Personal Computers

Paper Summary:

The paper analyzes the variation in the requirements of each phase of a product life cycle for a personal computer (PC) from a marketing mix perspective. The paper notes that the phases of product life cycle include the product introduction, early and late growth , maturity and decline or harvesting. The paper relates that while there are many definitions of the product life cycle concept, the five phases defined in this paper are considered most applicable across the industry. The paper reports that Hewlett-Packard (HP) has created a methodology to assist their product management teams in aligning marketing mix strategies to each stage of the HP PC product life cycles. This paper describes how PC manufacturers align the components of their marketing mix to the specific stages or phases of the product life cycle.

Outline:
Synopsis
Marketing Mix Implications by Phase of the Product Life Cycle
Summary

From the Paper:

"In Toshiba's Computer Products Division the cross-functional teams include development groups in Japan and a large Marketing organization in Irvine, CA. Looking to optimize the marketing mix for major product introductions, Toshiba consistently relied on product-related messaging over and above any other. Sony on the other hand, created a marketing mix-based strategy during the introductions of their laptops that concentrated on transitioning from product-oriented to services and operations concentration with relative fluidity throughout the duration of the product life cycle (Rao, Perkins 2004). The key take-away from evaluating how PC manufacturers manage their marketing mixes during the Introduction phase is the concentration on synchronization across departments and functional areas to ensure a coordinated product launch. Depending on the broader or longer-term strategic objectives that a given PC manufacturer may have, a given product introduction may focus more on distribution strategy over innovative product messaging. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barry L Bayus (1998). An analysis of product lifetimes in a technologically dynamic industry. Management Science, 44(6), 763-775. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 32306221).
• Jim Burruss, Dorothea Kuettner. (2002). Forecasting for short-lived products: Hewlett-Packard's journey. The Journal of Business Forecasting Methods & Systems, 21(4), 9-14. Retrieved December 11, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 305703281).
• George Deltas, Eleftherios Zacharias. (2006). Entry order and pricing over the product cycle: The transition from the 486 to the Pentium processor. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 24(5), 1041. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 1152034371).
• Mika Gabrielsson, V H Manek Kirpalani, Reijo Luostarinen. (2002). Multiple channel strategies in the European personal computer industry. Journal of International Marketing, 10(3), 73-95. Retrieved December 11, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 212269951).
• Hau L Lee, V Padmanabhan, Terry A Taylor, Seungjin Whang. (2000). Price protection in the personal computer industry. Management Science, 46(4), 467-482. Retrieved December 12, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 54542679).

More papers on Personal Computers:

• Research Paper # 105955 : "Networking Personal Computers"
• Research Paper # 32345 : "Personal Computers in the Corporate Enterprise"
• Essay # 35987 : "Personal Computers"

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