Directory

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Associate Professor, HKUST (2010 - 20)
• Associate Professor, Erasmus University (2009 - 10)
• Assistant Professor, Erasmus University (2005 - 09)

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RESEARCH INTERESTS

Bayesian data analysis; eye movements; pricing strategies; visual attention; online marketing.

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BOOK

Wierenga, Berend and Ralf van der Lans (2017), “Handbook of Marketing Decision Models”, Second Edition, New York, Springer.

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PUBLICATIONS

• Cheong, Ilyung, Jeehye Christine Kim, Young Eun Huh, Ralf van der Lans (2025), “Customizing your way to health: How self-customization influences food choices,” Journal of Consumer Psychology, 35(4), 627-636.
• Libai, Barak, Ana Babic Rosario, Maximilian Beichert, Bas Donkers, Michael Haenlein, Reto Hofstetter, P.K. Kannan, Ralf van der Lans, Andreas Lanz, Alice Li, Dina Mayzlin, Eitan Muller, Daniel Shapira, Jeremy Yang, Lingling Zhang (2025), “Influencer Marketing Unlocked: Understanding the Value Chains Driving the Creator Economy,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,  53(1), 4-28.
• Fang, Yini, Jingling Yu, Haozheng Zhang, Ralf van der Lans, Bertram Shi (2025), “OAT: Object-Level Attention Transformer for Gaze Scanpath Prediction,” Computer Vision – ECCV 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15113, part LV, p. 366-382. [Python code of OAT]
•  Lu, Huidi, Ralf van der Lans, Kristiaan Helsen, Dinesh Gauri (2023), “DEPART: Decomposing Prices Using Atheoretical Regression Trees,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 40(4), 781-800. [R code of DEPART]

• Wedel, Michel, Rik Pieters, Ralf van der Lans (2023), “Modeling Eye Movements During Decision Making: A Review,” Psychometrika, 88(2), 697-729.

• Oh, Ga-Eun (Grace), Ralf van der Lans, Anirban Mukhopadhyay (2022), “Choice Architecture Effects on Indulgent Consumption: Evidence from Combinations of Nudges at an Ice-Cream Store,” Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 7(4), 450-460.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Michel Wedel, Rik Pieters (2021), “Online Advertising Suppresses Visual Competition during Planned Purchases,” Journal of Consumer Research, , 48(3), 374-393.
• Chen, Xi, Ralf van der Lans, Michael Trusov (2021), “Efficient Estimation of Network Games of Incomplete Information: Application to Large Online Social Networks,” Management Science, 67(12), 7575-7598.
• Gelper, Sarah, Ralf van der Lans, Gerrit van Bruggen (2021), “Competition for Attention in Online Social Networks: Implications for Seeding Strategies,” Management Science, 67(2), 1026–1047.
• Wedel, Michel, Rik Pieters, Ralf van der Lans (2019), “Eye Tracking Methodology for Research in Consumer Psychology,” in Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology, eds. Frank R. Kardes, Paul M. Herr, and Norbert Schwartz, Routledge, New York, 276-292.
• Wang, Sherry Shi and Ralf van der Lans (2018), “Modeling Gift Choice: The Effect of Uncertainty on Price Sensitivity,” Journal of Marketing Research, 55(4), 524-540.
• van der Lans, Ralf (2018), “A Simultaneous Model of Multiple-Discrete Choices of Variety and Quantity,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 35(2), 242-257.
• Chen, Xi, Ralf van der Lans, Tuan Q. Phan (2017) “Uncovering the Importance of Relationship Characteristics in Social Networks: Implications for Seeding Strategies,” Journal of Marketing Research, 54(2), 187-201. 
• Wierenga, Berend and Ralf van der Lans (2017), “Marketing Decision Models: Progress and Perspectives,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, 1-11.
• Chen, Xi, Ralf van der Lans, Michael Trusov (2017), “Integrating Social Networks into Marketing Decision Models,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, 505-529.
• van der Lans, Ralf and Michel Wedel (2017), “Eye Movements during Search and Choice,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, 331-359.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Yvonne van Everdingen, Valentyna Melnyk (2016), “What to Stress, to Whom and Where? A Cross-Country Investigation of the Effects of Perceived Brand Benefits on Buying Intentions,” International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(4), 924-943.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Bram van den Bergh, Evelien Dieleman (2014), “Partner Selection in Brand Alliances: An Empirical Investigation of the Drivers of Brand Fit,” Marketing Science,33 (4), 551–566.
• Romero, Jaime, Ralf van der Lans, Berend Wierenga (2013), “A Partially-Hidden Markov Model of Customer Dynamics for CLV Measurement,” Journal of Interactive Marketing, 27 (3), 185-208.
• van der Lans, Ralf (2011), “Bayesian Estimation of the Multinomial Logit Model: A Comment on Holmes and Held, ‘Bayesian Auxiliary Variable Models for Binary and Multinomial Regression’”, Bayesian Analysis, 6(2), 353-356.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Michel Wedel, Rik Pieters (2011), “Defining Eye-Fixation Sequences Across Individuals and Tasks: The Binocular-Individual Threshold (BIT) Algorithm”, Behavior Research Methods, 43 (1), 239-257. [Matlab code of BIT algorithm].
• van der Lans, Ralf, Gerrit van Bruggen, Jehoshua Eliashberg, Berend Wierenga (2010), “A Viral Branching Model for Predicting the Spread of Electronic Word-of-Mouth,” Marketing Science, 29 (2), 348-365. 
• van der Lans, Ralf and Gerrit van Bruggen (2010), “Viral Marketing: What is it and What are the Components of Viral Success?”, in The Connected Customer, eds. Stefan Wuyts, Marnik G. Dekimpe, Els Gijsbrechts, and Rik Pieters, Routledge, New York, 257-282. 
• van der Lans, Ralf, Joseph A. Cote, Catherine A. Cole, Siew Meng Leong, Ale Smidts, Pamela W. Henderson, Christian Bluemelhuber, Paul A. Bottomley, John R. Doyle, Alexander Federikhin, M. Janakiraman, B. Ramaseshan, Bernd H. Schmitt (2009), “Cross- National Logo Evaluation Analysis: An Individual Level Approach,” Marketing Science, 28 (5), 968-985.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Rik Pieters, Michel Wedel (2008), “Competitive Brand Salience,” Marketing Science, 27 (5), 922-931.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Rik Pieters, Michel Wedel (2008), “Eye Movement Analysis of Search Effectiveness,” Journal of the American Statistical Association, 103 (482), 452-461.

