Multibrand Transition Probabilities as a Function of Explanatory Variables: Estimation by a Least-Squares-Based Approach

A model is formulated to express the relationship between first-order Markov transition probabilities for a multibrand market and explanatory variables. The author shows that the parameters of the model can be estimated through a proposed restricted weighted least squares procedure. An empirical implementation of the estimation procedure illustrates the structure, goodness of fit, and predictive validity of the proposed model.