DIGITAL PRODUCT MARKETS: FEATURES, PARTICIPANTS, AND ANALYSIS TOOLS

Abstract

The article examines the nature of the digital product as an object of supply on digital product markets. The study systematizes scientific approaches to defining the concept of «digital product», including the information goods concept, the notion of dematerialization, the layered modular architecture approach, the hierarchy of related concepts, and the blurring of the boundary between product and service. Based on this synthesis, the authors propose an original definition of the digital product as a good that exists in digital form, is transmitted through a network without a physical carrier, and serves as an object of market exchange either as a standalone item or as a component of a digital exchange ecosystem. The definition covers four types of objects, namely digital content, digital tools, digital platforms, and digital assets. A comparative analysis of physical and digital products is presented, along with a systematization of the specific features of digital product markets, including the absence of supply constraints, non-rivalrous consumption, default globality, a tendency toward concentration, and blurred industry boundaries.On the basis of the mode of value creation for the consumer, the authors develop an original typology of digital product markets and provide a comparative analysis of these markets by monetization models, network effects and the nature of competition. The composition and roles of market agents are identified for each market type, with particular attention to the two-tier intermediation structure in the B2B segment of the digital tools market and the distributed network logic underlying digital platform markets.The article further analyzes approaches to studying the competitive environment of digital product markets, in contrast to traditional industry analysis models such as the Structure-Conduct-Performance framework and the five forces model. These approaches include revenue-based sectoral classification, monetization-model analysis, multihoming and tipping-effect indicators, self-preferencing as a distinct competitive mechanism, and a diagnostic toolkit for digital product innovation.