chapter 11 Flashcards
Product Life Cycle
Describes stages a new product goes through: introduction, growth, maturity, & decline
Introduction Stage
When a product is introduced to its target market; slow sales & minimal profit
-GAIN AWARENESS
-Telling the market what the product is about
-Marketing obj for the comp is to create consumer awareness & stimulate trial
- Comps spend heavily on advertising & other promotional tools to build awareness/stimulate product trial
Ex:Gillette budgeted $200 million in advertising to introduce the Fusion shaving system male shavers & over 60% of male shavers became aware within 6 months
Ex: Smart TVs & electric cars are in introduction stage
Trial
Initial purchase of a product by a consumer
Primary Demand
the desire for the product class rather than for a specific brand, since there are few competitors with the same product
Selective Demand
the preference for a specific brand
- Pricing can be either high or low
Skimming Strategy
uses a high initial price to help the comp recover the costs of development as well as capitalize on the price insensitivity of early buyers
Penetration Pricing
Uses low prices to build unit volume; › but a company must closely monitor costs (discourages competitive entry)
Growth Stage
Rapid sales increase, profit peaks, competitors appear
-STRESSES DIFFERENTIATION
-People are interested in the product. Demand, sales, competition grows
Ex: E-book readers & 3-D printers are in growth stage
Repeat Purchasers
people who tried the product, were satisfied, and bought again
Maturity Stage
Slowing sales, profit decline, focus on differentiation & new uses
-MAINTAIN LOYALTY
› Marketing attention is directed toward holding market share through further product differentiation & finding new buyers/uses
› Comps strategy is to control overall marketing costs by improving promotional & distribution efficiency
Decline Stage
Sales drop due to environmental changes
-Something replaced the product & customers are not interested anymore
Ex: Digital music pushed compact discs into decline in the recorded music industry
Two Strategies to Handle a Declining Product:
- deletion
- harvesting
Deletion
dropping the product from the company’s product line (most drastic strategy)
Ex: CD/DVD players
Harvesting
when a company retains the product but reduces marketing costs. The product continues to be offered, but salespeople do not allocate time in selling & limited, if any, advertising dollars are spent to support it
Three Aspects of the Product Life Cycle
- their length
- the shape of their sales curves
- The Difference b/w Product Classes & Forms
- Length of the Product Life Cycle
there is no set time that it takes a product to move through its life cycle
› Consumer products have shorter life cycles than business products
- Shape of the Life Cycle Curve
not all products have the same shape to their curve
Four Different Types of Products
- High-Learning Product
- Low-Learning Product
- Fashion Product
- Fad Product
High-Learning Product
significant customer education is required & there’s an extended introductory period
-Takes ppl longer to figure out/doing new things
Ex: Personal computers & convection ovens
Low-Learning Product
sales begin immediately, little learning is required by the consumer & the benefits of purchase are readily understood
-Basically the same as before
- The product can be easily imitated by competitors, so the marketing strategy is to broaden distribution quickly
Ex: New flavor of chips
Fashion Product
style of the times; are introduced, decline, & then return
-Trends die & then come back
Ex: Crocs/Bell Bottoms
Fad Product
experiences rapid sales on introduction & then equally rapid decline
-Takes off super quick & everyone wants one
Ex: Fidget spinners, Beanie Babies, Stanleys
- The Difference b/w Product Classes & Forms
Product Class vs Product Form
Product Class
refers to the entire product category/industry
Ex: Prerecorded music
Ex: Cars