NIAM-4

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    CERTIFICATE

    This is to certify that the project Report at

    Comprehensive Study on Indian Oil Corporation Limited

    Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of

    MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

    (Industry Integrated)

    TO

    GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, GUWAHATI

    Is a record of bonafide training carried out by

    ______________

    Under my supervision and guidance and that no part of this report has been submitted for

    the award of any other degree/diploma/fellowship or similar titles or prizes.

    Faculty Guide

    Signature:

    Name: ________________

    Qualifications: Signature & Seal of the Learning Center

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    STUDENT'S DECLARATION

    I here by declare that the training report conducted at

    Indian Oil Corporation Limited

    Under the guidance of

    Mr. Alok Srivastva

    Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of

    MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

    To

    GAUHATI UNIVERSITY, GUWAHATI

    Is my original work and the same has not been submitted for the award of any other

    degree/diploma/fellowship or other similar titles or prizes.

    Place: ______________

    Date: Reg No. A_________

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    ACKNOWLEDGMENT

    I would also like to thank the entire team of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, for the

    constant support and help in the successful completion of my project.

    Also, I am thankful to my faculty guide Mr. _________ of my institute, for his/ her

    continued guidance and invaluable encouragement. I express my sincere gratitude for her

    able guidance, continuous support and cooperation throughout my project, without which

    the present work would not have been possible.

    _____________

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    TABLE OF CONTENT

    CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION1.1 General Introduction

    1.2 Objective of the study1.3 Industry Profile

    a) Origin and development of the industryb) Growth and present status of the industry.c) Future of the industry.

    CHAPTER 2 PROFILE OF THE ORGANIZATION

    2.1 Origin of the Organization2.2 Growth and Development of the Organization

    2.3 Present Status of the Organization2.4 Future Plan of the organization2.5 Functional Department of the organization2.6 Organization structure and Organization chart2.7 Product and service profile of the organization2.8 Market profile of the OrganizationCHAPTER 3 DISCUSSIONS ON TRAINING3.1 Students work profile3.2 Key LearningsCHAPTER 4 STUDY OF SELECTED RESEARCH PROBLEM

    4.1 Statement of research problem

    4.2 Statement of Research objectives4.3 Research Design & methodology

    CHAPTER 5 ANALYSIS

    5.1 Analysis of data

    5.2 Summary of Findings

    CHAPTER 6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

    6.1 Summary Of Learning Experience

    6.2 Observations and Recommendations

    APPENDIXBIBLIOGRAPHY

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    INTRODUCTION

    1.2 General Introduction

    Basic or Pure Research: The research which is done for knowledge enhancement,

    the research which does not have immediate commercial potential, the research

    which is done for human welfare, animal welfare and plant kingdom welfare is the

    basic or pure research.

    Government of India, through Census, does research on population count to identify

    total population of India, no. of male, female, no. of families, no. of voters, etc. One

    of the major findings of census is, some rural areas, proportion of female is 10% less

    as compared to male. In some metros and mini metros, female count is marginally

    less than male. This situation might create problems in future. Govt. responded

    quickly to this trend and have implemented ad-campaign having punch line a world

    without women.

    Applied Research: The research which has immediate commercial potential is

    called applied research. Applied research can further be classified as problem

    oriented and problem solving research.

    Problem Oriented Research This type of research is done by Industry Apex

    Body for sorting out problems faced by all the companies. For example NASSCOM

    regularly conducts problem oriented research for the benefit of all software

    companies. Similarly CII does the research for all types of companies. At global

    level, WTO does problem oriented research for developing countries. In India,

    APEDA (Agriculture and Processed Food Export Development Authority) conducts

    regular research for the benefit of agro industry.

    Problem solving Research This type of research is done by an individual

    company for the problem faced by it. For example if Videocon International

    conducts research to study customer satisfaction level, it will be problem solving

    research. The findings of problem solving research are unique and only true for that

    company which does the research and cannot be generalized. Whereas findings of

    the problem oriented research could be generalized.

    Market Research and Marketing Research are the applied research.

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    1.2 Objective of the study

    To understand the key concepts of marketing research and the various types of

    marketing research.

