Traces of TOGG’s social media ads in the brain: A neuromarketing study with EEG

One of the main goals of marketing communication research is to assess communication effectiveness. Although neurosci entific methods are gaining popularity for providing more objective insights than traditional approaches, neuromarketing studies on advertising effectiveness and consumer cognition remain limited. Thus, there is a growing need for neuro sciencebased research to better understand how social media ads impact consumer cognition. This study conducted a neuromarketing experiment using electroencephalography to measure the physiological effects of social media ads on the brain. Within the Elaboration Likelihood Model framework, participants’ brain waves were recorded while viewing selected ads, and their cognitive processes were analyzed. The study offers three key contributions. First, it examines the brain waves that consumers cannot consciously control, revealing the links between ad effectiveness, product preference, and memorability. Second, it compares the neural data of low and highinvolvement consumers to determine more effective persuasion routes. Third, this paper represents one of the first neuromarketing studies to examine the cognitive impact of advertisements for TOGG, Türkiye’s first domestic automobile brand, thereby contributing to strategic marketing efforts. The findings of this study provide insights for brands to optimize their advertising strategies based on brainbased data and to enhance consumers’ positive brand experiences.