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Social Network-Based Discriminatory Pricing Strategy

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  • Mengze Shi

Abstract

In this paper we study such pricing practices like MCI's Friends and Family Program that employ price discriminations on the basis of callers' social ties. We characterize a consumer's personal communication network by the number of strong and weak ties that the consumer has. We then derive a consumer's demand for communication service from the structure of the consumer's personal communication network. A monopoly firm's social network-based discriminatory pricing strategy consists of a menu of price plans, each plan targeting at one type of social networks. Our paper provides useful guidelines for the design of optimal social network-based discriminatory pricing strategies. We show that a firm may offer price discounts to communications between "friends and family members" in order to extract a larger profit from communications between callers with weak ties.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengze Shi, 2003. "Social Network-Based Discriminatory Pricing Strategy," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 239-256, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:14:y:2003:i:4:p:239-256
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tolga Akcura & Kemal Altinkemer & Hailiang Chen, 2018. "Noninfluentials and information dissemination in the microblogging community," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 89-106, June.
    2. Panebianco, Fabrizio & Verdier, Thierry & Zenou, Yves, 2016. "Innovation, Pricing and Targeting in Networks," CEPR Discussion Papers 11398, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Bloch, Francis & Quérou, Nicolas, 2013. "Pricing in social networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 243-261.
    4. Ushchev, Philip & Zenou, Yves, 2018. "Price competition in product variety networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 226-247.
    5. Shi, Mengze & Yang, Botao & Chiang, Jeongwen, 2018. "Dyad Calling Behavior: Asymmetric Power and Tie Strength Dynamics," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 63-79.
    6. Jacob Goldenberg & Oded Lowengart & Daniel Shapira, 2009. "Zooming In: Self-Emergence of Movements in New Product Growth," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 274-292, 03-04.
    7. Kopalle, Praveen K. & Lehmann, Donald R., 2015. "The Truth Hurts: How Customers May Lose From Honest Advertising," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 251-262.
    8. Elias Carroni & Paolo Pin & Simone Righi, 2020. "Bring a Friend! Privately or Publicly?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 66(5), pages 2269-2290, May.
    9. Tingting He & Dmitri Kuksov & Chakravarthi Narasimhan, 2017. "Free in-network pricing as an entry-deterrence strategy," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 279-303, September.
    10. Tingting He & Dmitri Kuksov & Chakravarthi Narasimhan, 2012. "Intraconnectivity and Interconnectivity: When Value Creation May Reduce Profits," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(4), pages 587-602, July.
    11. Elias Carroni & Simone Righi, 2015. "Pricing in Social Networks under Limited Information," Working Papers 1503, University of Namur, Department of Economics.
    12. Tolga Akcura & Kemal Altinkemer & Hailiang Chen, 0. "Noninfluentials and information dissemination in the microblogging community," Information Technology and Management, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-18.
    13. Ying‐Ju Chen & Yves Zenou & Junjie Zhou, 2018. "Competitive pricing strategies in social networks," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 49(3), pages 672-705, September.
    14. Ushchev, Philip & Zenou, Yves, 2018. "Price competition in product variety networks," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 226-247.
    15. Jensen, Sissel, 2008. "Two-part tariffs with quality degradation," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 473-489, March.
    16. Yubo Chen & Jinhong Xie, 2008. "Online Consumer Review: Word-of-Mouth as a New Element of Marketing Communication Mix," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 54(3), pages 477-491, March.

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