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What archetypes emerge from prominent episodes of product launches? This essay examines a set of episodes in information technology history that led to significant changes in industry leadership. It highlights that, in all of these instances, there is an example of a "visionary" archetype—an individual or a set of leaders who promulgate a unique view for addressing a business opportunity, which they use as they launch a new product. These archetypes are couched as insiders or outsiders depending on the firm's status before the new product launch, and incumbent market leaders are insiders. The narrative arc is similar, as the visionary first encounters resistance and crises, must overcome challenges, and usually has to overcome skeptics via a product launch that gains market acceptance. However, the narratives of insiders and outsiders differ systematically based on their market position, leading to asymmetric approaches to market competition. This review stresses the importance of visionaries in industrial change brought about by product entry. It raises questions about integrating such narratives into the analysis of significant changes in market structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line Extensions are among the most common form of product launch in packaged goods markets. As part of this process, brand managers must decide the visual design of the new variant's packaging. To inform this decision making, this research aims to empirically quantify the efficacy of using colors versus images as signals of product variety on pack. We compare the use of color on 576 packs with perceptions of 1,853 category buyers across three categories in the USA. We find that for 84% of variant types, marketers use common colors to signal variety on pack, while consumers perceive that only 56% of variant types are represented by a particular color. Of greater concern, the colors used in practice and those expected by consumers align in only 16% of cases. By comparison, images are linked to variant types to a significantly greater extent (39% of cases). This suggests images are a stronger and more explicit signal of product variety than color. There are multiple implications arising from this study. It expands scholarly research on the use of colors in product extensions and, at the same time, provides a series of valuable benchmarks for industry practice in the portfolio management domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Summary: Platforms create value by connecting users to complementors offering goods or services. Complementors compete on platforms but may also benefit each other by drawing demand to the platform, which may then "spillover" from one complementor to another. This tension raises the question: When are relationships between complementors competitive versus complementary? To help address this question, I apply theory on agglomeration‐driven demand spillovers to examine when on‐platform demand spillovers created by peer product launch are larger versus smaller. Studying the Spotify platform, I find spillovers are larger, and peer album release more beneficial to an artist, when the peer stimulates greater demand expansion, platform‐mediated inter‐complementor proximity is higher, and the artist benefits more from consumer learning. Findings extend literature on on‐platform competition and inform complementor strategy. Managerial Summary: On digital platforms, complementor product launch may hurt peer performance by causing substitution or may benefit peer performance by drawing demand to the platform which may then "spillover" from the complementor to a peer. Studying the Spotify platform, I examine when such spillovers are larger versus smaller, shedding light on when peer product launch is beneficial versus detrimental for complementors competing on digital platforms. On Spotify, demand spillovers are larger, and peer album release more beneficial to an artist, when peer album release draws listeners to the platform, Spotify recommendations connect the artist to the peer, and the artist reaches new or unfamiliar listeners. The findings suggest that, on platforms featuring demand spillovers, complementors can take strategic actions to leverage spillovers and improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise of peer‐to‐peer (P2P) sharing, exemplified recently by increased car‐sharing and clothing‐sharing, has altered our consumption style. One can consume goods without owning them. In fact, the ownership of goods can be monetized through P2P rental markets. These changes are regarded as influencing various strategies of manufacturers of goods being shared. Specifically, this paper examines aspects of product variety and design. A stylized model is examined in which a manufacturing firm makes a product variety decision of whether to launch a niche product line in addition to an existing mass product line. Consumers are of two types, including average consumers, who value the niche product less than the mass product, and snob consumers, who evaluate the niche product highly. Results demonstrate that the existence of P2P sharing makes consumers' ownership decisions immaterial, which alleviates difficulties of cannibalization between mass and niche product lines and which therefore encourages firms to widen their product variety. Moreover, to address issues of product design, the model is extended to allow the firm to choose the degree of niche‐serving of the second product line endogenously. Results show that P2P sharing deters a firm from designing a niche for the second product line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food diversity is a challenging issue for sustainable agrifood systems. Diets are increasingly dependent on branded packaged foods. Therefore, the crop diversity offered in the food market through these products is of particular importance. We scrutinize this diversity for some crops under great societal challenge: pulses. Based on the product launches referenced in the Mintel database over the last decade, we compare the food products containing pulse crops with those containing another legume—soy. From the 350,000 products analyzed, our results show that soy is mainly used but reveal some progress