"Fitting Marketing Strategy to Varying Product Life Cycles"

John E. Swam and David R. Rink

Marketing Professors John Swan and David Rink presented research that concludes that
aside from the classical product life cycle, there are eleven distinct product life cycle
patterns. Swan and Rink both determined that a product life cycle is not fixed, but
rather sensitive to marketing efforts. Further, they believe they can enhance the concept of the
product life cycle for managers through marketing strategies and the identification of
patterns up front. The research suggests that product managers should not plan their
marketing strategy instinctively on the
classic product life cycle, and instead consider the additional cycle patterns to
which the marketing strategy should align. This article uncovers the eleven unique
product life cycle patterns and explains the importance of being able to distinguish patterns
from each to maximize the product life cycle.

Swan and Rink first examined the Classical product life cycle which involves slow sales
growth during the introduction phase, a very rapid increase in sales during the growth
phase, slow increase, plateau, a slight decline in the maturity phase, and a consistent
decrease in sales during the decline phase. Swan and Rink then uncovered the eleven
different patterns that they suggest marketing managers consider. These include Cycle-
Recycle, Cycle-Half Recycle, Increasing Sales, Decreasing Sales, Growth Maturity,
Innovative Maturity, Growth-Decline-Plateau, Rapid Penetration, High and Low Plateau,
and Stable Maturity (Business Horizons, 1982). These
additional patterns can demonstrate how a marketing strategy can match the different life
cycles and serve as a tool for product managers to fit strategies to different life cycle patterns.
Overall, the article acknowledges that the product life cycle is in part decided on by
demand conditions (which may be out of a company's control), as well as the firm’s
marketing efforts. The main difference between the eleven suggested ones, from the
Classical cycle, is a longer maturity period of fairly consistent or strengthening sales. The
article later provides support for each of the eleven cycles by describing relevant industry
patterns.

The article states, "the product life cycle is determined partially by demand conditions
that are generally beyond the control of business firms, and partially by the firms'
marketing efforts", (Business Horizons, 1982). Swan and Rink used multiple variables to
determine the additional patterns presented- some include cost, sales,
competition, and demand. More specifically, demand conditions were measured and
evaluated through demand analysis and the

degree of sensitivity from the product life cycle towards the industry and the marketing efforts of
the firm. From there, predictions were formulated and assessed for each product life cycle
stage depending on the combination of variables used. Further, Swan and Rink
present additional concepts they used including: "Realized PLC" (product life cycle), the
historical sales pattern for a given product, and how it can be analyzed. Second, "Future
PLC" is a concept that considers three main attributes in thinking about future
patterns that could have a direct impact on marketing strategies. These include:
"Demanded PLC", "Potential PLC", and "PLC Forecast".
The idea behind these variables is to fuel marketing managers with the tools they need to use
to adjust their marketing plans so that they can meet demand conditions.
Findings of the Study

The results of this study proved that the product life cycle is sensitive to marketing efforts
and is not considered fixed. Overall, Swan and Rink argue that the product life cycle doesn't
just happen on its own. Instead, many factors and strategies can be put into place by
marketing managers, to affect the curve. As a result of the sensitivity, marketing
managers must pay close attention to the options they have to impact plans. The data
supports Swan and Rink's hypothesis through , the article mentions the apparel
industry and how "it has developed systems of rapid manufacture and distribution of
clothing to live with the relatively short f as h io n c yc le ", ( B u s i n es s H o ri z o n s , 1 98 2) , to
d em on s t ra te ho w c er ta in in du s t ri es ha v e implemented efficiencies around a solo
product life cycle when in reality these cycles are sensitive.

Conclusions of the Study

Overall, the research study presented several alternatives to the Classical product life
cycle, which help to uncover and explain many scenarios that might play out. This research
was valuable in the sense that it stressed the importance for marketing managers to
adjust their strategy to meet the demand conditions that vary within the different product
life cycle patterns. This suggests that if managers can successfully alter their strategy as a
response to a cycle, they can gain more control over a particular outcome. The article outlined
the eleven different product life cycle patterns and identified events that occur at each
stage of the Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline, and notes how certain industries
operate, by providing specific business use cases where we might see these patterns.
Overall, the article is helpful for marketing managers during pivotal phases of rolling
out strategies and evaluating patterns and offers much more variation than the Classic
product life cycle.

Recommendations of the Study

It is recommended in this research study to build upon the supporting information by

including specific business use cases to either prove or debunk some of the patterns.
The article provided industry-specific examples but has the potential to outline some of
the key considerations at an additional level of granularity for a marketing manager to be able
to quickly detect and respond to. There is also an opportunity to quantify how often each of
the patterns is typically seen for the reader to gain more perspective on the trends.
Ultimately, Swan and Rink offered a significant amount of ideas and patterns that
marketing managers should be paying attention to, and serves as a great foundation
for how companies can learn to adapt their strategies to varying product life cycles.