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"We sold a million copies" - The Role of Advertising Past Sales

Author

Listed:
  • Paulo Klinger Monteiro

    (IMPA)

  • José Luis Moraga-González

    (Tinbergen Institute Rotterdam)

Abstract

We model a two period monopoly market with two-sided quality uncertainty. In first period, seller gathers information about consumers´ tastes upon observing its sales. In second period, seller may or may not deliver the information. If monopolist must commit either to reveal or conceal past-sales before observing them, committing to reveal is the dominant strategy whenever advertising cost is low, buyers are many and their private information is accurate. When seller can postpone advertising decision and gains experience, past-sales revelation occurs partially. In equilibrium, delivery of sales-data occurs to induce some buyers´ herding behaviour. We carry out the analysis for two different informational scenarios.

Suggested Citation

  • Paulo Klinger Monteiro & José Luis Moraga-González, 1999. ""We sold a million copies" - The Role of Advertising Past Sales," CIE Discussion Papers 1999-03, University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics. Centre for Industrial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:kud:kuieci:1999-03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Monteiro, Paulo Klinger & Moraga-González, José Luis, 2003. "We Sold a Million Units -- The Role of Advertising Past-Sales," Revista Brasileira de Economia - RBE, EPGE Brazilian School of Economics and Finance - FGV EPGE (Brazil), vol. 57(2), April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    two-sided quality uncertainty; past-sales advertising; herding behaviour;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L15 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Information and Product Quality
    • M37 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Advertising

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