Introduction to the Special Issue on Marketing Science and Field Experiments

Abstract

This editorial introduces the special issue on marketing science and field experiments. We compare the characteristics of the papers that were submitted and accepted for the special issue and provide several recommendations for researchers. In general, we find field experiment research is greater in the areas of advertising and pricing with digital being the most common channel. We suggest that, beyond the estimation of effects and tests of hypotheses, field experiments can complement structural models; help train targeting policies; and also contribute to the nascent area of real-time, adaptive experimentation. We also discuss how field experiment research with a marketing science orientation can enhance and contribute in the areas of behavioral research and marketing strategy.