Anmerkungen:
Nach Informationen von SSRN wurde die ursprüngliche Fassung des Dokuments January 27, 2016 erstellt
Beschreibung:
Launching new products into the marketplace is a complex and risky endeavor that companies must continuously undertake. As a result, it is not uncommon to witness major rms discontinuing a product shortly after its introduction. In this paper, we consider a seller who has the ability to first test the market and gather demand information before deciding whether or not to launch a new product. In particular, we consider the case in which the seller sets up an online voting system that potential customers can use to provide feedback about their willingness to buy the new product. This voting system has the potential of offering a win-win situation whereby a consumer who votes hopes to influence the seller's final assortment, while at the same time these votes and their pace benefit the seller as they provide valuable information to better forecast demand. We investigate the optimal design of such a crowdvoting system and its implications on the seller's commercialization strategy