The following limitations of the concept of PLC may be noted:
(i) It is very difficult to determine the particular stage in which a product is.
(ii) The determination of length of each stage in the life cycle is a complicated process.
(iii) It is not necessary that all stages can be applicable to every product.
(iv) Product life cycle alone cannot be a device for marketing success.
The life cycle model can lead marketers into thinking that products are born with a predetermined life span – which they will sell for a period of time and then inevitably go into decline. But well managed products can live for decades. For example, Procter and Gamble’s Ivory soap was introduced in 1879. By adapting the marketing mix as market conditions changed, P&G kept the brand healthy for over 130 years.
