMARKETING: EXPLORING COGNITIVE RESPONSE ON CONSUMER BUYING DECISIONS TO ADVERTISEMENT OF RETAIL STORES IN OMAN
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines how neuromarketing strategies, advertisement content, and cultural factors influence customers’ cognitive and emotional responses, subsequently affecting buying intention in Oman’s retail sector. The purpose is to bridge the gap in understanding subconscious consumer behavior within an emerging market in Oman where traditional and modern retail cultures coexist. Quantitative data were collected from 170 Omani retail customers across various sectors using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, reliability testing, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression models were applied. Constructs included neuromarketing techniques (emotional appeal, sensory stimuli, attention triggers), advertisement content (emotional vs. rational), cultural factors, cognitive and emotional responses, and buying intention. Findings: Results revealed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.756–0.913). Regression analysis showed that neuromarketing techniques (β = 0.314, p < 0.001), advertisement content (β = 0.425, p < 0.001), and cultural factors (β = 0.254, p < 0.001) significantly predicted buying intention, mediated by cognitive and emotional responses. Emotional advertisement content displayed the strongest positive effect on emotional engagement and purchase intent. Originality/Value: This study provides one of the first empirical examinations of neuromarketing in Oman, incorporating neuroscience-based perceptions with cultural dimensions to enrich understanding of consumer behavior in Oman market. It encompasses the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model to a Middle Eastern retail context. Practical Implications: Marketers and policymakers can influence neuromarketing tools (EEG, eye-tracking) and culturally aligned emotional appeals to design more effective advertisements that improve recall, trust, and buying intention among Omani consumers.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejmms.v11i1.2165
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