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This paper aims to uncover the predictors of information exchange in social networking for health (SNH) care.

Using two national studies of consumers in the USA, this research examines how trust and social connections influence information exchange. The empirical analyses use a two-stage estimation approach and structural equation modeling.

The results show that higher trust encourages information getting, while social connections encourage information giving. In contrast to previous findings, this study shows that trust does not affect information giving when social connections are included in the model.

This study focuses on the role of trust and social connections in predicting information exchange in SNH. Research on general social media use has explored the role of personalities in predicting use. While this study controls for demographic variables that correlate strongly with personality types that are significant predictors, future research can determine which of the big-five personality factors correlate with information exchange. While social media usage has been steadily increasing from 2005 to 2015, the authors are unable to track changes in social media activities in healthcare over time as this study uses cross-sectional data. Future research can use panel data that can track these changes.

First, managers of social networks can encourage individuals with expansive networks to share their stories, as they are more likely to offer information. Second, they need to build the trust of individuals before fully reaping the benefits of SNH. This issue is especially critical for SNH if medical practitioners and public health officials need to use SNH as a communication channel. Third, medical practitioners and public health officials may need to intervene when misinformation is prevalent in SNH.

Health-care providers and public health officials informed of information exchange predictors can modify their strategies in enacting health-related policies.

This research is the first to explore the links between trust, social connections and information exchange in SNH care. This research contributes to existing knowledge by identifying the important roles of trust and social connections and separate routes that these constructs influence information exchange.

This paper aims to understand empirically how shares of standard and premium private label (PL) products affect a retailer’s marketing mix decisions toward national brands (NBs).

Using a comprehensive store-level data set covering 52 categories and 130 stores of two retailer chains during 2003-2009, this paper examines how shares of standard and premium PLs affect retailer marketing strategies for NB retail prices, promotions and product assortments. The empirical analysis uses a simultaneous equations model estimated by the generalized method of moments approach and controls for endogeneity between PL shares and NB decisions and potential confounding variables including consumer, manufacturer and retailer factors.

Standard PL shares are associated positively with NB retail prices and negatively with NB promotions and assortments. In contrast, premium PL shares are associated positively with NB retail prices, promotions and assortments.

The results indicate that retailers make strategic NB decisions through multitier PLs. Specifically, the evidence suggests that retailers use standard and premium PLs differently in promotion and assortment decisions toward NBs. NB manufacturers need to be cognizant of the increasing marketing power of retailers through their multitier PLs.

Prior research has mainly focused on the role of PLs as a strategic weapon to gain power in the channel and its impact on NB pricing decisions in a single PL context. After accounting for potential confounding factors (retailer, consumer and manufacturer) and endogeneity, the authors find empirical evidence that retailers appear to leverage standard and premium PLs differently in some marketing mix decisions toward NB. In particular, the results reveal PL performance to be a determinant of retailer NB assortment decisions.

The purpose of this empirical paper is to determine the effects of line extension introductions on parent brand equity.

The paper uses a cross‐sectional sample of 318 supermarket brands. A system of equations is proposed and estimated using seemingly unrelated regression.

Brands benefit from line extension introductions, but only high equity brands benefit from innovation. Low equity brands benefit from the solo advertising of their new line extensions.

The results suggest that there are two routes for improving brand equity; high equity brands can introduce innovative products, while low equity parent brands may improve brand equity by supporting new line extensions with solo advertising.

The paper is important in identifying the effects of new product introduction and innovation on brand equity.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pricing strategies of me‐too brands.

This research estimates an empirical model using a panel data of 20 consumer packaged goods sub‐categories.

Me‐too brands face pricing constraints that restrict them from pricing aggressively versus the feature pioneer. The results show that private label brands have the most flexibility to price aggressively. Line extensions me‐toos and new brand name me‐toos do not cut price. Line extensions of national brands are constrained by their parent brand's prices. New brand names are constrained by the higher costs of launching a new brand name. Thus, it appears that consistent product line pricing and covering the costs of launching a new brand name limit price competition versus the feature pioneer.

This research is limited by the lack of distribution data, the lack of customer mind‐set measures of brand equity, and the limited number of private label me‐toos in the sample.

Feature pioneers need not worry about price cutting from line extension and new brand name me‐toos. They can set prices to cover their development costs and meet their strategic goals. Without the ability to undercut the feature pioneer, me‐too brands need to utilize other marketing tools to compensate for delayed entry.

Conventional wisdom suggests a me‐too brand succeeds if it charges a low price as low prices are essential to obtain trial. This paper provides empirical evidence that certain types of me‐too brands are restricted from aggressive price cutting.