BCG Matrix: what it is and how to use it in product strategy by Product Player The Product Playbook

Companies that did not establish a healthy market share during the growth stage drop out. Although firms have used both strategies successfully, penetration is the most common. It is used for nearly all types of products, while skim is typically reserved for fashion, fad, and novelty items with fairly short life spans. Under the slow penetration strategy, a product is introduced at a low price in the marketplace. In contrast, in the rapid penetration strategy, the firm sets the price at a low level but aggressively promotes it. The intention is to discourage competition and appeal to a greater portion of the segment at the onset.

• Looking at the figure, you can see a succession of product-form life cycles.
• 2) This matrix only considers other important aspects for portfolio analysis, such as competitive advantages, capital requirements, size of the market, etc.
• The statement given here is “true”, i.e. according to BCG growth share matrix, cash cows are market share leaders typically at the growth…
• A specific brand’s life cycle can change quickly due to changes in competition.

It can also help companies identify a new product to introduce to the market. Like stars, Question marks too may not always succeed, and if even after a large investment, they aren’t able to gain market share, they become dogs. Hence, careful consideration is required before investing in this category.

Common Symptoms of Inadequate Organizational Structure

The BCG matrix allows companies to analyse both their market position and the positioning of their products or services with a simple tool that is easy to use and understand. It provides the company’s stakeholders with a basis for thinking about their strategic choices in a relevant way. It allows them to identify the least competitive products and therefore to divest them by investing in products with a strong future. According to this model, the more the relative market share of a firm, the more the return.

There are many different tools of portfolio analysis being in use, but BCG matrix is the post popular, simplest and the fundamental technique. Many factors must be studied to analyze the industry attractiveness, such as industry growth rate, profit margin, and seasonal and cyclical industry trends. Economies of scale, entry and exit barriers, technological development, legal and social factors, etc. These factors can also be quantified similarly in which the business strength factors have been estimated. These are the firms that have slow growth and have relatively less market share. If correlating with the stages of PLC, these firms remain at the stage of late maturity or decline.

Stage 4: Maturity

Moreover, as the company gains experience, the cost of production per unit comes down, resulting in higher profit. Even measuring the exact market share is difficult since the new users are growing. Faced with a growing choice of products, the consumer may become confused and uncertain about selecting. The market is turbulent during the growth stage as competitors enter and fight for shares. In case the company decides to follow the rapid skimming strategy, it sets the price arbitrarily high to capture the early purchaser of the product. During this stage, potential buyers must be aware of the product’s features, uses, and advantages, which cost the firm a lot of money.

One thing that should be kept in mind is that the business units with low strength and low industry attractiveness should immediately be stopped, and the company should divest its capital. The important strategy for the firms in this zone is to invest and expand their businesses. The industry attractiveness and business strengths are high in the upper left corner, which is an ideal position. However, the other two cells represent realistic business situations. The middle cell of the top row indicates high industry attractiveness and average business strength. Though, if the firm does not improve its strength, the situation may be unfavorable in the future.

Marketing Strategies in the Decline Stage

If you want to use the product life cycle, start by conducting thorough market research and then move towards development. During the maturity stage, market saturation may occur and you will run out of growth opportunities. Competitors cash cow correspond which stage of product life cycle may have taken a portion of the market and many consumers are using their product instead of yours. The challenge now is to maintain the product’s market position over time and take certain measures to avoid any significant setbacks.

We spend a lot of time researching and writing our articles and strive to provide accurate, up-to-date content. However, our research is meant to aid your own, and we are not acting as licensed professionals. We recommend that you use your own judgement and consult with your own consultant, lawyer, accountant, or other licensed professional for relevant business decisions. We shall understand the five processes of making a BCG matrix better by making one for L’Oréal in the following sections.

What is BCG Matrix

In some cases, the pattern of growth-maturity-decline may be quite rapid, while in others, the product can sell at a saturation level for a very long period. It is also important to recognize that brands are subject to similar life cycle stages, although generally of a shorter duration. In the Coca-Cola BCG matrix example, Diet Coke and Minute Maid are Question Marks, as these products attract a modest audience, but still have room to grow.

One limitation of using the BCG matrix is it doesn’t account for any factors beyond market share and growth. This means it won’t give you the complete picture as to why your products are succeeding or failing. While the BCG matrix is a great starting point, it’s not enough on its own to guide the future of a company. In many cases, it won’t provide enough information for handling complex business problems. Dogs hold a low market share and operate in a market with a low growth rate.