Because hedonic aspects of products are difficult to evaluate prior to consumption, consumers seek signals to reduce their uncertainty. Opinion leaders, such as critics, may serve as key informants to consumers. This study considers the different roles and incentives of literary critics and how...

Calibrating a sales response model for budget allocation is a complex task because sales responses may vary across allocation units and usually involve carry-over effects. Many applications are characterized by small samples or other data restrictions, thus raising the question of whether the...

Sales in consumer durable goods categories are dominated by repeat purchases. Managers are particularly interested to know: Which consumers can be encouraged to make earlier repeat purchases? When are they likely to purchase? What factors drive their purchases? We, the authors, make three...