Line Logic™ on the bow tie

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to present Line Logic™ as a means of developing and building a company's portfolio of products.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a sporting goods company in the USA as a case study to portray the implementation of Line Logic™.

Findings

An extensive analysis of the company and its implementation of the Line Logic™ methodology found that the company was operating in conjunction with a bow tie channel strategy.

Research limitations/implications

A case study does an excellent job of capturing phenomena at a particular company. The Line Logic™ framework needs to be explored and reported in various companies, thus allowing multiple sources of data to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the Line Logic™ methodology.

Practical implications

There is no magic formula or prescription for managing a company's line of product offerings. Line Logic™ offers a disciplined approach to creating and presenting a full complement of product choices. As shown here, the implementation of Line Logic™ assists companies in understanding both strategic and tactical issues related to competitors and channel members.

Originality/value

While there are companies that execute some of the Line Logic™ system, this paper illustrates the importance of line logic in the sporting goods industry. Additionally, the paper introduces the concept of the bow tie in product line planning.

Citation

Reffue, D. and Crittenden, V.L. (2006), "Line Logic™ on the bow tie", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 168-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/10610420610668603