15. Life Cycle of the Products 产品的生命周期
(1) We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the instruction of instant coffee.When it was introduced,most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee and it took several years to gain general acceptance(introduction stage).At one point,though,instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity and many brands were introduced(stage of rapid growth).After a while,people became attached to one brand and sales leaved off(stage of maturity).Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees were introduced(stage of decline).
(2) The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this:Different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies.The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do not decline.One strategy is called market modification.It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections.Did you know,for example,that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military ?
(3) Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market,such as senior citizens.A marketer may reposition the product to appeal to new market sections.
(4) Another product extension strategy is called product modification.It involves changing product quality,features,or style to attract new users or more usage from present users.American auto manufactures are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets.Note,also,how auto manufactures once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling.