Commentary: what’s behind the price tag: understanding cost transparency?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand “Why Should Companies Embrace Cost Transparency”.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a thought piece in response to the paper by Simintiras et al. (2015), “Should Consumer’s Request Cost Transparency?”

Findings

Arguments based on past research and company practices show that companies practicing cost transparency can increase their customer following, brand loyalty, differentiation and ultimately the profits.

Practical implications

The paper showcases examples of how companies have implemented cost transparency to differentiate their customer offerings. The paper also shows that conscious consumers are now demanding more cost transparency, and companies have already started to heed this call.

Originality/value

The paper specifically outlines arguments and recent examples to show why companies should embrace cost transparency.

Citation

Singh, N. (2015), "Commentary: what’s behind the price tag: understanding cost transparency?", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49 No. 11/12, pp. 1987-1991. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-07-2015-0454