Google Trends is a useful tool not only for setting search periods, but also for providing search volume to specific countries, regions, and cities. Extant research showed that the big data from Google Trends could be used for an on-line market analysis of opinion sensitive products instead of an on-site survey. This study investigated the market share of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor, which is in a great demand pharmaceutical product, based on big data analysis provided by Google Trends. In this case study, the consumer interest data from Google Trends were compared to the actual product sales of Top 3 TNF-α inhibitors (Enbrel, Remicade, and Humira). A correlation analysis and relative gap were analyzed by statistical analysis between sales-based market share and interest-based market share. Besides, in the country-specific analysis, three major countries (USA, Germany, and France) were selected for market share analysis for Top 3 TNF-α inhibitors. As a result, significant correlation and similarity were identified by data analysis. In the case of Remicade’s biosimilars, the consumer interest in two biosimilar products (Inflectra and Renflexis) increased after the FDA approval. The analytical data showed that Google Trends is a powerful tool for market share estimation for biosimilars. This study is the first investigation in market share analysis for pharmaceutical products using Google Trends big data, and it shows that global and regional market share analysis and estimation are applicable for the interest-sensitive products.

Most demand forecasting studies for telecommunication services have focused on estimating market size at the introductory stage of new products or services, or on suggesting improvement methods of forecasting models. Although such studies forecast business growth and market sizes through demand forecasting for new technologies and overall demands in markets, they have not suggested more specific information like relative market share, customers’ preferences on technologies or service, and potential sales power. This study focuses on the telecommunication service industry and explores ways to calculate the relative market shares between competitors, considering competitive situations at the introductory stage of a new mobile telecommunication service provider. To reflect the competitive characteristics of the telecommunication markets, suggested is an extended conjoint analysis using service coverage and service switching rates as modification variables. This study is considered to be able to provide strategic implications to businesses offering existing service and ones planning to launch new services. The result of analysis shows that the new service provider has the greatest market share at the competitive situation where the new service covers the whole country, offers about 50% of existing service price, and allows all cellphones except a few while the existing service carrier maintains its price and service and has no response to the new service introduction. This means that the market share of the new service provider soars when it is highly competitive with fast network speed and low price.