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BOOK CHAPTERS

• Wedel, Michel, Rik Pieters and Ralf van der Lans (2019), “Eye Tracking Methodology for Research in Consumer Psychology,” in Handbook of Research Methods in Consumer Psychology, eds. Frank R. Kardes, Paul M. Herr, and Norbert Schwartz, Routledge, New York, p. 276-292.
• Wierenga, Berend and Ralf van der Lans (2017), “Marketing Decision Models: Progress and Perspectives,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, p. 1-11.
• Chen, Xi, Ralf van der Lans and Michael Trusov (2017), “Integrating Social Networks into Marketing Decision Models,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, 505-529.
• van der Lans, Ralf and Michel Wedel (2017), “Eye Movements during Search and Choice,” in Handbook of Marketing Decision Models, 2nd edition, eds. Berend Wierenga and Ralf van der Lans, Springer, New York, p. 331-359.
• van der Lans, Ralf and Gerrit van Bruggen (2010), “Viral Marketing: What is it and What are the Components of Viral Success?”, in The Connected Customer, eds. Stefan Wuyts, Marnik G. Dekimpe, Els Gijsbrechts, and Rik Pieters, Routledge, New York, p. 257-282.

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• van der Lans (2018), "Eye-Tracking Technology and Marketing," Biz@HKUST, p. 14-15.
• van Bruggen, Gerrit and Ralf van der Lans (2014), “Virale Marketing: Hoe Campagnes zich Online Verspreiden,” Jaarboek MOA/Ontwikkelingen in het Marktonderzoek, p. 9-24. Winner MOA Award 2014.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Gerrit van Bruggen, Jehoshua Eliashberg, Berend Wierenga (2012), “Seeding a Message to Harvest Reach: Predicting and Optimizing the Spread of Electronic Word-of-Mouth,” GfK Marketing Intelligence Review, 4(1), p. 32-41.
• van der Lans, Ralf, Gerrit van Bruggen, Jehoshua Eliashberg, Berend Wierenga (2010), “Viral marketing can be a safe bet,” RSM Insight, 3, p. 12-14.
• van der Lans, Ralf (2007), “Eye-tracking trekt de aandacht,” Markeur, March, p. 28-29.
• van der Lans, Ralf (2007), “Gevecht om aandacht op het schap: Meten van merkopvallendheid,” Jaarboek MOA/Ontwikkelingen in het Marktonderzoek, p. 53-69.
• van der Lans, Ralf (2001), “Het opvoerproces van post: een transportprobleem met een aanvoereis,” Medium Econometrische Toepassingen, 9(4).

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TEACHING CASE

• “Quano Technologies: Pricing a niche product in a niche market,” HKUST (2025), with Ricky Lai.

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REVIEWING FOR

Associate Editor: International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Consumer Research.

Editorial Review Board: Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Interactive Marketing.