IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ormksc/v44y2025i1p84-101.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Value of Platform Endorsement

Author

Listed:
  • Mimansa Bairathi

    (University College London, London E14 5AA, United Kingdom)

  • Xu Zhang

    (London Business School, London NW1 4SA, United Kingdom)

  • Anja Lambrecht

    (London Business School, London NW1 4SA, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Many digital platforms with large product assortments endorse a select group of items to facilitate user choice. However, although it seems intuitive that such endorsement may increase the sales of endorsed items, little is known about its effect on unendorsed items and on the platform. Using data from a field experiment conducted by an online freelance platform, we examine the effect of exposure to platform endorsement on user search and purchase behavior. We find that exposure to platform endorsement increases user search and purchases not only for endorsed services but also, for unendorsed services. We link the increase in search and purchases to an increase in the perception of the quality of services offered on the platform. We further explore heterogeneity in the effect of platform endorsement and find that the effect of exposure to platform endorsement on purchase is more pronounced for users with a higher propensity to purchase. We discuss implications for platforms, merchants, and regulators.

Suggested Citation

  • Mimansa Bairathi & Xu Zhang & Anja Lambrecht, 2025. "The Value of Platform Endorsement," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 44(1), pages 84-101, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:44:y:2025:i:1:p:84-101
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.2022.0226
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2022.0226
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/mksc.2022.0226?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:44:y:2025:i:1:p:84-101. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.