Marketing and Sales

        We can see how the product life cycle works by looking at the introduction of instant coffee. When it was introduced, most people did not like it as well as "regular" coffee, and it took several years to gain gereral acceptance (introduction stage). At one point, though, instant coffee grew rapidly in popularity, and many brands were introduced (stage of rapid growth). After a while, people became attached to a certain brand and at this time sales leveled off (stage of maturity). Sales went into a slight decline when freeze-dried coffees were introduced (stage of decline).

       我们能通过观察速溶咖啡的推广来看产品生命周期是如何工作的。当它被开始推广，大多数人们和正规咖啡一样不喜欢它，并且它花了很多年来取得普遍的接受（产品推广期）。在某一个时期，虽然速溶咖啡开始迅速变得流行，并且一些牌子的产品被推广起来（快速成长期）。过一段时期，人们变得倾向于某一种牌子并且与此同时价格趋于平稳（产品成熟期）。当冷冻干燥咖啡被推广以后速溶咖啡的价格进入一个微量的下降（产品衰退期）。

       The importance of the product life cycle to marketers is this:different stages in the product life cycle call for different strategies. The goal is to extend product life so that sales and profits do noe decline. One strategy is called market modification. It means that marketing managers look for new users and market sections. Did you know, for example, that the backpacks that so many students carry today were originally designed for the military?

       对市场营销人员来说产品生命周期的重要性在于：产品生命周期中不同的阶段要求不同的战略。目标就是延长产品生命以致于销量和利润不会下降。一种战略被称为市场规划。它意味着市场部门经理寻找新的用户和市场区域。举个例子，你知道吗，现在很多学生携带的背包一开始是被设计用于军方的？

       Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may re-position the product to appeal to new market sections.

       市场规划也意味着在当前顾客中寻找增加的用途或寻求一个不同的市场，诸如高级市民。一个市场规划人员可以重定位产品以满足新的市场区域的要求。

       Another product extension strategy is called product modification. It involves changing product quality, features,or style to attract new users or more usage from present users. American auto manufactures are using quality improvement as one way to recapture world markets. Note, also, how auto manufacturers once changed styles dramatically from year to year to keep demand from falling. 

       另一个产品扩展战略被称为产品规划。它包括改变产品质量，特色或样式来吸引新用户或在现有用户中拓展更多的用途。美国汽车制造商正在把品质改进作为一种手段来重新掌控世界市场。另外，汽车制造商也曾经年复一年戏剧化地改变样式来维持需求不会下降。