    1.3 Industry Profile

    In corporate India total number of companies could be more than 10,000 whereas

    companies engage in conducting marketing research, in organize sector are around

    10 to 15 and unorganized around 32 to 50; of which the major are leading marketing

    research companies and their sales turnover is as follows:

    Marketing

    Research

    Company

    Services offered Sales turnover for

    the year 2005 (Rs. In

    Crores)

    ORG-MARG People meter, retail

    audit

    100

    MRAS Test marketing 25

    MBA Opinion polls 10

    RCG Perceptual maps 12

    STANDARD

    RESEARCH

    Customer

    satisfaction surveys

    10

    IMRB Advertising testing

    research

    75

    Total 232

    Corporate Indias turnover is few billion $ whereas sales turnover of all marketing

    research companies (organize and unorganized) does not exceed more than Rs. 500

    crores. This indicates that marketing research is not very popular with corporate

    India.

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    The big shots in consumer non-durables i.e. HLL and ITC hardly spend around Rs.

    25 crores and 20 crores respectively annually on marketing research, which is not

    even 1 per cent of their sales turnover. This fact confirms unpopularity of marketing

    research with corporate world. The reasons for unpopularity could be as follows:

    Narrow conceptions: MR is perceived as data collection activity only i.e. a clerical

    job. This is because the marketer never comes in forward of respondents and

    explains to him the objectives of research or purpose of research. E.g. Times of

    India and Indian Express conduct research for estimating readership and viewership

    every six months. The boys recruited are under-graduates who do not know the

    purpose of the study. They judge jott down the answers on structured questionnaires

    and say that they are doing marketing research. Hence the respondents form

    perception that marketing research is clerical job.

    Improper orientation of the investigators data collection activity is normally

    enthrusted to first year management students without imparting any training to them.

    The respondents are just given quota i.e. they have to complete say 100 surveys in

    one weeks time and submit 100 questionnaires. Normally, the interviewer is not

    able to complete this work in one weeks time and to fulfill the quota on his own he

    fills up the questionnaire. This hampers the accuracy of the survey.

    Late results - well design and plan survey which is to be completed by conducting

    personal interviews might take 4 to 6 months time. In marketers opinion, the

    survey should not take more than one months time since he perceives it as clerical

    job. As such the report submitted by marketer may not be attended by the sponsors.

    Conditional findings MR companies normally want to play safe i.e. due to

    volatile Indian markets, they never recommend any marketing strategy. In place

    they normally recommend conditional strategies i.e. if this happen, this marketing

    strategy will work. Such conditional marketing plans are not acceptable to the

    marketer because marketer can hardly control the conditions.

    Cost affair Field research is always very costly because the expenses like

    traveling, conveyance, lodging, meals, communication, etc. to be incurred e.g. a

    survey done for nation wide market for consumer non-durable like toothpaste might

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    require few crore rupees. However, marketers opinion is it should not take more

    than few thousand since he perceives MR as clerical job.

    Biasness Research may have biased due to

    (a) Improper research techniques

    (b) Inadequate skill of investigator

    (c) Researcher inclined towards pre-determined

    results.

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    PROFILE OF THE ORGANIZATION

    2.1 Origin of the organization

    Annik is a leading provider of Market Research and Data Management services.

    With more than 500 employees across the globe, Annik offers a comprehensive

    range of services such as Data Collection, Management, Business Intelligence and

    Reporting services to clients around the world. Annik is listed by Deloitte as one of

    the Top 50 fastest growing technology companies in India.

    Vision

    "To be a best-in-class organization delivering knowledge-intensive, information-

    based services; the foundation of our business will consist of satisfied customers

    and empowered employees - exceeding expectations and adding demonstrated value

    at every step"

    Mission

    "To help our clients convert information into insights we will achieve this by looking

    at all situations from our client's perspective and by leveraging technology to

    collect, organize, clean, maintain, process and analyze data using certified

    processes and programming methods."

    Annik is one of the largest providers of Market research related support, data

    analysis, data management and programming support to clients around the world.

