Final Draft:- ‘Product

Life Cycle: Case Study

of Coca Cola India’
This synopsis is submitted for the partial fulfillment
of course in Marketing Management for the
completion of B.B.A. LL.B. (H) course.

Submitted by: Aditi Banerjee, Roll No. 2225,

3rd Semester, BBA LLB (H).
Submitted to: Dr. Md. Safiullah, Assistant
Professor of Management
.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Writing a project is one of the most difficult academic challenges I have ever faced. Though
this project has been presented by me but there are many people who remained in veil, who
gave their support and helped me to complete this project.

First of all, I am very grateful to my subject teacher Dr. Md. Safiullah without the kind
support of whom and help the completion of the project would have been a herculean task for
me. He took out time from his busy schedule to help me to complete this project and
suggested me from where and how to collect data.

I acknowledge my family and friends who gave their valuable and meticulous advice which
was very useful and could not be ignored in writing the project. I want to convey most sincere
thanks to my faculties for helping me throughout the project.

Thereafter, I would also like to express my gratitude towards our seniors who played a vital
role in the compilation of this research work. I would also like to express my gratitude
towards the library staff of my college which assisted me in acquiring the sources necessary
for the compilation of my project.

Last, but not the least, I would like to thank the Almighty for obvious reasons.

Aditi Banerjee

1
 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work reported in the B.B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) Project Report entitled
“Product Life Cycle: Case Study of Coca Cola India” submitted at Chanakya National Law
University, Patna is an authentic record of my work carried out under the supervision of Dr.
Md. Safiullah. I have not submitted this work elsewhere for any other degree or diploma. I
am fully responsible for the contents of my Project Report.

2
 Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.........................................................................................................1

DECLARATION.......................................................................................................................2

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...............................................................................................4

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES....................................................................................................4

HYPOTHESIS........................................................................................................................4

SCOPE AND LIMITATION.................................................................................................4

METHOD OF RESEARCH...................................................................................................4

SOURCES OF DATA............................................................................................................4

RESEARCH QUESTIONS....................................................................................................5

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION...................................................................................5

Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................6

Chapter 2: Stages of Product Life Cycle....................................................................................7

2.1. Introduction Stage...........................................................................................................7

2.2. Growth Stage...................................................................................................................8

2.3. Maturity Stage.................................................................................................................9

2.4. Decline Stage.................................................................................................................10

Chapter 3: Strategies of Product Life Cycle............................................................................12

Introduction Strategies..........................................................................................................12

Growth Strategies.................................................................................................................13

Maturity Strategies...............................................................................................................15

Decline Strategies.................................................................................................................16

Chapter 4: Analysis of Product Life Cycle Model...................................................................18

Chapter 5: Case Study of Coca Cola India...............................................................................20

Chapter 6: Conclusion..............................................................................................................25

3
BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................26

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. To study about the stages of product life cycle.
2. To study about various strategies of product life cycle.
3. To study product life cycle of Coca Cola Co.

HYPOTHESIS
The researcher is of the view that the understanding of product life cycle helps the companies
in realizing when to introduce or withdraw a product and in understanding their position in
market as compared to their competitors, and influences success or failure of a product.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

 The resources on which the researcher resorts for data and information collection is
limited.
 There is time restraint which bounds the researcher.
 And, this research is limited to a particular area.

METHOD OF RESEARCH
 The methodology adopted for this research work is traditional i.e., doctrinal and non-
doctrinal.

SOURCES OF DATA

 The researcher focuses on obtaining information from both the available sources; they
are (1) primary sources of data, (2) secondary sources of data.
 Primary sources of data include first-hand information available like journals, district
plan goals, etc. and secondary sources include magazines, journals, etc.

4
 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The study seeks for the answer of following research question.

 What is Product Life Cycle?

 What are the stages of product life cycle?
 What are the strategies of product life cycle?

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

 For the purpose of research work, the researcher has adopted doctrinal research
method. In Doctrinal Research Method, the researcher has collected information
through library study, books and through surfing the web.

5
 Chapter 1: Introduction

All products possess ‘life cycles.’ The life cycle refers to the period from the product’s first
launch into the market until its final withdrawal and it is split up in phases. Since an
increase in profits is the major goal of a company that introduces a product into a market,
the product’s life cycle management is very important. The understanding of a product’s life
cycle, can help a company to understand and realize when it is time to introduce and
withdraw a product from a market, its position in the market compared to competitors, and
the product’s success or failure.

