Archives

unsplash default post photo-350px

Sales vs. Pricing and Large Account Management

By Tim J. Smith, PhD January 4, 2012

Prices are too high for our customers. Sales is giving away our product. We have heard these claims. Many times. These arguing points between the professionals who manage customers and those who manage prices have been fought over for aeons. Yet which group is right?
To address the issue of pricing and account management, let us leverage the research by Miller and Heiman into the creation of thought leadership in pricing.

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

The Foundation of Firm Existence

By Curry W. Hilton January 4, 2012

Appreciating Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand” contributions to market coordination based on supply, demand, and price, and understanding his argument of allowing markets to allocate goods and resources based on individual incentives, I pose the question, “How much value is created by managerial competency and organized business entities?”  In other words, why do firms exist?

More

Top 6 – January 2012

By Tim J. Smith, PhD January 4, 2012

To Western Politicians: We elected you to make decisions. Decisions require tradeoffs and compromise. Now do your job. U.S. and European countries…

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

Broadway for 2 at $700? Dynamic Pricing Keeps Expanding

By Tim J. Smith, PhD December 7, 2011

$700 is the price a couple would pay for the best seats to see Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway this month.  With a runaway hit, producers have raised prices several times.  Orchestra seats that were priced at $155 are now priced at $175.  Premium seats that were priced at $250 are now priced in the range of $275 to $350, depending upon demand for specific performances.  Their decision to use dynamic pricing has placed Hugh Jackman’s essentially one-man-show in the top earner position on Broadway with roughly $1.5 million in ticket sales for the week ending November 20th, 2011.

With pricing success like this, one can suspect that more executives may benefit from considering the value of dynamic pricing.

More

Top 6 – December 2011

By Tim J. Smith, PhD December 7, 2011

To Marek Matějka, herec, dobrý muž, i camarad, I will miss our zábavný večer. 2 October 1974 – 25 November 2011 Not…

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

The Merits of Underdog Positioning

By James T. Berger December 7, 2011

For some reason, consumers often find the underdog more attractive than the category leader, according to research done by Harvard Business School Professor Anat Keinan. In this article, we examine some of the drivers that makes underdog marketing successful.

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

Effective Price Segmentation Techniques

By Curry W. Hilton December 7, 2011

In order to fully capture potential profit contributions, a firm must be able to successfully execute price segmentation tactics on a consistent basis. Faced by a dynamic market, firms require regular price maintenance to ensure segmentation hedges remain effective. Efficient price discrimination techniques that involve limited cost to identify market segments and mitigate the existence of a secondary market, truly contribute to a firm’s bottom line. Understanding the theoretical concepts of price discrimination discussed in a standard economics textbook only scratches the surface of the knowledge needed to implement a profit generating pricing strategy. This article will attempt to provide the connection between pricing theory and where the rubber meets the road.

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

Killing the Golden Goose – Part 2

By James T. Berger November 3, 2011

Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix (NFLX) has cemented his position on my Hall of Shame. Whether hubris (outrageous arrogance) or stupidity, Netflix has taken an ill-advised price increase and transformed it into a runaway train that threatens to jeopardize the company. The story began when Reed Hastings and his management team, after doing apparently no market research, decided to raise their prices by approximately 60 percent. This action was taken amidst a continuous stream of record earnings, customer loyalty and a growing customer base.

More
unsplash default post photo-350px

The Coming Convergence of Alternative Payments and Digital Marketing Strategy

By David Dalka November 3, 2011

During October, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the BAI Retail Delivery Summit 2011 and the 3rd Mobile Contactless Payment Innovations Summit. These shows discussed various aspects of banking and payment convergence with digital mobile devices. The majority of the presenters focused on the technology and near field communications issues. But there were a few speakers who had different perspectives.

More

Top 6 – November 2011

By Tim J. Smith, PhD November 3, 2011

“The only profit center is the customer” Peter Drucker Corporations are psychopaths? Pricing errors, specifically price communication errors, are deadly for career…

More