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Market Entry, Fighting Brands, and Tacit Collusion: Evidence from the French Mobile Telecommunications Market

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  • Marc Bourreau
  • Yutec Sun
  • Frank Verboven

Abstract

We study a major new entry in the French mobile telecommunications market, followed by the introduction of fighting brands by the three incumbents. Using an empirical oligopoly model, we find that the incumbents' fighting brand strategies are difficult to rationalize as unilateral best responses. Instead, their strategies are consistent with a breakdown of tacit semi-collusion: before entry, the incumbents could successfully coordinate on restricting product variety to avoid cannibalization; after entry, this outcome became harder to sustain because of increased business stealing incentives. Consumers gained considerably from the added variety and, to a lesser extent, from the incumbents' price responses.

Suggested Citation

  • Marc Bourreau & Yutec Sun & Frank Verboven, 2021. "Market Entry, Fighting Brands, and Tacit Collusion: Evidence from the French Mobile Telecommunications Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 111(11), pages 3459-3499, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:aea:aecrev:v:111:y:2021:i:11:p:3459-99
    DOI: 10.1257/aer.20190540
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sanderson, Eleanor & Windmeijer, Frank, 2016. "A weak instrument F-test in linear IV models with multiple endogenous variables," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 190(2), pages 212-221.
    2. Reynaert, Mathias & Verboven, Frank, 2014. "Improving the performance of random coefficients demand models: The role of optimal instruments," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 179(1), pages 83-98.
    3. Douglas Staiger & James H. Stock, 1997. "Instrumental Variables Regression with Weak Instruments," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(3), pages 557-586, May.
    4. Steven T. Berry & Philip A. Haile, 2014. "Identification in Differentiated Products Markets Using Market Level Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 82, pages 1749-1797, September.
    5. Justin P. Johnson & David P. Myatt, 2003. "Multiproduct Quality Competition: Fighting Brands and Product Line Pruning," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 748-774, June.
    6. Chamberlain, Gary, 1987. "Asymptotic efficiency in estimation with conditional moment restrictions," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 305-334, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Shengxing & Vialle, Pierre & Whalley, Jason, 2022. "Is disruption the second time around harder to do? The entry of Iliad into the Italian telecommunications market," 31st European Regional ITS Conference, Gothenburg 2022: Reining in Digital Platforms? Challenging monopolies, promoting competition and developing regulatory regimes 265674, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    2. Simon Martin & Wolfgang Benedikt Schmal, 2021. "Collusive Compensation Schemes Aided by Algorithms," CESifo Working Paper Series 9481, CESifo.
    3. Pál, László & Sándor, Zsolt, 2023. "Comparing procedures for estimating random coefficient logit demand models with a special focus on obtaining global optima," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Marcoux, Mathieu, 2022. "Strategic interactions in mobile network investment with a new entrant and unobserved heterogeneity," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Kandelhardt, Johannes, 2023. "Flexible estimation of random coefficient logit models of differentiated product demand," DICE Discussion Papers 399, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    6. Marc Bourreau & Yutec Sun, 2022. "Competition and Quality: Evidence from the Entry of Mobile Network Service," Working Papers 22-04, NET Institute.
    7. Steinbach, Sandro & Graziano, Marcello & Connolly, Cristina, 2024. "David versus Goliath: The Impact of Corporate Expansion in the Alcohol Retail Industry on Small-Scale Retailers," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343800, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. repec:ags:aaea22:335481 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:ags:aaea22:343858 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L96 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Telecommunications
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing

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