in the use of pulse species, particularly in Europe. The position of the examined species in the list of ingredients and in the product description allows us to assess its importance. The text-mining methods used usefully enable the monitoring of crop usage in the food market. We discuss several perspectives, notably how to deepen these results regarding consumer choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the e-commerce landscape diversifies, suppliers are faced with the critical decision of how to effectively launch their products through e-commerce channels with varying business models. This study aims to explore the strategic considerations for a supplier launching products through two distinct e-commerce channels: one based on a direct sale model and the other on a reselling model. It builds a theoretical model to examine the supplier's decision-making across three strategic options: a simultaneous launch through both channels, a sequential launch starting with the direct sale model followed by the reselling model, and vice versa. The equilibria of those options are derived through game analysis and further compared. The results reveal that for suppliers under a non-alliance pricing contract, a simultaneous product launch across both channels is the most advantageous approach. Conversely, in scenarios where an alliance pricing contract is in place, the optimal strategy shifts towards a sequential launch. The decision of which channel to ally with—whether the direct sale or the reselling model—hinges critically on the difference in service efficiency and the intensity of competition between the channels. This nuanced analysis highlights the importance of strategic flexibility and alignment with channel dynamics in maximizing product launch success in the evolving e-commerce environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, significant advancements have been made in the scalable production and commercialization of microbially‐produced recombinant protein polymers. This perspective presents the evolution from early research efforts to the development of market‐ready products, with a focus on recombinant silk‐like proteins. Initial attempts to synthesize spider silk proteins in microbial hosts faced challenges with solubility, stability, and yield. Recent advancements in synthetic biology, protein engineering, and bioprocess development have enabled the substantial progress on these challenges. Early commercial efforts highlight the complexities and high costs involved in silk production and more recent strategies have shifted toward processes with better scalability, techno‐economics, and product properties. Significant commercial progress has been made, with products launched in textiles and personal care. Although market penetration is limited so far, substantial groundwork is laid for future success. Key challenges remain, such as continued high production costs and the need for cost‐effective purification and fiber spinning techniques. However, the convergence of scientific, technological, and market developments –including a growing number of product launches – suggests that recombinant silk and protein polymers can soon become widespread sustainable materials across various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faster regulatory approval processes often fail to achieve faster patient access. We seek an approach, using performance-based risk-sharing arrangements, to address uncertainty for payers regarding the relative effectiveness and value for money of products launched through accelerated approval schemes. One important reason for risk sharing is to resolve differences of opinion between innovators and payers about a technology's underlying value. To date, there has been no formal attempt to set out the circumstances in which risk sharing can address these differences. We use a value of information framework to understand what a performance-based risk-sharing arrangements can, in principle, add to a reimbursement scheme, separating payer perspectives on cost-effectiveness and the value of research from those of the innovator. We find 16 scenarios, developing 5 rules to analyze these 16 scenarios, identifying cases in which risk sharing adds value for both parties. We find that risk sharing provides an improved solution in 9 out of 16 combinations of payer and innovator expectations about treatment outcome and the value of further research. Among our assumptions, who pays for research and scheme administration costs are key. Steps should be undertaken to make risk sharing more practical, ensuring that payers consider it an option. This requires additional costs to the health system falling on the innovator in an efficient way that aligns incentives for product development for global markets. Health systems benefits are earlier patient access to cost-effective treatments and payers with higher confidence of not wasting money. Innovators get greater returns while conducting research. • Accelerated regulatory approvals often fail to provide early access because of uncertainty about value. Performance-based risk-sharing arrangements (PBRSAs) have been used in some circumstances to achieve access, but many payers and innovators are resistant to using them. Value of Information approaches allow analysis of when risk sharing may help provide early access but, to date, have not addressed PBRSA use to resolve differences of opinion between innovators and payers about a technology's value. • We use a Value of Information framework to understand what a PBRSA can add to a reimbursement scheme, separating payer perspectives on cost-effectiveness and on the value of research from those of the innovator. We find 16 scenarios, developing 5 rules to analyze these 16 scenarios, identifying situations in which risk sharing adds value for both parties. We show that PBRSAs can address differences of opinion between payers and innovators about underlying value in 9 out of 16 scenarios. • Incentives should be aligned to make PBRSA choices efficient. Key requirements are that (1) innovators pay for both evidence generation costs and for the administration of PBRSAs, (2) prices could go up or down after evidence collection, and (3) innovators face penalties if they do not undertake and complete