A major college textbook publisher has an existing finance textbook. The publisher is debating whether or not to produce an “essentialized” version, meaning a shorter (and lower-priced) book. What are some of the considerations that should come into play?

To answer the next three questions, refer to the following example. In early 1998, General Motors announced plans to launch the Cadillac Escalade, its first truck under the Cadillac brand name and its first luxury sport-utility vehicle (SUV). GM’s decision was primarily a reaction to the runaway success of such new luxury SUVs as Ford’s Lincoln Navigator and Mercedes-Benz’s new M class. These vehicles were exceptionally profitable; for example, each of the 18,500 Lincoln Navigators that sold in the four months after their introduction in June 1997 generated well over $10,000 in profit for Ford. GM had previously been unwilling to build a luxury SUV, but these profit margins were too large to ignore.

GM planned to introduce the truck as a revised version of the new GMC Denali, which was introduced in February 1998. However, some analysts questioned GM’s decision, suggesting that GM was too late entering the market; concerns were also expressed about whether GM would just end up taking sales from its other SUV lines.