Antitrust and Marketing: A Primer and Call to Research

GREGORY T. GUNDLACH is John W. Berry Sr. Professor of Business, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame, and Senior Research Fellow, American Antitrust Institute. JOAN M. PHILLIPS is Assistant Professor of Marketing, and DEBRA DESROCHERS is Assistant Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame. The authors graciously acknowledge the contribution of all the workshop and conference participants for their insightful comments and future research directions. As a body of public policy thought, antitrust is concerned with the competitive consequences of conduct by organizations engaged in exchange. Its principles and doctrine ensure that exchange is conducted in a way that benefits from the incentives and discipline of a competitive marketplace. From an antitrust perspective, safeguarding competition yields a well-functioning and prosperous economic system. Competition is considered the best means of eliminating excess profits; efficiently allocating resources; forcing firms to produce quality goods at the lowest costs, in amounts consumers want; and stimulating innovation to enhance the overall welfare of consumers (Shenefield and Stelzer 2001, p. 13).