MKT9502 Pricing Content, Software, Platforms
1.5 Intensive Elective Credits
Content, software, and platforms are often difficult and expensive to produce but, paradoxically, expected to be “free.” Think apps, AI, publishing, social media, education, entertainment, digital health, financial services, SaaS, and all sorts of "platform markets." How, in a world of nearly infinite variety and free copies, are producers and suppliers of content, software, and platforms to make money? This is the question of the time. Many managers’ and leaders’ professional fates hang on it. Many investors’ returns hinge on it. The existence of many businesses if not industries existence pivots on it.
The “Pricing Content, Software, and Platforms” elective seeks to answer the “how to make money when ‘free’ is the expected price” question by drawing on the building-blocks of content and software creation, curation, production, distribution, and consumption; design of content and software variety and bundles; network effects and digital platforms; economics of supply and demand; and business strategy, marketing, accounting, and finance. Specifically, the course focuses on four topics: (1) Pricing basics and principles – what every graduate student in business needs to know about pricing. (2) Pricing and the special case of content, software, and platforms (3) Versioning, bundling, experiences, and pricing. (4) Pricing in the presence of network effects.
Prerequisites: MKT7200 or MKT7800 or equivalent core