Archives posted in: Pricing

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Leading with Price Will Kill Your Advertising, Branded Offers, and Ultimately Your Company

By Tim J. Smith, PhD November 6, 2010

Nowhere in marketing today do emotions run hotter than when it comes to the role of (low) prices highlighted in advertising. Only it’s a bad idea to lead with price in advertising.

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Rethinking Cost and Price

By Tim J. Smith, PhD November 6, 2010

Most of us accept that if we go to a convenience store to buy groceries late at night, the price of many of the items will be more than if we bought them at a major grocery chain during regular hours. Yet when it comes to operating our businesses, many of us are not convinced that cost has no bearing on price.

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The Art of Discounting

By Kyle T. Westra October 1, 2010

Activate Dormant Customers Through Strategic Discounting In today’s erratic economy, the key to growing your business involves activating dormant customers by using…

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Groupon: Goldmine, Tar Pit, or Niche Solution

By Tim J. Smith, PhD October 1, 2010

Since its launch in 2008, Groupon has generated a storm interest. Positively featured in numerous news articles, news broadcasts, and even a few academic postings, but not every business working with Groupon reports satisfaction. Some are complaining of high expenses that brought few new customers.

So which is Groupon: goldmine, tar pit, or some niche in between?

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P&G Shifts Pricing Strategy to Meet Post-Recession Market

By Tim J. Smith, PhD September 1, 2010

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Proctor & Gamble Co.’s new CEO, Robert McDonald, is “slashing prices” and warns of an impending price war in the branded consumer packaged good (CPG) industry.  Yet, Mr. McDonald states, “In my mind there’s not a price war going on.”  Is the Wall Street Journal guilty of hyperbole or is Mr. McDonald blithe to the profit destruction of price cuts?

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Price Change from $45 to $200,000,000: The Value of a Brand Part 1.

By Tim J. Smith, PhD August 3, 2010

How much is a brand worth? For Rick Norsigian, a garage sale hunter and public school building painter, it represents the difference between a $45 set of nice glass negative plates and a rare $200 MM find of Ansel Adams’ art.

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Price Change from $3.49 to $2.99: The Value of a Brand Part 2.

By Tim J. Smith, PhD August 3, 2010

How much is a brand worth? For Whole Foods, a premium grocer, it represents the difference between a $3.49 canister of Quaker Oats rolled oats and $2.99 canister of 365 store brand oats.

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Prices and Product Lifecycle – Must All Prices Fall?
An examination of Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple iPad

By Tim J. Smith, PhD July 8, 2010

The classic product lifecycle theory predicts that prices fall as competitors enter. Well, do all prices fall? Similarly, many pundits like to talk about first-mover advantage. Well, does it really exist?

An examination of e-reader market demonstrates some serious flaws in a cursory acceptance of these premises. In this article, we look at the price and product evolution of the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple iPad to demonstrate some finer nuances of the product lifecycle.

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Nordstrom: Price Menu Management Delivers Results

By Tim J. Smith, PhD June 3, 2010

Going into the great recession, many commentators suggested and corporations undertook across the board price cuts. Many, but not all. Nordstrom took a different route. The results of their approach are in: better customer attraction, better profits, better post-recession positioning.

In this article, we will examine some key strategic decisions made by Nordstrom which enabled their counter-trend approach to triumph over the oft quoted “best practices”.

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Business Markets Game Changers
Reenergized Emerging Markets and Renewed Pricing Power

By Tim J. Smith, PhD May 3, 2010

The game in business markets has changed. The opportunity landscape has shifted from the stalwarts of North American and Europe to the onetime turbulent and unstable emerging markets. Furthermore, the pricing power that shrank to the ether is returning to the tangible as markets return to growth.

These are bold claims and require bold reengineering of corporate strategy. Before you the reader consider these to be audacious statements from an ill informed outsider on unimportant and irrelevant industries, let me provide the evidence.

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