Strategic Targeting of Price Discounts for Cigarettes: Firm and Consumer Behavior

描述(申请人提供)：我们建议调查价格折扣券与吸烟行为的关系。此前的研究在很大程度上忽略了不同品牌卷烟价格的差异。我们将研究卷烟制造商如何提供价格折扣券来吸引新吸烟者，阻止吸烟者戒烟，并鼓励品牌转换。我们还研究了戒烟产品制造商如何针对优惠券来鼓励戒烟。研究1将使用价格折扣优惠券的地理特定数据来检查优惠券优惠如何随市场条件变化。我们将考察H1和H2：卷烟制造商更有可能在卷烟税上调后立即在市场上提供价格折扣(当失业率上升时)；H3：卷烟税上调后，制造商将立即提供较少的戒烟价格折扣；H4：当失业率上升时，戒烟制造商将提供更多折扣。在研究2中，我们调查了个体吸烟行为。我们测试了H5：当一个人被提供更多的香烟优惠券时，他更有可能用优惠券购买烟草；H6：当一个人被提供更多的戒烟产品优惠券时，他不太可能用优惠券购买烟草。我们还将测试H7：如果一个人获得(更多)香烟优惠券，他更有可能是当前吸烟者；H8：如果向吸烟者提供(更多)戒烟产品优惠券，他最近尝试戒烟的可能性更大；H9：如果向他提供(更多)香烟优惠券，吸烟者成功戒烟的可能性更小；H10：如果向吸烟者提供更多戒烟产品优惠券，他更有可能成功戒烟；H11：如果向吸烟者提供更多香烟优惠券，他更有可能转向价格较低的品牌，而不是戒烟或继续吸烟同一品牌；和H12：如果向吸烟者提供更多的戒烟优惠券，他更有可能戒烟，而不是转向价格较低的品牌或继续吸食同一品牌的香烟。在研究3中，我们测试了H13：“Pay to Switch”折扣应该更多地针对较年轻(不太忠诚)的吸烟者，而不是较年长(更忠诚)的吸烟者；以及H14：制造商将更有可能为在拥有更多成熟吸烟者的市场(杂志)中非“高端”品牌的品牌提供(更大的)价格折扣。在研究4中，我们测试了目标策略在一个地理市场区域内是否存在显着差异。具体地说，我们测试作为上述假设H13和H14的店内对应的假设H15和H16。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to investigate the relationship between price discount coupons and smoking behavior. Previous studies have largely ignored variation in cigarette prices across brands. We will examine how cigarette manufacturers offer price discount coupons to attract new smokers, discourage smokers from quitting, and to encourage brand switching. We also study how smoking cessation product manufacturers target coupons to encourage quitting. Study 1 will use geographic specific data on price discount coupons to examine how coupon offers vary with market conditions. We will examine H1 and H2: cigarette manufacturers are more likely to offer price discounts in markets immediately after the cigarette tax is raised (when unemployment increases); H3: Manufacturers will offer fewer cessation price discounts immediately after the cigarette tax is raised, and H4: Cessation manufacturers will offer more discounts when unemployment has increased. In Study 2 we investigate individual smoking behavior. We test H5: A person is more likely to buy tobacco with coupons when he is offered more cigarette coupons, and H6: a person is less likely to buy tobacco with coupons when he is offered more cessation product coupons. We will also test H7: A person is more likely to be a current smoker if he is offered (more) cigarette coupons; H8: A smoker is more likely to have recently tried to quit if he was offered (more) smoking cessation product coupons; H9: a smoker is less likely to successfully quit if he is offered (more) cigarette coupons; H10: a smoker is more likely to successfully quit if he is offered more smoking cessation product coupons; and H11: A smoker is more likely to switch to lower priced brands than he is to quit smoking or continue smoking the same brand if he is offered more cigarette coupons; and H12: A smoker is more likely to quit than he is to switch to lower priced brands or continue smoking the same brand if he is offered more smoking cessation coupons. In Study 3 we test H13: "pay to switch" discounting should be more often targeted at younger (less committed) rather than older (more committed) smokers; and H14: Manufacturers will be more likely to offer (bigger) price discounts for brands that are not "premium" brands in markets (magazines) with more mature smokers. In Study 4 we test whether targeting strategies vary significantly within a geographic market area. Specifically we test hypotheses H15 and H16 that are the in-store counterpart of hypotheses H13 and H14 noted above.