The interrelationships between brand and channel choice

• DOI: 10.1007/s11002-014-9305-2
• Publication Date: 2014-06-24T00:44:10Z
• Authors: Scott A. Neslin; Kinshuk Jerath; Anand Bodapati; Eric T. Bradlow; John Deighton; Sonja Gensler; Leonard Lee; Elisa Montaguti; Rahul Telang; Raj Venkatesan; Peter C. Verhoef; Z. John Zhang
• Keywords: MULTICHANNEL MARKETING; choice; brand choice; CONSUMER CHOICE; learning; 330; INFORMATION; VARIETY; PREFERENCE; 05 social sciences; ASSORTMENT; ONLINE; 650; Brand choice; marketing; 0502 economics and business; Channel choice; Learning; utility theory; Utility theory; channel choice; STORE

We propose a framework for the joint study of the consumer's decision of where to buy and what to buy. The framework is rooted in utility theory where the utility is for a particular channel/brand combination. The framework contains firm actions, the consumer search process, the choice process, and consumer learning. We develop research questions within each of these areas. We then discuss methodological issues pertaining to the use of experimentation and econometrics. Our framework suggests that brand and channel choices are closely intertwined, and therefore studying them jointly will reveal a deeper understanding of consumer decision making in the modern marketing environment.