Line Logic™ on the bow tie

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.