Golder & Tellis (1993): Pioneer advantage: marketing logic or marketing legend?

13 important questions on Golder & Tellis (1993): Pioneer advantage: marketing logic or marketing legend?

Several studies have shown that pioneers have long-lived market share advantages, and first entrants often become market leaders. However, there are three major concerns. Which ones?

  • Two of the main databases used in past research have a sampling bias from including only survivors
  • The data relies on selfreports of single informants to classify pioneers, and did not collect multiple measures to assess reliability and validity
  • The definition of pioneer in the database PIMS is inconsistent with the term’s use by researchers

What are the three objectives of the paper by Golder & Tellis (1993)?

  1. To estimate the rewards of pioneers after controlling for survival bias by studying successful and unsuccessful pioneers
  2. To demonstrate the use of a new method, historical analysis
  3. To provide an objective measure of the true pioneer or first entrant in each product category

Result: What is the failure rate of market pioneers? And in which product category is this higher, durable or non-durable goods?

  • The failure of market pioneers is shown to be 47%.
  • The failure rate is twice as high for durable than for non-durable goods, probably to more technological change in durable goods categories.
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Result: In how many % of the 36 categories are the market pioneers the current leaders?

The market pioneers are current leaders in only 11% of the 36 categories

Result: What is the average and median of maintained market leadership by market pioneers in years?

  • Market pioneers maintained market leadership for an average of 12 years
  • However the median period of leadership is only 5 years

Result: In how much of the 50 product categories is a long-lived market share leadership for pioneers supported?

A long-lived market share leadership for pioneers is supported in only 4 of the 50 product categories studied. In all the other 46 categories, the pioneers either failed or are not leaders.

There are two types of advantages for pioneers? Which two are those?

  • Consumer-based advantages
    • Benefits that can be derived from the way consumers first choose and then purchase the product.
  • Product-based advantages
    • Benefits derived from supply of product, and are based on concept of barriers to entry.

There are two types of advantages for pioneers? Which two are those?

  • Consumer-based advantages
    • Benefits that can be derived from the way consumers first choose and then purchase the product.
  • Product-based advantages
    • Benefits derived from supply of product, and are based on concept of barriers to entry.

Which method is used by Golder & Tellis (1993) and what does it entail?

Golder & Tellis use historical analysis as a method for this research. Historical analysis is a process of assembling, critically examining, and summarising the records of the past. They used data from almost 500 brands in 50 product categories.

Result: What are the results with regards to early leaders? In terms of:
  • Current leaders (% of product categories)
  • Failure rates
  • Average market share

  • Early leaders are currently leaders in more than half of the product categories
  • have very low failure rates (8%), and
  • have an average market share of 28%

Which method is used by Golder & Tellis (1993) and what does it entail?

Golder & Tellis use historical analysis as a method for this research. Historical analysis is a process of assembling, critically examining, and summarising the records of the past. They used data from almost 500 brands in 50 product categories.

What may be a reason for the success of early leaders?

Their ability to spot a market opportunity and their willingness to commit large resources to develop the market.

What are the three objectives of the paper by Golder & Tellis (1993)?

  1. To estimate the rewards of pioneers after controlling for survival bias by studying successful and unsuccessful pioneers
  2. To demonstrate the use of a new method, historical analysis
  3. To provide an objective measure of the true pioneer or first entrant in each product category

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