    Founded in April 2000, have been working with clients in the US, Europe, and parts

    of Asia Pacific, including Japan. Using proven methods of documentation, design,

    testing, implementation and most importantly, communication, ANNIK is one of the

    few Indian companies that truly understand the business of providing offshore and

    remote services. They have offices in the New Delhi and Hyderabad.

    Their areas of expertise include Data Processing and Tabbing, Data Cleaning,

    Online Survey Programming, Coding of Open Ends, CATI programming, Data

    Entry, Web Applications and portals to support data collection and data delivery,

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    Automated Reporting Systems, Data Warehousing, Mining and Analysis, Intelligent

    Reports and Analytical Transaction Processing.

    They are continuing to add more MR applications to their area of expertise and their

    staff is easily trained on any custom applications your company uses to conduct the

    applications mentioned above. They look forward to being a part of your extended

    operations team or working on cutting edge research applications.

    Specialties

    Market research, data management, survey programming, data mining, research,customer data integration, Business intelligence, DqG, market research outsourcing,

    outsourcing.

    Annik Technology Services, a leading Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)

    group with 10 years of Excellence, outlines its global expansion plans. The group is

    headquartered in Gurgaon, India and provides value added services in the Market

    Research and Data Management spaces.

    The group announced today the opening of its Middle East office located at Abu

    Dhabi, UAE. This marks the culmination of a global expansion strategy started and

    accelerated through the downturn of 2008-2009. Annik had already had sales

    presence in the US and Europe, which are its two main markets, since 2008.

    The expansion started about 18 months ago, with the launch of a delivery center in

    Shanghai, servicing the China, Japan and South Korea markets followed with a

    delivery center in Poland in February 2010 to service Western and Eastern Europe.

    With the launch of the Abu Dhabi office the group now has wide servicing

    capability across geographies in almost all key global languages and regions.

    Data Security

    Information is an equally important asset as any other critical business assets, has

    value to an organization and consequently needs to be protected - ISO 27001

    Security Standards.

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    Annik recognizes the importance of the information that it holds on behalf of its

    customers, stakeholders and associates. They are committed to secure all of this

    information, including data, copyrights and trademarks, while it is being handled,

    processed, stored, transmitted and delivered.

    They follow internationally acclaimed quality and information security processes,

    which help them to enhance customer confidence, ensure secure operating

    environment, minimize business damage by reducing the impact of security

    incidents and eliminate the possibilities of reoccurrences of identified security

    incidents and to maximize business investments and opportunities. They have been

    continuously striving to make the network a safe and secure medium to work and

    have incorporated many features and controls during the course of time.

    Annik's ISO27001 Certification

    Annik being early movers achieved ISO 27001 (revised version of BS 7799 Part

    2:2002) certification an International Standard for Information Security

    Management System issued by external auditors BSI Global. Annik was certified

    as ISO27001 compliant on Oct 26, 2006. Since then, Annik has successfully passed

    yearly audits by BSI keeping itself compliant to the Framework.

    There are 3 important components in any organization namely People; Procedures

    and Methods; Tools; Processes hold them together. The Quality of the product is

    highly influenced by the Quality of the processes used to develop and maintain it.

    Annik is at the threshold of continuous improvement where processes are indeed

    predictable, consistent and repeatable. Annik has achieved CMMi L3 V1.2certification which is an International Standard developed by Software Engineering

    Institute of Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburg USA. It has been developed in the

    field of development and which provides a model for understanding the capability

    maturity of an organization's development business processes. The certificate came

    in effect from Feb 11, 2008.

    One of the fundamental advantages of Annik as a preferred vendor for Research

    support services was low cost. Annik helped clients reduce transaction costs better

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    than competitors elsewhere in the world. In its primitive years, Annik was

    considered for outsourced services of tasks and a subset of activities in a business

    process of a Client. Most of the services were at a lower end of value chain.

    Once the credentials of Annik were established and more and more Clients started

    showing faith in the services provided by Annik, the challenge and obvious growth

    path was to shed the "cheap service provider" brand and move up the value chain.

