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Coordination in markets with consumption externalities : the role of advertising and product quality

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  • Tuvana Pastine
  • Ivan Pastine

Abstract

This paper studies advertising in vertically differentiated product markets with positive consumption externalities. In markets with consumption externalities, the value of the product to the consumer depends on the purchasing decisions of other consumers. In such markets, we show that firms will engage in advertising competition in order to convince consumers of their popularity only as long as they produce goods of similar quality. The firm with the lower quality product will have a greater incentive to advertise. If it is not the brand to provide the greater consumption externality it will have very low market share due to its low intrinsic quality. Hence, in equilibrium, the lower quality product will often be more popular. This provides an additional explanation for the empirical observation that in some markets high quality is associated with lower levels of advertising.

Suggested Citation

  • Tuvana Pastine & Ivan Pastine, 2005. "Coordination in markets with consumption externalities : the role of advertising and product quality," Open Access publications 10197/687, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucn:oapubs:10197/687
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    1. Ivan Pastine & Tuvana Pastine, 2002. "Comsumption Externalities, Coordination, and Advertising," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 43(3), pages 919-943, August.
    2. C. Robert Clark & Ignatius J. Horstmann, 2005. "Advertising and Coordination in Markets with Consumption Scale Effects," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 377-401, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Advertising; Consumption externalities; Coordination; Product quality; Product differentiation; Advertising; Quality of products;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • 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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