agreed research. Health systems benefits are earlier patient access to cost-effective treatments and payers having higher confidence of not wasting money. Innovators get greater returns while conducting research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourist-dedicated train is a tourism product launched by railway transportation enterprises that combines transportation with tourism. The preparation of tourist-dedicated train line plan is an important part of tourist-dedicated train operation. The optimization of the tourism train line plan is based on its characteristics that are different from other passenger trains. Based on the analysis of the demand for the line plan of the tourist-dedicated train, this paper constructs the optimization model of the line plan with the goal of maximizing the income of the line plan and the constraints of transportation capacity, passenger flow and supply factors, and designs the corresponding genetic algorithm. The model is verified by an example. The verification results show that the optimal selection model and algorithm can better reflect the characteristics of the tourist-dedicated train line plan. The optimization results show that the reasonable matching of transportation supply and demand can provide decision support for the optimization of the tourist-dedicated train line plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In competitive scenarios, we analyze the optimal pricing, launch timing, and influencing factors of new products by establishing three differential game models. The findings indicate that (1) the depreciation rate of old products directly impacts the pricing strategies of advantaged and disadvantaged enterprises. Enterprises with competitive advantages tend to set higher prices for new products when old products depreciate faster, while those with fewer advantages adjust their pricing strategies by initially increasing prices for the latest prices and eventually reducing them. (2) The rate of old‐product depreciation also affects the timing of new‐product launches. Advantaged enterprises tend to delay their product launches when the impact of the new product on the old ones is significant, while disadvantaged enterprises opt for earlier launches under similar circumstances. (3) The technological level of the new product influences the timing of its launch for both advantaged and disadvantaged enterprises. Higher technological levels prompt advantaged enterprises to launch earlier and disadvantaged enterprises tend to follow suit. (4) High levels of innovation in new products by advantaged enterprises prompt earlier launches by disadvantaged enterprises. These results may offer valuable insights for enterprises in formulating effective product rollover strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple Inc. switched its product launch from onsite events to pre-recorded online broadcasts. Yet this form has been carried on even though the pandemic has faded. It is unclear if this shift was accompanied by a move in language complexity and how the communication effect was influenced. This study analysed Apple's product launch events from 2016 to 2022 using quantitative linguistics metrics such as lexical complexity, word token length, entropy, readability, and sentence length distribution. The analysis adopted the reach-effect-durability framework for interpreting the effects of strategic communication. The results showed that Apple's online product launch events featured richer and longer words, increased text difficulty, and a decrease in the proportion of short sentences. Such changes happened in a balanced manner that can be interpreted in view of the driving and restraining forces resulting from the mode shift of the launch event. This study demonstrates the feasibility of assessing efforts and strategies used in a communication campaign through quantitative text analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequently releasing a new product generation has become a common practice to sustain sales over time, thus accurately forecasting the sales trajectory of each product generation plays a vital role in the short-, medium-, and long-term planning of a firm. Classic multigeneration diffusion models do not incorporate within-generation repeat purchases, making them unusable for product lines with high rates of such purchases. Concentrating on technology products, we develop a multigeneration sales model to fill this void. We demonstrate that the new model can be used for predictive and prescriptive analytics. Our empirical results show that the new model estimates and forecasts sales more accurately than a state-of-the-art benchmark model that does not account for within-generation repeat purchases, underscoring the importance of incorporating repeat purchases. Furthermore, we use two different versions of our model to examine market entry timing under two main strategies, that is, (i) a phase-out transition strategy in which firms continue to sell the old generation after the release of the new generation, and (ii) a total transition strategy in which firms discontinue the old generation after the introduction of the new generation. Our results indicate that the repeat purchases rate determines whether it is optimal to expedite or delay the new product launch, underscoring the importance of incorporating repeat purchases in market entry strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) farm-to-fork strategy aims to empower consumers to make sustainable food choices, among others, through harmonizing voluntary green claims and labels and potentially introducing a common sustainable claims and labels framework for food products. The literature on the current use of sustainability claims and labels (SCLs) in the EU market is scarce. This paper analyzes the trend developments of SCLs in product launches by food companies across different product groups and countries. The analyses are based on Mintel Global New Product Database on newly introduced products with SCLs, covering 24 food product categories and 19 European countries over the 2005-2021 period. The results show that, on aggregate, across all covered countries and products, the share of product launches with SCLs increased by 2.83% annually from 2005 to 2021. This trend varies greatly among countries, product categories and SCL types. Further, the results show that products covering environmental only SCLs make the highest contribution to the overall sustainability trend (68.2%), followed by products with a combination of both environmental and social SCLs (27.5%), whereas only social SCLs have a minor representation (4.2%). [EconLit Citations: Q18, Q01]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Exacta is the property of Exacta - Engenharia de Producao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

