Friday 27 July 2012

Topical Economics Programme: Innovations in Pricing, Marketing and Product Design

Programme

08:00    Breakfast
08:30    Director’s Welcome and Senior Tutor’s Introduction
08:45    Marketing And Demand Management (David Myatt)
09:45    Syndicate Discussion
11:15    Using The Demand Curve To Optimise Product Design (David Myatt)
12:00    Break, followed by Lunch at 12:30
13:15    Syndicate Discussion
14:15    Pricing Across Multiple Products (John Thanassoulis)
15:15    Syndicate Discussion
16:15    Pricing And Point Of Sale Discounts (John Thanassoulis)
19:00    Drinks Reception followed by formal Course Dinner at 19:30

Overview

The Topical Economic Programme Day presents business relevant material drawn from the most recent research on pricing, marketing and product design. The first half of the day explores the advances that have been made in managing client demand given the product characteristics. David will explore how customer communication can be used strategically to alter demand to the firm’s advantage. The second lecture reverses the logic and explains how product design should be altered given the information in prices. The TEP will allow delegates to understand what drives the decision to tip between a mass market offering; a niche high margin offering or something in between. The second part of the day introduces TEP delegates to advancements in the study of pricing. First we explore new innovations in the practice of pricing across multiple products. John will explain what features of demand justify price linkages; what the competitive response will be and how one should profitably manage the fall-out. The final lecture considers the impact on pricing if your customers can ‘bargain back’. We explore how prices should adapt to this setting; and whether the sales force should be left with discretion to offer point of sale discounts once the response of competitors is factored in. The aim of the day is to demonstrate how firms should adapt their competitive response to the demand characteristics that they face. The day completes with the set-piece OUBEP dinner inside an Oxford college.

The day completes with the set-piece OUBEP dinner inside an Oxford college.

David P. Myatt

David is an Official Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford. He was educated at the London School of Economics, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Oxford University. He specialises in game theory: the scientific analysis of strategic decision-making. He applies this work to the fields of microeconomics, industrial economics, the economics of new technologies, political science and evolutionary biology. His current major research topics include the analysis of advertising, marketing, and product design strategies; the role of secondary trading markets such as eBay; analysis of cabinet governance; new theories of leadership; theories and empirical analysis of voter turnout and tactical voting; game-theory applications in macroeconomics; and the study of collective-action problems.

John Thanassoulis

John is a University Lecturer in the Department of Economics, Oxford University, and Official Student (Fellow) of Economics at Christ Church. He was educated at both Oxford and Cambridge, studying mathematics followed by economics. After completion of his academic studies, John worked first in the telecommunications industry before spending two years as a competition policy (antitrust) consultant. His antitrust and strategy work has covered sectors including finance, advertising, fmcg and transport. John subsequently returned to academia to conduct economic research on Business Strategy and Finance. He has worked on supermarket supply chains, bankers’ pay and financial regulation, and pricing strategy and its implications for consumers in media and telecommunications industries. John is an occasional guest on BBC Oxford where he explains current economic issues.

Page last edited: 15 November 2011