摘要：This post will introduce the background and literature of the intensive reading journal article "Competing on Freemium: Digital Co
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“喆学（151）：精读期刊论文
《Competing on freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects》
背景与文献（2）”
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"Zhexue (151): Intensive reading of journal articles
《Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects》
Background and Literature (2)"
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本期推文将从思维导图、精读内容、知识补充三个方面介绍精读期刊论文《Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects》的背景与文献。
This post will introduce the background and literature of the intensive reading journal article "Competing on Freemium: Digital Competition with Network Effects" from three aspects: mind mapping, intensive reading content, and knowledge supplement.
一、思维导图（Mind Maps）
二、精读内容（Intensive reading content）
(1)免费增值策略(Freemium Strategy)
Freemium是一种公司策略，通过提供免费或基本版本的产品来吸引用户，同时提供高级付费版本。这种策略在数字产品销售中越来越普遍，涉及权衡：虽然可能损失部分收入，但可以提高产品知名度、增加需求或带来其他好处。
Freemium is a company strategy that attracts users by offering a free or basic version of a Product while also offering a premium paid version. This strategy is increasingly common in digital product sales and involves a trade-off: while losing some revenue, it can increase product awareness, demand, or other benefits.
Freemium策略是一种常见的数字产品销售方式，通过提供免费版本吸引用户试用，期望他们在使用过程中认识到产品价值并升级到付费版本。这种策略依赖于用户对产品的逐步投入和依赖，从而增加付费意愿。例如，Google提供免费的电子邮件服务，用户在使用过程中积累数据和习惯，最终可能因切换成本而选择付费。此外，用户对免费版本的依赖、忠诚度和感知价值的提升也是促使他们最终为高级功能付费的重要因素。
Freemium strategy is a common way to sell digital products. It attracts users to try the product by offering a free version, hoping that they will recognize the value of the product during use and upgrade to the paid version. This strategy relies on users' gradual investment and dependence on the product, thereby increasing their willingness to pay. For example, Google provides free email services. Users accumulate data and habits during use and may eventually choose to pay due to switching costs. In addition, users' dependence on the free version, loyalty, and perceived value are also important factors that prompt them to eventually pay for advanced features.
Freemium策略的另一个潜在好处是利用网络效应，通过提供免费版本吸引更多用户，从而增加产品的整体价值和需求。研究表明，免费版本能带来比单一付费版本更大的用户基础，进而转化为更高收入，要么通过将免费用户转化为付费用户，要么通过向付费用户收取更高的费用。尽管理论论文提供了解释这些策略如何工作的机制，但在现实环境中，往往只有一个参数空间是相关的，这使得实证研究在实践中应用这些策略时面临挑战。
Another potential benefit of the freemium strategy is to leverage network effects by offering a free version to attract more users, thereby increasing the overall value and demand of the product. Research shows that free versions can lead to a larger user base than a single paid version, which in turn translates into higher revenue, either by converting free users to paying users or by charging paying users more. Although theoretical papers provide mechanisms to explain how these strategies work, in real-world settings, often only one parameter space is relevant, making empirical research challenging when applying these strategies in practice.
现有研究中，竞争者对Freemium策略的影响是一个重要议题。虽然一些研究采用对称模型探讨两家相同公司是否采用Freemium策略，但这些研究未考虑数字市场中常见的不对称竞争者，如市场领导者和跟随者。Shi等人（2019）的研究是一个例外，分析了在市场领导者存在时Freemium策略的差异。然而，实证研究在测试Freemium产品竞争动态方面仍然不足。这表明，尽管理论基础已经建立，但在实际应用中，Freemium策略的实证研究仍需进一步探索。
The impact of competitors on freemium strategy is an important topic in existing research. Although some studies use symmetric models to explore whether two identical companies adopt freemium strategy, these studies do not consider asymmetric competitors such as market leaders and followers that are common in digital markets. The study by Shi et al. (2019) is an exception, analyzing the differences in freemium strategy when there is a market leader. However, empirical research is still insufficient in testing the competitive dynamics of freemium products. This shows that although the theoretical foundation has been established, the empirical research on freemium strategy still needs further exploration in practical applications.
