IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v12y2022i1p21582440221082132.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Targeting Precision in Imperfect Targeted Advertising: Implications for the Regulation of Market Structure and Efficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Zhao Jiang
  • Dan Wu

Abstract

With the rapid development of e-commerce and related information technologies, consumers’ individual information can be accurately collected and analyzed according to their previous purchase histories or browsing behaviors. Then the targeted advertising can be directly sent to the heterogeneous consumers in the segmented market by the firms. This study aims to explore the possible role of targeting precision on the market structure. This assay set up a game-theoretical model with duopolistic firms. Both firms compete in prices and imperfect targeted advertising. In this setup, the targeting precision is variable. The results indicate that each competitive firm’s equilibrium profit varies with the targeting accuracy of targeted advertising and shows a U-shape variation with precision. Moreover, both firms’ profits reveal monotonic properties, improving targeting precision while using distinct advertising strategies. Then, the model is extended into n different competitive firms to seek the possible market capacity. The results prove that the equilibrium free-entry numbers of firms also exhibit a U-shape variation as a function of targeting precision while sending the imperfect targeted advertising to the consumers. This conclusion implies that the firm conducting imperfect targeted advertising with a moderate targeting precision is beneficial for the most efficient free-entry of new rival competitive firms and shows the most effective efficiency for the whole market.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao Jiang & Dan Wu, 2022. "Targeting Precision in Imperfect Targeted Advertising: Implications for the Regulation of Market Structure and Efficiency," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:1:p:21582440221082132
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440221082132
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440221082132
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440221082132?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bharat Anand & Ron Shachar, 2009. "Targeted advertising as a signal," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 237-266, September.
    2. Qihong Liu & Konstantinos Serfes, 2004. "Quality of Information and Oligopolistic Price Discrimination," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 671-702, December.
    3. Rosa-Branca Esteves, 2014. "Price Discrimination with Private and Imperfect Information," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 116(3), pages 766-796, July.
    4. Yuxin Chen & Ganesh Iyer, 2002. "Research Note Consumer Addressability and Customized Pricing," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 197-208, November.
    5. Hamilton, Stephen F., 2009. "Informative advertising in differentiated oligopoly markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 60-69, January.
    6. Ganesh Iyer & David Soberman & J. Miguel Villas-Boas, 2005. "The Targeting of Advertising," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 461-476, May.
    7. David A. Soberman, 2004. "Research Note: Additional Learning and Implications on the Role of Informative Advertising," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 50(12), pages 1744-1750, December.
    8. Nada Ben Elhadj-Ben Brahim & Rim Lahmandi-Ayed & Didier Laussel, 2014. "Is Targeted Advertising always Beneficial?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Kaddour Hadri & William Mikhail (ed.), Econometric Methods and Their Applications in Finance, Macro and Related Fields, chapter 20, pages 551-585, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    9. Ambarish Chandra, 2009. "Targeted Advertising: The Role Of Subscriber Characteristics In Media Markets," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(1), pages 58-84, March.
    10. Zhao Jiang & Wu Dan & Liu Jie, 2020. "Distinct role of targeting precision of Internet-based targeted advertising in duopolistic e-business firms’ heterogeneous consumers market," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 453-474, June.
    11. Stahl II Dale O., 1994. "Oligopolistic Pricing and Advertising," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 162-177, October.
    12. Justin P. Johnson, 2013. "Targeted advertising and advertising avoidance," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 44(1), pages 128-144, March.
    13. Kostas Bimpikis & Asuman Ozdaglar & Ercan Yildiz, 2016. "Competitive Targeted Advertising Over Networks," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 64(3), pages 705-720, June.
    14. Levent Çelik, 2008. "Strategic Informative Advertising in a Horizontally Differentiated Duopoly," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp359, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    15. Qihong Liu & Konstantinos Serfes, 2005. "Imperfect price discrimination, market structure, and efficiency," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 1191-1203, November.
    16. Dirk Bergemann & Alessandro Bonatti, 2011. "Targeting in advertising markets: implications for offline versus online media," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 42(3), pages 417-443, September.
    17. Chandra, Ambarish & Kaiser, Ulrich, 2010. "Targeted advertising in magazine markets," ZEW Discussion Papers 10-063, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    18. Susan Athey & Joshua S. Gans, 2010. "The Impact of Targeting Technology on Advertising Markets and Media Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 608-613, May.
    19. Gene M. Grossman & Carl Shapiro, 1984. "Informative Advertising with Differentiated Products," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(1), pages 63-81.
