Gary M. Erickson – författare

For years, I have been impressed by how dynamic markets are. Marketing strategies are rarely successful without adjustments over time, and marketing managers need constantly to monitor, and anticipate when possible, important changes in the marketing environment, so that they can adapt their marketing strategies to changing market conditions. It strikes me as important that the dynamic elements of marketing be modeled and studied, and a significant part of my research activity has been dedicated to exploring the nature and implications of dynamic marketing strategies. The marketing field has used various models and methodologies in the attempt to understand dynamic markets. I must thank my dissertation advisor, Dave Montgomery at Stanford, for originally turning my attention toward time-varying parameter models some 14 years ago. From that plat­ form, I have proceeded to search for models that capture the essence of dynamic marketing, as well as for methodological tools, empirical as well as analytical, that allow insightful study of such models.

The dynamic modelling and analysis of advertising competition continues to be a topic of importance to scholars and practitioners. The second edition of this text reviews empirical and analytical research on the topic and extends the research through analytical and numerical investigation. Three types of model frameworks - Lanchester, Vidale-Wolfe, and diffusion - are combined with two different approaches to developing competitive advertising strategies - perfect equilibria and dynamic conjectural variations - in the analysis of duopoly and triopoly competition. Advertising strategies developed with the different approaches are compared and contrasted to open-loop strategies.

I am gratified that there is sufficient interest in the subject matter so as to support the offering of a second edition of this monograph. The of differential games dynamic interpretation and game theoretic foundation form a powerful and vital methodology for helping us study and understand marketing competition. This second edition offers a blend of what proved to be successful with the first edition and new material. The first two chapters, reviewing empirical and modeling research, have been updated to include contributions in the last decade that have advanced the area. I have not changed the essential content in the duopoly analyses in chapters 3, 4, and 5. A notable addition to the present edition are the new chapters, 6, 7, and 8, which offer analysis of three triopoly models. In the final chapter, I offer my summary view of the area and hope for continued contributions. I want to express my appreciation for the support of Josh Eliashberg, editor of the International Series in Quantitative Marketing, as well as Zachary Rolnik, Director, and David Cella, Publishing Editor, of Kluwer. Their encouragement has provided crucial motivation in this endeavor.