Ronald Larson

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Price Promotion Evaluation Using Price Discrimination Theory

Journal of Promotion Management, Jan 22, 1997

Page 1. Price Promotion Evaluation Using Price Discrimination Theory Ronald B. Larson ABSTRACT. T... more

Testing Promotions in Different Markets is Essential

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Food Consumption and Seasonality

Journal of food distribution research, Jul 1, 1997

Time-series analyses of food demand often add dummy or harmonic variables to shift intercept term... more Time-series analyses of food demand often add dummy or harmonic variables to shift intercept terms during periods when seasonal effects exist. However, variable coefficients may be influenced by seasonality and the effects may vary by region. In this paper, a cluster analysis of seasonality indices for food products shows that distinct regions exist with similar seasonal patterns. Researchers could use these clusters to test for seasonregion interactions when other information about seasonality is unavailable. the consumer interest in weight loss. The other on consumption patterns, prices, and demand re-brand practiced counter-seasonal promotions. lationships. Waldrop and Mogelonsky (1992, p. Totten concluded that this brand's marketing ef-14) wrote: "The seasons influence not only what forts were more efficient because of less category consumers buy, but how they feel and think dur-promotional clutter and less competition for retail ing different times of the year." Many foods (e.g., participation during the off-season. These examcandy, yogurt, and beer) have distinctive seasonal ples illustrate how important understanding seaconsumption patterns that marketers consider sonal purchase patterns can be for firms. when planning their promotions and production Demand models often include variables to schedules. The timing of a promotion may affect account for seasonality. Because many studies its effectiveness. For example, cycles in tempera-focus on the price and income coefficients, seature, precipitation, and daylight appear to be re-sonal adjustments are not emphasized. Granger lated with TV viewing levels argued that ignoring the causes of sea-1991). Advertisers know that television audiences sonality can lead to poor choices of adjustment shrink in the summer and adjust their advertising methods and incorrect evaluations of their perschedules. Ward (1985, p.9) wrote: "Daily formance. Analysts can enhance the quality of weather changes produce large changes in con-their parameter estimates by studying the factors sumer behavior." In test markets, he had noted that cause the seasonal variations and by improvchanges of 50 percent to 200 percent in daily ing the adjustments in their models. product sales rates. Radio advertising for Camp-Because weather patterns vary by region, bell Soup is increased whenever major storms are region-season interactions may be important. forecast (Waldrop and Mogelonsky, 1992). The Garbacz (1986) tested for regional and seasonal company also ships extra soup to areas included variations in electricity demand using monthly in hurricane watches to meet increased demand household-level data from the four Census re- . gions. Not only did the demand elasticities differ When categories have strong seasonal pat-by region and by month, each region had its own terns, marketers can exploit these sales regulari-unique seasonal pattern. If region-season interacties. Totten (1991) examined two frozen novelty tions are significant for electricity, they may also brands with atypical seasonalities. One, a niche be important for food. Unfortunately, few timeproduct appealing to diet-conscious adults, was series food demand studies have allowed parameaffected by the category's seasonal pattern and by ters to change by season or have reported testing for region-season interactions. If regions have

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Clustering and Balancing Markets with Demographic Data

Journal of Food Products Marketing, Feb 19, 1998

Given the significant investment needed to bring new products to market, food marketers need accu... more Given the significant investment needed to bring new products to market, food marketers need accurate information to assess the risks involved with each potential introduction. By building a market classification based on demographic profiles and using correct clustering methods, this paper gives researchers improved information for balancing their new product experiments, for analyzing promotion responsiveness, and for forecasting sales in

Agricultural Business Management Curricula

Journal of Agribusiness, 1996

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Changes in U.S. Food Consumption Patterns by Region

Journal of food distribution research, Mar 1, 2001

Small volume fruit and vegetable grocers have access problems reaching the commercial distributio... more Small volume fruit and vegetable grocers have access problems reaching the commercial distribution system. Limited quantities, in particular, make it difficult for individual producers to sell to brokers, wholesalers, or directly to many supermarkets. Green grocers can be viable alternative outlets for these growers. Implicit in farmers' pursuit of green grocers is the assumption that there is adequate consumer demand at these retailers. Building upon consumer demand requires an appreciation of store attributes that attract/repel customers. However, little is known about consumer perceptions of green grocers as sources of locally grown fresh produce. In order to fill this void, it is necessary to gather information from food shoppers at these outlets. Preliminary results of a survey of patrons at green grocers across Tennessee during the summer of 2000 were presented. Selection of the sites was based on a census of green grocers operating in the state during the spring of this year. Cooperating markets reflected the distribution of green grocers operating in the state. The survey instrument was designed as a variant of SERVQUAL. 1 Emphasis was given to shopper comparisons of attributes of the ideal green grocer versus those present at the outlet in which the questionnaire was received. Surveys were randomly distributed to people shopping at the various outlets. Postage paid preaddressed envelopes were provided with the questionnaires. A total of 1,118 questionnaires were returned Preliminary results indicate the following Quality was the most important attribute. Customer service was also highly rated. There was extensive agreement among respondents across stores with re-

