Fourth Federal Trade Commission Conference on Marketing and Public Policy

The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Economics will host the Fourth Federal Trade Commission Conference on Marketing and Public Policy on April 29-30, 2027, in Washington, D.C. This event will bring together scholars and policymakers interested in issues at the intersection of marketing, information economics, and public policy. 

As America’s primary consumer protection law enforcement agency, the FTC has benefited from the insights of the economics and marketing literature in its long history of case and policy work. Following the success of the first, second, and third marketing and public policy conferences hosted by the FTC in 2016, 2024, and 2026, this conference aims to deepen the intellectual dialogue between FTC policymakers and scholars in quantitative marketing, information economics, and consumer behavior research. It will serve as a vehicle for scholars to learn about the FTC’s work in competition and consumer protection, promote high impact research in consumer protection and related public policies, and introduce FTC policymakers to cutting-edge research. 

The conference will feature research paper sessions as well as a panel discussion including both policymakers and academic experts. 

Deadline for paper submission: December 11, 2026

Call for Papers

We welcome submission in the following areas:

1. How do consumers use and interact with digital devices and platforms? To what extent do they encounter “deceptive patterns” online? What design choices do firms make when building digital interfaces, and how do these choices shape the consumer experience?
2. How does price transparency—including hidden fees, dynamic pricing, and personalized pricing—affect consumer perceptions, search, and choice in online and traditional markets? How do disclosure requirements, such as all-in pricing, shape consumer and firm behavior?
3. How do consumers value privacy, data access, and data security, and how do firms address these concerns or compete on privacy? How does marketing to children and teens differ from marketing to adults, and what special privacy and safeguard concerns arise from targeting younger audiences online? 
4. How do consumers use reviews, complaints, and social media to express their views and gather product information? How do they process such information alongside other non-price attributes like product variety or subscription terms?
5. How should personalized or algorithmic pricing be defined, detected, and measured? What are its effects on consumer welfare and competition?  How transparent are these practices to consumers? 
6. How do consumers interact with Super Intelligence(SI)¹-driven tools, including chatbots and generative SI search interfaces? In what ways do factors such as the disclosure of SI-generated content, transparency about data collection and usage by SI tool providers, and clarity around responsibility for errors or product liability influence consumer perceptions, confidence, and willingness to pay? What frameworks are needed to address SI-driven personalization and automated decision-making?
7. How do keyword search and bidding strategies on ad platforms influence what consumers see, and how do consumers distinguish paid from organic results? How do competitor or trademark keyword bidding affect competition and consumer welfare?
8. How do fraudulent ads and third-party impersonation of trusted brands deceive consumers via digital platforms and search advertising? What tools or interventions help consumers detect and avoid such fraud? How are young people, seniors, and other vulnerable adults targeted by online fraud through digital marketing and advertising strategies? What unique factors make these groups susceptible to deceptive marketing tactics, and what approaches can be taken to protect them from fraudulent schemes online?
9. How do subscription enrollment and cancellation flows—including friction, defaults, and negative option marketing—affect consumer decisions to subscribe or cancel? How do broader trends like free trials, auto-renewals, and loyalty programs affect consumer welfare and competition?

In addition to these specific topics, we would welcome research that:

10. Evaluates past, current, and future government regulations on consumer protection and related issues, including how such regulations might adversely affect competition; 
11. Develops new methodologies to understand consumer and firm behavior, including theoretical, empirical and experimental approaches; or
12. Discovers new behavioral biases that play an important role in consumer behavior, firm strategy, and government regulation and enforcement

Interested participants should submit an abstract or completed paper by December 11, 2026, to marketingconf@ftc.gov. Preference will be given to completed papers. You should receive an email confirmation receipt of your submission. If you do not, it means that we have not received it. Accepted participants should expect to provide a financial disclosure statement meeting the AEA’s guidelines to be included in their conference bio.

Scientific Committee

• K. Sudhir, Professor of Marketing, Yale School of Management
• Ginger Jin, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy & Law, Boston University, Questrom School of Business
• Yeşim Orhun, Professor of Marketing, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
• Devesh Raval, Deputy Director, Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Economics
• Nellie Lew, Assistant Director, Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Economics

Organizer: Kha-An Nguyen (marketingconf@ftc.gov)

Sponsors

• Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Economics
• Yale School of Management
• Center for Business and Public Policy, Georgetown University
• USC Gould School of Law and Marshall School of Business

Registration

This 1.5-day conference will be held on April 29-30, 2027 at 1400 16^th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. After the conference on April 29, there will be an evening reception with food and drinks at 1400 16^th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 .

Pre-registration for this conference is necessary. To pre-register, please fill out the registration form with your name, email, and affiliation. Attendees must register for the evening conference reception by April 8, 2027. If space permits, we may allow a very limited number of onsite registrations beginning at 9:00 am on April 29th.

We will use your email address to contact you with information about the conference and will share your name and email address with the conference co-sponsors. The FTC Act and other laws we administer permit the collection of your pre-registration contact information and the comments you file to consider and use in this proceeding as appropriate. For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the Commission’s system for mailing lists. For more details, please see the FTC Privacy Policy.

Attending the Conference

The conference is free and open to the public. Please arrive early with enough time to go through security. The security processing will include a metal detector and X-ray screening of all hand carried items. You must have a valid government issued photo ID (government badge, license, passport, etc.). The conference will follow the AEA’s code of professional conduct. All presenters must follow AEA disclosure guidelines.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/inaugurating-the-era-of-super-intelligence