Alvin J. Silk

Alvin J. Silk is Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration Emeritus at the Harvard Business School. His research interests are in the economics of the advertising and marketing services industry, the development and management of advertising campaigns, and decision support systems in marketing.

He served as head of the marketing unit, introduced “Brand Marketing” as an elective in the MBA program and taught “Research Design and Measurement” in the doctoral program. Prior to coming to Harvard in 1989, he was a member of the faculty at MIT’s Sloan School of Management from 1968-88 where he was Erwin Schell Professor and Deputy Dean (1981-88). Earlier, he was a member of the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (1963-66) and the University of Chicago (1966-68). Silk received his BA (Honors) from the University of Western Ontario, MBA (with distinction) and Ph.D. from the Kellogg School, Northwestern University.

Journal Articles

• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Aggregate Advertising Expenditure in the U.S. Economy: Measurement and Growth Issues in the Digital Era." Foundations and Trends® in Marketing 15, no. 1 (2021): 1–85. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Birger Wernerfelt, and Shuyi Yu. "Internalization of Advertising Services: Testing a Theory of the Firm." Marketing Science 40, no. 5 (September–October 2021): 946–963. View Details
• Befurt, Rene, and Alvin J. Silk. "How Purchase Probability Scales Can Shed Light on Consumer Purchase Intentions." Landslide: Advancing Intellectual Property Law 12, no. 1 (September–October 2019): 51–54. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Marta M. Stiglin. "Build It, Buy It, or Both? Rethinking the Sourcing of Advertising Services." International Journal of Marketing Studies 8, no. 1 (February 2016). View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Charles King III. "How Concentrated Is the U.S. Advertising and Marketing Services Industry? Myth vs. Reality." Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising 34, no. 1 (2013): 166–193. View Details
• Horsky, Sharon, Steven C. Michael, and Alvin J. Silk. "The Internalization of Advertising Services: An Inter-Industry Analysis." Review of Marketing Science 10, no. 1 (2012). View Details
• Arzaghi, Mohammad, Ernst R. Berndt, James C. Davis, and Alvin J. Silk. "The Unbundling of Advertising Agency Services: An Economic Analysis." Review of Marketing Science 10, no. 1 (2012). View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Conflict Policy and Advertising Agency-Client Relations: The Problem of Competing Clients Sharing a Common Agency." Foundations and Trends® in Marketing 6, no. 2 (2012): 63–149. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Holding Companies: Size-Related Cost Economies." AdMap, no. 464 (September 2005): 51–53. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Holding Company Cost Economies in the Global Advertising and Marketing Services Business." Art. 5. Review of Marketing Science 2, no. 1 (June 2004). View Details
• Weissman, Joel S., David Blumenthal, Alvin J. Silk, Michael Newman, Kinga Zapert, Robert Leitman, and Sandra Feibelmann. "Physicians Report on Patient Encounters Involving Direct-To-Consumer Advertising." Health Affairs 10, no. 1377 (April 28, 2004): w4–219 – w4–233. View Details
• King, Charles, III, Alvin J. Silk, and Niels Ketelhohn. "Knowledge Spillovers and Growth in the Disagglomeration of the U.S. Advertising Agency Industry." Journal of Economics & Management Strategy 12, no. 3 (fall 2003): 327–362. View Details
• Weissman, Joel S., David Blumenthal, Alvin J. Silk, Kinga Zapert, Michael Newman, and Robert Leitman. "Consumers' Reports on the Health Effects of Direct-To-Consumer Drug Advertising." Health Affairs (February 26, 2003). View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa R. Klein, and Ernst R. Berndt. "Intermedia Substitutability and Market Demand by National Advertisers." Review of Industrial Organization 20, no. 4 (June 2002): 323–348. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa R. Klein, and Ernst R. Berndt. "The Emerging Position of the Internet as an Advertising Medium." Netnomics 3, no. 2 (September 2001): 129–148. View Details
• Silk, A. J., and E. R. Berndt. "Costs, Institutional Mobility Barriers, and Market Structure: Advertising Agencies as Multiproduct Firms." Journal of Economics & Management Strategy 3 (fall 1994): 437–480. View Details
• Silk, A. J. "Marketing Science in a Changing Environment." Journal of Marketing Research (JMR) 30 (November 1993): 401–404. View Details
• Silk, A. J., and E. Berndt. "Scale and Scope Effects on Advertising Agency Costs." Marketing Science 12 (winter 1993): 1–20. View Details

Book Chapters

• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Cost Economies in the Global Advertising and Marketing Services Business." In The Global Market: Developing a Strategy to Manage Across Borders, edited by John A. Quelch and Rohit Deshpandé, 217–257. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004. View Details
• Dolan, R. J., and A. J. Silk. "Marketing Planning and Organization." In Strategic Marketing Management, by R. J. Dolan. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1991. View Details
• Silk, A. J. "Questionnaire Design and Development." In MBA Field Studies: A Guide for Students and Faculty, edited by E. R. Corey. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1990. View Details

