Comment: A conceptual framework for studying the interaction of demand, supply and the market environment in product line optimization

This paper examines the work of Michalek et al. (2011) and Tsafarakis, Marinakis and Matsatsinis (2011), published in this issue of the International Journal of Research in Marketing, within a strategic framework. This framework allows a consideration of how the powerful tools that the two papers propose can be harnessed within the overall direction and activity of the firm. On reviewing these two papers, one could concentrate on the algorithms and heuristics that make the complex problem of product line optimization tractable. Such an analysis would be valuable. Instead I concentrate on the strategic environment in which the optimization decision takes place to allow a consideration of applications and extensions within a managerial context. I do that by suggesting a framework for product line decisions after a brief overview of both articles. That enables me to examine managerial issues that arise in implementing such an approach in practice, many of which are addressed in the two papers. For those issues not addressed in the papers, I propose a set of research questions which would be valuable to managers.