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: splishy splashies, flopsicles, and cannies. 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 splishy splashies decreases by 1%, the quantity of flopsicles sold decreases by 18% and the quantity of cannies sold increases by 3%. Your job is to use the cross-price elasticity between splishy splashies 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 splishy splashies and flopsicles, and then between splishy splashies and cannies. In the second column, determine if splishy splashies 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 splishy splashies.

Answer 1

Answer:Please refer to Explanation

Explanation:

Cross Price Elasticity of Demand is a very useful tool in Economics to ascertain if goods are compliments or Substitutes.

Cross Price Elasticity of Demand (CPSD) measures the change in demand in one good due to a change in price is the other good.

If the CPSD is negative then the goods are Compliments meaning that they are used together which is why when the price of one good goes down, the demand of the compliment goes up because more of the original good will be bought due to the lower price.

If the CPSD is Positive, it means that they are Substitutes and a Decrease in price in one good leads to a decrease in demand for the other good because people will demand less of it and switch to the former (now cheaper) good.

The formula is,

=  % change in Quantity Demanded of Product A /% change in Price of Product B

a. Splishy splashies and Flopsicles

CPSD = -18%/-1%

= 18%

The CPSD for both these products is 18% which is a positive figure. This means that they are Substitutes and should not be marketed together.

b. Splishy Splashies and Flopsicles

CPSD = 3%/-1%

= -3%

With the CPSD being a negative figure here, these goods are Compliments.

Splishy Splashies and Flopsicles should be Marketed together as they compliment each other.