Working Papers

• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Aggregate Advertising Expenditure in the U.S. Economy: What's Up? Is It Real?" NBER Working Paper Series, No. 28161, December 2020. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Marta M. Stiglin. "Build It, Buy It or Both? Rethinking the Sourcing of Advertising Services." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 15-093, June 2015. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Conflict Policy and Advertising Agency-Client Relations: The Problem of Competing Clients Sharing a Common Agency." Marketing Science Institute Report, No. 12-104, May 2012. View Details
• Arzaghi, Mohammad, Ernst R. Berndt, James C. Davis, and Alvin J. Silk. "The Unbundling of Advertising Agency Services: An Economic Analysis." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-039, September 2010. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Charles King III. "Concentration Levels in the U.S. Advertising and Marketing Services Industry: Myth vs. Reality." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 09-044, September 2008. View Details
• Arzaghi, Mohammad, Ernst R. Berndt, James C. Davis, and Alvin J. Silk. "Economic Factors Underlying the Unbundling of Advertising Agency Services." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 14345, September 2008. View Details
• Horsky, Sharon, Steven C. Michael, and Alvin J. Silk. "The Internalization of Advertising Services: An Inter-Industry Analysis." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 09-007, July 2008. View Details
• Bonfrer, Andre, Ernest R. Berndt, and Alvin J. Silk. "Anomalies in Estimates of Cross-Elasticities for Marketing Mix Models: Theory and Empirical Test." NBER Working Paper Series, No. 12756, December 2006. View Details
• Horsky, Sharon, Steven C. Michael, and Alvin J. Silk. "On Inter-industry Variation in the Vertical Integration of Advertising Services." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 06-025, December 2005. View Details
• King, Charles, III, Alvin J. Silk, and Niels Ketelhohn. "Knowledge Spillovers and Growth in the Disagglomeration of the U.S. Advertising Agency Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 03-049, October 2002. View Details
• King, Charles, Alvin J. Silk, and Niels Ketelhohn. "Geographic Concentration, Knowledge Spillovers, and Growth in the Evolution of the U.S. Advertising Agency Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 01-024, February 2001. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa R. Klein, and Ernst R. Berndt. "Restructuring in the U.S. Advertising Media Industry." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 99-126, May 1999. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa R. Klein, and Ernst R. Berndt. "Intermedia Substitutability in the U.S. National Advertising Market." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 98-005, July 1997. View Details

Cases and Teaching Materials

• Gupta, Sunil, and Alvin J. Silk. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 521-108, May 2021. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Sunil Gupta. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (Abridged)." Harvard Business School Case 519-019, June 2018. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (A), (B), and (C)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 919-408, January 2019. View Details
• Rayport, Jeffrey F., Alvin J. Silk, Lisa Klein Pearo, and Thomas A. Gerace. "Virtual Vineyards." Harvard Business School Case 396-264, April 1996. (Revised April 2004.) View Details
• King, Charles, III, Alvin J. Silk, Ernst R. Berndt, and Lisa R. Klein. "Pepcid AC: Racing to the OTC Market." Harvard Business School Case 500-073, February 2000. (Revised June 2003.) View Details
• King, Charles, III, Alvin J. Silk, and Ann Leamon. "Pepcid AC: Racing to the OTC Market (TN)." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 503-107, June 2003. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Notes on Reliability and Attitude Measurement." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-087, January 1994. (Revised March 2000.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Note on Statistical Tests for a Randomized Matched Pair Experimental Design, A." Harvard Business School Background Note 500-007, July 1999. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Bruce Issacson, and Marie Bell. "Vistakon: 1 Day Acuvue Disposable Contact Lenses." Harvard Business School Case 596-087, March 1996. (Revised February 1999.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Bruce Isaacson. "Philip Morris: Marlboro Friday (A)." Harvard Business School Case 596-001, September 1995. (Revised December 1997.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Lisa Klein Pearo. "Dewar's (A): Brand Repositioning in the 1990's." Harvard Business School Case 596-076, March 1996. (Revised November 1997.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Lisa Klein Pearo. "Dewar's (C): Exploring New Media Opportunities." Harvard Business School Case 596-094, March 1996. (Revised November 1997.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Lisa Klein Pearo. "Dewar's (B): Preliminary Results of the Repositioning Campaign." Harvard Business School Case 596-085, March 1996. (Revised October 1997.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Mary Shelman. "RiceSelect." Harvard Business School Case 595-033, November 1994. (Revised September 1996.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Bruce Isaacson. "Philip Morris: Marlboro Friday (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 596-002, September 1995. (Revised May 1996.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Brand Valuation Methodology: A Simple Example." Harvard Business School Background Note 596-092, January 1996. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Notes on Stratified Sampling Design." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-093, February 1994. (Revised October 1995.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., and Jamie Harper. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 595-037, October 1994. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa Klein Pearo, and Jamie Harper. "BayFunds." Harvard Business School Case 595-031, September 1994. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (A)." Harvard Business School Case 594-001, August 1993. (Revised May 1994.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "American Airlines' Value Pricing (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 594-019, July 1993. (Revised May 1994.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Notes on Thurstone Scaling." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-088, March 1994. (Revised April 1994.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Notes on Scalogram Analysis." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-090, April 1994. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Notes on Factor Analysis." Harvard Business School Background Note 594-091, April 1994. View Details
• Silk, Alvin J. "Questionnaire Design and Development." Harvard Business School Background Note 590-015, February 1990. (Revised August 1990.) View Details