Introduction For a long time, firms have been improving product function, performance, price-performance ratio (hereinafter uniformly referred to as functional aspects of product design), and product appearance. Nevertheless, the current market situation is that many products in the same category are similar in quality, price and appearance. Product homogeneity leads to excess supply, and this situation is objectively long-standing. For consumers, positive emotions often play a key role in their purchase decisions. Yet, when most products seem to be similar, it is difficult to evoke more positive emotions of consumers to increase their willingness to pay. This paper shows that besides product appearance and functional aspects of product design, the connotations of product aesthetics should also be focused. In other words, aesthetic aspects of product design should include both product appearance and connotations. Connotations, as deep meaning inside product aesthetics, can evoke either consumers’ memories of the past or imagination of new creative ideas, or both (e.g., Starry night umbrella by MoMA Design Store, Sakura Masking Tape by Bande). Although the contents of memory recall or imagination might differ across consumers, positive emotions evoked in that process will increase willingness to pay. A new conceptual model is proposed in this paper, which shows that functional aspects, product appearance, and the connotations of product aesthetics could cause different psychological activities, and positive emotions evoked in those processes can enhance willingness to pay. When most products tend to be similar, the connotations of product aesthetics could be a promising area for firms today to make their products distinctive and increase their market share. Product Design and Consumer Emotions (1) Elements of Product Design Product design is considered as the set of properties of a product, including both functional and aesthetic aspects (e.g., Homburg, Schwemmle, & Kuehnl, 2015; Jindal, Sarangee, Echambadi, & Lee, 2016; Luchs & Swan, 2011). Functional aspects of product design consist of function, performance, and price-performance ratio. Aesthetic aspects mainly refer to product appearance, consisting of visual elements such as color, shape, and material. (2) Relationship between Product Design and Consumer Emotions Previous research shows that functional aspects of product design could evoke positive emotions like satisfaction, and aesthetic aspects could please our senses and make us feel delight (e.g., Bloch 1995; Chitturi, Raghunathan, & Mahajan, 2008). Furthermore, Norman (2004) points out that emotional factors can be the key to the success of product design. If a product could evoke consumers’ positive emotions, those emotions would arouse willingness to pay. If not, consumers might not have the desire to buy it. The Connotations of Product Aesthetics Evoking Positive Emotions of Consumers As Barnard (2005) suggests, as the deep level of meaning, connotations refer to one’s feelings or thoughts caused by a design. This paper proposes that the connotations in product aesthetics could either remind consumers of their past experiences or trigger their imagination to think about new creative ideas, or both. Emotional resonance could be achieved and finally facilitate purchase behaviors. In our daily lives, there are many products that have not only beautiful appearances but also the connotations of product aesthetics. For instance, Starry Night Umbrella by MoMA Design Store (Figure 1). MoMA Design Store released an umbrella patterned with stars, the moon and the sky that swirl, which reminds consumers of the masterpiece The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent Van Gogh. When encountering this umbrella, consumers who love the works of Van Gogh will have positive emotions and a strong desire to buy it. Cherry Blossom Masking Tape by Bande (Figure 2). Bande, a Japanese masking tape brand, launched a masking tape with sakura (cherry blossom in Japanese) petals design. Its real-like floral design can remind consumers of spring or their own stories with cherry blossom and trigger their imagination to come up with lots of creative ideas such as using it to decorate their diaries, laptops, furniture, and so on. Besides the original function of tapes, the connotations inside product aesthetics could encourage consumers to think creatively and feel happy. A Conceptual Model of Product Design, Positive Emotions, and Market Share This paper proposes a conceptual model (Figure 3), showing that different aspects of product design can evoke consumer emotions and those positive emotions have a positive effect on willingness to pay. First, functional aspects of product design are very important. Consumers compare function, performance, and price-performance ratio among many products, which is considered as a process of rational thinking. Products with high qualities and affordable prices can make consumers feel satisfied. Positive emotions (E1) evoked by functional aspects can enhance the willingness to pay and bring firms market share (S1). Then, on the bases of functional aspects, firms use different colors, shapes, and materials to make product appearance attractive. Sophisticated appearances of products can please the senses of consumers and evoke positive emotions (E2). That could increase their desires to buy and bring more market share (S2) for firms. Nevertheless, these two parts are what most firms can do today. To make products distinctive, firms should add connotations into aesthetic aspects of product design, which can trigger consumers’ memory recall of their past experiences or their imagination of new creative ideas, or both. Although the contents of recall and imagination are different across consumer, the arousal of positive emotions (E3) will enhance willingness to pay and finally bring new market share (S3). Thus, two equations derived are as follows: Positive Emotions = E1+E2+E3 Market share =S1+S2+S3 If firms take all these aspects of product design into consideration, their products will evoke consumers’ positive emotions adequately to increase willingness to pay, and help firms occupy more market share from fierce market competition. General Discussions On the market today, lots of products have beautiful appearances and seem to be similar in functional aspects of product design. To make products distinctive, this paper considers that firms should also attach importance to the connotations of product aesthetics. The connotations will remind consumers of their past experiences or let them imagine new creative ideas, or both. Positive emotions evoked during that process increase willingness to pay. That is a promising area for firms today to gain more consumers and new market share. Since the connotations of product aesthetics could be influenced by factors such as age and culture, it is important for marketers to investigate and analyze consumers’ understandings of aesthetics from different ages and cultures, then feed it back to designers to help them design successful products in the future.

This research focuses on the analysis of factors affecting the market share of retailers in Vietnam. This research uses Smith and Chaffey’s (2005) 5Ss e-marketing model for analysis, which include Sell, Serve, Speak, Save, and Sizzle. Both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to conduct the study. The researchers collected information from customers, managers, and directors in 25 retailers in Vietnam. A survey questionnaire was delivered to 15 people in each of the retailers who are customers, managers and directors. The researcher used the SPSS 16.0 software to analyze the data collected and in-depth interviews were carried out with the purpose of testing the hypothesis as well as the overall framework of the research. Out of the 375 questionnaires delivered, 360 were returned. The means of 23 items in the survey questionnaire ranged from 3.3733 to 4.3533 representing the outcome of the descriptive analysis. Research results showed that Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of five factors affecting the market share of the retailers is sizzle, save, sell, serve and speak. This research has proposed some implications for the market share of retailers, including technology enhancement for full message delivery, ways to approach target customers, and improving product diversity.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the underlying dynamics for the share market bubbles in China during the most recent decade. By using the behavioral finance theory and the Shanghai Composite index prices during the periods from 2005 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2015 as the study samples, we find that the large volatilities in the Chinese share market are closely related to information blockage, which impedes share prices to timely respond to economic conditions as well as external shocks and increases (decreases) the demand of shares when the supply is difficult to adjust. Although the Chinese government has introduced a series of programs designed to increase more reliable information to the public, the share market still tends to confront issues of information asymmetry. The potential reason is that the reforms did not change the long-stand situation in China, where individuals or groups related to government bureaucracy who play a dominant role in the society are given priority to gain access and obtain information that benefits. By identifying the main reasons for the large volatilities in the market, policy makers are given advice as to which areas they may need to focus on to improve future market performance.