Abstract

Most marketing decisions are made in hindsight. As markets shift rapidly and consumer responses become increasingly shaped by uncertainty, emotion, and context, traditional approaches often fall short. This chapter argues for reframing simulations as laboratories for strategic experimentation, not just forecasting. This perspective allows marketers to test a concept's resilience under various behavioural scenarios before launch. To support this, the author proposes a conceptual framework for systematically incorporating behavioural insights into the simulation planning process. The framework operates as a guided, phased approach, using Behavioural Prompts, Scenario Archetypes, and Persona Modifiers to expose implicit assumptions and build more psychologically realistic models. The contribution, therefore, is to offer a solid approach to augmenting simulations, enabling strategies that better adapt to fluid consumer behaviour.