Other Publications and Materials

• Silk, Alvin J., and Ernst R. Berndt. "Scale and Scope Economies in the Global Advertising and Marketing Services Business." NBER Working Paper Series, October 2003. (1050 Massachusetts Ave.,Cambridge, MA 02138.) View Details
• Silk, Alvin J., Lisa R. Klein, and Ernst R. Berndt. "Intermedia Substitutability and Market Demand by National Advertisers." NBER Working Paper Series, December 2001. View Details

Research Summary

Overview

ECONOMICS OF THE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING SERVICEC INDUSTRY

Professor Silk’s recent research has been focused on the economics of the advertising and marketing services industry. He has conducted econometric studies of the effects of scale and scope on the operating costs of U.S. advertising agencies (Silk and Berndt 1993) and global holding companies (Silk and Berndt 2004, 2005). He has also investigated how institutional arrangements and practices have changed over time including, policies governing conflicts in advertising agency-client relations arising from competing clients being served by a common agency (Silk and Berndt 1994, Silk 2012) and the unbundling of advertising agency services (Arzaghi et al. 2012). Finally, he done a series of longitudinal studies relating to changes in the structure and organization of the U.S. advertising and marketing services industry; specifically, the internalization of advertising services by sellers (Horsky, Michael, and Silk 2012), the geographical dispersion advertising agencies in the U.S. (King, Silk, and Ketelhohn 2003), and concentration levels and the size structure of: (a) establishments and firms in the various sectors comprising the advertising and marketing services industry, and (b) holding companies that own and operate networks of such firms (Silk and King 2013).

Professor Silk has published research on several other advertising topics including the inter-media substitutability in national advertising (Silk, Klein, and Berndt 2002), the position of the internet as an advertising medium (Silk, Klein, and Berndt 2001) and consumer and physician reaction to direct-to-consumer drug advertising (Weisman et al., 2003, 2004).

His earlier work had focused on two areas: (a) developing model and measurement systems to support decisions in the areas of new product development and marketing communications; and (b) methodological issues affecting the reliability and validity of data collection procedures widely used in research on consumer and organizational buying behavior. See Silk’s curriculum vita for a listing of publications on these topics.

Awards & Honors

Winner of the 1982 Management Science Achievement Finalist Award from The Institute of Management Sciences (with A. Kuritsky, J. Little and E. Bassman) for “The Development, Testing, and Execution of a New Marketing Strategy at AT&T Longline” Interfaces, Vol. 12, No. 6 (December 1982), pp. 22-37.

Winner of the 1983 William F. O'Dell Award from the American Marketing Association for the Most Significant Article Published in the Journal of Marketing Research during 1978 (with G. Urban) for “Pre-Test-Market Evaluation of New Packaged Goods: A Model and Measurement Methodology” Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 15, No. 2 (May 1978), pp. 171-191.

Winner of the 1983 Management Science Achievement Finalist Award from The Institute of Management Sciences (with G. Urban, G. Katz, and T. Hatch) for “The ASSESSOR Pre-Test Market Evaluation System,” Interfaces, Vol. 13, No. 6 (December 1983), pp. 38-59.

Honorable Mention in 1983 competition for "Best Article in the Marketing Science Literature, 1982" from the College of Marketing at The Institute of Management Sciences for the paper with M. Kalwani, “On the Reliability and Predictive Validity of Purchase Intentions Measures,” Marketing Science, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Summer 1982), pp. 243-286.

Named an Honorary Fellow of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management, Brussels, in 1998.

Honored as the 1998–1999 Wroe Alderson Distinguished Lecturer, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Named a 2001 Distinguished Research Associate at the Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge, MA.

Named Edelman Laureate by INFORMS in 2013 in recognition of having been the recipient of Management Science Achievement Awards on two occasion (1982 and 1983) for innovative applications of operations research and management science that had a demonstrable impact on management practice.

Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa (L.L.D.), in 2015 from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Additional Information

Professor Silk's CV

• Curriculum Vitae

Areas of Interest

• business marketing
• corporate strategy
• economics
• marketing
• organizational design
Additional Topics
• banks and banking
• big data
• conflicts of interest
• contracts
• creativity
• customer relationship management
• decision support
• decision-making
• digital economy
• econometrics
• economic history
• economic sociology
• experimentation
• make v. buy
• market efficiency
• market institutions
• statistics
• word of mouth
Industries
• advertising
• communications
• consumer products
• e-commerce industry
• management consulting
• marketing industry
• media
• professional services
Geographies
• Belgium
• Cambodia
• China
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom