Influences of Product Concept Demonstrations in Trade Shows: Two Essays

I study the effects of product concept demonstrations on firm value and on firms\u27 profit using two different methods: empirical and analytical approaches. Utilizing an event study, in Essay 1, I assess the effects of product concept demonstrations in trade shows on abnormal stock returns and risks. My investigation has two interconnected parts: (1) analysis of the firms\u27 decision on how many concepts to demonstrate and what would be the concept mix; and (2) analysis of investor reactions to the demonstration that influence the firm value and risk. I find that the number of concept demonstrations are influenced by the innovativeness of the concept mix, the demonstrating firms\u27 past conversion history of concepts to commercialization, and the total number of concepts demonstrations, reflecting the size of the trade show. As a result, the concepts demonstrations for the first-time positively influence cumulative abnormal return, but the effects of demonstrating previously demonstrated concepts are negative. In Essay 2, I develop a two-period game-theoretic model to analyze the intertemporal strategic interactions in a firms\u27 pricing strategy for the old and new models with a product concept demonstration. My analysis provides new insights into the interplay of product positioning and a product concept demonstration that induces varying degrees of purchase delay while shaping the firms\u27 dynamic pricing strategy. As a result, I find that a product concept demonstration can lower the new model price even below what it would be without a demonstration; further, I find that the volume of delayed purchases induced by a product concept demonstration is the greatest at very low or very high levels of product substitutability, exhibiting a U-shaped pattern. My findings suggest that differentiating the new model either horizontally or vertically is a critical factor for profitable pre-launch product concept demonstration. However, the mechanisms that lead to concept demonstration profitability are quite different between the two types of differentiation. Allowing various scenarios of product line and pricing policies, I find that the simpler pricing policy can dominate more complex pricing strategies. Overall, the influences of the product concept demonstrations are researched through both empirical and analytical methods. The results of this dissertation suggest that innovative product concept demonstration generates positive firm value in the short run. Product concept demonstration also creates greater profit when the new product concept is either horizontally or vertically differentiated

Evaluation criteria for commercially oriented materials processing in space proposals

An approach and criteria for evaluating NASA funded experiments and demonstrations which have commercial potential were developed. Methods for insuring quick initial screening of commercial proposals are presented. Recommendations are given for modifying the current evaluation approach. New criteria for evaluating commercially orientated materials processing in space (MPS) proposals are introduced. The process for selection of qualified individuals to evaluate the phases of this approach and criteria is considered and guidelines are set for its implementation

Spartan Daily, October 1, 1981

Volume 77, Issue 21https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/6797/thumbnail.jp

Fordism to free trade: An explanation of the shift towards globalisation

New Zealanders tuning into television news on the evening of December 1, 1999, were confronted with images of demonstrators in downtown Seattle breaking windows, vandalizing vehicles, and setting fires. As police sought to control rioters, arresting hundreds of demonstrators, television viewers were informed that the scenes in Seattle were reminiscent of the civil rights and anti-war protests that shook the United States in the 1960s. While American civil rights and anti-war protests were responses to domestic policy initiatives, the demonstrations in Seattle were organised by individuals from numerous countries, united in their suspicion of global free trade agendas

Digital Cinema : Opportunities and Challenges

This paper considers how the film industry might effect the transition from film to digital product. Using public sources to predict the eventual technological solutions which will prevail is problematic as no independent academic analysis appears to have been carried out. Technology companies are clearly wedded to their own solutions, pointing out flaws in competing technologies while downplaying the shortcomings of their own. Industry wide bodies that have been set up to promote d-cinema or establish standards, understandably tend to avoid taking sides and promote all solutions equally[i]. Rather than contributing further to the debate about the qualities of competing technologies or the creative merits or demerits of digital product, this paper will focus on the search for new business models in an industry wedded for over one hundred years to an analogue process. In the sections which follow it will consider- the strategies of the companies at the forefront of the technology; the financial implications associated with change; and how different territories might adapt in order to accommodate this transition. [i] Anna Wilde Mathews, Digital cinema's time is nearing. Detailed specifications are supposed to be ready early next year. The Wall Street Journal, May 25 2003

Challenging Industry to Innovate! How the Government Can Apply Transparency, Collaboration, Unencumbered Communication, and Dynamic Engagement Through Challenge-Based Acquisition

Excerpt from the Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Acquisition Research SymposiumThe Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Telecommunications Advanced Research and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Systems (TARDyS3) program demanded new ideas and novel approaches for sharing electromagnetic spectrum between the Department of Defense and commercial industry. To solve this problem, DISA created an acquisition structure that focused on building transparency, collaborating, and actively communicating with industry across the entire acquisition. This focus on dynamically engaging vendors and encouraging innovation allowed DISA to rapidly deploy high-quality and user-approved capabilities. Dynamic engagement involves a two-way exchange of ideas, listening to industry by seeking input, and conveying the government’s ideas and motivations to potential vendors, while innovation centricity consists of encouraging vendors to solve problems with unique solutions, providing a framework for future acquisitions. Dynamic engagement, coupled with innovation centricity, powerfully engages the vendor community to solve hard problems. Combining innovation with communication creates a vendor community that is motivated to meet the government’s needs, and it accelerates risk mitigation. Furthermore, it can improve product quality and shortens delivery time lines at a reasonable price. For these reasons, future programs should consider incorporating dynamic engagement and innovation-centric approaches at the core of their acquisition strategies.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

INTERNATIONAL WINE TRADE: ANALYZING THE VALUE OF REPUTATION AND QUALITY SIGNALS

This research examines the factors behind price differentials based on regional origin. For this purpose, we estimate a hedonic pricing model of premium wines sold in the U.S. We hypothesize that numerous quality signals affect wine prices including expert opinions about sensory quality, maturing potential, and special selections as well as derived indicators that signal a high or low quality producer. After correcting for variety, regional origin, and age, the data confirms that a wine's price is related to producer quality signals, which may even negate regional effects. We conclude that it is problematic to interpret regional premiums as brand value (as opposed to quality premiums) without adjusting them for producer quality signals. Estimated brand values may then be biased. Moreover, a strong positive producer quality signal receives a larger percentage price premium than a comparable negative signal which warrants important marketing implications for producers and entire regions.International Relations/Trade,