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An event organised by BU Marketing Communications students in partnership with the  explored the impact of neuromarketing.

The 14th annual Mike Warne event featured a range of industry speakers talking about the practice of neuromarketing – studying consumer brain responses to marketing stimuli.

It was attended by around 160 people, made up of staff, students and industry professionals. 

Speakers included Katie Hart, Customer Insights tutor at the Cambridge Marketing College, and neuroscientist Dr John Hogan, who spoke about his work measuring biological responses for brands.

Rob Ellis from COG research demonstrated his neuroscience equipment and spoke about his work using eye-tracking to gauge responses to advertising on London Underground. 

The annual event is held in memory of the late Mike Warne, a CIM regional director who was a strong advocate for building relationships between aspiring marketing students and the CIM.

The event was organised by six BU final year Marketing Communications students - Emma Brooks, Caitlyn Walters, Kim Machipisa, Dora Wehring, Georgia Fearnley and Noku Sunsuza - in partnership with the CIM.  

Caitlyn, who had responsibility for creating content and the social media for the event, said: “I just thought it was a good opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and do something different. I’ve never organised an event before – I did a bit on placement but I’ve never had a huge amount of responsibility so I just wanted to branch out and get some experience really.

"We came up with the impact of neuromarketing because even though it’s been around for a while, not many people know what it is. We felt like it was such an interesting topic that it was worth exploring. 

"It’s a great opportunity to network and work as a team with people that you might not normally and it’s really interesting and helpful for your career as well." 

Shenel McLawrence, Programme Leader for the BA Marketing Communications degree, said the students gained confidence as well as experience in organising the event. 

"I've been involved with the event for the past five years and you see the students getting the confidence to run the event and taking all the experience that they've gained from their placement to come together to do it with the CIM. There's a real sense of responsibility because they are doing it with a professional body," she said. 

"Not only do they gain the confidence and experience for their CV, but it's a great accomplishment to achieve for the end of their degree and nice for them to end their course in such a positive way." 

The event also marked the start of a formal strategic partnership between BU and the CIM. 

BU is the first university to be named as a Strategic Partner, which will see the CIM collaborate closely with BU to enhance standards in studying and ensure graduates leave with the skills employers are looking for. 

CIM Chief Executive Chris Daly announced the partnership at the event, saying: "The new partnership will provide a greater synergy between CIM and ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥, adding value to the qualifications the students receive and thereby enhancing their career prospects.

He added: "This year's event on the subject of neuromarketing could not be more topical...Integrating modern, scientific disciplines into marketing activities, rather than relying on arbritrary behaviours, can have a massive, positive effect. 

"The introduction of neuroscience into the heart of brand strategy opens new horizons for marketing careers and can deliver significant value to audiences. But we must ensure neuromarketing is used correctly and we take into account issues such as diversity and that we take on board the views of all parts of society." 

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