Wharton Marketing's Conjoint Analysis Predicts Customer Preferences
Paul Green invented conjoint analysis at Wharton to forecast future product appeal, powering innovations like Courtyard by Marriott and EZPass while shifting focus from past sales to predictive modeling.
Conjoint Analysis Shifts Marketing from Past Sales to Future Predictions
Wharton pioneered marketing education in 1909 with 'merchandising' courses and Professor Paul Green's conjoint analysis revolutionized the field by measuring preferences to anticipate demand. Unlike traditional methods analyzing historical data, it evaluates trade-offs in product features, enabling data-driven decisions on what to build next. Real-world applications include Courtyard by Marriott's hotel chain design, EZPass toll system, and advancements in medical research, public policy, and engineering. Department strengths in consumer behavior, decision-making theory, modeling, measurement, and strategy amplify this predictive approach, helping firms like Frito-Lay assess advertising ROI, Marriott test new hotels, and Shell Oil refine offerings based on customer needs.
Largest Faculty Translates Research into Actionable Tools
Wharton's marketing faculty—largest, most cited, and published globally—develops practical tools for managers. Featured professor Robert Meyer researches AI adoption, behavioral game theory, consumer decision analysis, uncertainty, dynamic decisions, and text analysis. Their work directly improves corporate performance through refined pricing, merchandising, and product launches, proving academic rigor yields measurable business gains.
Programs Build Depth in Analytical Marketing
Undergrad, MBA, and PhD programs blend lectures, readings, cases, and simulations for comprehensive training. This equips students to apply methodologies like conjoint analysis in practice, though content emphasizes institutional prestige over step-by-step implementation.