英文文献与翻译:产品生命周期理论

外文翻译：

产品生命周期理论

原文来源：

Raymond Vernon..《International investment and international trade in the product cycle》

译文正文：

产品生命周期（product life cycle），简称PLC，是产品的市场寿命，即一种新产品从开始进

入市场到被市场淘汰的整个过程。费农认为：产品生命是指市上的的营销生命，产中和人的生命一

样，要经历形成、成长、成熟、衰退这样的周期。就产品而言，也就是要经历一个开发、引进、成

长、成熟、衰退的阶段。而这个周期在不同的技术水平的国家里，发生的时间和过程是不一样的，

期间存在一个较大的差距和时差，正是这一时差，表现为不同国家在技术上的差距，它反映了同一

产品在不同国家市场上的竞争地位的差异，从而决定了国际贸易和国际投资的变化。为了便于区分，

费农把这些国家依次分成创新国（一般为最发达国家）、一般发达国家、发展中国家。

典型的产品生命周期一般可以分成四个阶段，即介绍期（或引入期）、成长期、成熟期和衰退期。

就像是人类，产品也有它自己的生命周期，从出生到死亡经过各种阶段。

新产品投入市场，便进入了介绍期。此时产品品种少，顾客对产品还不了解，除少数追求新奇

的顾客外，几乎无人实际购买该产品。生产者为了扩大销路，不得不投入大量的促销费用，对产品

进行宣传推广。该阶段由于生产技术方面的限制，产品生产批量小，制造成本高，广告费用大，产

品销售价格偏高，销售量极为有限，企业通常不能获利，反而可能亏损。

当产品进入引入期，销售取得成功之后，便进入了成长期。成长期是指产品通过试销效果良好，

购买者逐渐接受该产品，产品在市场上站住脚并且打开了销路。这是需求增长阶段，需求量和销售

额迅速上升。生产成本大幅度下降，利润迅速增长。与此同时，竞争者看到有利可图，将纷纷进入

市场参与竞争，使同类产品供给量增加，价格随之下属，企业利润增长速度逐步减慢，最后达到生

命周期利润的最高点。

产品走入大批量生产并稳定地进入市场销售，经过成长期之后，随着购买产品的人数增多，市

场需求趋于饱和。此时，产品普及并日趋标准化，成本低而产量大。销售增长速度缓慢直至转而下

降，由于竞争的加剧，导致同类产品生产企之间不得不加大在产品质量、花色、规格、包装服务等

方面加大投入，在一起程度上增加了成本。

产品进入了淘汰阶段。随着科技的发展以及消费习惯的改变等原因，产品的销售量和利润持续

下降，产品在市场上已经老化，不能适应市场需求，市场上已经有其它性能更好、价格更低的新产

品，足以满足消费者的需求。此时成本较高的企业就会由于无利可图而陆续停止生产，该类产品的

生命周期也就陆续结束，以至最后完全撤出市场。

产品生命周期是一个很重要的概念，它和企业制定产品策略以及推广策略有着直接的联系。管

原文正文

The product life cycle of the products, as PLC is life, namely a market new products into the market

from the start to the whole process of elimination by the market. Vernon: refers to the city life, the life of

the marketing and human life during, experiences, growth, maturity, recession this cycle. Is product, also is

to experience a development, introduction, growth, maturity and recession. But this cycle in different

countries, the technical level of time and the process is not the same, there exists a large gap between

period of time, and it is this time, for different countries in technology gap, it reflects the same products in

different countries on the market competition status, which determines the differences between

international trade and investment. In order to facilitate distinguish the countries, Vernon, innovative

nation (usually divided into the most developed countries), usually developed countries and developing

countries.

Typical product life cycle generally can be divided into four stages, namely introduction , growth,

maturity and recession.

Like human beings, products also have their own life-cycle. From birth to death human beings pass

through various birth, growth, maturity, decline and death. A similar life-cycle is en in the ca

of products. The product life cycle goes through multiple phas, involves many professional disciplines,

and requires many skills, tools and process. Product life cycle (PLC) has to do with the life of a product

in the market with respect to business/commercial costs and sales measures. To say that a product has a life

cycle is to asrt four things:

products have a limited life,

t sales pass through distinct stages, each posing different challenges, opportunities, and

problems to the ller,

s ri and fall at different stages of product life cycle, and

ts require different marketing, financial, manufacturing, purchasing, and human resource

strategies in each life cycle stage.

