The impact of firm introductory strategies on consumers' perceptions of future product introductions and purchase decisions

A model of the consumer's decision to immediately purchase a technologically advanced product or to delay such a purchase until a future generation of the product is released was developed and tested. It is proposed that for technologically advancing products, consumers consider both performance lag and expected performance gain in their purchase decisions. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that a firm's past product introductory strategy can significantly influence consumer perceptions of performance lag, performance gain, and the rate at which a product is advancing technologically.

Duke Scholars

Author Richard Staelin Fuqua School of Business