The life cycle of a product is associated with marketing and management decisions within
businesses. The product’s life cycle - period usually consists of five major steps: Product
Development, Introduction Stage, Growth Stage, Maturity Stage and finally Decline Stage.
These phases exist and are applicable to all products or services from a certain make of
automobile to a multimillion-dollar lithography tool to a one-cent capacitor. These phases
can be split up into smaller ones depending on the product and must be considered when a
new product is to be introduced into a market since they dictate the product’s sales
performance. Each stage has its costs, opportunities, and risks, and individual products
differ in how long they remain at any of the life cycle stages.

In this paper, the researcher has tried to throw lights on the various stages of product life
cycle and strategies that are adopted by the companies that influence the success of their
products. The researcher has also tried to analyse the product life cycle model with the help
of the case study of Coca Cola in India.

6
 Chapter 2: Stages of Product Life Cycle

Generally, there are four stages to the product life cycle, from the product's development to
its decline in value and eventual retirement from the market. 

Stages of Product Life Cycle

2.1. Introduction Stage

Once a product has been developed, the first stage is its introduction stage. In this stage, the
product is being released into the market. When a new product is released, it is often a high-
stakes time in the product's life cycle - although it does not necessarily make or break the
product's eventual success.1 

During the introduction stage, marketing and promotion are at a high - and the company often
invests the most in promoting the product and getting it into the hands of consumers. This is
perhaps best showcased in Apple's (AAPL) - Get Report famous launch presentations, which
highlight the new features of their newly (or soon to be released) products. 

It is in this stage that the company is first able to get a sense of how consumers respond to the
product, if they like it and how successful it may be. However, it is also often a heavy-

1
https://www.thestreet.com/markets/commodities/product-life-cycle-14882534.

7
spending period for the company with no guarantee that the product will pay for itself
through sales.2 

Costs are generally very high and there is typically little competition. The principle goals of
the introduction stage are to build demand for the product and get it into the hands of
consumers, hoping to later cash in on its growing popularity. 

This stage of the cycle could be the most expensive for a company launching a new product.
The size of the market for the product is small, which means sales are low, although they will
be increasing. On the other hand, the cost of things like research and development, consumer
testing, and the marketing needed to launch the product can be very high, especially if it’s a
competitive sector.3

2.2. Growth Stage

By the growth stage, consumers are already taking to the product and increasingly buying it.
The product concept is proven and is becoming more popular - and sales are increasing. 

Other companies become aware of the product and its space in the market, which is
beginning to draw attention and increasingly pull in revenue. If competition for the product is
especially high, the company may still heavily invest in advertising and promotion of the
product to beat out competitors. As a result of the product growing, the market itself tends to
expand. The product in the growth stage is typically tweaked to improve functions and
features.4

As the market expands, more competition often drives prices down to make the specific
products competitive. However, sales are usually increasing in volume and generating
revenue. Marketing in this stage is aimed at increasing the product's market share. 

2
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/product-life-cycle.asp#:~:text=A%20product%20life%20cycle
%20is,growth%2C%20maturity%2C%20and%20decline.&text=Newer%2C%20more%20successful
%20products%20push%20older%20ones%20out%20of%20the%20market.
3
I.Komninos, D. Milossis, N. Komninos, Product Life Cycle Management A Guide to New Product
Development, Urban and Regional Innovative Research, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
4
Ibid at 1.

8
The growth stage is typically characterized by a strong growth in sales and profits, and
because the company can start to benefit from economies of scale in production, the profit
margins, as well as the overall amount of profit, will increase. This makes it possible for
businesses to invest more money in the promotional activity to maximize the potential of this
growth stage.

2.3. Maturity Stage

When a product reaches maturity, its sales tend to slow or even stop - signaling a largely
saturated market. At this point, sales can even start to drop. Pricing at this stage can tend to
get competitive, signalling margin shrinking as prices begin falling due to the weight of
outside pressures like competition or lower demand. Marketing at this point is targeted
at fending off competition, and companies will often develop new or altered products to reach
different market segments.5

Given the highly saturated market, it is typically in the maturity stage of a product that less
successful competitors are pushed out of competition - often called the "shake-out point." 

In this stage, saturation is reached and sales volume is maxed out. Companies often begin
innovating to maintain or increase their market share, changing or developing their product to
meet with new demographics or developing technologies. 

The maturity stage may last a long time or a short time depending on the product. For some
brands, the maturity stage is very drawn out, like Coca-Cola. 

