The Role of Neuromarketing in B2B: Exploring B2B Stakeholders’ Knowledge and Application of Sensory Marketing

Abstract

Nowadays, B2B organizations often lack the emotional connection necessary to engage stakeholders, increase satisfaction, and ultimately drive sales. In the healthcare sector, where trust and credibility are essential, building meaningful relationships is especially important. One promising solution to this challenge is neuromarketing, a marketing approach that leverages psychology and neuroscience to understand how people respond to communication and messaging. Despite its growing relevance, the application of neuromarketing remains largely underexplored in B2B contexts, particularly within the healthcare industry. This thesis investigates the application of neuromarketing, particularly sensory marketing, in B2B healthcare settings. The study addresses the existing research gap by examining how neuromarketing techniques can support stakeholder perception and informed decision-making, with a focus on visual and auditory stimuli. The research focuses on a qualitative approach, using in-depth interviews as the primary methodology. Ten healthcare professionals, including managers, marketers, and decision-makers, were interviewed to gain their insights, understanding, and perceptions of neuromarketing in the healthcare sector. This method enabled the collection of detailed perspectives, providing a deeper understanding of the topic and supporting meaningful conclusions. The interviews revealed that neuromarketing, particularly sensory marketing, alongside other existing neuromarketing techniques, can be effectively used to improve brand recognition, stakeholder engagement, and emotional resonance in both internal and external communication strategies. Participants also identified several barriers to adoption of neuromarketing, such as knowledge gaps, budget constraints, skepticism, and ethical concerns. To address these challenges, the study proposes several strategies based on interview insights, including targeted awareness campaigns, professional training, integration of neuromarketing into corporate strategies and the establishment of transparency and ethical guidelines. The thesis concludes that neuromarketing can significantly improve B2B healthcare marketing by building trust, strengthening brand image, and supporting long-term collaboration with stakeholders. Based on the findings, practical recommendations include integrating neuromarketing into organizational strategies and workflows, hosting webinars and training sessions for marketing departments, conducting pre-testing to evaluate the impact of neuromarketing techniques on target audiences, hiring qualified neuromarketing specialists, and applying these tools across key communication channels. These insights contribute to existing literature and offer actionable guidance for healthcare organizations seeking to improve their marketing effectiveness and stakeholder engagement.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Supervisor	Andreas Zehetner (Supervisor)