©2017 Mr. Breitsprecher & BreitLinks (www.breitlinks.com) All Rights Reserved Pricing Research Project, Page 1 of 4
Functions of Marketing: Pricing
Pricing involves more than just putting a sticker or tag on an item. It entails determining the point at
which both buyer and seller perceive the best value.
Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Explain different pricing strategies and functions.
Describe the role of pricing in marketing.
Pricing Concepts
A company can use a variety of methods or even a combination of methods in pricing its products,
including:
Cost-based pricingsetting prices based on production and marketing costs, rather
than conditions in the marketplace
Value-based pricingsetting prices based on customer perceptions of value
Optimal pricinga computer-based pricing method that creates a demand curve for
every product to help managers select a price that meets specific marketing objectives
Skim pricingcharging a high price for a new product during the introductory stage
and lowering the price later
Penetration pricingintroducing a new product at a low price in order to build sales
volume quickly
Loss-leader pricingsetting a price on one product at a loss as a way to entice
customers to consider other products
Auction pricingbuyers competitively bid on products being sold
Participative pricingallowing customers to pay the amount they think a product is
worth
Free and freemium pricingoffering some products for free while charging for
others
After a company has established its initial price, it can also use a number of price adjustment tactics
to adjust the prices up or down over time, including:
Discountstemporary price reductions to stimulate sales or lower prices to encourage
certain behaviors (e.g., paying cash)
Bundlingoffering several products for a single price that is presumably lower than
the total of the products’ individual prices (e.g., Microsoft Office)
Dynamic pricingcontinually adjusting prices to reflect changes in supply and
demand (e.g.,airline seats)
©2017 Mr. Breitsprecher & BreitLinks (www.breitlinks.com) All Rights Reserved Pricing Research Project, Page 2 of 4
Please do some web searches and identify examples of products priced each of the following ways.
You must copy & paste a link for #1-9 to document your sources to earn credit.
1. Cost-based pricing
2. Value-based pricing
3. Optimal pricing
4. Skim pricing
5. Penetration pricing
6. Loss-leader pricing
©2017 Mr. Breitsprecher & BreitLinks (www.breitlinks.com) All Rights Reserved Pricing Research Project, Page 3 of 4
7. Auction pricing
8. Participative pricing
9. Free and freemium pricing
10. Please identify a product, price, and retailer where you would only choose to buy when the price is
discounted with any one of the 3 price adjustment tactics identified at the bottom of page 1.
11. How can patterns of temporary price discounts “train” consumers to stop buying at full price?