Effect Of Taste Branding On Prefrontal Activation Patterns In Consumers

Under the pressure of modern life gradually tense,consumers in the process of purchasing food in pursuit of convenient and safe shopping environment,the requirements of food and services are also gradually improving.There are many factors influencing consumers' decision-making.Many studies show that brand is the key factor affecting consumer decision-making,which can save consumers' choice time and improve their consumption experience.However,the neural mechanism of brand information affecting consumers' food purchasing process is not clear enough.With the development of functional near infrared spectroscopy(fNIRS),there are more and more research fields using this technology.However,in sensory marketing,the research on the impact of the combination of brand information and taste on consumers' brain is still less.Through the analysis and collation of the literature,it is found that the prefrontal cortex is the brain area where the combination of brand information and taste has a greater impact on consumers.Therefore,this article uses fNIRS technology to study the neural activity of prefrontal cortex of consumers in the process of branded and non-branded fruit tasting,and then discusses the influence of taste branded on the activation mode of the prefrontal cortex of consumers.A total of 42 college students were asked to taste the common market fruits and Pagoda fruits in the branded group and non-branded group in a quiet environment.Then they wrote the emotional self-assessment form,fruit quality assessment form and made brand decision.The hemodynamic data of prefrontal cortex in the process of tasting task were detected by fNIRS technology.The changes of blood oxygen concentration of each channel were computed by the GLM and the modified Beer-Lambert law.The changes of excitability of prefrontal cortex were determined by channel based group analysis.The blood oxygen data and behavioral data were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping and SPSS 26.The results of near infrared data showed that the subjects activated bilateral VLPFC,left DLPFC and bilateral OFC in the fruit tasting of the branded group,and activated bilateral VLPFC and bilateral OFC in the fruit tasting of non-branded group.The left DLPFC was activated in the branded group,but not in non-branded group.The difference of blood oxygen concentration between the branded group and non-branded group was mainly concentrated in the left prefrontal cortex.In the brain functional connectivity,the orbitofrontal cortex and frontal polar cortex were the main brain regions of the subjects in the branded group and non-branded group.Behavioral data showed that even though the fruits of the branded group and non-branded group were completely the same,the subjects felt more relaxed,safe and happy in the process of tasting the fruits of the branded group.Moreover,the quality evaluation of the fruits in the branded group was significantly higher than that in the non-branded group,P < 0.05,and more than 70% of the subjects preferred the fruits in the branded group.This study found that the branded group and non-branded group task activated the OFC and VLPFC regions related to the production and control of emotions,and the activation degree of the left prefrontal cortex was stronger than that of the right prefrontal cortex,indicating that fruit tasting had a positive impact on the emotion of the subjects.The difference of blood oxygen concentration between the branded group and the non-branded group was mainly concentrated in the left prefrontal cortex,and the branded group activated the left DLPFC which was not activated in the non-branded group,indicating that the subjects in the branded group produced more positive emotions and thus enhanced the neural activity of the left DLPFC.Consistent with the results of behavioral study,the emotional experience of the branded group was more positive and the quality perception was higher.This study explores the relationship between the actual taste response caused by fruit brand and the activity of the prefrontal cortex of consumers from the perspective of neural mechanism.It not only provides data support for scientific research on the neural changes of consumers' brain in brand,but also enriches and expands the research content and research scope of brand and brain nerve activity.This study lays a foundation for enterprises to seek better marketing methods,and provides a reference for the fruit industry to formulate brand strategies,so as to achieve the purpose of adapting to the target groups and seizing the market.