New product supply chain planning is challenging, primarily due to the lack of historical demand data. Rarely, however, do the academic literature or companies differentiate the demand forecasting process for new products from existing ones, despite their increased reliance on judgmental estimates. This research focuses on how judgmental errors lead to an under‐estimation of the difference between the highest‐ and lowest‐demand stock‐keeping units (SKUs), and consequently negatively impact supply chain planning for new product family introductions. A generalized empirical model and accompanying discrete event simulation are developed and applied to data from a major consumer packaged goods (CPG) firm during the launch of a new cosmetics product family. This application allows us to identify a focal type of judgmental error (identified as the SKU‐level spread bias) inherent to new product forecasting and to provide a new theoretical understanding of how this type of bias harms supply chain performance. Via an empirically driven theory‐building approach that iterates between the simulation outcomes and existing literature, SKU‐level spread bias is demonstrated to harm demand forecasts and, thereby, supply chain plans. Our unique theory‐building approach advances theory by identifying planner SKU‐level spread bias as a new source of bias that firms should seek to mitigate when introducing new product families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges and strategies in demand forecasting for new product launches. Topics include the complexity of identifying key drivers of demand, the difficulties in estimating the numerical impact of each driver, and the limitations of artificial intelligence in real-world applications for demand forecasting.

Purpose: Downward line extension is a valuable growth strategy that enables multiple products and services to meet diverse customer needs. However, downward extended products launched by high-status brands may be challenged by horizontal extended products launched by relatively low-status brands when these two types of products target similar consumers. This study aims to examine the impact of product type (horizontal extended versus downward extended) on consumers' purchase intentions, the underlying mechanism and the moderating role of power distance belief. Design/methodology/approach: Four scenario-based experiments were conducted to probe the research questions. Findings: Consumers develop lower purchase intentions for downward (versus horizontal) extended products due to the reduction of perceived fit and self-congruity (Study 1). Beyond that, power distance belief moderates the impact of product type on consumers' purchase intentions, as a low power distance belief reduces the negative effect of downward line extension (Studies 2a, 2b and 2c). Perceived fit and self-congruity mediate the interaction effect between product type and power distance belief on consumers' purchase intentions (Study 2c). Practical implications: This study provides marketing practitioners with guidance on implementing the strategy of downward line extension. Originality/value: This study serves as a preliminary effort to compare consumers' responses between downward and horizontal extended products, which deepens the understanding of downward line extension. It also contributes to the body of knowledge about line extension and power distance belief by demonstrating the moderating role of power distance belief in a line extension context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do new products launched during a recession perform better? Does the severity of the recession matter? Are products more successful when launched earlier or later in a recession? These are all questions of managerial importance that as yet remain unanswered in the extant marketing literature. The authors analyze two datasets: 1) 8,981 product launches in 20 United Kingdom fast-moving consumer goods categories over 18 years and 2) 1,071 product launches in the United States automotive market over 63 years. The results reveal products launched (a) during a recession and (b) later rather than earlier in the recession survive longer, while more severe recessions are associated with shorter survival. The same findings emerge for the dependent variables of sales and market share. This paper thus enriches marketing theory on recessions by conceptualizing and quantifying timing effects on new product launch success. For managers, the results demonstrate the benefits of countercyclical launching of new products during recessions and of marketing proactively in such economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical technology is advancing rapidly, but established methods for health technology assessment are struggling to keep up. This challenge is particularly stark for the assessment of advanced therapy medicinal products—therapies often launched on the basis of single-arm studies powered to a surrogate primary endpoint. The most robust surrogacy methods investigate trial-level correlations between the treatment effect on the surrogate and the outcome of ultimate interest. However, these methods are often impossible with the evidence usually available for advanced therapy medicinal products at the time of the launch (randomized controlled trials are necessary for these advanced methods). Additionally, these surrogacy relationships are usually considered to be technology specific, adding uncertainty for any approach that primarily relies on historic data to estimate the surrogacy relationship for novel interventions such as advanced therapy medicinal products. The literature has already highlighted the need for early dialogue, staged assessment processes, and