10 Best BCG Matrix Examples for Students

The BCG Matrix—also known as the Boston Consulting Group Matrix—is a powerful tool that helps businesses analyze their product portfolios and make strategic decisions. For students, it offers a simple yet effective framework to understand how companies manage different products based on market growth and market share.

In this article, we’ll explore BCG Matrix Examples for Students by walking through 10 real-world cases from globally recognized companies. These BCG Matrix Examples for Students will make it easier to understand how the matrix works in practice, helping you grasp key business strategy concepts and apply them effectively in your own case studies or projects.

What is the BCG Matrix?

The BCG Matrix is a strategic tool developed by the Boston Consulting Group to help companies analyze their product lines or business units. It classifies products into four categories based on two factors: market growth rate and relative market share. This helps businesses decide where to invest, develop, or divest, much like how companies use business model innovation frameworks to rethink and adjust their overall strategic positioning..

Here are the four quadrants of the BCG Matrix:

• Stars: High market share in a fast-growing industry. These products require heavy investment to sustain their position but have the potential to become future Cash Cows.
• Cash Cows: High market share in a slow-growing industry. These products generate steady revenue with minimal investment, often funding other business areas.
• Question Marks: Low market share in a high-growth market. These products have potential but are risky. Companies must decide whether to invest heavily to grow them or phase them out.
• Dogs: Low market share in a low-growth market. These products typically drain resources and may be candidates for divestment.

The BCG Matrix simplifies complex business decisions and helps companies prioritize their efforts based on product performance and market dynamics.

How to Use the BCG Matrix

Using the BCG Matrix involves a straightforward, four-step process that helps companies analyze their product portfolios and plan strategic actions. Here’s how it works:

1. Identify Business Units or Products: List all the products, brands, or business units that the company wants to analyze. Each will be evaluated individually.
2. Measure Relative Market Share and Market Growth: Determine each product’s market share relative to competitors and assess the growth rate of the industry it operates in. These metrics define where the product will be placed in the matrix — a process often aligned with clarifying a company’s cost structure, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently across business units.
3. Plot Each Product in the Matrix: Using the two factors—market growth (vertical axis) and relative market share (horizontal axis)—place each product into one of the four quadrants: Star, Cash Cow, Question Mark, or Dog.
4. Develop Strategic Actions: Based on the product’s position, companies decide on actions such as investing, maintaining, harvesting, or divesting. For example, they might choose to invest in Stars, milk Cash Cows, nurture or drop Question Marks, and phase out Dogs.

10 BCG Matrix Examples

To truly understand how the BCG Matrix works, it helps to look at how major companies use it to evaluate their product portfolios. In this section, we’ll explore 10 practical examples from some of the world’s most well-known brands.

For each company, we’ll identify one product or business unit in each quadrant of the matrix—Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, and Dogs—and explain why they fit there. These real-world cases will make the theory of the BCG Matrix come alive and give you a solid foundation for applying it in your own studies.

1. Apple BCG Matrix Example

Apple is a prime example of how a company can manage a diverse product portfolio using the BCG Matrix framework. Let’s take a closer look at where some of its most notable products fit:

• Star: iPhone: The iPhone is Apple’s flagship product, accounting for a significant portion of its revenue. It operates in the highly competitive and fast-growing smartphone market, where technological advancements and consumer demand fuel continuous growth. Apple invests heavily in research, marketing, and ecosystem integration to maintain its leadership position. The iPhone’s strong brand loyalty and global appeal ensure it remains a “Star,” requiring ongoing investment to sustain its dominant position.
• Cash Cow: MacBook: MacBook laptops, including the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, represent a stable and mature segment for Apple. The personal computing industry is relatively slow-growing compared to smartphones, but Apple holds a premium position with consistent demand from professionals, students, and creatives. MacBooks deliver high margins and generate substantial cash flow with minimal need for aggressive marketing or innovation compared to other segments—classic traits of a “Cash Cow”.
• Question Mark: Apple TV and Apple TV+: Apple’s push into the streaming market with Apple TV+ and its hardware device, Apple TV, places it in the “Question Mark” category. The streaming industry is experiencing rapid growth, but Apple is still a minor player compared to established giants like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Despite substantial investment in original content and bundling strategies through services like Apple One, it remains uncertain whether Apple can capture significant market share in this space.
• Dog: iPod: Once a groundbreaking product that revolutionized the music industry, the iPod’s relevance has sharply declined. The rise of multifunctional devices like the iPhone, which combines music, communication, and computing capabilities, rendered standalone MP3 players obsolete. Apple has officially discontinued most iPod models, marking the end of this product line. As such, the iPod is a classic example of a “Dog”—low market share in a declining market, no longer justifying further investment.

