Question:
(a) (i) Introduction and development- negative cash flows, low turnover, large overheads due to marketing expenses, marketing mix includes sales promotion.
- Growth- negative cash flows becoming positive, sales growing, profitability still low but increasing, marketing mix includes advertising.
- Maturity- cash cow, sales growing but at lower rate, profitability reached peak and starting to decline.
- Decline- sales falling, cash flow and profitability falling- either milk the product and delete from product range or use product-life extension strategies.
(ii) pricing objectives: goals that describe what a firm wants to achieve through pricing; form the basis for decisions about other stages of pricing; must be consistent with a firm's overall marketing strategy; can support the attainment of multiple short-term and long-term goals. (student needs to describe the pricing objective and the possible action.