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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryStrategy & FrameworksProduct Life Cycle

Strategy & Frameworks

Product Life Cycle

The model that products pass through introduction, growth, maturity and decline, popularized by Theodore Levitt's 1965 Harvard Business Review article.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

The product life cycle is the model that products pass through introduction, growth, maturity and decline stages. It was popularized by Theodore Levitt's 1965 Harvard Business Review article. Each stage calls for different marketing, from building awareness at launch to defending share in maturity and deciding whether to revive or retire a product.