The aim of this Paper is to demonstrate that advertising can have an important function in markets with consumption externalities, apart from its persuasive and informative roles. We show that advertising may function as a device to coordinate consumer expectations of the purchasing decisions of other consumers in markets with consumption externalities. The implications of advertising as a coordinating device are examined in the pricing and advertising decisions of firms interacting strategically. While, at times, the one period advertising expense can exceed the one period monopoly profit, in equilibrium consumers will pay a premium for the more heavily advertised brand.
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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number
2867.
Find related papers by JEL classification: D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
Kyle Bagwell & Garey Ramey, 1990.
"Advertising and Coordination,"
Discussion Papers
903, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
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