Some call it the bitter-sweet laddu, some look forward to it like a one-time-fame event, some call it a live-in license and most of them, find it scary.
Here’s a silly but thoughtful observation – what if marriages were products?
Imagine a well-packaged product that’s a part of every person’s life, no different than a toothbrush or washing powder. A product lost between management jargons and can be confusingly defined as an FMCG that’s customized to be a luxury product for everyone who is a niche audience for the same.
Now, let’s look at the Product Lifecycle of this not-so-Kotlerised paradox:
Launch Stage:
Like every product, the launch process for this one too, starts with research. Demand based or need based (arrange or love), the research for launching this product includes the study of demographics (here, it means giving a demo of yourself), psychographics (a few psycho aunties, sshh) and competition analysis (You sure about him? that US returned MBA is better na?). After all the research, the product launch is finally decided by the Board of bored senior citizens headed usually by an expert consultant – the pundit.
Growth Stage
(It literally grows on you)
After the launch party continued till Honeymoon, it’s time for reality check. The post-launch performance is judged by the ability to perform in bed (I mean snoring) and the cup of tea made. For the first few months, nothing stays more important than filling the gaps (of course between demand and supply). Hold on, the growth stage also includes launching a few sub brands.
Maturity Stage:
(Better known as the realization stage)
This stage begins with your sub-brands giving you sleepless nights (not the happy ones, but nappy ones). You lose your old friends and gain some new ones including a few soft toys. This is when your product gets exhausted and looks for a refined ‘bar’code.
Somewhere in the hustle of living up to so called expectations, the product slowly loses its charm. Though a part of daily life, it stays locked in an old photo album or a dust-clad frame hanging out with a few webs. And that’s where it starts declining.
The decline stage
(Or, a new beginning)
Just like a papad, soap or pickle, this product too reaches its decline stage. The brand loyalty becomes questionable and the recall value goes down the kitchen drain. The bedroom becomes like a boring boardroom and the hall hounds with TV serial music. That’s when you know that this product is soon reaching its expiry date. Just then, the grown up, mature understanding consumer within arises and revamps this product with the added features of understanding, adjustments and the forever tradition – hope.