2. Coca-Cola BCG Matrix Example

Coca-Cola is a global beverage powerhouse with a wide range of products across various market segments. Here’s how some of its key products fit within the BCG Matrix:

• Star: Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and other new zero-sugar variants: The health and wellness trend has driven rapid growth in the zero-sugar beverage category. Coca-Cola’s investment in Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and similar products has paid off, positioning them as Stars — a strategic move similar to how brands adapt through evolving their mission and vision statements to align with market trends. These products compete in a fast-growing market with increasing consumer demand for healthier alternatives while benefiting from Coca-Cola’s strong brand equity.
• Cash Cow: Coca-Cola (Classic): The flagship Coca-Cola product is the epitome of a Cash Cow. It holds a dominant market share globally and consistently generates massive revenue. However, the carbonated soft drink market is experiencing slower growth due to changing consumer preferences, placing Coca-Cola Classic in the low-growth, high-market-share quadrant.
• Question Mark: Dasani: Dasani, Coca-Cola’s bottled water brand, competes in the rapidly growing bottled water market. Despite the market’s expansion, Dasani faces stiff competition from well-established rivals like Nestlé’s Pure Life and PepsiCo’s Aquafina. Its market share is significant but not dominant, placing it in the Question Mark category, where strategic decisions around further investment or repositioning must be considered.
• Dog: Discontinued flavors and experimental products: Coca-Cola frequently experiments with new flavors and limited-edition products, many of which fail to gain traction. Examples include discontinued variants like Coca-Cola BlāK (a coffee-flavored cola) and certain region-specific flavors that did not resonate with consumers. These products represent Dogs—low market share in stagnant or declining niches, leading Coca-Cola to discontinue them and focus resources elsewhere.

3. Samsung BCG Matrix Example

Samsung is a diversified conglomerate with a wide range of products across multiple industries. The BCG Matrix helps illustrate how the company manages its vast portfolio strategically:

• Star: Galaxy Smartphones: Samsung’s flagship Galaxy smartphone series—particularly the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z (foldable) lines—are clear Stars, , reflecting a product innovation approach often discussed in analyses like the Samsung mission and vision. Operating in the fast-growing and highly competitive smartphone market, these devices consistently achieve significant market share globally. Samsung invests heavily in R&D and marketing to maintain its leadership, especially in innovative categories like foldables, where growth potential is high.
• Cash Cow: Smart TVs: Samsung dominates the global smart TV market, consistently ranking as one of the top sellers. The market for TVs is mature, with modest growth rates, but Samsung’s scale and brand strength enable it to generate reliable, high-margin revenue from this product line. Minimal investment is required to sustain this position, making smart TVs a classic Cash Cow.
• Question Mark: Wearable Devices: Samsung’s wearables, such as the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds, operate in a growing market driven by consumer interest in health tech and connected devices. However, the company’s market share in this segment is still developing, facing stiff competition from Apple and other tech brands. As a result, wearables are categorized as Question Marks—promising but uncertain in terms of long-term profitability.
• Dog: Older Consumer Electronics (e.g., DVD players, feature phones): Samsung once produced a wide range of consumer electronics like DVD players and feature phones, but these categories have sharply declined due to technological advancements and changing consumer preferences. With low market share in industries that are no longer growing, these legacy products represent Dogs—phased out or minimized to focus resources on more profitable areas.

