The influence of demand factors on dynamic competitive pricing strategy: An empirical study

This empirical paper investigates the relationship between the dynamic strategic interactions among competitors in a component market and demand factors in the market for the end product. The structure of competition in the US microprocessor (MPU) industry is analyzed using data on prices and sales in both the MPU market as well as the market for personal computers. The pattern of dynamic strategic interaction between competing firms in this market on a key decision variable, price is studied. Non-nested model comparison tests based on equilibrium solutions derived for specific differential games are applied to identify the mode of competitive strategy between pairs of competing brands. The empirical fit to the longitudinal and cross-sectional data, of alternative models of competition, independent (Bertrand?CNash), Stackelberg leader?Cfollower, and Collusion, is used to determine which dynamic model best describes actual competitive behavior over the life of each MPU. Demand for the product market which is downstream from microprocessors, that for personal computers, is estimated using a generalized diffusion model with price effects. Data from the markets for desktop and laptop computers are analyzed at the level of computer vendor and internal microprocessor. Patterns are uncovered, linking downstream demand parameters with upstream competitive strategy. There is evidence to suggest that when there are strong diffusion effects driving sales of both the competing computer brands, there is a higher likelihood of Bertrand?CNash competition among MPU firms. However, when there are higher cross-price effects (substitutability) among personal computer brands there is a greater chance of Stackelberg leader?Cfollower price competition. When self-price effects are relatively high, the likelihood of Bertrand?CNash competition among MPU firms increases. Furthermore, when the potential demand for the computer product category is high, there is a higher likelihood of Bertrand?CNash pricing in the MPU market.     

加工贸易贫困化增长的黑箱：对中国贸易条件不断恶化的一种试探性解释

中国30年改革开放取得的巨大成就很大程度上依赖于中国发挥比较优势参与国际经济。中国发挥比较优势战略的重要手段就是鼓励加工贸易发展,而加工贸易发展则引起巨额经常项目差额,通过影响世界相对供需及汇率来作用于贸易条件,带来了贫困化增长威胁。对于加工贸易发展导致贫困化增长的中间作用机制分析表明,只要实行劳动密集型比较优势战略就必然会引起一定条件下贸易条件的恶化。本文的主要贡献在于从理论上解释了加工贸易贫困化增长的黑箱,同时得到实证检验支持。     

Foreign direct investment in emerging markets and acquirers’ value gains

We investigate the shareholder wealth effects of 306 foreign direct investment (FDI) announcements by UK firms in seventy-five emerging markets (EM). Our results show that acquirers enjoy highly significant gains during the announcement period of FDI. Perhaps surprisingly, the highest gains are accrued to acquirers investing in countries with high political risk and high corruption ratings. The type of asset acquired has also a significant effect on the gains of acquirers’ shareholders, with the highest gains accrued to acquirers of physical assets. Also, investments in physical assets in EM with a high corruption rating elicit the highest gains. We contend that UK firms following resource-seeking strategies in EM with a high corruption rating are facilitated access to resources on favorable terms and this is viewed positively by the market participants. Our results are robust to alternative model specifications and the endogenous choice to expand internationally.     

Market Shares of Stores:

The effect of marketing strategy variables on the market shares of shore is examined. Both manufacturers and retailers play equally important roles in the functioning of marketing channels. In spite of this, the impact of marketing strategy variables on the competitive performance of stores, rather than that of brands, has been far less commonly examined in the literature. A market share model is developed and then tested using state-of-the-art scanner data. The results show statistically significant differences in the effects, on store share, of price and promotional variables between leader and follower brands. In addition, the market share models are able to predict store market shares with a high degree of accuracy in a hold-out sample. The model is then expanded to include variables with respect to competitor brands and competitor stores and then tested. Various managerial implications of the differential effects of brand strategy are discussed.     

Depth versus Breadth Strategies for Global Brand Image Management

Abstract

Developing and maintaining a brand image is vital to any successful marketing and communication campaign. An image that clearly communicates the needs satisfied by the brand contributes to brand equity and helps combat brand parity. The normative model of brand image management suggests that marketers should base their images on a single set of consumer needs (depth strategy), rather than multiple sets of needs (breadth strategy). The extent to which depth strategies outperformed breadth strategies (in terms of annual change in sales volume, profit margin, and market share) was investigated for U.S. consumer goods exported into international markets. These markets varied in terms of level of economic development, cultural context, and competition. While the results indicate that depth strategies do tend to perform best, there are conditions under which breadth strategies perform just as well.     

An Investigation on Incentive Strategies in Community Building in Business-to-Business Electronic Markets

ABSTRACT

Purpose: Community building is recognized as an important governance mechanism in business-to-business (B-to-B) electronic markets by enhancing firms’ participation in these platform markets. However, little research has been done regarding the role of incentive strategies in community building. The main purpose of this paper is to understand how to motivate merchants to participate in a merchant community with incentive strategies.

