Data about China

Was involved in the early examination of available data about China, driving retail models.   See Simulex and Agent Models tag.

In Clickz:
The way data is collected, shared and used by marketers in China is still evolving, as agencies and clients work together in a test and learn environment. Content Takeover Big Data & AnalyticsChina is still years away from reaching Western levels of data management and use, but this hasn't stopped it from developing its own thriving and innovative technology systems.

Opacity, fraud and "walled garden" third-party data platforms continue to be major hurdles for marketers operating in China, but a willingness to learn and understand how data can be captured and used to maximum effect is a top priority for publishers, brands and agencies alike.

“Data collection, management and analytics methods in China have progressed in the last few years, but it is still early stages compared to other markets in terms of robustness," says Shanghai-based Chris Maier, head of research and analytics at ZenithOptimedia China.  ... "  

Synthetic Environments

Simulations are synthetic environments.   It has been a long time since I too a look at Purdue's Simulex Inc.  which creates macroeconomic and agent oriented environments and infrastructures for the military and Fortune 500 companies.  Their case studies section does a good job of explaining how this works.

Massively Complex Agent Environments

I am reposting this article from over a year ago to remind myself and readers of interesting work done in very large scale agent models. Here from Simulex, (Simulex link no longer works) which positions itself as developing Synthetic Environments for Analysis and Simulation. Simulex originated via expertise at Purdue. Although I cannot provide many details, Simulex tailored its SEAS agent-based economic models, developed for DOD applications, to important regional demand and growth applications for us.

" ... we use our exclusive license to SEAS to provide the next generation of consulting services to our clients in government and the private sector. Instead of experimenting with real people, SEAS allows clients to interact with synthetic people and observe what is happening. Using agent-based modeling in a business war-gaming environment, SEAS seamlessly incorporates all aspects of managerial decision making to provide a complete and integrated view of economies, industries, and organizations ... ".

Some of their application case studies, (Simulex links no longer work) with strongly visual outputs. Worth a closer look for bottom-up economic and interaction system simulations. Note also the inclusion of gaming environments.