4. Nestlé BCG Matrix Example

Nestlé, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, manages an extensive portfolio across multiple categories. The BCG Matrix helps illustrate how it prioritizes different brands:

• Star: Nescafé: Nescafé is a leading brand in the rapidly growing global coffee market. With increasing consumer demand for convenient coffee options, Nescafé benefits from strong brand recognition and global distribution. Nestlé continues to invest in product innovation, such as Nescafé Dolce Gusto and sustainable sourcing initiatives, reinforcing its Star status.
• Cash Cow: KitKat: KitKat, a globally recognized chocolate brand, generates steady, high-margin revenue for Nestlé. While the confectionery market is relatively mature and slow-growing, KitKat maintains a dominant market share in many regions. Its continued popularity, combined with limited need for aggressive investment, makes it a textbook example of a Cash Cow.
• Question Mark: Maggi: Maggi products, including instant noodles and seasonings, are highly popular in some regions but face regulatory challenges and fluctuating consumer perceptions in others. The brand operates in a high-growth segment of the convenience food market, but its performance varies significantly by geography. This places Maggi in the Question Mark category, where Nestlé must carefully assess whether to increase investment or adjust its market strategy.
• Dog: Underperforming or Regional Products: Nestlé has historically launched various regional or niche products that failed to gain significant traction. Examples include certain local dairy brands or niche snack products that did not resonate with consumers or fit changing health trends. These products, with low market share and limited growth prospects, are considered Dogs, often targeted for discontinuation or divestment.

5. Nike BCG Matrix Example

Nike is a global leader in sportswear and athletic footwear, with a diverse portfolio spanning products, technologies, and digital services. Here’s how its key offerings fit within the BCG Matrix framework:

• Star: Air Jordan: The Air Jordan line is one of Nike’s most iconic and successful product categories. It holds a dominant position within the premium sneaker market, which continues to experience strong growth driven by sneaker culture, limited editions, and collaborations. Nike invests heavily in marketing and partnerships to sustain the momentum of this Star product.
• Cash Cow: Athletic Apparel: Nike’s broad range of athletic apparel—including performance wear, casual sportswear, and accessories—generates consistent revenue globally. The apparel market grows steadily but not rapidly, and Nike commands a significant share thanks to its brand equity and extensive distribution network. Minimal innovation is needed to maintain its position, making this segment a reliable Cash Cow.
• Question Mark: Nike Training App: Nike’s digital fitness platforms, particularly the Nike Training Club app, tap into the growing fitness technology and digital health markets. However, competition from specialized apps like Peloton, Strava, and others makes it challenging to achieve dominant market share. While the market is growing, Nike’s relative share is modest, making it a Question Mark requiring careful strategic consideration.
• Dog: Lesser-Known or Discontinued Product Lines: Over the years, Nike has experimented with various niche product lines and categories that failed to gain traction. Examples include certain golf equipment or performance accessories that did not resonate with target audiences or fit Nike’s broader brand strategy. These offerings are Dogs—low share in low-growth markets—often phased out to refocus on more profitable areas.

6. Amazon BCG Matrix Example

Amazon has evolved into one of the world’s most diversified companies, with ventures spanning e-commerce, cloud computing, digital devices, and physical retail. The BCG Matrix helps illustrate how it allocates resources across these varied business units:

• Star: Amazon Web Services (AWS): AWS is the undisputed leader in the cloud computing industry—a market characterized by rapid growth and increasing global adoption. AWS consistently captures a significant market share, providing the infrastructure for countless startups and enterprises. Amazon continues to invest heavily in AWS to maintain its dominance and capitalize on the expanding demand, making it a clear Star.
• Cash Cow: Amazon Prime: Amazon Prime, the company’s subscription-based membership program, generates a predictable and substantial revenue stream. With over 200 million members worldwide, Prime enjoys a high market share in a relatively stable segment. While the overall e-commerce growth rate has stabilized compared to earlier years, Prime remains a powerful Cash Cow, fostering customer loyalty and supporting Amazon’s broader ecosystem.
• Question Mark: Kindle and E-Readers: The Kindle revolutionized reading habits and dominated the early e-reader market. However, competition from tablets and audiobooks has slowed its growth, and Amazon’s market share has diminished as consumers shift to multifunctional devices. The digital reading market still holds growth potential, but Kindle’s uncertain position and shrinking dominance classify it as a Question Mark.
• Dog: Physical Retail Stores (e.g., Amazon Books, Amazon 4-Star): Amazon’s foray into brick-and-mortar retail through stores like Amazon Books and Amazon 4-Star has been met with mixed success — a contrast to its dominant e-commerce focus, much like explored in the Costco SWOT analysis regarding retail expansion. Many of these physical outlets have been shuttered due to underperformance, highlighting the challenges Amazon faces in traditional retail formats. With limited market share and stagnant growth prospects, these ventures are considered Dogs.

