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Double Marginalization in Performance-Based Advertising: Implications and Solutions

Author

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  • Chrysanthos Dellarocas

    (School of Management, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215)

Abstract
An important current trend in advertising is the replacement of traditional pay-per-exposure (pay-per-impression) pricing models with performance-based mechanisms in which advertisers pay only for measurable actions by consumers. Such pay-per-action (PPA) mechanisms are becoming the predominant method of selling advertising on the Internet. Well-known examples include pay-per-click, pay-per-call, and pay-per-sale. This work highlights an important, and hitherto unrecognized, side effect of PPA advertising. I find that, if the prices of advertised goods are endogenously determined by advertisers to maximize profits net of advertising expenses, PPA mechanisms induce firms to distort the prices of their goods (usually upward) relative to prices that would maximize profits in settings where advertising is sold under pay-per-exposure methods. Upward price distortions reduce both consumer surplus and the joint publisher-advertiser profit, leading to a net reduction in social welfare. They persist in current auction-based PPA mechanisms, such as the ones used by Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. In the latter settings they also reduce publisher revenues relative to pay-per-exposure methods. I show that these phenomena constitute a form of double marginalization and discuss a number of enhancements to today's PPA mechanisms that restore equilibrium pricing of advertised goods to efficient levels, improving both consumer surplus as well as the publisher's expected profits. This paper was accepted by Lorin Hitt, information systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Chrysanthos Dellarocas, 2012. "Double Marginalization in Performance-Based Advertising: Implications and Solutions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(6), pages 1178-1195, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:58:y:2012:i:6:p:1178-1195
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1110.1474
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Hamid Nazerzadeh & Amin Saberi & Rakesh Vohra, 2013. "Dynamic Pay-Per-Action Mechanisms and Applications to Online Advertising," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 61(1), pages 98-111, February.
    3. Alexandre de Corniere, 2013. "Search Advertising," Economics Series Working Papers 649, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    4. Hemant K. Bhargava, 2022. "The Creator Economy: Managing Ecosystem Supply, Revenue Sharing, and Platform Design," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(7), pages 5233-5251, July.
    5. Hana Choi & Carl F. Mela & Santiago R. Balseiro & Adam Leary, 2020. "Online Display Advertising Markets: A Literature Review and Future Directions," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 556-575, June.
    6. Senlin Zhao & Qinghua Zhu, 2017. "Remanufacturing supply chain coordination under the stochastic remanufacturability rate and the random demand," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 257(1), pages 661-695, October.
    7. Anindya Ghose & Panagiotis G. Ipeirotis & Beibei Li, 2014. "Examining the Impact of Ranking on Consumer Behavior and Search Engine Revenue," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(7), pages 1632-1654, July.
    8. Peitz, Martin & Reisinger, Markus, 2014. "The Economics of Internet Media," Working Papers 14-23, University of Mannheim, Department of Economics.
    9. Ghoudi, Kilani & Hamdouch, Younes & Boulaksil, Youssef & Hamdan, Sadeque, 2024. "Supply chain coordination in a dual sourcing system under the Tailored Base-Surge policy," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 317(2), pages 533-549.
    10. Ashish Agarwal & Kartik Hosanagar & Michael D. Smith, 2015. "Do Organic Results Help or Hurt Sponsored Search Performance?," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 26(4), pages 695-713, December.
    11. Yongmei Xu & Jiho Yoon & Myung Kyo Kim & Chwen Sheu, 2018. "Toward Supply Chain Sustainability: Governance and Implementation of Joint Sustainability Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-26, May.
    12. Wensi Zhang & Jing Xiao & Lingfei Cai, 2020. "Joint Emission Reduction Strategy in Green Supply Chain under Environmental Regulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-24, April.
    13. Li, Xiang & Li, Yongjian & Cai, Xiaoqiang, 2013. "Double marginalization and coordination in the supply chain with uncertain supply," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 226(2), pages 228-236.
    14. Ouardighi, Fouad El & Sim, Jeong Eun & Kim, Bowon, 2016. "Pollution accumulation and abatement policy in a supply chain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 248(3), pages 982-996.
    15. Alexandre de Cornière, 2016. "Search Advertising," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 8(3), pages 156-188, August.
    16. Yi-Chun (Chad) Ho & Yi-Jen (Ian) Ho & Yong Tan, 2017. "Online Cash-back Shopping: Implications for Consumers and e-Businesses," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(2), pages 250-264, June.
    17. Ma, Peng & Wang, Haiyan & Shang, Jennifer, 2013. "Contract design for two-stage supply chain coordination: Integrating manufacturer-quality and retailer-marketing efforts," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(2), pages 745-755.
    18. Xinyu Cao & T. Tony Ke, 2019. "Cooperative Search Advertising," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(1), pages 44-67, January.

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