The impact of seasonality on the launch of infrequently purchased products

Few published articles have dealt with the unique problems associated with the management of new, infrequently purchased products that exhibit seasonal patterns of demand. Marvin Berkowitz demonstrates how seasonality influences the performance of a new consumer durable good, a new brand of battery-operated lights, during a 2-year period following its launch. The data presented support four hypotheses: (I) the newest brands in a product category, when compared to dominant brands, will be subject to higher seasonal variation in consumer awareness, advertising recall, product attribute positioning, and purchase intent; (2) the relationship between seasonal effects and brand share within a product category will not be linear; (3) differences between product attributes for competing brands will be most apparent to consumers during periods of peak seasonal activity; and (4) perceptions of product attributes that are most important in the buying decision are subject to the least seasonal variation. The article also demonstrates how seasonal variations may be charted and discusses how this analysis contributes to the overall management of the new product.