pricing arrangements that responsibly share the risk between the manufacturer and payer. However, it is our view that in addition to these critical developments, the modeling methods employed could also improve. Currently, health technology assessment practitioners typically either ignore the surrogate and simply extrapolate the endpoint of greatest patient relevance irrespective of the degree of maturity or assume historic surrogate relationships apply to the novel technology. In this opinion piece, we outline an additional avenue. By drawing on the understanding of the mechanism of action and insights generated earlier in the evidence generation/assessment continuum, cost-effectiveness modelers can make better use of the wider data available. These efforts are expected to reduce uncertainty at the time of the initial launch of pharmaceutical products and increase the value of subsequent data collection efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has generally shown that increased export experience is positively correlated with the subsequent survival of newly launched export flows by a firm. In this paper, we find that there are important differences in the relationship between firm experience and export survival depending on the source of the experience. Specifically, experience built up by a firm from previously exporting a particular product before launching it in a new market is positively associated with the survival of a new product-market flow. In contrast, experience within a market prior to adding a new product has a mainly negative correlation with the survival probability of the new product-market export flow. This shows that taking a successful product to new markets is more likely to succeed than expanding product range within a market. We further find evidence suggestive of firms bringing their most established products to a wider range of markets while launching new product lines in their more established markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the impact of a competing firm's substantial expansion in product variety, achieved through modularity and delayed differentiation, on the sales and inventory of the focal firm in the market. Intuitively, the firm's sales are expected to decrease when a competitor increases its product variety, as existing consumers are drawn to the greater range of competing products, resulting in a substitution effect. However, we also emphasize a simultaneous spillover effect, where the dramatic increase in a competitor's product variety can expand the overall market for all firms (including the focal firm) by attracting new consumers to the market. The net impact thus depends on the tradeoff between the substitution effect and spillover effect, forming an empirical question. To explore this tradeoff and quantify the net impact of a competitor's substantial increase in product variety on the focal firm's sales and inventory, we exploit the launch of Coca-Cola's Freestyle dispenser that offers over 120 beverage products via modularity and delayed differentiation. Our analysis focuses on the treatment effects of the launch of Freestyle on changes in the focal firm's sales quantity, sales dispersion, and inventory levels. Contrary to common intuition, we find that the focal firm's total sales remain unchanged following the launch of Freestyle dispensers, but its sales dispersion increases by 2.2%, which in turn leads to a 1.0% increase in inventory levels at distribution centers. The unchanged total sales and increased sales dispersion imply a redistribution of sales among the focal firm's stock keeping units (SKUs). By analyzing data at the SKU level and the business customer level, we uncover the mechanism behind this sales re-allocation: a 1.9% increase in the sales of the focal firm's long-tail products at the expense of its star product sales. Meanwhile, we identify a 0.9% increase in sales to retailers and entertainment locations, while sales to restaurants decline. These empirical results help disentangle the substitution and spillover effects on the focal firm's sales resulting from its competitor's substantially increased product variety. Managerial implications derived from these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Marketing (0354-3471) is the property of SEMA - Srpsko udruzenje za Marketing i Ekonomski fakultet Beograd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study quantifies the causal effects of viral banter on social media among rivals in the context of a new product launch by a focal brand. Such banter might not only increase user engagement but also have a substantial sales impact on the brands involved. The analysis shows that the viral banter caused a 426% jump in online searches and led to a 54% increase in offline sales for the focal brand. Although the rival brands also benefited from increased user engagement, they did not experience a significant change in online search and offline sales. Beyond the initial success, focal brand sales sustained long-term growth (30%). These findings imply that brands should exercise caution before disparaging their competitors on social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Endeavoring to expand their global market presence, firms often launch products into emerging markets where managers face the daunting task of deploying products by managing available, and often limited, supply chain resources. Yet, literature has not empirically examined managerial resource orchestration in this context. Accordingly, by embedding resource orchestration theory (ROT) into the emerging market context, the authors offer middle-range theorizing on supply chain resource orchestration (SCRO) and empirically test how acquiring, bundling and leveraging activities impact new product launch performance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors test the model by analyzing empirical data from 175 individual product launches into emerging markets using a survey methodology. Findings: The authors' results suggest that SCRO holds the promise of being a viable middle-range theory in the supply chain field, especially where managers face limited resources and must "work with what they have to do what they can." Research limitations/implications: The authors' study also