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Is targeted advertising always beneficial?

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  • Ben Elhadj-Ben Brahim, Nada
  • Lahmandi-Ayed, Rim
  • Laussel, Didier

Abstract

In this paper, we study a simple model in which two horizontally differentiated firms compete in prices and targeted advertising on an initially uninformed market. First, the Nash equilibrium is fully characterized. We prove that when the advertising cost is low, firms target only their “natural markets”, while they cross-advertise when this cost is high. Second, the outcome at equilibrium is compared with random advertising. Surprisingly, we prove that firms' equilibrium profits may be lower with targeted advertising relative to random advertising, while firms are given more options with targeted advertising.

Suggested Citation

  • Ben Elhadj-Ben Brahim, Nada & Lahmandi-Ayed, Rim & Laussel, Didier, 2011. "Is targeted advertising always beneficial?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(6), pages 678-689.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:indorg:v:29:y:2011:i:6:p:678-689
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2011.03.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Jianqiang Zhang & Weijun Zhong & Shue Mei, 2012. "Competitive effects of informative advertising in distribution channels," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 561-584, September.
    2. Roberto Burguet & Vaiva Petrikaitė, 2023. "Targeted advertising and costly consumer search," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 61(2), pages 430-450, April.
    3. Rosa-Branca Esteves & Joana Resende, 2016. "Competitive Targeted Advertising with Price Discrimination," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 576-587, July.
    4. Sridhar Moorthy & Shervin Shahrokhi Tehrani, 2023. "Targeting Advertising Spending and Price on the Hotelling Line," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(6), pages 1057-1079, November.
    5. Anderson, Simon & Baik, Alicia & Larson, Nathan, 2019. "Price Discrimination in the Information Age: Prices, Poaching, and Privacy with Personalized Targeted Discounts," CEPR Discussion Papers 13793, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. 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.
    7. Li, Sanxi & Sun, Hailin & Yu, Jun, 2023. "Competitive targeted online advertising," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    8. Rosa Brana Esteves & Joana Resende, 2017. "Personalized Pricing with Targeted Advertising: Who are the Winners?," NIPE Working Papers 02/2017, NIPE - Universidade do Minho.
    9. Yue Shen & Weijun Zhong & Shue Mei, 2023. "Advertising strategies of competing firms considering consumer privacy concerns," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 2424-2437, June.
    10. Stühmeier, Torben, 2012. "Target Advertising and Market Transparency," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 62021, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. 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.
    12. Hongjuan Song & Yushi Jiang, 2017. "Online Personalized Advertising Avoidance by Chinese Consumers: The Effect of Consumer Good Types," Noble International Journal of Business and Management Research, Noble Academic Publsiher, vol. 1(6), pages 107-117, June.
    13. Roberto Burguet & Vaiva Petrikaite, 2017. "Targeted Advertising and Costly Consumer Search," Working Papers 971, Barcelona School of Economics.
    14. Xiuxian Li & Pengwen Hou & Shuhua Zhang, 2023. "The optimal advertising strategy with differentiated targeted effect consumers," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 324(1), pages 1295-1336, May.
    15. 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.
    16. Andreas Hefti & Shuo Liu, 2020. "Targeted information and limited attention," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 51(2), pages 402-420, June.
    17. Andreas Hefti & Shuo Liu, 2016. "Targeted information and limited attention," ECON - Working Papers 230, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Dec 2019.
    18. 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.
    19. Zhang, Jianqiang & He, Xiuli, 2019. "Targeted advertising by asymmetric firms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 136-150.
    20. Li, Changying & Li, Youping & Zhang, Jianhu, 2023. "Targeted advertising with R&D rivalry," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 24-34.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Targeted and random advertising; Advertising cost; Spatial differentiation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • M37 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Advertising

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