7. Unilever BCG Matrix Example

Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, manages a vast and diverse portfolio across personal care, food, and home care categories. The BCG Matrix offers insights into how it balances mature brands with emerging opportunities:

• Star: Axe (Lynx in some markets): Axe is one of Unilever’s most dynamic personal care brands, particularly among younger demographics. Positioned in the high-growth men’s grooming and fragrance segment, Axe benefits from aggressive marketing and evolving product lines. Continued investment in innovation and brand partnerships keeps it in the Star quadrant, with strong potential for future growth.
• Cash Cow: Dove: Dove is one of Unilever’s most profitable and established brands, with a dominant market share in personal care categories such as soaps, body washes, and lotions. The personal care industry is relatively stable, and Dove’s success with its long-running campaigns like “Real Beauty” has reinforced consumer trust. As a result, Dove requires minimal additional investment to sustain its profitability, making it a quintessential Cash Cow.
• Question Mark: New Sustainable and Plant-Based Products: Unilever has committed to sustainability through innovations like plant-based alternatives and eco-friendly packaging. While these products align with rising consumer demand for ethical consumption, many are still in the early stages and have yet to achieve significant market share. Operating in high-growth niches, these products are currently Question Marks—requiring strategic decisions about scaling investment.
• Dog: Retired or Underperforming Brands: Unilever has historically divested or phased out several brands that no longer align with its strategic priorities or that underperformed in competitive markets. Examples include regional food brands or personal care lines that failed to gain traction. These underperformers fit the Dog category—low market share in markets with limited growth potential, often leading to discontinuation.

8. Toyota BCG Matrix Example

Toyota, one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers, offers a diverse range of vehicles and technologies that span various market segments. The BCG Matrix helps clarify how Toyota strategically manages its portfolio:

• Star: Prius and Hybrid Models: Toyota’s Prius and other hybrid vehicles are pioneering products in the sustainable mobility space. With growing global demand for eco-friendly transportation and government incentives for low-emission vehicles, Toyota’s hybrid lineup occupies a high-growth market. Combined with Toyota’s significant share and technological leadership, these models are positioned as Stars, requiring continued investment in R&D and marketing.
• Cash Cow: Corolla: The Toyota Corolla is one of the best-selling vehicles worldwide, with decades of consistent performance and consumer trust. While the compact car market is mature and experiencing limited growth, the Corolla’s reliability, affordability, and broad appeal ensure it maintains a strong market share. As a result, it serves as a dependable Cash Cow, generating steady revenue with minimal additional investment.
• Question Mark: Electric Vehicles (EVs): Toyota’s entry into the fully electric vehicle market has been relatively cautious compared to competitors like Tesla or BYD. The global EV market is experiencing rapid growth, but Toyota’s market share is still modest. With significant potential but uncertain competitive positioning, Toyota’s EV efforts, such as the bZ4X, currently fall into the Question Mark category—requiring decisions about how aggressively to invest and compete in this fast-evolving space.
• Dog: Discontinued Models: Over time, Toyota has discontinued several vehicle models that failed to achieve sustainable market share or adapt to shifting consumer preferences. Examples include the Toyota Venza (before its recent revival) and the FJ Cruiser, both phased out due to declining demand. These products represent Dogs—low market share in stagnant or shrinking market segments, often prompting divestment to focus on more promising areas.

9. Microsoft BCG Matrix Example

Microsoft is a technology giant with a broad portfolio spanning software, cloud services, hardware, and gaming. The BCG Matrix helps illustrate how it allocates resources across these diverse segments:

