2Lc
Column 2 · Competition and Timing · Era 1, Foundations (to 1969)
Product Life Cycle
Formulation, content · Major · Cluster I, Strategic Choice
Description
Levitt turned the product life cycle from a descriptive curve into a planning tool, arguing that introduction, growth, maturity, and decline call for distinct strategies and that managers can anticipate and extend the cycle.
Managerial Implications
Every offering ages, so plan the next stage before the current one peaks. Use the life cycle as a planning prompt: in introduction, invest in trial; in growth, lock in distribution and scale; in maturity, defend margin and extend use; in decline, harvest or exit deliberately. The practical discipline is to fund renewal while cash flow is strong, not after revenue has turned.