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Identifying Needs for a Paper and Printing Science Curriculum

A survey on the skill needs for individuals starting careers in the paper industries was sent to ... more A survey on the skill needs for individuals starting careers in the paper industries was sent to people who were familiar with the field. Respondents rated the skill categories of Interpersonal Characteristics, Communication Skills, and Technical Skills as the most important. In the course topics section, five areas received scores that suggested emphasis increases could be helpful. The results helped the faculty examine the current curriculum and identify opportunities for enhancing student skills. This survey could be used as a model for other curricula evaluations, and the results could serve as benchmarks for comparing programs and for tracking changes in needs over time.

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Slide Composition for Electronic Presentations

Journal of Educational Computing Research, Jul 1, 2004

Instructors who use computer-generated graphics in their lectures have many options to consider w... more Instructors who use computer-generated graphics in their lectures have many options to consider when developing their presentations. Experts give different advice on which typefaces, background and letter colors, and background imagery improve communications. This study attempted to resolve these controversies by examining how short-term recall of presented information is affected by the choice of Times Roman or Helvetica typefaces, by the use of positive type (light-colored backgrounds and dark-colored letters) or reverse type (dark-colored backgrounds and light-colored letters), and by the addition of complex background images. One hundred and fifty-eight students viewed presentations on negotiation skills and answered questions about each presentation. Neither typefaces nor type significantly affected short-term recall of presented information. Complex backgrounds in slides tended to reduce short-term recall. If instructors use computer-generated slides that are less visually complex, they can help students recall more from lectures.

Psychological Pricing Principles for Organizations with Market Power

THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, Feb 1, 2014

Variations in the pricing approaches firms employ may partially explain why observed industry pri... more Variations in the pricing approaches firms employ may partially explain why observed industry prices appear inconsistent with economic theory. Some firms may use principles developed from psychology that do not fit traditional economic models to enhance their profits beyond the basic solutions from economic theory. This paper describes more than fifty of these principles, dividing them into four categories: framing, congruency, context, and signaling. By studying these principles from psychology, researchers and policy makers can better understand the prices they observe in the marketplace. By following more of these principles, firms may be able to enhance their performance.

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Pricing Principles from Psychology for Agricultural Organizations with Market Power

A recent review of food retailer pricing found evidence that much of the behavior was inconsisten... more A recent review of food retailer pricing found evidence that much of the behavior was inconsistent with traditional economic models (Li, Sexton & Xia, ARER 2006). These inconsistencies may stem from the theoretical foundation that firms use to guide their pricing. When firms can influence price, they often use pricing principles from psychology, based on buyer behavior instead of utility maximization. These principles have been incorporated into the marketing approach to pricing. A comparison of the economics and marketing approaches toward pricing found important differences and concluded that marketing principles provide: a richer and more empirically based treatment of the pricing issue from the buyer's perspective . . . ' (Skouras, Avlonitis & Indounas, JPBM 2005, p. 362). This paper reviews more than twenty different pricing principles, developed by psychologists and consumer behaviorists, that may appear inconsistent with some traditional economic theories and that cou...

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Using price discrimination theory to plan promotions

Agribusiness, Jul 1, 1997

Serious mistakes can be made by agribusiness marketers if they ignore the potential leakages betw... more Serious mistakes can be made by agribusiness marketers if they ignore the potential leakages between segments when they plan price promotions. The model illustrated in this paper considers leakages along with communication spending and nonparticipation by potential buyers to find the optimal list and discount prices for a promotion.

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Selling Demand-Based Pricing

2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois, 2017

Applied economists have been trying to sell businesses on the value of demand-based pricing for m... more Applied economists have been trying to sell businesses on the value of demand-based pricing for many years. Their arguments favoring demand-based pricing have not been particularly persuasive and cost-based pricing continues to be the dominant price-setting method. This paper suggests four changes that may lead more firms to use demand principles when they set prices. Applied economists should acknowledge the benefits of cost-based pricing, shift their focus from profit-optimization to profit-improvement opportunities, develop principles and methods that better meet firm needs, and add new pricing topics to classroom discussions.

