Call for Papers: Agent-based models of market dynamics and consumer
behaviour
17-18 January 2006
University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
Traditional marketing models have usually employed equilibrium statistical
techniques and have tended to focus on aggregate variables, such as market
share or price elasticity. However the top-down, static and aggregate
approach of traditional methods cannot deal with key factors influencing
buying behaviour such as the heterogeneity of the consumer population and
the role of social networks in propagating word of mouth. As a result,
current models in marketing science sometimes use unvalidated assumptions
about consumer behaviour and have limited explanatory and predictive powers.
The potential of agent-based models for providing better explanations of the
dynamics of consumer markets is still, however, in its infancy. At the
workshop, we wish to survey current work and explore the most promising
directions for future research.
Contributions to the workshop are invited on the topics of:
* The dynamics of genres and fashions
* Methods for collecting empirical data on influence networks
* Methods for the agent-based modelling of consumer behaviour
* Exploring the effects of marketing strategies with social simulation
* Standardised datasets for the comparison of models
and related topics.
Contributors should submit an extended abstract of the work that they wish
to present, of about 1-2000 words, by 15 October 2005. Authors of accepted
abstracts will be invited to submit a full paper (4 -7000 words) by 15
December 2005.
The workshop will be held at the University of Surrey, in Guildford, UK.
Guildford is a market town in the Green Belt surrounding London and is
located about 35 minutes by train from central London and within easy reach
of Londonšs Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
The workshop is organized by Nigel Gilbert, University of Surrey, UK and
Iqbal Adjali, Unilever Corporate Research. As a consequence of sponsorship
from Unilever Corporate Research, there will be no charge to participants
for registration, accommodation in en-suite rooms and meals during the
workshop.
Abstracts should be sent to Nigel Gilbert ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> ) by 15 October 2005, as anonymous PDF files
attached to an email including full contact details. Requests for
participation from those not wanting to present a paper, accompanied by a
statement of interests, should be sent to the same address by the same date.
Program committee:
Iqbal Adjali (Unilever)
Guillaume Deffaunt (Cemagref, France)
Nigel Gilbert (Surrey)
Wander Jager (Groningen, the Netherlands)
________________________________________________________________
Professor Nigel Gilbert, ScD, FREng, AcSS, Professor of Sociology,
University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK. +44 (0)1483 689173
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