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An Analysis of Advertising Wars

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  • Hans Haller
  • Subhadip Chakrabarti

Abstract

Comparative advertising by one brand against another showcases its merits versus the demerits of the other. In a two-stage game among finitely many firms, firms decide first how much to advertise against whom. In the second stage, given the advertising configuration, firms compete as Cournot oligopolists. In the symmetric case, equilibrium advertising constitutes a clear welfare loss. Equilibrium advertising levels and advertising expenditures decline with rising advertising costs. Whereas equilibrium levels of advertising decrease in the number of firms, aggregate advertising expenditures increase. We further relate effectiveness of advertising to proximity in product space. With two firms, comparative advertising and quality choice have similar effects. In a three stage game, where firms choose first locations (variety), then advertising levels (quality), and then quantities, we obtain maximum horizontal product differentiation and minimum vertical product differentiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hans Haller & Subhadip Chakrabarti, 2003. "An Analysis of Advertising Wars," Microeconomics 0306005, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpmi:0306005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Billand, Pascal & Bravard, Christophe & Chakrabarti, Subhadip & Sarangi, Sudipta, 2010. "Networks of Collaboration in Multi-market Oligopolies," MPRA Paper 28188, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Pascal Billand & Christophe Bravard & Subhadip Chakrabarti & Sudipta Sarangi, 2014. "A note on networks of collaboration in multi-market oligopolies," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(2), pages 325-335, September.
    3. Antoine Mandel & Xavier Venel, 2017. "Dynamic competition over social networks Dynamic competition over social networks," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-01524453, HAL.
    4. Ahmed, E. & Elettreby, M.F., 2014. "Controls of the complex dynamics of a multi-market Cournot model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 251-254.
    5. Mandel, Antoine & Venel, Xavier, 2020. "Dynamic competition over social networks," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 280(2), pages 597-608.
    6. Nawel Amrouche & Guiomar Martín-Herrán & Georges Zaccour, 2008. "Feedback Stackelberg equilibrium strategies when the private label competes with the national brand," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 164(1), pages 79-95, November.
    7. Subhadip Chakrabarti & Hans Haller, 2011. "An Analysis Of Advertising Wars," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 79(1), pages 100-124, January.
    8. Keisuke Hattori & Keisaku Higashida, 2015. "Who Benefits from Misleading Advertising?," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 82(328), pages 613-643, October.
    9. Alipranti, Maria & Mitrokostas, Evangelos & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 2016. "Non-comparative and comparative advertising in oligopolistic markets," DICE Discussion Papers 231, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    10. Maria Alipranti & Evangelos Mitrokostas & Emmanuel Petrakis, 2013. "Comparative versus Informative Advertising in Oligopolistic Markets," Working Papers 1301, University of Crete, Department of Economics.
    11. Pascal Billand & Christophe Bravard & Subhadip Chakrabarti & Sudipta Sarangi, 2013. "Abram Bergson," Working Papers 1339, Groupe d'Analyse et de Théorie Economique Lyon St-Étienne (GATE Lyon St-Étienne), Université de Lyon.
    12. Antoine Mandel & Xavier Venel, 2017. "Dynamic competition over social networks Dynamic competition over social networks," Post-Print halshs-01524453, HAL.
    13. N. Amrouche & G. Martín-Herrán & G. Zaccour, 2008. "Pricing and Advertising of Private and National Brands in a Dynamic Marketing Channel," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 137(3), pages 465-483, June.
    14. Hans Gersbach & Hans Haller, 2015. "Matching on Bipartite Graphs," CESifo Working Paper Series 5575, CESifo.

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    Keywords

    Advertising; Cournot Oligopoly; Product Differentiation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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