Abstract:

This paper questions the concept of product life-cycle, and makes the point that in both theoretical and practical marketing it has often been used as an excuse for non-action. The analogy with human life has only served to reinforce it as a valid theory. The author calls for a new definition of the life-cycle concept, in socio-cultural terms. In this sense, a product begins its decline because it is unable to keep up with the process of social change affecting its consumers in the market. It becomes culturally obsolete. Editorial products are by their nature more in tune with the social environment and because of this they are easier to modify than industrial products. Case histories are presented, showing how this type of marketing operation was successfully carried out on two women's magazines of the Rizzoli Publishing Group in Italy using data from Demoskopea's Social Monitor.