Because consumer tastes are changing rapidly, demand for a new product swells quickly but disappears rapidly as well. That is why, from drawing board to showroom to sale, marketers have to move quickly and fast forward their act.

This impacts everything: from product development to logistics to distribution, to marketing communication. Marketers have to invest heavily in a short span of time for the maximum returns. The gains are great, so too are the risks. This is evident in a wide range of categories.

We see this in film, book and music marketing where the early swell of demand is huge but vanishes rapidly – when the next new fad appears. It is certainly true for most tech-based products – be it hardware or games, mobile handsets or consumer electronic goods. And of course it is true in readytowear. Even automobile marketers no longer have the luxury of milking a best seller over decades.

‘Speed to Market’ will have some top marketing experts examine the impact of a rapidly shrinking product lifecycle on all the elements of the marketing mix - and on business itself.