Results published from Ale Smidts' research in January revealed specific brain mechanisms that cause people to adjust their opinions according to the opinions of others. This piece asks the question, 'what implications do these research results have on consumer behaviour?' Professor Smidts responds: "The behaviour of important people in your social environment (such as your family or your peer group) and the social norms they adhere to, in general have a strong impact on consumer behaviour. Our research shows that this adaptive behaviour is driven by a very basic and automatic process."