has some limitations. First, because a panel data service company was used to collect the data, the authors were not provided with any information regarding the respondents' company names or other identifying data. Second, because the authors did not directly interact with the respondents nor were the authors able to contact multiple individuals from their respective organizations, the study was limited to a single-respondent design. However, to counter issues associated with single-response bias, the central constructs in the study referenced phenomena related to a specific product launch project as opposed to constructs at the firm or inter-firm relational level. Practical implications: The authors' results reveal that SCRO activities can enhance the performance of new product launches, even in resource-starved emerging market contexts. Originality/value: The results validate measures for several of the SCRO processes (i.e. supply chain resource acquisition, supply chain resource bundling and supply chain leveraging) and provide evidence that supply chain resource bundling and supply chain leveraging mediate the relationship between supply chain resource acquisition and product launch performance. Further, soft logistics infrastructure is found to be an important boundary condition for these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of market entry is important for companies to achieve commercial success. The relationship between good market entry timing and the emergence of a dominant design was discussed. However, the dominant design was assumed to be known only in retrospect. In this study, targeting the projector industry, we demonstrate that the timing of the emergence of the dominant design can be forecast in advance by deriving the time relationship between product launch and patent application. The emergence of dominant designs and the timing of their emergence were identified based on the analysis of product trends in the market. The timing of the patent application that the dominant design will emerge was forecast based on the analysis of technology trends using patent information. The cycle type of the projector industry was considered, and the time lag between patent application and product launch was inferred. This study provides a useful insight into the dominant design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I study how much consumers benefit from new products in markets with information frictions. I analyze new products in the U.S. hard drive market, which is characterized by ample product innovation. Using unique click-stream data, I measure the magnitude of two frictions, category consideration and costly search, and show that both play a crucial role in shaping consumer demand. To estimate consumer surplus from new products, I develop a search model that captures both frictions and propose a novel Bayesian estimation method to recover its parameters. I then show that ignoring information frictions leads researchers to underestimate the consumer surplus from new hard drives because it appears that consumers do not value the combinations of attributes these hard drives offer. Partly eliminating frictions, through marketing efforts or market-wide transparency initiatives, can help consumers to more fully internalize the benefits of new product launches. This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4729. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of tide gauges providing coastal sea level data has significantly increased in recent decades. They help in the issue of coastal hazard warnings, in the forecasting (indirectly through models) of storm surges and tsunamis, and in operational oceanography applications. These data are automatically quality controlled in near-real time in the Copernicus Marine Service. A new initiative seeks to provide delayed-mode reprocessed data for the Copernicus Marine Service by developing a new product and upgrading the software used in its automated quality control. Several new modules, such as buddy checking or the detection of attenuated data, are implemented. The new product was launched in November of 2022. The entire reprocessing is discussed in detail. An example of the information that can be extracted from the delayed-mode reprocessed product is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Marketing Science" features a diverse group of authors with expertise in various areas of marketing and economics. The authors come from prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Duke University, and Imperial College Business School. Their research covers topics like consumer behavior, digital marketing strategies, online advertising, and product pricing, contributing valuable insights to the field of marketing. [Extracted from the article]

"Freemium," whereby a basic service level is provided free of charge but consumers are charged for more advanced features, has become a popular business model for firms selling digital goods. However, it is not clear whether the launch of a free version helps or hurts the demand of an existing paid version. The free version may allow consumers to sample the product before making a purchase decision and subsequently increase demand of the paid version, but it may also cannibalize demand of the paid version. We use a comprehensive data set on game apps from Apple's App Store that tracks the launch of both the paid and the free versions of individual apps on a daily level to identify whether a freemium strategy stimulates or hurts demand of an existing paid version. We estimate the spillover effects between the free version and the paid version of the same app under a difference-in-difference framework, relying on the fact that app developers cannot predict the exact launch date of the free version of the app due to Apple's review and approval of apps prior to release and accounting for app-level product heterogeneity. We find that the launch of a free version increases demand of the paid version of the same app. Under the main specification, if the daily number of ratings before the free version's launch is at the mean, then all else equal, the launch of the free version leads to an 8.9% increase in the daily number of ratings. We then describe multiple robustness checks. Finally, we present evidence that the results are driven by consumers sampling the free version as well as enhanced app discovery and explore the relative importance of the two mechanisms. This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4619. