Plenty of products were once at the very top of their market globally, and today their sales have dropped off noticeably. A product doesn’t need to be bad to decline; it just needs the market to move on without it.

A “product” is not limited to a physical good, it can be a service or an idea, and every product goes through the same journey: introduction, growth, maturity, and eventually decline, often driven by intensifying competition. Marketing departments classify their products and build a suitable marketing activity for each type, from convenience products to specialty goods, raw materials, and operating supplies.

This training course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy is built for employees who want to sharpen their marketing skills, specifically, the skills that keep a product relevant and extend its life in the market instead of letting competition push it into decline.

Who Should Attend

• Marketing managers and product/brand managers.
• Business strategy specialists.
• Employees interested in developing new products.
• Managers and owners of commercial enterprises aiming to grow their business.
• Staff in information departments and technical development units.

What Participants Will Take Away

• A solid understanding of the product concept and its different classifications.
• The product lifecycle and the stages it moves through.
• How to develop new products and improve the quality of existing ones.
• The general characteristics of products, and how to differentiate between them in a competitive market.
• How to extend a product’s lifespan in the market.
• Why introducing or developing new products matters for long-term survival.

Module 1: The Product Lifecycle — Introduction, Growth, Maturity, Decline

• The stages every product moves through, and what each one demands.
• Strategies for managing a product effectively at each stage.

Module 2: Reading the Market Before You Act

• Conducting research to understand real market demand.
• Analysing competitors to spot differentiation opportunities.

Module 3: Positioning a Product to Win

• Defining a product’s role and identity in a competitive market.
• Building competitive advantage through deliberate positioning.

Module 4: Keeping a Product Relevant for Longer

• Techniques for sustaining growth, including product updates and rebranding.
• Using customer feedback and market trends to stay relevant.

Module 5: Growing Through Line Extensions and Renewal

• Adding complementary products or features to widen a product’s appeal.
• Techniques for boosting demand during the maturity phase, including new promotional strategies and market exploration.

Module 6: Winning Customer Loyalty

• Building loyalty that extends a product’s life in the market.
• Using personalised marketing and retention strategies.

Module 7: Knowing When to Exit — or Reinvent

• Recognising the signs of decline and planning an exit strategy.
• Options for repurposing or rebranding a product instead of retiring it.
• Real case studies of products that extended their market survival, with practical exercises.