Among the various discoveries in neuroscience, we consider the followings are important for Vertically Integrated Brand Concept.
1) Salience network that focuses on external information under consciousness.
2) Brain does not process external information passively, but actively predict in-coming information using the existing concepts.
3) Brain evaluates prediction errors and updates existing concepts daily as in Bayesian statistics.
4) The concepts that brain uses for prediction are embodied and multi-sensory.
5) Brain makes decisions based on reward value.

We need to take into consideration the discoveries made by neuroscientists and neuropsychologists when developing product attributes and something related to brand image such as package design and advertisement, because it is the brain that decides what to pay attention to, how to perceive, how to make meanings, and how to judge.



We will briefly explain the neuroscience discoveries that seem to be important for brand concept development.

１）Brain functions using large scale networks
In the past, it was discussed which area of the brain does which function, but nowadays it becomes obvious that one brain area performs various functions and various areas construct a large scale brain network.
Famous brain networks for which neuroscientists have reached consensus include Salience network, Default mode network and Working memory network.
Many brain scientists are currently researching other networks. Lisa Barrett introduced "interoceptive network" in her book "How Emotions Are Made" published in 2017.

It is advantageous to understand which neural networks are related to attention, perception, memory, selection and decision, and how various networks interact each other, when developing brand concepts.


２）Salience network
Salience network consists of anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insular cortex, as well as dorsal thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, the ventral striatum and the brainstem.
Salience network pay attention to something visible, something with strong needs or high reward value.
Visibility is not enough for the brain to proceed the information to Working memory network centering on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex where the information is stored as a short-term memory and examined by higher order cognitive process.

The important first step in marketing activities is how to get consumers' attention among many products and services. Getting consumers' attentions is becoming more important nowadays as consumers are always surrounded by full of products and information.
Even if the brand wins the attention of the salience network, however, it is hard to be proceeded to the higher order brain function if its reward value is not high.

Brand needs to clarify its value such that how the brand can fulfill consumer needs and how it can meet their reward values. These viewpoints should be included in the stage of developing brand concepts.
As consumers' reward values are changeable, it is important to watch the mega-trend in order to understand what consumers are longing for.


３）Default mode network
Default mode network is the network whose major hub exist in Posterior cingulate cortex & precuneus, Medial prefrontal cortex and Angular gyrus.
It is active in resting state and related to the information regarding the self, the theory of the mind.
It contributes to remembering the past, simulating future, introspections, thinking about other people's thoughts and feelings, as well as referring to social moral.

The information that comes from Salience network and is stored in working memory, will be analyzed by Default mode network.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex are strongly related to the reward values and decision makings.

Default mode network can be said as a black box of the decision making process.
Knowledge, values, belief systems, personalities and other elements related to creating "self" are intertwined in a complex manner in this process.
It is known from the past experience of our insight researches that purchase intention is enhanced when a favorable future can be imagined. Some neuroscience researches also found that the feelings gained from a favorable future simulation activates orbitofrontal cortex.
How we can make consumers simulate the favorable future with high reward value is important. This consideration should be included when developing brand concept.


４）Predictive coding ＆ Bayesian statistics
In the past, information was thought to be transmitted from the sensory areas to higher-order functions (bottom up). Currently it becomes clear that the brain is actively predicting external information.

Stanislas Dehaene discovered the fact that objects become "visible" to us only when prefrontal areas become active, the brain creates a global neural network, and the network reaches the primary visual cortex. It takes at least a third of a second for the object to become consciously "visible".

Lisa Barrett clearly explains that the brain uses its concepts and predicts "what it is" from the fragments of the incoming information. The brain sends the predictive coding not only to the primary sensory areas but also to the primary interoceptive area.

When there is a gap between the prediction and the information that primary sensory areas receive, the prediction error is corrected. The brain concepts that are used for prediction is updated through prediction errors for the future use.
The updating method is said to be based on Bayesian statistics in which the degree of information reliability matters: the reliability of the information that enters the primary sensory areas is compared to the reliability of the information used for prediction. The information with higher reliability influences the primary sensory information or the brain concepts used for prediction. If the reliability of the information that enters the primary sensory areas is higher than that of the brain concepts, the brain concepts being used for future prediction are corrected.

When we perceive things, our brains predict them using the brain concepts that are accumulated from the past experiences and updated through prediction errors. We need to assume what kinds of brain concepts will be used for the perception of products, services and brands, when developing the brand concepts.


５）Situated Embodied Conceptualization
The predicting brain does not predict information of the specific sense such as the prediction only for vision.
The predictive brain sends all of the information attached to the brain concept, including the predictive information on five sensory areas, motor area and interoceptive area.
In other words, what is used for prediction is "the embodied multi-sensory concept".
When you read the word "throw", your brain's motor area is also activated as your brain simulates the action of throwing.
It, however, is not constant which brain concept is used. It depends on the situation including background and your feelings at that time.
This brain function is called "situated conceptualization". With regard to "embodied concept" and "situated conceptualization", please refer to Lawrence Barsalou.

In our marketing、it is important to predict what types of embodied concepts and situated conceptualization will be used, when consumers contact a product, package design, and advertisement in advance.
We need to consider "embodied conceptualization" that includes five senses, interoceptive sense(feelings and emotion), concrete and abstract concepts.
In addition, we need to consider the elements of "situations". Situations include not only the usage and purchase situation as well as consumers' moods but also the situation that is created by package designs and advertising. The image created by designs and advertising can change the embodied concept of the brain.