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Price promotions effects of virtue and vice products

Josefa Parreño-Selva (Department of Marketing, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain)
Francisco José Mas-Ruiz (Department of Marketing, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain)
Enar Ruiz-Conde (Department of Marketing, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain)

European Journal of Marketing

ISSN: 0309-0566

Article publication date: 8 July 2014

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose models that capture the own effect of price promotions of virtue and vice products on sales and cross effects within the subcategory, between subcategories and between periods. The hypotheses assume that, due to reverse consumption self-control, the demand for vice products is more price-sensitive than demand for virtue products, but the demand for vice products is less price-sensitive between periods than demand for virtue products; furthermore, due to the degree of impulse-buying and to licensing, the demand sensitivity of the products of a subcategory and of those of other subcategories varies according to the type of promoted product (vice or virtue).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based on different econometrical models that estimate the total net effect of price promotions of virtue and vice products on sales.

Findings

The results show a greater own effect for price promotions of vice products than for virtue products. However, the complementary sales effect between subcategories for virtue products facilitates greater expansion of the subcategory in virtue products than in vice products.

Originality/value

Although price promotions of virtue products (light) and vice products (regular) have proliferated in recent years, researchers have only estimated their own sales effect. Alternatively, the paper contributes by considering own and cross effects.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the financial support provided by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain (ECO2009-12271) and by Generalitat Valenciana (ACOMP/2010/061).

Citation

Parreño-Selva, J., José Mas-Ruiz, F. and Ruiz-Conde, E. (2014), "Price promotions effects of virtue and vice products", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 48 No. 7/8, pp. 1296-1314. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-07-2012-0414

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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