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 general 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 one brand and sales leveled off（stage of maturity）. Sales went
into a slight decline（衰退）when freeze-dried coffees were introduced（stage of decline）.
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
not 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？
Market modification also means searching for increased usage among present customers
or going for a different market, such as senior citizens. A marketer may reposition the product to
appeal to new market sections.
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 manufacturers 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.
1. According to the passage，when people grow fond of one particular brand of a product，its sales will .
A. decrease gradually
B. improve enormously
C. become unstable
D. remain at the same level
2. The first paragraph tells us that a new product is .
A. usually introduced to satisfy different tastes
B. often inferior to old ones at first
C. often more expensive than old ones
D. not easily accepted by the public
3. Marketers need to know which of the four stages a product is in so as
to .
A. work out marketing policies
B. promote its production
C. increase its popularity
D. speed up its life cycle
4. The author mentions the example of “backpacks”（Line 4，Para.2 ）to show the importance of .
A. increasing usage among students
B. exploring new market sections
C. pleasing the young as well as the old
D. serving both military and civil needs
5. In order to recover their share of the world market, U.S. auto makers
are .
A. improving product quality C. repositioning their product in the market
B. modernizing product style D. increasing product features
参考答案
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