Chapter 10. Marketing and public policy

Historically, quantitative marketers have largely left public policy and social consideration to economists. This has started to change, and there is considerable potential for marketing to impact policy debates in important ways. We focus on two policy areas – competition policy and nutrition policy – and discuss how quantitative market has and can continue to impact policy decision making. In competition policy economists have been using the models and methods of quant marketing and IO to influence actual policy. The effect, at least up to now, has been smaller in nutrition policy. However, in both areas there is scope for great impact from recent research. Marketers should need to pay more attention to the policy debates because: (i) a proper discussion of firm and consumer interaction, which is at the heart of marketing, cannot be complete without accounting for the regulatory, legal, and policy environment, and (ii) a greater involvement with policy will help marketers shape their research in relevant and interesting directions.