研究表明，Freemium策略能从网络效应中获益，但具体如何影响市场结果尚未明确。Rietveld和Ploog（2021）的研究是个例外，他们探讨了社交媒体功能如何加强网络效应，并分析了Freemium策略与直接网络效应的相互作用。本文在此基础上，进一步考虑了公司市场地位和网络效应强度对Freemium策略的影响。
Research shows that freemium strategies can benefit from network effects, but how they affect market outcomes is not clear. An exception is the study by Rietveld and Ploog (2021), who explored how social media features strengthen network effects and analyzed the interaction between freemium strategies and direct network effects. Building on this, this paper further considers the impact of a company’s market position and the strength of network effects on freemium strategies.
(2)研究动机(Research Motivation)
本文探讨了网络效应对市场领导者和跟随者的不同影响，并通过Freemium策略加以放大。文章通过实证研究，分析了不对称竞争者在网络效应和Freemium策略下的行为，为理解这些策略在不同市场地位公司中的作用提供了新的视角，丰富了相关文献。
This paper explores the different effects of network effects on market leaders and followers, and amplifies them through freemium strategies. Through empirical research, this paper analyzes the behavior of asymmetric competitors under network effects and freemium strategies, providing a new perspective for understanding the role of these strategies in companies with different market positions and enriching the relevant literature.
三、知识补充（Knowledge supplement）
网络效应对市场领导者的影响主要体现在以下几个方面：
The impact of network effects on market leaders is mainly reflected in the following aspects:
1.用户基础：网络效应意味着产品或服务的价值随着用户数量的增加而增加。对于市场领导者来说，这可以吸引更多的用户，从而进一步巩固其市场地位。
1. User base: Network effects mean that the value of a product or service increases as the number of users increases. For market leaders, this can attract more users, thereby further consolidating their market position.
2.产品价值：随着用户数量的增加，产品的网络价值也随之增加，这使得市场领导者的产品对用户更具吸引力。
2. Product value: As the number of users increases, the network value of the product also increases, which makes the market leader's product more attractive to users.
3.市场壁垒：网络效应可以为市场领导者创造强大的市场壁垒，因为新进入者很难在短期内建立起同样规模的用户基础。
3. Market barriers: Network effects can create strong market barriers for market leaders because it is difficult for new entrants to build a user base of the same size in the short term.
4.收入增长：更大的用户基础和更高的产品价值可以转化为更高的收入，无论是通过直接销售、广告还是其他商业模式。
4. Revenue growth: A larger user base and higher product value can translate into higher revenue, whether through direct sales, advertising or other business models.
5.创新：市场领导者可以利用其庞大的用户基础来收集反馈和数据，从而推动产品和服务的创新，进一步增强其竞争优势。
5. Innovation: Market leaders can use their large user base to collect feedback and data to drive innovation in products and services, further enhancing their competitive advantage.
6.定价策略：在Freemium策略下，市场领导者可以通过提供基础的免费服务来吸引用户，同时通过高级功能或服务来实现收入，这种策略可以利用网络效应来吸引和保留用户。
6. Pricing strategy: Under the Freemium strategy, market leaders can attract users by providing basic free services while realizing revenue through advanced features or services. This strategy can use network effects to attract and retain users.
然而，网络效应也可能带来挑战，比如需要管理更大的用户群体，以及在用户期望和公司资源之间找到平衡。此外，网络效应可能导致市场领导者过于依赖现有用户基础，而忽视了创新和适应市场变化的重要性。
However, network effects can also bring challenges, such as the need to manage a larger user base and find a balance between user expectations and company resources. In addition, network effects can cause market leaders to become too dependent on their existing user base and neglect the importance of innovation and adapting to market changes.
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翻译：谷歌翻译
参考资料：谷歌、Chat GPT
参考文献：Kevin J. Boudreau, Lars Bo Jeppesen, Milan Miric. Competing on freemium: Digital competition with network effects [J]. Strategic Management Journal, 2021, 43(7): 1374-1401.
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