In a market environment with random detection of product quality, a firm can employ umbrella branding as a strategy to convince consumers of the high quality of its products. Alternatively, a firm can rely on external certification of the quality of one or both of its products. We characterize equilibria in which umbrella branding fully or partially substitutes for external certification. We also show that the potential to signal quality is improved if consumers condition their beliefs on the source of information, namely whether information comes from external certification or from random detection.
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Volume (Year): 53 (2009) Issue (Month): 2 (February) Pages: 186-196 Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML
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References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Hendrik Hakenes & Martin Peitz, 2006.
"Umbrella Branding and the Provision of Quality,"
Discussion Papers
132, SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
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Luis M. B. Cabral, 2001.
"Optimal Brand Umbrella Size,"
Working Papers
01-06, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
[Downloadable!]