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Addressing the Needs of the Agribusiness "Fringe

2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C., 2013

Students studying "fringe" agribusiness sectors (e.g,, supermarkets, textile manufacturers, paper... more Students studying "fringe" agribusiness sectors (e.g,, supermarkets, textile manufacturers, paper mills, wholesale nurseries etc.) need more business training. Attempts to serve these sectors by broadening courses would probably add some topics and reduce others. The result could be less beneficial for students seeking careers in traditional "core" areas (e.g., agricultural sales, input supply, agricultural finance, cooperatives, and commodity marketing). Because the needs of these "fringe" areas are not uniform, "generic" agribusiness courses may not address all their specific business skill needs. One starting point could be to rotate part of the agribusiness capstone course so three major topics are covered in depth different semesters: supply chain management, human resource management, and regulations, public relations, and crisis management. By Dr. Ronald B. Larson Agribusiness was widely recognized as an important new field during the 1980s when its unique characteristics and needs were described. Sonka (1989) highlighted five ways agribusinesses may be different from other types of firms: 1) the unique cultural, institutional and political aspects, 2) the uncertainty from production, 3) the alternative goals and forms of political intervention, 4) the public sector's contribution toward development of technology, and 5) the variety of competitive structures in the agribusiness sector. demonstrated that agribusinesses have distinctive features and may need specialized educational programs. They defined agribusinesses as food and kindred product manufacturers, apparel and other finished products manufacturers, food stores, apparel and hosiery stores, and eating and drinking places. When they compared the business problems agribusinesses had with those faced by nonagribusinesses, they found significant differences. Therefore, general business courses may focus on issues that agribusinesses do not believe are critical and may not emphasize the types of challenges faced by agribusinesses. To generate topics for the agribusiness curricula, information was gathered from employers and alumni using focus groups (e.g., Bruening and Scanlon 1995) and surveys (e.g.,

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Examining Student Perceptions of Business Majors in the US

The International Journal of Management Education, Nov 1, 2018

Changes in the mix of business majors could result from perception shifts or from changes in the ... more Changes in the mix of business majors could result from perception shifts or from changes in the factors students consider when choosing majors. Two student surveys, distributed six years apart at a large US business school, were analysed to understand student choices. First-and secondyear students were asked about their perceptions of all the business majors available and what major they were most likely to pursue. Models could explain some major choices (e.g., management) better than others (e.g., marketing). Over time, students appeared to place less emphasis on employment prospects and more emphasis on how exciting classes were and how interesting careers will be. Results may explain some changes in the mix of majors, help attract more students to some majors, and improve communications about majors.

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Privacy concerns and actions to reduce privacy risks

International journal of information privacy, security and integrity, 2020

Promoting demand-based pricing

Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 2017

Applied economists have been trying to sell businesses on the value of demand-based pricing for m... more Applied economists have been trying to sell businesses on the value of demand-based pricing for many years. Their arguments promoting demand-based pricing have not been particularly persuasive and cost-based pricing continues to be a dominant price-setting method. This paper suggests four changes that may lead more firms to use demand principles when they set prices. Applied economists should acknowledge the benefits of other price-setting processes, shift their focus from profit-optimization to profit-improvement opportunities (e.g., increasing price so it is closer to the demand function), develop pricing heuristics that better meet firm needs, and add new pricing topics to classroom discussions.

Stability of Regional Food Consumption Patterns

Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, Dec 29, 2005

ABSTRACT Distinct variations in food consumption patterns exist across the U.S. Cluster analyses ... more ABSTRACT Distinct variations in food consumption patterns exist across the U.S. Cluster analyses of food sales for 1975, 1980, and 1985 identified several market groups that were similar to a cluster analysis using 1990 data. Consumers in the far Northwest tended to purchase different products than consumers in the far Southwest. The South appeared to experience the most changes. During this period, Florida consumption patterns became similar to the patterns of some Northeast markets. Other studies confirm many of the geographic patterns. Some foods experienced significant shifts in their regional patterns. Most categories remained reasonably stable for at least five years.

Shopper attitudes about privacy and the likelihood of disabling an RFID tag

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2021

Regionality of food consumption

Agribusiness, May 1, 1998

Understanding food consumption patterns around the United States is important for food marketers ... more Understanding food consumption patterns around the United States is important for food marketers and researchers. A cluster analysis of the food purchases in 126 categories across 54 markets found 11 market groupings that are quite different from those commonly used in demand studies. These new regions were consistent with the findings from some cultural geographers and explained more of the regional variation in food consumption than the standard set of geographic boundaries. Food marketers could use these clusters to balance experiments, identify local marketing opportunities, and segment the US market into geographies with similar food demand patterns.

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Enhancing the recall of presented material

Computers & education, Dec 1, 2009

Many educators distribute either complete or incomplete handouts so students can follow along wit... more Many educators distribute either complete or incomplete handouts so students can follow along with their lectures. This research examines a teaching system that combines computer-generated graphics presentations and detailed outline handouts with blanks added. An experiment found that this system produced significantly higher short-term recall of a presentation when compared with note-taking on lined paper and with no note-taking. Visual design variables, specifically slide typefaces and type, were also manipulated to examine whether they had independent effects on short-term recall or influenced the benefits from note-taking. No significant main effects or interactions were found for the visual aid variables.

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