Is reinventing Polaroid really an “impossible project”?

Polaroid went bankrupt eight years ago and the remaining stocks of film for the iconic Polaroid analogue cameras are just running out.  Traditional business theory (product life cycle) would suggest that Polaroid had reached the end of the road.  But enthusiasts want to reinvent a film that can be used by the installed base of Polaroid cameras.  This BBC video introduces the people trying prove the life cycle theory wrong.

One year left in the product life cycle of big brother

If you are looking for a slightly more up-to-date or youthful example of the product life cycle, you can’t go wrong with Channel 4’s flagship product Big Brother…

Product life cycle - end of the line for Teletext

After 35 years of providing TV listings, sports results and weather forecasts, the analogue information service known as Teletext is to be closed...

The Life Of Big Brother

Whatever your views on Big Brother, whether you’re glued to it or can’t stand it, your students are likely to be talking about it.

That makes it a useful tool to get students talking about product life-cycles.

As Channel 4 release pictures of the inside of the house it’s clear that once again they are looking to prevent the show going into decline with a number of twists.

Q&A - What are key parts of product life cycle theory?

The product life cycle is an important concept in marketing.  It describes the stages a product goes through from when it was first thought of until it finally is removed from the market. Not all products reach this final stage.  Some continue to grow and others rise and fall. 

Q&A - What factors influence the choice of a sales forecasting method?

The choice of forecasting method is influenced by key issues such as:

Product life cycle - which technologies will soon be declining into the scrap heap?

Rapid technological change is a key factor in determining the shape and length of a life cycle for many consumer goods.  No sooner have the early adopters encouraged the rest of us to buy a gadget or service, and a technological improvement seems to make our purchase seem very, well, “yesterday”.  So which technologies that we consider to be leading-edge today will soon be displaced?

Social networking and the product life cycle

Here’s a cool feature from Google which students could use to see whether online search can be a predictor of the product life cycle of a brand, service etc…

Blue Peter - End of its Product Life Cycle?

For 50 years, Blue Peter has been the cornerstone of children’s tv programming on BBC1.  However, recent viewing figures (a proxy for demand) suggest that the programme is firmly in the decline stage of its product life cycle…

Video Case Study - Product Life Cycle of the Standard Light Bulb

Here’s a great case study to use as part of teaching the product life cycle.  Supermarkets are phasing out sales of the standard 100w light bulb as consumers increasingly switch to energy-efficient lighting.  The 2-minute video contains some great shots of flow production back in the 1960’s too - the same production techniques are still in use today (based on my visit to a light bulb factory a few years ago).

Download student worksheet including video link