During the maturity stage, the product is established and the aim for the manufacturer is now
to maintain the market share they have built up. This is probably the most competitive time
for most products and businesses need to invest wisely in any marketing they undertake.

They also need to consider any product modifications or improvements to the production
process which might give them a competitive advantage.6
5
Theodore Levit, Exploit the Product Life Cycle, Harvard Business Review, https://hbr.org/1965/11/exploit-the-
product-life-cycle .
6
Ibid at 4.

9
2.4. Decline Stage

Although companies will generally attempt to keep the product alive in the maturity stage as
long as possible, decline for every product is inevitable.

In the decline stage, product sales drop significantly and consumer behavior changes as there
is less demand for the product. The company's product loses more and more market share,
and competition tends to cause sales to deteriorate. 

Marketing in the decline stage is often minimal or targeted at already loyal customers, and
prices are reduced. 

Eventually, the product will be retired out of the market unless it is able to redesign itself to
remain relevant or in-demand. For example, products like typewriters, telegrams and muskets
are deep in their decline stages (and in fact are almost or completely retired from the
market). 

10
Eventually, the market for a product will start to shrink, and this is what’s known as the
decline stage. This shrinkage could be due to the market becoming saturated (i.e. all the
customers who will buy the product have already purchased it), or because the consumers are
switching to a different type of product. While this decline may be inevitable, it may still be
possible for companies to make some profit by switching to less-expensive production
methods and cheaper markets.7

7
http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/

11
 Chapter 3: Strategies of Product Life Cycle

The product life cycle contains four distinct stages: introduction, growth, maturity and
decline. Each stage is associated with changes in the product's marketing position. You can
use various marketing strategies in each stage to try to prolong the life cycle of your products.

Introduction Strategies
In the introduction stage, the focus is on selling to those buyers who are the most ready to
buy (innovators).

Concerning the product life cycle strategies we can identify the proper launch strategy: the
company must choose a launch strategy that is consistent with the intended product
positioning. Without doubt, this initial strategy can be considered to be the first step in a
grander marketing plan for the product’s entire life cycle.8

The main objective should be to create product awareness and trial.

To be more precise, since the market is normally not ready for product improvements or
refinements at this stage, the company produces basic versions of the product. Cost-plus
8
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/product-life-cycle-strategies

12
pricing should be used to recover the costs incurred. Selective distribution in the beginning
helps to focus efforts on the most important distributors. Advertising should aim at building
product awareness among innovators and early adopters. To entice trial, heavy sales
promotion is necessary. Following these product life cycle strategies for the first PLC stage,
the company and the new product are ready for the next stages.9

Marketing strategies used in introduction stages include:

 rapid skimming - launching the product at a high price and high promotional level

 slow skimming - launching the product at a high price and low promotional level

 rapid penetration - launching the product at a low price with significant promotion

 slow penetration - launching the product at a low price and minimal promotion

During the introduction stage, you should aim to:

 establish a clear brand identity

 connect with the right partners to promote your product

 set up consumer tests, or provide samples or trials to key target markets

 price the product or service as high as you believe you can sell it, and to reflect the
quality level you are providing
You could also try to limit the product or service to a specific type of consumer - being
selective can boost demand.

Growth Strategies
The growth stage is the stage in which the product’s sales start climbing quickly. The reason
is that early adopters will continue to buy, and later buyers will start following their lead, in
particular if they hear favourable word of mouth. This rise in sales also attracts more
competitors that enter the market. Since these will introduce new product features,
competition is fierce and the market will expand. As a consequence of the increase in
competitors, there is an increase in the number of distribution outlets and sales are augmented
due to the fact that resellers build inventories. Since promotion costs are now spread over a

9
https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/marketing-management/product-life-cycle/what-is-product-life-
cycle/32115

13
larger volume and because of the decrease in unit manufacturing costs, profits increase during
the growth stage.10

The main objective in the growth stage is to maximise the market share.

