Advertising efficiency and the choice of media mix: a case of beer

Abstract

In this paper we use techniques from the efficiency measurement literature to evaluate the performance of six US beer firms in terms of their ability to translate advertising messages into sales. We employ quarterly data from the 1983 to 1993 period. Our results suggest that Anheuser–Busch was relatively efficient in its advertising and its choice of media mix, whereas most of the other firms in our sample were not.