We have entered the summer season… “In the dark days of winter I learned that there is an endless summer in me.” Albert Camus
During the summer months, dopamine levels rise for many people around the world. For most people, summer is a time when they feel more energetic, lively and positive emotions due to the sunny and warm weather. Outdoor activities, vacations, social environments support people to be more active. People experience not only psychological but also behavioral and cognitive changes. People remember their memories more clearly during the summer months and the intense emotions during these months have an impact on memories.
In a study published in Nature Human Behavior on January 16, 2023, Joshua Jacobs, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, and colleagues identified a neural mechanism in the human brain that influences information with emotional associations for improved memory. The team observed high-frequency brain waves in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional processes, and the hippocampus, a center active in memory processes, through emotional stimuli.
The study found that emotional experiences have a strong impact on memory. Memories with emotional content were generally remembered more strongly and longer, while neutral or mundane memories were quickly forgotten. This memory effect may enable the recall and evaluation of meaningful experiences in everyday life and in many areas of life.
When we delve deeper into the memory processes of emotional experiences, we need to briefly identify a number of factors and brain mechanisms. These are
Strong encoding: Emotional stimuli strengthen the connections between nerve cells in the brain, resulting in stronger memory traces.
Stress Hormones: These hormones can trigger the release of chemicals. Triggering can facilitate the transfer of memories to long-term memory.
Reaction Context: Emotional experiences are remembered with a rich reaction context. For example, the emotions felt during the experience add more depth and meaning to the event and memory. This context is remembered during recall and revitalizes memory traces.
In the light of this information, we say that the relationship between the emotions that arise against the stimuli encountered and memories is valuable for the world of neuromarketing as it is in all areas of life. Neurological and physical measurements show that the levels of emotion felt and emotional connections enable brands to leave a deeper impact on consumer brains and increase consumer loyalty. Therefore, brands should strive to understand their users’ emotions, offer emotional experiences that are relevant to their target audiences, and strengthen emotional connections.
CONCLUSION: Summer offers brands significant opportunities, as experiences during these months create clear and emotionally charged memories. In terms of brands’ advertising efforts, summer-themed advertising campaigns can have the power to take place in the long-term memory of consumers for many years. Moving forward with scientific resources and discoveries will provide convenience in the marketing world as it provides benefits in all areas of life.
Reference
Psychologist Merve Altındağ
“Neuronalactivitythehumanamygdalaandhippocampusenhancesemotionalmemoryencoding” by Salman E. Qasim et al. Nature Human Behavior