Several product life cycle strategies for the growth stage can be used to sustain rapid market
growth as long as possible. Product quality should be improved and new product features and
models added. The firm can also enter new market segments and new distribution channels
with the product. Prices remain where they are or decrease to penetrate the market. The
company should keep the promotion spending at the same or an even higher level. Now, there
is more than one main goal: educating the market is still important, but meeting the
competition is likewise important. At the same time, some advertising must be shifted from
building product awareness to building product conviction and purchase.11

The growth stage is a good example to demonstrate how product life cycle strategies are
interrelated. In the growth stage, the firm must choose between a high market share and high
current profits. By spending a lot of money on product improvements promotion and
distribution, the firm can reach a dominant position. However, for that it needs to give up
maximum current profits, hoping to make them up in the next stage.12

Marketing strategies used in the growth stage mainly aim to increase profits. Some of the
common strategies to try are:

 improving product quality

 adding new product features or support services to grow your market share

 enter new markets segments

 keep pricing as high as is reasonable to keep demand and profits high

 increase distribution channels to cope with growing demand

 shifting marketing messages from product awareness to product preference

 skimming product prices if your profits are too low.

10
Ibid at 7.
11
Avvari V. Mohan, K.N. Krishnaswamy, Marketing programmes across different phases of the product life
cycle: An explorative study in the Indian machine building sector, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and
Logistics, ISSN: 1355-5855, Publication date: 1 October 2006.
12
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/marketing/marketing-strategies-stages-of-product-life-cycle/48630

14
Growth stage is when you should see rapidly rising sales, profits and your market share. Your
strategies should seek to maximise these opportunities.

Maturity Strategies
Most products on the market are, indeed, in the maturity stage.

The slowdown in sales growth is due to many producers with many products to sell.
Likewise, this overcapacity results in greater competition. Since competitors start to mark
down prices, increase their advertising and sales promotions and increase their product
development budgets to find better versions of the product, a drop in profit occurs. Also,
some of the weaker competitors drop out, eventually leaving only well-established
competitors in the industry.13

The company’s main objective should be to maximise profit while defending the market
share.

To reach this objective, several product life cycle strategies are available. Although many
products in the maturity stage seem to remain unchanged for long periods, most successful
ones are actually adapted constantly to meet changing consumer needs. The reason is that the
company cannot just ride along with or defend the mature product – a good offence is the
best defence.14 Therefore, the firm should consider to modify the market, product and
marketing mix. Modifying the market means trying to increase consumption by finding new
users and new market segments for the product. Also, usage among present customers can be
increased. Modifying the product refers to changing characteristics such as quality, features,
style or packaging to attract new users and inspire more usage. And finally, modifying the
marketing mix involves improving sales by changing one or more marketing mix elements.
For instance, prices could be cut to attract new users or competitors’ customers. The firm
could also launch a better advertising campaigns or rely on aggressive sales promotion.

Common strategies that can help during this stage fall under one of two categories:

 market modification - this includes entering new market segments, redefining target
markets, winning over competitor's customers, converting non-users

13
Ibid at 10.
14
Gregory E. Osland, Origins and Development of the Product Life Cycle Concept, Butler University Library,
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/62433731.pdf .

15
  product modification - for example, adjusting or improving your product's features,
quality, pricing and differentiating it from other products in the marking

Decline Strategies
During the end stages of your product, you will see declining sales and profits. This can be
caused by changes in consumer preferences, technological advances and alternatives on the
market.

For the decline stage, careful selection of product life cycle strategies is required. The reason
is that carrying a weak product can be very costly to the firm, not just in profit terms. There
are also many hidden costs. For instance, a weak product may take up too much of
management’s time. It requires advertising and sales-force efforts that could better be used
for other, more profitable products in other stages. Most important may be the fact that
carrying a weak product delays the search for replacements and creates a lopsided product
mix. It also hurts current profits and weakens the company’s foothold on the future.15

Therefore, proper product life cycle strategies are critical. The company needs to pay more
attention to its aging products to identify products in the decline stage early. Then, the firm
must take a decision: maintain, harvest or drop the declining product.

The main objective in the decline stage should be to reduce expenditure and “milk” the brand.
General strategies for the decline stage include cutting prices, choosing a selective
distribution by phasing out unprofitable outlets and reduce advertising as well as sales
promotion to the level needed to retain only the most loyal customers.

If management decides to maintain the product or brand, repositioning or reinvigorating it

may be an option. The purpose behind these options is to move the product back into the
growth stage of the PLC. If management decides to harvest the product, costs need to be
reduced and only the last sales need to be harvested. However, this can only increase the
company’s profits in the short-term. Dropping the product from the product line may involve
selling it to another firm or simply liquidate it at salvage value.16

15
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/product-life-cycle-strategies
16
DR. NEETU SHARMA, MARKETING STRATEGY ON DIFFERENT STAGES PLC AND ITS
MARKETING IMPLICATIONS ON FMCG PRODUCTS,
http://indianresearchjournals.com/pdf/IJMFSMR/2013/March/12.pdf.

