To advertise or not to advertise
Suppose that Expresso and Beantown are the only two firms that sell coffee. The following payoff matrix shows the profit (in millions of dollars) each company will earn depending on whether or not it advertises:
Beantown
Advertise Doesn't Advertise
Expresso Advertise 6, 6 14, 4
Doesn't Advertise 4, 14 10, 10
For example, the upper right cell shows that if Expresso advertises and Beantown doesn't advertise, Expresso will make a profit of $14 million, and Beantown will make a profit of $4 million. Assume this is a simultaneous game and that Expresso and Beantown are both profit-maximizing firms.
If Expresso decides to advertise, it will earn a profit ofmillion if Beantown advertises and a profit ofmillion if Beantown does not advertise.
If Expresso decides not to advertise, it will earn a profit ofmillion if Beantown advertises and a profit ofmillion if Beantown does not advertise.
If Beantown advertises, Expresso makes a higher profit if it chooses .
If Beantown doesn't advertise, Expresso makes a higher profit if it chooses .
Suppose that both firms start off not advertising. If the firms act independently, what strategies will they end up choosing?
Expresso will choose to advertise and Beantown will choose not to advertise.
Both firms will choose not to advertise.
Expresso will choose not to advertise and Beantown will choose to advertise.
Both firms will choose to advertise.
Again, suppose that both firms start off not advertising. If the firms decide to collude, what strategies will they end up choosing?
Both firms will choose to advertise.
Expresso will choose not to advertise and Beantown will choose to advertise.
Both firms will choose not to advertise.
Expresso will choose to advertise and Beantown will choose not to advertise.