PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE/ EXTENSION STRATEGIES

CLICK HERE to use this excellent up-to-date example from the Business section of the Guardian - showing how SAMSUNG are attempting to extend the life cycle of their flip phone Z - by continuing to innovate and to offer something new to the customer.  

Please feel free to offer some of your own no doubt excellent examples in the Comments section below too!

SUGGESTIONS :

- Ask students to read the article and to list how Samsung are attempting to update their Z phones.

- Get students to suggest what they might know about Apple's plans for new updates which might help to counteract the moves from Samsung.

- Offer students the chance to investigate for themselves how Apple and others (Huawei etc...) might be planning to innovate their mobile phone products in the near future.

- Consider how difficult it is to try to ensure that the product life cycle is continuously expanding upwards.  Try to link the concept of the product life cycle with the Boston Matrix as well.

- Which well-known products might be regarded as in the Maturity phase?  Introduce the example of the Big Mac for McDonalds - and ask them to explain how this lack of constant innovation to the product is hugely beneficial to the company...  Link again to the Boston Matrix and Cash Cows.