16
At this stage, you will have to decide what strategies to take. If you want to save money, you
can:

 reduce your promotional expenditure on the products

 reduce the number of distribution outlets that sell them

 implement price cuts to get the customers to buy the product

 fin another use for the product

 maintain the product and wait for competitors to withdraw from the market first

 harvest the product or service before discontinuing it

Another option is for your business to discontinue the product from your offering. You may
choose to:

 sell the brand to another business

 significantly reduce the price to get rid of all the inventory

Many businesses find that the best strategy is to modify their product in the maturity stage to
avoid entering the decline stage. 

17
 Chapter 4: Analysis of Product Life Cycle Model

There are some major product life cycle management techniques that can be used to
optimize a product’s revenues in respect to its position into a market and its life cycle.

Product Life Cycle Management

These techniques are mainly marketing or management strategies that are used by most
companies worldwide and include the know-how of product upgrade, replacement and
termination. To comprehend these strategies one must first make a theoretical analysis of
the model of product life cycle.17

Nevertheless, a product manager must know how to recognize which phase of its life
cycle is a product, regardless of the problems in the model discussed above. To do that a
good method is the one, suggested by Donald Clifford in 1965, which follows.

 Collection of information about the product’s behavior over at least a period of 3 –

5 years (information will include price, units sold, profit margins, return of
investment – ROI, market share and value).

R. A. Thietart and R. Vivas, An Empirical Investigation of Success Strategies for Businesses along the Product Life
17

Cycle, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2631469?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents.

18
 Analysis of competitor short-term strategies (analysis of new products emerging
into the market and competitor announced plans about production increase, plant
upgrade and product promotion).
 Analysis of number of competitors in respect of market share.
 Collection of information of the life cycle of similar products that will help to
estimate the life cycle of a new product.
 Estimation of sales volume for 3 – 5 years from product launch.
 Estimation of the total costs compared to the total sales for 3 – 5 years after
product launch (development, production, promotion costs). The estimate should
be in the range of 4:1 in the beginning to 7:1 at the stage where the product
reaches maturity.

19
 Chapter 5: Case Study of Coca Cola India

This case study enables an interesting analysis of how a category's product life cycle can be
managed over its product value chain using a set of competitive strategies (for protecting and
increasing market share).

Pedagogical Objectives:

 To understand how product life cycle (of a product category) can be managed through
its product value chain through a firm's competitive strategies.
 To understand how Cadbury India stayed relevant and stayed ahead of competition
with continuous innovation through its product value chain.
 To examine how Advertising, Innovation and Distribution (AID) channels can be
used to manage/extend the product life cycle more effectively.

The Company:

Coca-Cola India is the Indian version of the renowned Coca-Cola company, the Consumer
goods firm known across the globe. The Coca-Cola Company started operating in India in
1950. However, in 1977, they withdrew operations from the country in protest of regulations
and legislation by the Government of India limiting the dilution of equity of multinational
corporations. On October 24, 1993, they decided to re-enter the market, and have maintained
a strong presence ever since.18

Coca Cola Brand Name Logo

The company claims to be supporting sustainable development and inclusive growth by

focusing on issues relating to water, environment, healthy living, empowerment of women,
sanitation and social advancement. Coca-Cola India launched the 5by20 initiative in 2010,
18
https://www.coca-colaindia.com/

20
which is the company’s global program to economically empower 5 million women
entrepreneurs across six industries by 2020. Coca-Cola India and NDTV launched the
Support My School initiative in association with the UN-Habitat, Charities Aid Foundation
(CAF) in 2011. It undertakes activities such as providing improved access to water, sanitation
facilities for adolescents, improving school infrastructure, supporting environmental causes,
building sports and recreational facilities, and recharging groundwater through rainwater
harvesting in government schools in rural and semi-urban areas across India.

Industry Consumer goods

Founded 1892

Headquarters Atlanta, United States

Gurgaon, India

Area served India

Products beverages

Number of employees 25,000 (direct)

Parent The Coca-Cola Company

Product Description:

Coca Cola Soft Drink

 Coca Cola- Cola Soft Drinks

 Introduced in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia by Dr. John S. Pemberton.

