What is the BCG matrix in marketing?
John Johnson
Updated on February 25, 2026
The Boston Consulting group’s product portfolio matrix (BCG matrix) is designed to help with long-term strategic planning, to help a business consider growth opportunities by reviewing its portfolio of products to decide where to invest, to discontinue or develop products. It’s also known as the Growth/Share Matrix.
What are stars in the growth share matrix?
Here is a breakdown of each BCG matrix quadrant: Stars: The business units or products that have the best market share and generate the most cash are considered stars. Monopolies and first-to-market products are frequently termed stars. However, because of their high growth rate, stars consume large amounts of cash.
What is BCG matrix explain with example?
BCG Matrix (also known as the Boston Consulting Group analysis, the Growth-Share matrix, the Boston Box or Product Portfolio matrix) is a tool used in corporate strategy to analyse business units or product lines based on two variables: relative market share and the market growth rate.
How does the BCG matrix work?
The BCG matrix assesses the company’s product portfolio by placing each product, division or SBU (strategic business unit) on a 2×2 grid. The product life cycle is reflected by market growth, and the experience curve is mirrored by the relative market share. …
Who developed BCG Matrix?
Bruce Henderson
Growth–share matrix/Inventors
The growth share matrix was created in 1968 by BCG’s founder, Bruce Henderson. It was published in one of BCG’s short, provocative essays, called Perspectives.
What is the full form of BCG Matrix?
The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix is a planning tool that uses graphical representations of a company’s products and services in an effort to help the company decide what it should keep, sell, or invest more in.
What is cash cow in BCG matrix?
A cash cow is a reference to a business, product, or asset that produces consistent cash flow over its lifespan; it’s also a reference to one of the four quadrants in the BCG Matrix, a business unit organization method.
Is BCG matrix still relevant?
The matrix remains relevant today—but with some important tweaks. A Changing Business Environment Since the introduction of the matrix, conglomerates have become less common and the business environment has become more dynamic and unpredictable.
What do you need to know about the growth share matrix?
The matrix reveals two factors that companies should consider when deciding where to invest—company competitiveness, and market attractiveness—with relative market share and growth rate as the underlying drivers of these factors. Each of the four quadrants represents a specific combination of relative market share, and growth:
When did the market share matrix come out?
The matrix plots a company’s offerings in a four-square matrix, with the y-axis representing the rate of market growth and the x-axis representing market share. It was introduced by the Boston Consulting Group in 1970. 1
What is the Boston Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix?
What Is a BCG Growth-Share Matrix? The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix is a planning tool that uses graphical representations of a company’s products and services in an effort to help the company decide what it should keep, sell, or invest more in.
What is the market share and growth model?
The model involves mapping business divisions or products across two key dimensions; Market Share and Market Growth, which then maps them into one of four quadrants. Products/Divisions operating with low market share in a low-growth market are dogs, those operating with a high market share in a low-growth market are cash cows.