The Product Life Cycle Concept is
Based on Four Premises
Profits from a product
Products have a
vary at different stages
limited life.
in the life cycle.
Product sales pass through
Products require different
distinct stages, each with
strategies at different
different marketing
life cycle stages.
implications.
1-1
Product Life Cycle (PLC)
Describes the advancement of products through
identifiable stages of their existence.
Introductory Growth Maturity
Decline Stage
Stage Stage Stage
Total
Market
Sales
Time
1-2
The Diffusion Process
Innovators
(2.5%)
Early Adopters
(13.5%)
Early Majority
(34%)
Late Majority
Innovators Early Adopters
Early
Majority
Late
Majority
Laggards
(34%)
"The Chasm" Laggards
(16%)
Technology Adoption Process
1-3
The Diffusion Process
Early Late
Innovators Early Adopters Laggards
Majority Majority
"The Chasm"
Technology Adoption Process
1-4
PLC Length and Shape
Style Fashion Fad
Sales Sales Sales
Time Time Time
1-5
PLC: Characteristics
1-6
PLC Marketing Strategies
Stage Objective Marketing Strategy
Introduction Awareness & trial Communicate benefits
Growth Usage of firm’s brand Specific brand communication,
lower prices, expand distribution
Maturity Maintain market share Sales promotion, drop price,
Extend life cycle expand distribution, new uses
& new versions of product
Decline Decide what to do Maintain, harvest, or divest
with product
1-7
Limitations of the PLC
1. The life cycle concept applies best to product
forms rather than to classes of products or
specific brands.
2. The life cycle concept may lead marketers to think
that a product has a predetermined life, which
may produce problems in interpreting sales and
profits.
3. It is only a descriptive way of looking at the
behavior of a product and the life cycle can not
predict the behavior of a product.
1-8