PRSA Letter to the Editor — The New York Times

To the Editor:
 

Re “Making Ads That Whisper to the Brain” (Slipstream, Nov. 14), which described the emerging practice of neuromarketing:
 

The science and practice of neuromarketing offer valuable insight into how people are influenced by — and react to — the advertisements and other messages they see and read. It’s imperative, though, that marketers understand the possible impact of their messages, whether intended to be explicitly understood by the consumer or, in the case of neuromarketing, subconsciously absorbed.
 

The Advertising Research Foundation’s efforts to develop industrywide neuromarketing standards will go a long way toward understanding how this combination of science, technology and traditional marketing works. Advancements in technology have given marketers exciting, often highly successful methods of reaching and influencing consumers. But for each new technology, there is a need for proper research to establish ethical practices and standards.

Gary D. McCormick

Manhattan, Nov. 15
The writer is chairman and chief executive of the Public Relations Society of America.