The four stages are defined as: (From a business to consumer B2C point of view.) (Added links for further explanation of each stage.)

• Introduction- Here the company tries to educate the consumer about how the product works, why its needed and work on distribution of the product.
• Growth- Now that consumers know more about the product, companies try to build brand loyalty and increase their market share.
• Maturity- Sales begins to slow and competitors appear to have the same or similar product. Companies are trying to defend market share.
• Decline- A product may become obsolete, need to be revamped or just continues to make sales. Some products do not face being obsolete.

The picture shows one way a product life cycle may evolve. Sometimes it may cycle back and forth between maturity and growth due to innovations of ideas. Where is Your product on this curve? Just because it is in the Introduction or Decline stage, doesn’t mean you should or shouldn’t be marketing the product.

In future posts I will talk about each stage in more detail.

Know the Life Cycle,
Sam Carrara

SC Marketing Education

Discover The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy
Triple-Your-Money-Back Guarantee at: Amazing Marketing

Copyright by Sam Carrara’s Marketing Education

J. Conrad Levinson writes in his Guerrilla Marketing book that it actually takes nine (9) times for the ad’s message to run before it sinks in.

Let’s look at the progress…

• The first time, the prospect pays no attention to the ad.
• The second time, it’s still virtually “invisible.”
• The third time, there is a flicker of recognition by the prospect.
• The fourth time, the prospect acknowledges the ad by viewing the advertiser as “successful.”
• The fifth time, the prospect reads the ad copy more intently, with more scrutiny.
• The sixth time, the prospect begins to consider purchasing the product.
• The seventh time, the consideration to purchase becomes more serious.
• The eighth time, the prospect plans the time to actually make the purchase.
• The ninth time “is the day you’ve been waiting for…your prospect actually makes a purchase, often with little sales resistance because the time you have taken for the prospect to notice your marketing has earned their trust in you.” Cha-Ching!

So how many times do you normally send your marketing message out?

Levinson goes on to say that “experts recommend advertising three times for credibility and seven to nine times for people to buy from you.” That’s because it’s frequency that eventually aids the message in burrowing its way into the consciousness of the reader.

Sometimes the prospect may only need 3 – 4 times. But to do it right plan on 9 times.

Once Is Not Enough,
Sam Carrara

SC Marketing Education

Discover The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy
Triple-Your-Money-Back Guarantee at: Amazing Marketing

Copyright by Sam Carrara’s Marketing Education

Try the page out (on your Bob the Builder cell phone above) and let me know if you want anything added. Just post a comment and we’ll see what we can do…

Going Mobile,
Sam Carrara

SC Marketing Education

Discover The Amazing Formula That Sells Products Like Crazy
Triple-Your-Money-Back Guarantee at: Amazing Marketing

Copyright by Sam Carrara’s Marketing Education