• Star: Microsoft Azure:
• Azure is Microsoft’s leading cloud computing platform, operating in a booming industry with rapid global adoption. As one of the top cloud providers alongside Amazon Web Services, Azure enjoys substantial market share and strong year-over-year growth. Microsoft continues to invest heavily in expanding Azure’s capabilities, securing its place as a Star within the company’s portfolio.
• Cash Cow: Microsoft Office: Microsoft Office, especially the subscription-based Microsoft 365 suite, is a cornerstone of the company’s revenue. The productivity software market is relatively mature, and Microsoft holds a dominant share thanks to widespread business and educational adoption. Office generates consistent cash flow with relatively low incremental investment, making it a classic Cash Cow.
• Question Mark: Surface Devices: Microsoft’s Surface line of laptops, tablets, and accessories competes in the fast-evolving personal computing and hardware market. While Surface devices have gained some traction, they still lag behind hardware leaders like Apple and Lenovo in terms of market share. The market remains dynamic, offering growth potential, but the uncertain competitive positioning places Surface in the Question Mark category.
• Dog: Windows Phone: Microsoft’s attempt to compete in the smartphone market through Windows Phone is a well-known example of a product that failed to achieve significant market share. Despite considerable investment, it could not break the dominance of iOS and Android ecosystems. Microsoft eventually discontinued the product, making Windows Phone a classic Dog—low share in a high-risk, declining market.

10. McDonald’s BCG Matrix Example

McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast-food chain, operates a diverse product portfolio designed to cater to varying consumer preferences across global markets. The BCG Matrix offers insight into how it manages its key offerings:

• Star: Breakfast Items: McDonald’s breakfast menu—including the iconic Egg McMuffin and McGriddles—has become a significant driver of growth, particularly after the introduction of all-day breakfast in select markets. The breakfast segment is experiencing rising demand as consumers seek convenient, affordable morning meal options. With strong brand recognition and increasing sales, McDonald’s breakfast items are positioned as Stars, warranting continued investment and marketing focus.
• Cash Cow: Big Mac: The Big Mac is perhaps McDonald’s most recognized product globally. It holds a dominant market share within the core burger segment of fast food—a relatively stable and mature market. Despite slow growth in this category, the Big Mac generates consistent, high-margin revenue with minimal additional investment, making it a classic Cash Cow in McDonald’s portfolio.
• Question Mark: McCafé: McCafé represents McDonald’s entry into the specialty coffee and café market, competing with established players like Starbucks and Dunkin’. The global coffee industry is growing rapidly, but McCafé’s market share is still relatively modest outside select regions. This places McCafé in the Question Mark category—operating in a high-growth market but needing further strategic investment to scale effectively.
• Dog: Discontinued Menu Items: McDonald’s routinely introduces limited-time or regional menu items, many of which are discontinued due to lack of consumer interest or operational complexity. Examples include the McPizza and the Arch Deluxe—products that failed to resonate broadly. These represent Dogs within the matrix: low market share and limited growth prospects, leading to their eventual removal from the menu.

BCG Matrix Template

To help you apply what you’ve learned, here’s a simple and practical BCG Matrix template that you can use for analyzing any company or brand portfolio.

Download FREE!

To download BCG Matrix Template PDF today just enter your email address!

Select your Profile Consultant Entrepreneur Executive Student Teacher

Submit & Download

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RESOLUTION PDF OF THE BCG MATRIX TEMPLATE

How to Use the Template:

1. List Products or Business Units: Identify the various products or services you want to analyze.
2. Assess Market Growth and Share: Evaluate each product’s relative market share and the growth rate of its industry.
3. Plot Them on the Matrix: Place each product into one of the four quadrants:
   

• Stars: High market growth, high market share
• Cash Cows: Low market growth, high market share
• Question Marks: High market growth, low market share
• Dogs: Low market growth, low market share
  

4. Analyze and Decide
   Based on placement, determine whether to invest, maintain, harvest, or divest.

This template makes it easy to visualize product performance and guide strategic decisions. Use it for class projects, case studies, or to deepen your understanding of corporate strategy.

Key Takeaways for Students

By exploring these real-world examples, you’ve seen how companies use the BCG Matrix to make strategic decisions about their products and business units. Here are the key lessons you should take away:

• Real-World Relevance: Analyzing actual companies like Apple, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s helps make abstract strategy concepts concrete and understandable.
• Application of the BCG Matrix: You’ve learned how to categorize products into Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, and Dogs based on market growth and share, and how these positions inform strategic decisions like investment, divestment, or maintenance.
• Understanding Product Life Cycles: The BCG Matrix reflects how products evolve over time, and how companies must adapt their strategies accordingly to remain competitive.

As a student, try applying the BCG Matrix to a company or brand you admire. Use the template provided to practice analyzing product portfolios and thinking like a strategist.