
doi: 10.2307/3087437
We reexamine the role of prices and advertising expenditures as signals of quality. Consumers are either “fastidious” or “indifferent.” Fastidious individuals value high quality more and low quality less than do indifferent individuals. Then a sensible and robust separating equilibrium exists in which both types set their full-information prices. However, the high-quality firm cuts advertising below the full-information level of the low-quality firm, even if the full-information advertising expenditures of the high-quality firm are larger than those of the low-quality firm. Consumers respond favorably to advertising cuts and correctly identify quality. Hence, modest advertising may signal high quality.
product quality; informative advertising; signaling; signal reversal, jel: jel:L15, jel: jel:C72, jel: jel:D82
product quality; informative advertising; signaling; signal reversal, jel: jel:L15, jel: jel:C72, jel: jel:D82
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 36 | |
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| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
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