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like manufacturing, B2C services requires robust demand planning but is rarely featured in the demand planning literature. The services sector faces its own challenges when forecasting and planning demand, particularly when it comes to new product launches and operating at scale. I intend for this article to highlight the unique challenges faced in services businesses revealing a case study of a new product roll out at a Dutch telecom provider, featuring common problems encountered in B2C planning. I discuss how existential problems were overcome by mapping the existing supply chain, executing supply chain redesign, simulating different demand scenarios, understanding constrained and unconstrained demand, and incorporating S&OP. Further, I highlight the differences between planning in manufacturing and services environments, and key principles for services planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Decision-makers need to resolve constraints on delivering cell and gene therapies to patients as these treatments move into routine care. This study aimed to investigate if, and how, constraints that affect the expected cost and health consequences of cell and gene therapies have been included in published examples of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs). Method: A systematic review identified CEAs of cell and gene therapies. Studies were identified from previous systematic reviews and by searching Medline and Embase until 21 January 2022. Constraints described qualitatively were categorised by theme and summarised by a narrative synthesis. Constraints evaluated in quantitative scenario analyses were appraised by whether they changed the decision to recommend treatment. Results: Thirty-two CEAs of cell (n = 20) and gene therapies (n = 12) were included. Twenty-one studies described constraints qualitatively (70% cell therapy CEAs; 58% gene therapy CEAs). Qualitative constraints were categorised by four themes: single payment models; long-term affordability; delivery by providers; manufacturing capability. Thirteen studies assessed constraints quantitatively (60% cell therapy CEAs; 8% gene therapy CEAs). Two types of constraint were assessed quantitatively across four jurisdictions (USA, Canada, Singapore, The Netherlands): alternatives to single payment models (n = 9 scenario analyses); improving manufacturing (n = 12 scenario analyses). The impact on decision-making was determined by whether the estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios crossed a relevant cost-effectiveness threshold for each jurisdiction (outcome-based payment models: n = 25 threshold comparisons made, 28% decisions changed; improving manufacturing: n = 24 threshold comparisons made, 4% decisions changed). Conclusion: The net health impact of constraints is vital evidence to help decision-makers scale up the delivery of cell and gene therapies as patient volume increases and more advanced therapy medicinal products are launched. CEAs will be essential to quantify how constraints affect the cost-effectiveness of care, prioritise constraints to be resolved, and establish the value of strategies to implement cell and gene therapies by accounting for their health opportunity cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As the start of a new product development (NPD) process, the front fuzzy end (FFE) is believed to determine new product performance to a large extent. However, its effects on new product performance, particularly in terms of quality and cost, lack empirical evidence in the extant literature. Moreover, the joint performance effects of the FFE and cross-functional interfaces in later NPD stages (i.e. product development and product launch) are largely overlooked and deserve further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to explore the direct effects of the FFE and later stages' joint moderating effects on new product performance (i.e. quality and cost) from a holistic process view. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model is proposed to hypothesize the FFE–new product performance relationships and the joint performance effects of cross-functional interface management. A sample of 196 firms from an international survey is used and hierarchical linear regression is employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings: This study finds that FFE implementation contributes to both new product quality and cost performance. Moreover, interface management in multiple NPD stages has synergistic performance effects. Specifically, the FFE, customer involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product quality performance, while the FFE, supplier involvement in product development and manufacturing flexibility in product launch jointly improve new product cost performance. Originality/value: This study extends the NPD literature by deepening the understanding of the key roles of the FFE on new product performance and evidencing the synergistic effects of cross-functional interfaces in multiple NPD stages. Further, this study also highlights the differential joint moderating effects of interface management in later NPD stages on new product quality and cost performance. This study also offers insightful implications to NPD managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an era of increased competition between companies, the retention, as well as the acquisition of new clients constitutes one of the greatest tasks for the management of any company. In order to successfully reach target clients and influence their purchasing decisions, marketing specialists utilise various forms of communication, including mass communication, of which the primary tool is advertising. The aim of this article is to present the results of a study on the effectiveness of advertising communication conducted through the use of electroencephalography (EEG). The author argues that a company utilising this method may significantly improve its existing knowledge of clients and facilitate