21
  The drinks contain caffeine from the Kola Nut and non-cocaine derivatives from coca
leaves, flavoured with vanilla and other ingriedients.
 Bottle Size- 350 ml, 500ml, 750 ml, 1500 ml, 2000 ml.
 Produces and sales are over 10 million unit cases of carbonated soft drinks per annum,
operating through 60,000 outlets.
 Competitors- Pepsi, Red Bull, Fanta, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Lipton, Nescafe,
Tropicana, etc.

Stage in Product Life Cycle:

Currently, Coca Cola is under maturity stage due to the solidity and capability of keeping a
large and loyal group of stable customers. The company is traveling longer period of time in
maturity stage than all other stages.

Target Market Strategy:

 Geographic Segmentation- Coca Cola’s consumption in the summers is 60% than

40% in the winters. Therefore, company’s sales are higher during summers. It also
focuses in hot areas in the world.19
 Demographic Segmentation- Target age group is 15 to 40 years. It targets all the
genders. For low income group, the company sells returnable glass bottles, and for
high level income, company sells coke in tins.
 Psychographic Segmentation- People who are brand conscious will not drink
beverages of lesser known brands. They will try to show their status by drinking Coca
Cola.

Branding and Product Characteristics:

 It is the most popular soft drink in the history, as well as one of the most
recognizable brands in the world.
 It has a unique brand name, stylish logo and colour.
 It has a unique bottle design.
 It uses world famous personalities for promotion and advertisement, which attracts
customers.

19
https://bohatala.com/coca-cola-india-marketing-project/

22
 Coca Cola Advertisement

 It uses affordable price starting from Rs. 35.00.

 Manufactures products based on age group, e.g. sugar free coke for elderlies.
 Available at different sizes of bottles based on customer needs.

Pricing Strategy:

 Price is set according to product demand of public.

 Price is set to gain maximum revenue.
 Price is neither too low nor too high as compared to competitors.
 Price is kept according to target market.
 Promotional Pricing- Coca Cola reduces price during festivals.
 Its objective is to target every consumer in the country, so pricing is set at such a level
which no one can offer to its customers.

Promotional Strategies:

 Coca Cola uses push strategy to induce intermediaries to carry, promote and sell the
products to the end users. E.g. it gives free pet bottles and other trade sachems to
distributors, agency owners and retailers.
 Coca Cola uses pull strategy to persuade consumers. E.g. it uses flangers, display
racks, etc.

23
 Coca Cola Promotional Display Racks

Improvement Suggestions:

 The company can make changes in the taste of product.

 The company can make changes in the design of brand name.
 The company can make changes in the design of the bottles and cans.
 The company can increase the number of distributors and participate in welfare
events.

Chapter 6: Conclusion

24
Without an understanding of the product lifecycle, marketers are flying blind. Strategic
decisions made under these circumstances tend to be short-term and not much more than
guesses. Using the product lifecycle as a tool for evaluating your current business situation
facilitates a longer-term perspective and can point out options for future strategic decisions.

Managing a product must not be taken as a part time job or function. It requires continuous
monitoring and review. Having said that, it is not clear why many companies do not consider
product management as a discipline. The answer lies in the fact that product management is
not taught as engineering or accounting i.e. does not have formalized training.

The product manager as the person that will make a new product work, needs to understand
and have a strong grasp of the needs of the customer / market and therefore make the right
decisions on market introduction, product life cycle and product cannibalization. To achieve
the above he must balance the needs of the customers with the company’s capabilities. Also
he needs to balance product goals with company objectives. The way a product’s success is
measured depends on where the product is in its life cycle. So the product manager must
understand the strategic company direction and translate that into product strategy and
product life cycle position.

The Coca Cola India is using right market strategies to increase the span of its maturity stage,
and to retain its share in the market. The company is adopting innovative promotional,
pricing and product strategies. The company is also modifying its product from time to time
to meet the changing demands of the market. At the same time, the company is trying to
penetrate the new segments in the market with an objective to target every consumer in the
country. The Coca Cola India is expected to retain its leading position in the market and rule
the soft drink market in India even in the coming years due to its right maturity stage
strategies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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 Harvard Business Review
 Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics
 Butler University Library
 Urban and Regional Innovative Research Journal, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
 www.thestreet.com
 www.investopedia.com
 www.quickmba.com
 www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk
 www.economicsdiscussion.net
 www.yourarticlelibrary.com
 http://indianresearchjournals.com
 www.jstor.org
 www.coca-colaindia.com
 https://bohatala.com

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