ISBN: 978-93-94174-93-1

Dopamine Marketing: Designing Addictive Brand Experiences

¹Associate Professor & Head, Department of Commerce, SRM Trichy Arts and Science College, Tiruchirappalli – 621105, India

²Assistant professor, Department of Commerce, National College (Autonomous), Tiruchirappali- 620001, India

The contemporary phenomenon of Dopamine Marketing utilizes knowledge gained from neuroscience and consumer psychology about the release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure, motivation and reward) to design experiences that are addictive or habit-forming for consumers. Marketing cues intentionally stimulate the release of dopamine in a consumer's brain during their consumption process by utilizing gamification, personalized rewards, scarcity-based tactical approaches (i.e., limited-time offers), social validation, surprises and creating anticipation as well as instant gratification; thus providing engagement and emotional connection to the brands/products. Digital platforms (e.g., websites), mobile applications and social media ecosystems further increase the effect of dopamine by providing real-time feedback mechanisms, notifications and opportunities for repeated engagement. While there are clear benefits associated with the use of dopamine marketing, such as increased customer retention and contention for competitive differentiation, there are also ethical considerations surrounding its applications (i.e., consumer manipulation, chronic overconsumption and behavioural addiction). Thus it is paramount that marketers consider their ethical responsibility when developing dopamine-based marketing strategies; the successful use of dopamine in creating experiences and developing brandloyalty creates a shift from marketing based on products to marketing based on branding through experiences, impacting how marketers/brands create awareness, influence consumer decisionmaking and build sustained relationships with consumers as the marketplace continues its progression toward digitization.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: udhayakeiser@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Udhayaraj G. and Natarajan Rengaraju. 2026. Dopamine Marketing: Designing Addictive Brand Experiences. In: Dr. Lubna Suraiya Dr. P. Kanchana (Eds.). Commerce Reimagined: The Future of Trade and Transactions (Vol-III). Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 1-16. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-93-1_3_1