
12-35: The maturity stage of the PLC Most U.S. products are in the maturity stage,
which means most U.S. firms must engage in
defending their market share.
In the battle for soft drinks, a very mature
market,, a 1% market share switch between
Coke and Pepsi can account for millions of
dollars in revenue
Ask students: What marketing activities
should firms engage in at this stage?
The market for mattresses is very mature.
However, brand like Sealy continue to
innovate to prolong the maturity phase.
12-36: A behavior in the decline stage? Ask students: If your company’s product were
in its decline stage, how would you determine
whether to update the product, continue
offering it for a small segment, or exit the
market completely?
Pirating is big – many would like to see a
decline in this behavior and for related
products to be in the decline stage of the PLC.
In fact, there is huge growth in downloadable
products to help copy software, movies and
music.
12-37: Strategies Based on the Product Life
Cycle: Some Caveats
Understanding where your product is on the
PLC is difficult. If a firm misdiagnoses the
stage, it can mean trouble for the firm.
Ask students: What happens to a product that
is misdiagnosed as being in the decline stage?
Answer: It will surely decline!