Methodology: Data were collected in a community of a large B-to-B electronic platform market in China. We randomly chose a sample of 605 participants from among all merchant firms registered in this community, and track their behaviors for 2 weeks. Their behaviors are recorded based on our research design.

Findings: With the empirical analysis from a community of a large B-to-B electronic platform market in China, our results show that (1) both platform and peer incentive strategies can significantly enhance community participation, while platform incentives is more effective in general; (2) platform incentive strategy is a more effective strategy as seller firm uncertainty increases; (3) peer incentive strategy is a more effective strategy as buyer firm uncertainty increases.

Originality: This paper is among the first to investigate two types of incentive strategies in community building, platform level and peer level. We also investigate the moderating role of market uncertainties due to market participants from seller and buyer when examining the effectiveness of these two incentive strategies.     

Small & Medium Gold & Fashion Enterprises (SMEs) in Arezzo,Italy: Competitive Challenges and Strategic Implications

ABSTRACT

This paper provides some empirical evidence on organizational characteristics and strategies of firms in the Italian gold and fashion industries. The analysis is based on a data set of three SME clusters in Arezzo (a city and province in Tuscany, Italy, southeast of Florence) which led us to the identification of two main alternative strategies which can be implemented when facing the new global competition: a firm-centered brand strategy and an outsourcing strategy (a supply alliance with co-branding possibilities with one or more large Italian firms). We analyzed the resources and competencies of firms that adopted different export marketing strategies and further explored the relationship between strategic choices and performance of participating firms (measured in terms of growth, innovation, and export capabilities). The results show that the choice of a strategy is strongly influenced by the ability of SMEs to respond to changes in consumer behavior and competition, and that some variables significantly affect performance. Both strategies can be effective, and in some cases it is suggested to follow the middle of the road competitive approach: combining the two strategies, exporting own brand directly to the end markets and collaborating with a large firm in order to achieve a sustainable and significant competitive advantage.     

产品类别视角企业微博互动内容策略的差异性研究

本文基于产品的实用性和享乐性分类视角,按照内容将企业微博互动策略分为社会性和任务导向型两种类型,并以此为依据对企业微博互动策略进行内容分析,探究不同产品类别的企业微博互动策略效果。研究表明,实用性产品和享乐性产品在企业微博互动内容策略及效果上存在差异,以此为企业有效开展微博营销提供理论依据与实践参考。     

The success of stock selection strategies in emerging markets: Is it risk or behavioral bias?

We examine competing explanations, based on risk and behavioral models, for the profitability of stock selection strategies in emerging markets. We document that both emerging market risk and global risk factors cannot account for the significant excess returns of selection strategies based on value, momentum and earnings revisions indicators. The findings for value and momentum strategies are consistent with the evidence from developed markets supporting behavioral explanations. In addition, for value stocks, the most important behavioral bias appears to be related to underestimation of long-term growth prospects, as indicated by above average earnings revisions for longer post-formation horizons and by quite rapidly improving earnings growth expectations. Furthermore, we find that overreaction effects play a limited role for the earnings revisions strategy, as there is no clear return reversal until five years after portfolio formation, setting this strategy apart from momentum strategies.     

NONPARAMETRIC KERNEL-BASED SEQUENTIAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

The purpose of this paper is to introduce sequential investment strategies that guarantee an optimal rate of growth of the capital, under minimal assumptions on the behavior of the market. The new strategies are analyzed both theoretically and empirically. The theoretical results show that the asymptotic rate of growth matches the optimal one that one could achieve with a full knowledge of the statistical properties of the underlying process generating the market, under the only assumption that the market is stationary and ergodic. The empirical results show that the performance of the proposed investment strategies measured on past nyse and currency exchange data is solid, and sometimes even spectacular.     

A Tree-form Constant Market Share Model for Growth Causes in International Trade Based on Multi-level Classification

This paper introduces a tree-form constant market share (CMS) model for analyzing growth causes in international trade based on multi-level classification. The tree-form CMS is a collection of CMS models at different levels, including the entire, branch- and leaf-models, which consists of a large amount of information and has a wide application spectrum. Basic properties of this model are investigated in detail. It is shown that the tree-form CMS model is superior to other CMS models in the literature. It is also shown that well known CMS formulations are special cases of a linear class with two parameters, which control how the interaction term is divided into the demand growth and competitive terms. Application to bilateral trade between China and Germany shows that the growth causes in different periods are clearly different. It is shown that the outputs of the tree-form CMS model can be used for further suitable statistical analysis. Furthermore, our theoretical findings are also confirmed by those data examples.     

The impact of telephone notification strategies on response to an industrial mail survey

The mail questionnaire is a popular method of gathering data among marketing academics. However, response rates from industrial populations are often low. A number of alternative strategies designed to enhance response from industrialists are evaluated. The results show that satisfactory response rates can be achieved by the integration of telephone and mail contacts within a survey design without loss of response quality nor distortion of sample composition.     