    20. Liu, Qihong & Serfes, Konstantinos, 2005. "Imperfect price discrimination in a vertical differentiation model," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(5-6), pages 341-354, June.
    21. Zhang, Jianqiang & He, Xiuli, 2019. "Targeted advertising by asymmetric firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 136-150.
    22. Chen, Yuxin & Zhang, Z. John, 2009. "Dynamic targeted pricing with strategic consumers," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 43-50, January.
    23. Kaifu Zhang & Zsolt Katona, 2012. "Contextual Advertising," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(6), pages 980-994, November.
    24. Andrea Galeotti & Jose Luis Moraga, 2003. "Strategic Targeted Advertising," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 03-035/1, Tinbergen Institute.
    25. Yuxin Chen & Chakravarthi Narasimhan & Z. John Zhang, 2001. "Individual Marketing with Imperfect Targetability," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 23-41, November.
    26. Gerard R. Butters, 1977. "Equilibrium Distributions of Sales and Advertising Prices," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 44(3), pages 465-491.
    27. Esther Gal-Or & Mordechai Gal-Or & Jerrold H. May & William E. Spangler, 2006. "Targeted Advertising Strategies on Television," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(5), pages 713-725, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhao Jiang & Wu Dan & Liu Jie, 2020. "Distinct role of targeting precision of Internet-based targeted advertising in duopolistic e-business firms’ heterogeneous consumers market," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 453-474, June.
    2. Zhang, Jianqiang & He, Xiuli, 2019. "Targeted advertising by asymmetric firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 136-150.
    3. Wang, Wei & Li, Gang & Fung, Richard Y.K. & Cheng, T.C.E., 2019. "Mobile Advertising and Traffic Conversion: The Effects of Front Traffic and Spatial Competition," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 84-101.
    4. Flavio Pino, 2022. "The microeconomics of data – a survey," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 49(3), pages 635-665, September.
    5. Esteves, Rosa-Branca & Resende, Joana, 2019. "Personalized pricing and advertising: Who are the winners?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 239-282.
    6. Esteves, Rosa-Branca & Cerqueira, Sofia, 2017. "Behavior-based pricing under imperfectly informed consumers," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 60-70.
    7. Simon P. Anderson & Bruno Jullien, 2015. "The advertising-financed business model in two-sided media markets," Post-Print hal-02866192, HAL.
    8. Galeotti, Andrea & Moraga-González, José Luis, 2008. "Segmentation, advertising and prices," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 1106-1119, September.
    9. Siemering, Christian, 2023. "A model of endogenous targeting in duopoly," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    10. Rosa-Branca Esteves & Joana Resende, 2016. "Competitive Targeted Advertising with Price Discrimination," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 576-587, July.
    11. Ganesh Iyer & David Soberman & J. Miguel Villas-Boas, 2005. "The Targeting of Advertising," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 461-476, May.
    12. Alessandro Acquisti & Curtis Taylor & Liad Wagman, 2016. "The Economics of Privacy," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 54(2), pages 442-492, June.
    13. Zhang, Jianqiang & Liang, Qi & Huang, Jian, 2016. "Forward advertising: A competitive analysis of new product preannouncement," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 3-12.
    14. Li, Sanxi & Sun, Hailin & Yu, Jun, 2023. "Competitive targeted online advertising," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    15. Peitz, Martin & Reisinger, Markus, 2014. "The Economics of Internet Media," Working Papers 14-23, University of Mannheim, Department of Economics.
    16. Andreas Hefti & Shuo Liu, 2016. "Targeted information and limited attention," ECON - Working Papers 230, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Dec 2019.
    17. Avi Goldfarb, 2014. "What is Different About Online Advertising?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 44(2), pages 115-129, March.
    18. Steven Schmeiser, 2018. "Sharing Audience Data: Strategic Participation in Behavioral Advertising Networks," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 52(3), pages 429-450, May.
    19. Li, Changying & Li, Youping & Zhang, Jianhu, 2023. "Targeted advertising with R&D rivalry," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 24-34.
    20. Nada Ben Elhadj-Ben Brahim & Rim Lahmandi-Ayed & Didier Laussel, 2014. "Is Targeted Advertising always Beneficial?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Kaddour Hadri & William Mikhail (ed.), Econometric Methods and Their Applications in Finance, Macro and Related Fields, chapter 20, pages 551-585, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    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:sae:sagope:v:12:y:2022:i:1:p:21582440221082132. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.