This study puts forward a variable clique overlap model for identifying information communities, or potentially overlapping subgroups of network actors among whom reinforced independent links ensure efficient communication. We posit that the intensity of communication between individuals in...

In this paper we study the impact of search engine optimization (SEO) on the competition between advertisers for organic and sponsored search results. We find that a positive level of search engine optimization may improve the search engine’s ranking quality and thus the satisfaction of its...

Many new products (e.g., PDA phones) share features with multiple categories, but are also substantially different from each of these categories. When consumers encounter such a product, they may create a new subcategory (e.g., smart phones) to accommodate it. In such situations, consumers must...

Social platforms often use curation algorithms to match content to user tastes. Although designed to improve user experience, these algorithms have been blamed for increased polarization of consumed content. We analyze how curation algorithms impact the number of friends users follow and the...

One of the hallmarks of competitive interaction is each firm’s desire to differentiate from rivals. Although differentiation may be achieved through product related choices, advertising levels may constitute another key mechanism. In this paper, we examine under what conditions firms will...

An increasing number of firms use social media to allow their customers to vote on new product design. This paper studies the implications of employing such a democratic product design (DPD). A linear city model is used with random locations to capture uncertainty about consumer preferences and...

This paper examines the impact of search engine optimization (SEO) on the competition between advertisers for organic and sponsored search results. The results show that a positive level of search engine optimization may improve the search engine's ranking quality and thus the satisfaction of...

This paper uses generative language models to substitute for human participants in market research. Such AI-based models can be used to generate textual continuation given a prompt. By carefully formulating the prompts, the paper shows that this new method generates perceptual maps that are...