Advertising Strategies in a Dynamic Oligopoly

Abstract

The author uses a dynamic model of oligopolistic advertising competition, in which competitors are assumed to make a series of single-period advertising decisions with salvage values attached to achieved sales in each period, as the foundation for empirical analysis of the competitive situation involving the three largest ready-to-eat cereal manufacturers, Kellogg, General Mills, and the Post Division of Philip Morris’ General Foods. The primary insight of the author's empirical analysis is that General Mills places a higher future value on achieved sales than do the other competitors in the market.