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Restoring the principle of minimum differentiation in product positioning

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  • RHEE, Byong-Duk
  • DE PALMA, André
  • FORNELL, Claes
  • THISSE, Jacques-François

Abstract

Most research on product positioning supports the idea of differentiation. Product standardization (i.e., minimum differentiation) occurs only under very limiting assumptions. Yet, similar products are often observed in the marketplace. We attempt to restore the case for standardization by using more realistic assumptions than in previous work. We assume that consumers consider not only observable attributes in brand choice, but also attributes that are unobservable by the firms. We find that standardization is an equilibrium when consumers exhibit sufficient heterogeneity along the unobservable attributes under both positioning with exogenously given prices and price competition, We also show that, under insufficient heterogeneity along the unobservable attribute, our results coincide with past research that argues in favor of differentiation.
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  • RHEE, Byong-Duk & DE PALMA, André & FORNELL, Claes & THISSE, Jacques-François, 1992. "Restoring the principle of minimum differentiation in product positioning," LIDAM Reprints CORE 1052, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvrp:1052
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1430-9134.1992.00475.x
    Note: In : Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 3 (1), 475-505, 1992
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    Cited by:

    1. Timothy Sorenson, 1999. "Product Location with Foresight," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 14(3), pages 281-292, May.
    2. Ching‐Chih Tseng & Wen‐Jung Liang & Kuang‐Cheng Andy Wang, 2010. "Spatial agglomeration with vertical differentiation," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 89(4), pages 841-858, November.
    3. Larry M. Manheim & Gloria J. Bazzoli & Min‐Woong Sohn, 1994. "Local Hospital Competition in Large Metropolitan Areas," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 3(1), pages 143-167, March.
    4. Erkal, Nisvan, 2007. "Buyer-supplier interaction, asset specificity, and product choice," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 988-1010, October.
    5. Wen-Jung Liang & Kuang-Cheng Wang & Hong-Ren Din, 2014. "Spatial Competition and Flexible Manufacturing with Spatially Discriminatory Pricing," ERSA conference papers ersa14p234, European Regional Science Association.
    6. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Shimizu, Daisuke, 2005. "Spatial Cournot competition and economic welfare: a note," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 658-670, November.
    7. Noriaki Matsushima & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2003. "Mixed oligopoly and spatial agglomeration," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 36(1), pages 62-87, February.
    8. Mai, Chao-cheng & Peng, Shin-kun, 1999. "Cooperation vs. competition in a spatial model," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 463-472, July.
    9. António Brandão & Joana Pinho, 2015. "Asymmetric Information And Exchange Of Information About Product Differentiation," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(2), pages 166-185, April.
    10. Stefano Colombo, 2013. "Differentiated Bertrand markets: restoring the minimum differentiation principle," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 103-108, July.
    11. Aguirre, Inaki & Paz Espinosa, Maria, 2004. "Product differentiation with consumer arbitrage," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 219-239, February.
    12. Matteo Bassi & Marco Pagnozzi & Salvatore Piccolo, 2015. "Product Differentiation by Competing Vertical Hierarchies," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 904-933, October.
    13. Liang, Wen-Jung & Mai, Chao-Cheng, 2006. "Validity of the principle of minimum differentiation under vertical subcontracting," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 373-384, May.
    14. Wen-Jung Liang & Yen-Ju Lin & Hong Hwang, 2012. "Heterogeneous duopoly, spatially discriminatory pricing, and optimal location," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(3), pages 845-860, December.
    15. Amit Pazgal & David Soberman & Raphael Thomadsen, 2022. "Consumer informedness: A key driver of differentiation," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 356-368, April.
    16. Zsolt Katona, 2015. "Democracy in product design: Consumer participation and differentiation strategies," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 359-394, December.
    17. Zsolt Katona, 2015. "Democracy in product design: Consumer participation and differentiation strategies," Quantitative Marketing and Economics (QME), Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 359-394, December.
    18. Shuaicheng Liu, 2023. "Location choice with asymmetric data in the Hotelling model," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 19(4), pages 855-878, December.
    19. Christou, Charalambos & Vettas, Nikolaos, 2005. "Location choices under quality uncertainty," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 268-278, November.
    20. John R. Hauser & Felix Eggers & Matthew Selove, 2019. "The Strategic Implications of Scale in Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(6), pages 1059-1081, November.
    21. Rhee, Byong-Duk, 2006. "First-mover disadvantages with idiosyncratic consumer tastes along unobservable characteristics," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 99-117, January.

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