the creation of appropriate strategies for the future, e.g. product launch strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a pharmaceutical sales representative's experience with new product launches influences a preference for leadership style, a need for independence, and organizational satisfaction. New product launches are standard throughout the pharmaceutical industry, often creating stressful and tense work environments for employees. Lofty corporate goals, pressure, and expectations have led managers to lead through an authoritarian leadership approach, which may negatively impact employee performance, motivation, confidence, and organizational commitment. Relational and authentic leadership styles will be considered an alternative to generate positive and influential working environments among pharmaceutical sales representatives. Design/methodology/approach: The participants of this study included active pharmaceutical sales representatives that have participated in a recent new product launch within the pharmaceutical industry within the past 2 years. Each participant completed an anonymous survey to evaluate their preference for leadership style. Data was evaluated through a quantitative analysis utilizing a Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression to determine the significance and correlation between the surveyed variables. Findings: The findings of this research indicate that pharmaceutical sales representatives have a preference for leaders that allow for representatives to have the autonomy and independence to make decisions within their roles. Authoritative leadership was found to have an unfavorable impact that decrease individual creativity. Representatives prefer a less hands-on approach. A micromanagement leadership style may not be an effective approach during a new product launch. Representatives prefer to utilize their experience, creativity, and have trust from their leadership team to perform at an optimal level. Originality: The originality of this research provides leaders with a reasonable approach to empowering employees through their work. While this study focuses on the pharmaceutical industry, the findings can be applicable across various industries. Employees strive to feel trusted and supported in their roles, which can be best aligned through an authentic or relational leadership style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing Mediterranean seafood consumption, increasing consumers' awareness of food safety and quality, and changing food lifestyles are leading to the development of new food products. However, the majority of new food products launched on the market are expected to fail within the first year. One of the most effective ways to enhance new product success is by involving consumers during the first phases of New Product Development (NPD), using the so-called co-creation approach. Based on data collected through online discussion rooms, two new seafood product concepts—sardine fillets and sea burgers—were evaluated by a set of potential consumers in three Mediterranean countries—Italy, Spain, and Croatia. Textual information was analyzed by first using the topic modeling technique. Then, for each main topic identified, sentiment scores were calculated, followed by the identification of the main related emotions that were evoked. Overall, consumers seem to positively evaluate both proposed seafood product concepts, and three recurrent positive emotions (trust, anticipation, joy) were identified in relation to the main topics aroused during the discussions. The results of this study will be useful to guide future researchers and actors in this industry in the next development steps of the targeted seafood products in Mediterranean countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the success factors influencing product development design and product launch projects. The lives of people and businesses have been threatened and affected by the global COVID- 19 pandemic for more than two years. Knowing these factors can help us make the right decisions and develop an effective project plan and matrix. Nowadays, project management is a very important part of work in companies of different sizes. Project management can be seen as applying innovation processes in an enterprise. The authors conducted quantitative and qualitative research on 544 companies in the Slovak Republic. The research focuses on aspects of project management and individual success factors. The data obtained by the questionnaire survey were processed by statistical methods, where the authors chose the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test as the basic method and the Wilcoxon two-tailed test for independent sample data sets. An essential variable in the sample of enterprises surveyed was, in particular, the sector of the economy in which the enterprise surveyed operates. Two key factors were considered when developing the product - employee education and the implication of social responsibility. The study's uniqueness lies in surveying all types of enterprises, irrespective of their size, line of business, and financial turnover. The percentage distribution of the maximum use of CSR among the surveyed companies in each sector was most positive in the Logistics industry. Training and certification of employees are primarily one of the most important factors to ensure an increase in the success of those projects aimed at launching new products on the market; in the case of the surveyed sample, this is more than 40% of enterprises. Based on the sub-results, we can conclude that enterprises place more emphasis on new product development projects and the environmental concept of CSR. Still, the launch of new products or services is underestimated by the project management of enterprises. After more than eight years, the research has shown an increase in the importance of using social responsibility in management processes for new product development. A breakthrough finding is comparing the use of CSR in small businesses in Slovakia to global trends in which we perceive the dominance of multinational corporations. Enterprises are advised to focus specifically on new product launches and detailed planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]