The dynamics of entry,exit and profitability: An error correction approach for the retail industry

We develop a two equation error correction model to investigate determinants of and dynamic interaction between changes in profits and number of firms in retailing. An explicit distinction is made between the effects of actual competition among incumbants, new firms competition and potential competition from firms outside the market. Effects of cost, demand and general income changes on profitability are investigated to gain insight in the role of retailing in the cost, demand and wage inflationary processes. The relative importance of profitability, growth and unemployment as determinants of net entry are studied. The model is tested using a panel data set of 36 Dutch shoptypes covering the 1977–1988 period.     

市场开放度、劳动生产率与我国地区工资差异

以新经济地理学的空间工资结构理论为基础,实证分析了我国西部大开发以来市场开放度、劳动生产率与地区工资差异之间的关系,结果表明,从全国角度来看,市场开放度和人力资本的增加对工资增长的贡献效应很显著,劳动生产率和外商直接投资的增加虽然对工资增长的贡献效应为正,但其效果并不明显;分东、中、西地区来看,市场开放度增加对工资增长的贡献,东部高于中部,更高于西部;人力资本的贡献效应则恰好与之相反;劳动生产率和外商直接投资的增加对工资增长的贡献效应在不同地区的差别并不明显。     

Internationalising cultural products: the Ouroboros strategy and the case of visual kei

ABSTRACT

Scholars have developed a vast literature that helps firms internationalise products and brands. Yet, there is comparatively limited work that examines the internationalisation strategies of cultural products. Through a case study of 31 visual kei rock bands, this study sheds light onto the patterns, objectives, and timing of internationalised cultural products. The results suggest that visual kei musicians adopt one of two internationalisation strategies: “standard internationalisation” or the “Ouroboros strategy.” Standard internationalisation is a linear strategy, where the objective is market growth through the acquisition of consumers in international markets, and where internationalisation can occur as early as the introduction stage of a product’s life. The Ouroboros strategy is a nuanced strategy where the pattern of internationalisation is circular, the objectives include market expansion and cultural goals, the target markets are both foreign and domestic consumers, and where internationalisation occurs in the growth and mature stages of bands’ life cycles.     

An empirical investigation into the alternative strategies to implement the elimination of financial services

This paper examines the strategies that financial institutions use in order to implement the elimination of financial services. Through 20 in-depth interviews with managers of British banks, insurance companies and building societies, a set of ten alternative elimination strategies was identified. A mail survey (with a stratified random sample of 112 British financial institutions) indicated that the predominant strategy is to eliminate a financial service from new customers, while leaving its existing users unconditionally unaffected. However, the results revealed that the applicability of alternative elimination strategies is situation-specific, since it varies in relation to the degree of market orientation of a financial institution, to the intensity of market competition, to the austerity of the legislative environment and to the rhythm of technological change.     

Marketing strategies,financial structure,and innovation in U.K. retailing

This study examines the pattern by which retailers have adapted to recent changes in consumer markets. Information was obtained on the marketing strategies and financial structures of 88 of the leading U.K. retailers. The first section identifies the key environmental developments of the later 1970's and appraises their impact on retailers. In the second section, the methods by which retailers have sought to adapt to these changes are outlined. Finally, a model is developed which distinguishes successful from unsuccessful retailing strategies and provides a methodology for evaluating alternative approaches to market positioning.     

Linking knowledge, entry timing and internationalization strategy

This paper contributes to the current internationalization theory by linking the characteristics of the firm's resource-base, its market-entry timing orientation and international growth orientation so as to shed more light on internationalization strategies. By employing multi-industry data, we find that the nature of the firm's knowledge, its entry timing orientation and international growth orientation are related to its internationalization strategy. Among other results, we find that the firm's accumulated expertise is positively related for both the international growth orientation and entry timing orientation. The international growth orientation, in turn, is related both to the path type of internationalization the firm employs as well as the geographical diversification in market entry. In other words, the results suggest that the firm's resource-base influences on both its entry timing orientation and to the internationalization strategy. These and other findings are discussed with regard to their scholarly and managerial implications.     

The role of seeding in multi-market entry

Firms introducing new products into multi-markets often face the dilemma of how to dynamically allocate their marketing resources during penetration. The aim of this study is to examine which responsive allocation strategy is more effective for these firms. We explore three major resource allocation strategies: uniform strategy, in which the firm distributes the marketing efforts evenly among its regions regardless of market development; support-the-strong strategy, under which the firm invests its efforts proportional to the number of adopters in that region (at least up to a certain market coverage); and support-the-weak strategy, in which the firm invests its efforts proportional to the remaining market potential.Using both formal analysis and complex systems simulations, we find that strategies that disperse marketing efforts, such as support-the-weak and uniform strategies, are generally superior to support-the-strong strategy. Not only is this finding surprisingly robust to market conditions and variations on these strategies, but it also runs counter to conventional wisdom prevailing in international marketing. The conditions under which support-the-strong policy might become more effective include: (a) fixed entry or operation costs above a certain level; and (b) substantial variance between regions in responsiveness to marketing efforts. However, variance in intrinsic innovativeness between regions does not imply the superiority of support-the-strong strategy.