Question

You work for a marketing firm that has just landed a contract with Run-of-the-Mills to help them promote three of their products: penguin patties, raskels, and kipples. All of these products have been on the market for some time, but, to entice better sales, Run-of-the-Mills wants to try a new advertisement that will market two of the products that consumers will likely consume together. As a former economics student, you know that complements are typically consumed together while substitutes can take the place of other goods. Run-of-the-Mills provides your marketing firm with the following data: When the price of penguin patties decreases by 5%, the quantity of raskels sold decreases by 4% and the quantity of kipples sold increases by 6%. Your job is to use the cross-price elasticity between penguin patties and the other goods to determine which goods your marketing firm should advertise together.
Complete the first column of the following table by computing the cross-price elasticity between penguin patties and raskels, and then between penguin patties and kipples. In the second column, determine if penguin patties are a complement to or a substitute for each of the goods listed. Finally, complete the final column by indicating which good you should recommend marketing with penguin patties.


Relative to Penguin Patties

Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand Complement or Substitute Recommend Marketing with Penguin Patties (Yes or No)
Raskels
Kipples

Answer 1

Answer: Please refer to Explanation

Explanation:

Cross Price Elasticity of Demand measures the responsiveness of Quantity demanded of one good to the price of another good.

Remember that according to the laws of Supply and Demand when prices rise, demand drops.

When the Cross Price Elasticity is POSITIVE, it is said that the goods are SUBSTITUTES because a price increase (decrease) in one leads to more (less) of the other being demanded because they can be switched for one another like Coke and Pepsi.

When Cross Price Elasticity is NEGATIVE however then the goods are COMPLIMENTS because an increase (decrease) in the price of one good led to a reduction(increase) in demand of the other good. This proves that the goods compliment each other and so their demand moves in the same direction.

Raskals and Penguin Patties.

Cross Price ED (Raskals and Penguin Patties) = Percentage change in quantity demanded of Raskals/ Percentage change in price of Penguin Patties

Cross Price ED (Raskals and Penguin Patties) = -4%/-5%

= 0.8

This is positive so Penguin Patties and Raskels are Substitutes albeit weak ones.

Kipples and Penguin Patties.

Cross Price ED (Kipples and Penguin Patties) = Percentage change in quantity demanded of Kipples/ Percentage change in price of Penguin Patties

Cross Price ED (Kipples and Penguin Patties) = 6%/-5%

= -1.2

As it is a negative figure, Penguin Patties and Kipples are Compliments albeit weak ones as well.