1Ganesh Iyer

Pricing Strategies

Session 7

XMBA 206.1

2Ganesh Iyer

Analysis Framework

Market

Customer AnalysisCompetitor Analysis

Company AnalysisMarketing Myopia

Marketing Strategy

Product

Price

Promotion

Place

Marketing Orientation

Perceptual mapping

Segmentation Positioning

First mover advantages

Branding

Pricing processPricing and innovation

3Ganesh Iyer

Economics of PricingTwo Problems with Single Price Strategy

Leave money on the table Some customers are willing to pay more

Pass-up Profit Some potential customers were not served even though the firm could

have served them at prices above the marginal cost

4Ganesh Iyer

Price Customization:Price Discrimination and Self-selection

Iyer’s Carwash Example

Price # of Car washes

3 5000

4 3000

How to Price ? What is the best single price?

Can you increase revenues? If so to what level?

5Ganesh Iyer

Price Discrimination and Self-SelectionConsumer Couponing

Why coupons:

People who are willing to pay more tend to have a higher personal time cost and are therefore less likely to clip coupons

Disadvantage is non-redemption costs » Companies spent approx. $6 B on distributing 257 B coupons of which 3.6 B were

actually redeemed.

Time Cost

Willing to pay

Number of consumers

Revenue

Low

` 3

3

High

4

3

6Ganesh Iyer

Key Principles

Consumers are heterogeneous in their willingness to pay» Charge according to consumer price sensitivity. Make sure that people with

inelastic demand pay more and people with elastic demand pay less.

Key Problem Ensuring self-selection…segmentation fences

» Make sure that prices directed at one segment cannot be taken advantage of by the other.

How should you achieve this? » Identify a “bad” for the high willingness to pay segment and bundle it with the

product to create a product for the low segment» This is where product design and pricing comes together.

Segmentation fences in airline pricing» significant increase in prices < 14 days before departure.

7Ganesh Iyer

Price CustomizationObservable Characteristics

• Based on observable characteristics that signal buyers’ price sensitivity http://www.chessclub.com/ : Students: $29.95/year; Adults: $59.95

AMC theaters can observe the consumer-type using his student ID, seniors» Customer 1 No student ID $6.75» Customer 2 Haas student ID $4.75» Customer 3 Haas student ID $4.75» etc.

Select the segmentation variables that Separate consumers based on observable characteristics into groups with different

sensitivities (e.g., ability to pay (tuition), age (movie)) Are observable and targetable without great expense (e.g., Lotus 1-2-3 $325 for

first time buyer, $99 for upgrades)

8Ganesh Iyer

Price DiscriminationPurchase Location

Consumers at different purchase locations have different price sensitivity Cure for anthrax: $450 in the U.S. $190 in Canada

http://www.canadadrugs.com

Staples website asks for zip code http://www.staples.com/

Select segmentation variables that ensure different segments purchase at different locations high enough shipping cost to prevent arbitrage

9Ganesh Iyer

Customize By Time of Purchase

Peak-load pricing: designed to re-distribute usage from peak time to off-peak time

Redeye flight.

On demand computing.

Electronic road pricing.

10Ganesh Iyer

Electronic Road Pricing

11Ganesh Iyer

Psychology in Pricing Strategy

Jeans: $42…$32; http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?

ID=204004&CategoryID=11221&LinkType=EverGreen

Rolex watch: $10,000 http://www.rolex.com/en/» 9,990» 9,975

Relative price difference matters not the absolute matters

Weber-Fechner law: Relative price difference and not the absolute matters.

» Weber gradually increased the weight that a blindfolded man was holding and asked him to respond when he first felt the increase.

» Response was proportional to a relative increase in the weight. » If the weight is 1 kg, an increase of 10 grams will not be perceived. » If weight is 20 grams, an increase in 10 grams is perceived» Applies to sound, vision etc.

12Ganesh Iyer

Psychology in Pricing StrategyMental Categorization

I will show you two numerical differences. Look at them quickly!

13Ganesh Iyer

Psychology in Pricing

Which difference do you think is greater?

Odd number pricing ($0.99 vs. $1.00). » Why Nike shoes are priced at $79.99, not $80!» Theoretical underpinning: Mental categorization.

Price quality perceptions » Toronto flea markets» http://www.toronto.com/shopping/listing/000-211-237

Pricing and visibility» Mark Laracy: “If you like Opium you will like Ninja”

Pricing and social networks» Pricing Trump towers

14Ganesh Iyer

Prospect Theory (Kahnemann and Tversky)

One additional dollar gives a lesser increase in satisfaction or value than the dissatisfaction caused by a one dollar decrease

Giving or taking a dollar

People feel the pain of losses much more than they feel the happiness of equivalent gains.

15Ganesh Iyer

Prospect TheoryApplications

Unbundle gains: Sports Illustrated, offer additional benefits rather than a discountBundle Losses: Sellers of consumer durables and warranties. Example, a $50 warranty for $700 appliance.

16Ganesh Iyer

Managing CompetitionPrice Matching (Crazy Eddie)

In the New York city stereo wars Crazy Eddie had made his trademark “We cannot be undersold. We will not be undersold. Our prices are the lowest….guaranteed. Our prices are insane.”

His main competitor Newmark & Lewis is no less ambitious. With any purchase you get the store’s “Lifetime low-price guarantee”. It promises to rebate double the difference if you can find a lower price elsewhere. If after your purchase from Newmark you find the same item at a lower price (proof of purchase required), in the marketing area, during the lifetime of your purchase, Newmark will give you a 200% gift certificate refund (100% of the price difference plus an additional 100%).

What would happen to prices when firms compete by offering these guarantees? What could be the reasons why these retailers adopted these policies in the first

place?

Would these price matching guarantees claims increase competition between the two retailers and reduce their profits or would it do the opposite?

17Ganesh Iyer

Key Messages

Developing profitable pricing strategies is a critical and creative exercise.

Pricing is the only element of the marketing mix whose cost is getting it wrong.

Pricing’s impact on profitability is often more significant and more immediate than the impact of other elements of the marketing mix.