The conventional wisdom in economic theory holds that switching costs make markets less competitive. This article challenges this claim. The authors formulate an empirically realistic model of dynamic price competition that allows for differentiated products and imperfect lock-in. They calibrate this model with data from frequently purchased packaged goods markets. These data are ideal in the s…
Printed Journal
Sales response models are widely used as the basis for optimizing the marketing mix. Response models condition on the observed marketing-mix variables and focus on the specification of the distribution of observed sales given marketing-mix activities. The models usually fail to recognize that the levels of the marketing-mix variables are often chosen with at least partial knowledge of the respo…
A primary goal of research in marketing is to evaluate and recommend optimal policies. In this respect, marketing is a very policy-oriented field and it is ironic that so much published research skirts the issue of policy evaluation. Franses's article draws much needed attention to the question of what sort of model is usable for policy simulation and evaluation. The authors argue that policy e…