Glossary/Strategy & Frameworks/Product 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 Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated 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.