Four phas of the product life cycle.

stage: (into)

From design to production into market entry test until stage. The new products put on the market, and

introduced into. Now, the customers have few varieties of products, product also don't understand a few

exceptions, the pursuit of new customers almost no actual purcha this product. In order to expand the

market, to producers, the cost of sales promotion product promotion. This stage becau of the restrictions

in production technology, product batch production and manufacturing cost is high, the advertising

expens, product sales price is on the high side, sales is limited, the enterpri may not usually profit,

instead of loss.

cond stage: growth

When entering into products, sales success, entered the growth. The product is growing by test results,

the buyer accepted gradually products. This is the demand growth stage, rapidly rising demand and sales.

Production cost greatly, rapid growth in profits. Meanwhile, the competitor will e profitable, participate

in the competition, to enter the market similar products supply, price increas, the enterpri profit growth

subordinate gradually slow down, finally reached the highest profit life cycle.

Stage 3: mature

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The product into mass production and stable to enter the market sale, after growing, with the purcha

of the products after tends to increa, and market demand. At this time, and more standardized products,

low cost and production. Sales growth to slow down, becau until the competition between enterpris in

similar products to increa in product quality, specifications, design, packaging, etc, increasing investment

in degree incread cost.

Stage 4: a recession

The product is entered the knockout stage. With the development of science and technology and

spending habits change wait for a reason, product sales and profit continued to decline, the products on the

market has aging, cannot adapt the market demand, the market has better performance and other low price

of new products, to meet the needs of the consumers. Now the enterpri will cost is higher due to be

unprofitable and gradually stop production, the product life cycle, and also has ended last completely

withdrawn from the market.

The product life cycle is a very important concept, and enterpris to develop product strategy and

promotion strategies have direct contact. Managers want to make his products have a long enough to make

sales cycle, the profit to compensate for the products in all the efforts and through all risks, we must

carefully study and application of the product life cycle theory, in addition, the product life cycle is ud to

describe the product promotion personnel market operation methods and powerful tool. However, in the

process of developing marketing strategy, product life cycle, but emed too, becau the strategy is the

product life cycle and the reasons of the current products, can make the person thinks of the best promotion

strategy, in addition, when the product performance in the prediction of the product life cycle u also is

restricted.

There are four stages in product life cycle. The are:

Stage Characteristics

1. Market introduction stage

 costs are high

 slow sales volumes to start

 little or no competition

 demand has to be created

 customers have to be prompted to try

the product

 makes no money at this stage

2. Growth stage

 costs reduced due to economies of

scale

 sales volume increas significantly

 profitability begins to ri

 public awareness increas

 competition begins to increa with a

few new players in establishing market

 incread competition leads to price

decreas

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3. Maturity stage

 costs are lowered as a result of

production volumes increasing and

experience curve effects

 sales volume peaks and market

saturation is reached

 increa in competitors entering the

market

 prices tend to drop due to the

proliferation of competing products

 brand differentiation and feature

diversification is emphasized to maintain

or increa market share

 Industrial profits go down

 costs become counter-optimal

 sales volume decline or stabilize

 prices, profitability diminish

 profit becomes more a challenge of

production/distribution efficiency than

incread sales

Lessons of the product life cycle (PLC)

4. Saturation and decline stage

It is claimed that every product has a life period, it is launched, it grows, and at some point, may die. A

fair comment is that - at least in the short term - not all products or rvices die. Jeans may die, but clothes

probably will not. Legal rvices or medical rvices may die, but depending on the social and political

climate, probably will not.

Even though its validity is questionable, it can offer a uful 'model' for managers to keep at the back

of their mind. Indeed, if their products are in the introductory or growth phas, or in that of decline, it

perhaps should be at the front of their mind; for the predominant features of the phas may be tho

revolving around such life and death. Between the two extremes, it is salutary for them to have that

vision of mortality in front of them.

However, the most important aspect of product life-cycles is that, even under normal conditions, to

all practical intents and purpos they often do not exist (hence, there needs to be more emphasis on

model/reality mappings). In most markets the majority of the major brands have held their position for at

least two decades. The dominant product life-cycle, that of the brand leaders which almost monopolize

many markets, is therefore one of continuity.

Thus, the life cycle may be uful as a description, but not as a predictor; and usually should be

firmly under the control of the marketer. The important point is that in many markets the product or brand

life cycle is significantly longer than the planning cycle of the organisations involved. Thus, it offers little

practical value for most marketers. Even if the PLC (and the related PLM support) exists for them, their

plans will be bad just upon that piece of the curve where they currently reside (most probably in the

'mature' stage); and their view of that part of it will almost certainly be 'linear' (and limited), and will not

encompass the whole range from growth to decline.

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