We propose a framework for analyzing transformations of demand. Such transformations frequently stem from changes in the dispersion of consumers' valuations, which lead to rotations of the demand curve. In many settings, profits are a U-shaped function of dispersion. High dispersion is...

We study a Cournot industry in which each firm sells multiple quality-differentiated products. We use an upgrades approach, working not with the actual products but instead with upgrades from one quality to the next. The properties of single-product models carry over to the supply of upgrades,...

We investigate mergers in markets where quality differences between products are central and firms may reposition their product lines by adding or removing products of different qualities following a merger. Such mergers are materially different from those studied in the existing literature....

I examine how the increasing ability of firms to target their advertisements to particular individuals influences market outcomes when consumers have access to advertising avoidance tools. While firms generally benefit from increased targeting, consumers need not. I also show that there may be...

I identify and explore the relationship between two views of brands and advertising, one emphasizing their role in assuring quality and the other emphasizing their role in shifting rents across firms in the supply chain. I show that in the presence of moral hazard, the identity of the...

I analyze a model of dynamic competition between retail platforms which exhibit consumer lock-in. Two different revenue models are considered, one in which platforms set final retail prices and one in which the suppliers set final retail prices. Platforms have long-term (or strategic) pricing...

I consider the use of defensive publishing by a firm with a patentable innovation in hand. Such publishing discloses technical information to rivals and foregoes the publisher's legal right to exclude, but also prevents rivals from patenting. My analysis identifies why firms choose defensive...