PRICING STRATEGY 
HBS reading by Robert J Dolan and John T Gourville 
Presented by Raj Kattimani
Agenda 
What’s pricing and why is it important? 
The Elements of Pricing 
Understand Price customization 
Know the price sensitivity indicators 
1 
3 
2 
4
What is Pricing and why? 
Determines revenue 
Relates to Bottom-line 
Value for money vs. Money on the table 
Pricingisthefunctionofdeterminingthechargevalueoftheproductafterconsideringthehostoffactorslikecost, competition,economicvalue,functionalvalueandtheperceivedvalue
Agenda 
What’s pricing and why is it important? 
The Elements of Pricing 
Understand Price customization 
Know the price sensitivity indicators 
1 
3 
2 
4
Cost-based vs. Value Pricing 
COGS 
Price 
Perceived Value 
True Economic Value 
Firm’s incentive 
Consumer’s incentive 
Marketing efforts 
Cost-based Pricing 
Value Pricing
What’s True Economic Value? TEV = Cost of next-best alt + Performance differential 
Why PV is generally less than TEV? 
Lack of awareness 
Skepticism 
Low probability of realization
Pricing function and marketing 
High 
High 
Low 
Low 
Price 
Mktg exp 
No/low Unit Sales 
Feasible 
(desired) 
Feasible 
(not desired) 
No Unit Contribution
Agenda 
What’s pricing and why is it important? 
The Elements of Pricing 
Understand Price customization 
Know the price sensitivity indicators 
1 
3 
2 
4
Price customization 
Tastes 
Nature of use 
Intensity of use 
Competition 
Controlling availability of prices 
Pricing on buyer characteristics 
Pricing on transaction characteristics 
Manage Product line offering
Agenda 
What’s pricing and why is it important? 
The Elements of Pricing 
Understand Price customization 
Know the price sensitivity indicators 
1 
3 
2 
4
Assessing Price sensitivity 
Using Managerial judgment 
ThroughMarket Research 
Type of data 
Qualitative 
Quantitativebut… 
When to use 
Genericproduct or 
You know the product 
Complement your assessment 
Methods 
Spot the sensitivity indicators 
Customer surveys 
Experiments 
Analysisof data
Price sensitivity Indicators 
Product 
Buyer 
Price 
$Performance prediction 
$Mission critical? 
$Differentiation 
$Comparability 
$Knowledge 
$Comparability 
$Relative sense 
$Reference prices 
$No clue of quality 
$Bearing cost 
$Switching easy? 
$Not motivated by Prestige
Other factors to consider 
Relationship bet’n price and demand 
Price elasticity of demand 
Understanding the drivers of profitability 
Breakeven Analysis
Pricing strategy

Pricing strategy

  • 1.
    PRICING STRATEGY HBSreading by Robert J Dolan and John T Gourville Presented by Raj Kattimani
  • 2.
    Agenda What’s pricingand why is it important? The Elements of Pricing Understand Price customization Know the price sensitivity indicators 1 3 2 4
  • 3.
    What is Pricingand why? Determines revenue Relates to Bottom-line Value for money vs. Money on the table Pricingisthefunctionofdeterminingthechargevalueoftheproductafterconsideringthehostoffactorslikecost, competition,economicvalue,functionalvalueandtheperceivedvalue
  • 4.
    Agenda What’s pricingand why is it important? The Elements of Pricing Understand Price customization Know the price sensitivity indicators 1 3 2 4
  • 5.
    Cost-based vs. ValuePricing COGS Price Perceived Value True Economic Value Firm’s incentive Consumer’s incentive Marketing efforts Cost-based Pricing Value Pricing
  • 6.
    What’s True EconomicValue? TEV = Cost of next-best alt + Performance differential Why PV is generally less than TEV? Lack of awareness Skepticism Low probability of realization
  • 7.
    Pricing function andmarketing High High Low Low Price Mktg exp No/low Unit Sales Feasible (desired) Feasible (not desired) No Unit Contribution
  • 8.
    Agenda What’s pricingand why is it important? The Elements of Pricing Understand Price customization Know the price sensitivity indicators 1 3 2 4
  • 9.
    Price customization Tastes Nature of use Intensity of use Competition Controlling availability of prices Pricing on buyer characteristics Pricing on transaction characteristics Manage Product line offering
  • 10.
    Agenda What’s pricingand why is it important? The Elements of Pricing Understand Price customization Know the price sensitivity indicators 1 3 2 4
  • 11.
    Assessing Price sensitivity Using Managerial judgment ThroughMarket Research Type of data Qualitative Quantitativebut… When to use Genericproduct or You know the product Complement your assessment Methods Spot the sensitivity indicators Customer surveys Experiments Analysisof data
  • 12.
    Price sensitivity Indicators Product Buyer Price $Performance prediction $Mission critical? $Differentiation $Comparability $Knowledge $Comparability $Relative sense $Reference prices $No clue of quality $Bearing cost $Switching easy? $Not motivated by Prestige
  • 13.
    Other factors toconsider Relationship bet’n price and demand Price elasticity of demand Understanding the drivers of profitability Breakeven Analysis