Bestselling author and branding expert, Martin Lindstrom, will deliver lectures on the impact of subliminal advertising and the revolutionary influence of neuroscience in marketing, during his Gulf-wide tour in 2009.

His latest book, Buyology, which was released yesterday in New York, is the result of a groundbreaking study on NeuroMarketing, which studied thousands of volunteers and was the largest of its kind ever taken.

The three-year study, which uses the latest brain scan technology to reveal radical findings into consumer behaviour, is the single biggest breakthrough in marketing in decades, according to global experts.

The pioneering research will turn market research practices on their head, and refute most of what we thought we know about why people buy.

The Buyology Symposium, which will tour more than 50 countries in 18 months, will start its Gulf tour in Dubai on April 19, before moving through the other GCC countries later in the year.

Lindstrom will appear live and in person at each event. International events organiser Global Leaders – which has offices in Dubai and Bahrain - has been awarded the exclusive contract for the Gulf countries as well as a number of African countries.

The research project cost US$7 million, and was conducted in association with a panel of leading scientists based in Oxford. Among the companies to take part in the research were: Apple; Coca-Cola; American Express; Ford; Louis Vuitton; Nike; Samsung; Sony; and Tiffany & Co.

The findings are predicted to revolutionise the advertising and marketing industries. According to the findings, the majority of the $600 billion global advertising spend is currently wasted.

The introduction of neuroscience means that, for the first time, Lindstrom says he knows what products and campaigns will succeed, or fail.

“Martin has continued to revolutionise the way we view branding and marketing, and Buyology will literally turn the advertising industry on its head. He has made the connection between the art of marketing and the science of behaviour,' stated Tina Schneidermann, president of Global Leaders.

“Together, the application of science and sense is the most significant breakthrough in marketing in decades, and Martin will be sharing his findings in Dubai, the capital of the Gulf advertising world,” she added.-TradeArabia News Service