Academic Focus: John Hauser and the MIT Team

MIT Professor John Hauser and his team have developed a technique called active machine learning, which uses an algorithm to create a web-based survey that actively learns how to ask consumers questions based on prior answers. This approach helps marketers better understand their customers' decision rules, so they can design and market new products more effectively. The researchers showed that the method is fast and accurate enough to help marketers predict customer reaction when introducing a new product or launching a new advertising campaign. The approach can be used for many product categories, especially those with a large number of features like cars, smart phones, computers and even real estate.