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taken no action. Sale curve starts declining. Profit curve is positive but declining. Further
reduction in sales curve may lead the profit curve to zero. There is no improvement in the
product but changes in selling effort are common. Profit margins slip despite rising sales.
The bell-shaped sales curve is shown in the figure derived below.
(Insert the figure)
However, researchers identified some other shape of the product life cycle. One such
stage is growth-slump-maturity. In such a case the product gets immediate sale and
hence the sales curve increases and reaches to a point. From this point the slump stage
starts where the curve is steep. Reduces gradually and than continues gradually at the
maturity stage. This case is derives through the figure derived below.
Another one type of product life cycle is the cycle-recycle pattern. When the company
introduces its new product, the product passes through a steep expansion as due to
innovation of new product and this stage is called as primary cycle. After a certain level,
it shows down ward movement. Than gets momentum through out the life and passes in a
zig-Jack way called as recycle stage. These cases are generally found in pharmaceutical
products. The figure derives below clears the concept.
for innovative and imitative products. But with respect to promotion strategy, for truly
innovative products the main objective is primary demand creations, whereas it is
secondary demand for imitative products. In other words, due to the real newness of the
product appeal to the consumer rather than bran appeal as in the case of imitative
products .on the other hand, where the existing products dominate the market, imitative
products as new entrants should try to snatch away the market of other products and thus
establish their share of the market.
The success of innovative products in the introducing phase depends largely on the
promotional efforts and their positioning. But the success of imitative products is
conditioned by the extend of competition, the existing competitors, strength and quality
of their products, offered to the consumers through promotion and the life stage of the
exiting products. The duration of the introduction stage for innovation is generally less,
provided the products are effectively and extensively promoted.
Moreover, the number of possible product failures is also less with respect to an
innovative product. Because the direct competitive forces are absent the internal
marketing effort and efficiency is the major deciding factor for the products success. On
the other hand, the imitative products often fail because of the competition and counter
market strategies by the existing competitors.
Therefore, imitative products, which enter the growth stage should try to counter the
marketing efforts of the marketers and at the same time develop a good image and a
competitive edge by capitalizing the weakness of the existing products. The intensity of
competition will also differ in this stage for innovative and imitative products should plan
for product improvement or finding new uses for the product.
Thus the marketer can maintain his competitive edge and retain his distinction and
market share. The duration of this stage of product life cycle may also vary in both cases.
Imitative products, unless they are highly distinctive, of better quality and exceptionally
appealing to the consumers, have a short span of growth stage. On the other hand, ceteris
paribus, innovative products are likely to stay in the growth stage for a longer period
because they take considerable time for the imitators to come up with their own versions
of innovative products.
b. Maturity and Saturation Stages
Once the product passes through the growth or market acceptance sage in due course, it
enters the maturity stage followed by saturation. The former is characterized by increase
in sales but at a low rate and the alter by stagnation in sales. The maturity stage in a
products life cycle is characterized by increasing sales and profit, but the rate of increase
is less than that in the growth stage. This reduced growth rate is certainly due to imminent
competition in the market. Here one should not forget that innovative products face
competition from new and improved imitative market entrants from time to time, whereas
imitative products have to content with existing products. When the question of guarding
against the phenomena of maturity and saturation stages arises a clear forecast of the
setting in of these phases is essentially required. Otherwise, designing of effective
marketing strategies to prevent the early setting in of maturity and saturation is not
possible. Sometimes, if the products sales are close to the break-even levels, losses
become inevitable especially in the saturation stage.
Moreover, there may be a drop-out of the products at this stage if actual sales fall below
the break-even levels. In order to prevent such as eventuality, strategies such as product