    The idea was to transform Annik into a brand that would help Clients improve

    business performance through cutting edge research applications. Another challenge

    facing Annik was to maintain a balance between making processes transparent to

    potential clients and strengthening security and confidentiality processes.

    To address these challenges, Annik decided to adapt CMMi quality framework to

    help establish and improve processes throughout the lifecycle. The model is

    intended to improve the capability of processes in order to consistently deliver high

    quality services to Clients. The idea was to balance the recommendations of the

    model against the business value that the new processes would add.

    CMMi is a compilation of "best practices" from successful organizations across the

    globe. Moreover, it provides a road map for improvement by providing five

    capability levels with different practices at each level. Every practice describes a set

    of key activities that one needs to perform along with set of metrics suggested to

    improve processes.

    Annik Technology Services, a leading market research data collection &

    technologies company, has today launched SurveyFlashTools Connect reinforcing

    their objective of making interactive Flash questions a possibility on any online

    survey.

    In April, Annik successfully launched SurveyFlashTools, fully compatible with

    Confirmit and Dimensions. Now with the enhanced SurveyFlashTools Connect,

    all users will be able to immediately leverage the advantages of using Flash in online

    surveys regardless of their survey platform.

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    SurveyFlashTools enables companies to dramatically reduce the effort and costs

    involved in the development, while implementation of Flash tools requires no

    knowledge of Flash programming. The expanding portfolio of Flash components

    includes sliders, text highlighters, image gallery, ranking and advanced rating tools.

    2.2 Growth and development of the organization

    Annik is a leading provider of Market Research and Data Management

    services. With more than 500 employees across the globe.

    Annik offers a comprehensive range of services such as Data Collection,

    Management, Business Intelligence and Reporting services to clients around

    the world.

    Annik is listed by Deloitte as one of the Top 50 fastest growing technology

    companies in India.

    There are 3 important components in any organization namely People;

    Procedures and Methods; Tools; Processes hold them together.

    The Quality of the product is highly influenced by the Quality of the

    processes used to develop and maintain it.

    Annik is at the threshold of continuous improvement where processes are

    indeed predictable, consistent and repeatable.

    2.3 Present status of the organization

    The turnover of the company is around 45 crores

    They face competition from agencies providing similar services to clients.

    Competitors:

    Tata matrix/WNS/Ugam

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    2.4 Future plans of the organization

    Annik has achieved CMMi L3 V1.2 certification which is an International

    Standard developed by Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon

    University Pittsburg USA. It has been developed in the field of development

    and which provides a model for understanding the capability maturity of an

    organization's development business processes. The certificate came in effect

    from Feb 11, 2008.

    Annik Technology Services, a leading market research data collection &

    technologies company, has today launched "SurveyFlashTools ConnectTM"

    reinforcing their objective of making interactive Flash questions a possibility

    on any online survey.

    2.5 Functional departments of the organization

    Marketing

    Research

    Human Resource

    2.6 Organization Structure and Organization Chart

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    2.7 Product and Service Profile of the organization

    Data Management Services

    Master Data Management

    Data Quality and Governance

    Web Content Management

    Innovation through Technology

    Research Analytics & Services

    Research Operations Support

    Healthcare and Life Sciences

    Analytics and Reporting

    Innovation through Technology

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    DISCUSSIONS ON TRAINING

    3.1 Students Work Profile

    Understanding the product profile of Annik

    Understanding the key aspects of Market Research

    Evaluation the market position of the company

    3.2 Key learning's

    DEFINITIONS OF MR

    MR is a tool for a study

    To measure needs, wants, demands.

    To evaluate consumer attitudes

    To interpret consumer behavior of various target markets.

    MR is the systematic gathering recording &analyzing of data about problems

    relating to the marketing of goods &services.

    MR is the objective & formal process of systematically obtaining, analyzing

    &interpreting the marketing data for actionable decision making.

    SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA

    Government Sources

    Name of the Source Information provided

    1) Directorate General of

    Supplies & Disposal

    (DGS&D)

    Installed manufacturing

    capacities & actual utilized

    capacities for all

    manufacturers2) Directorate General of

    Trade & Disposal

    3) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Availability of foreign

    currencies.

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    4) Directorate General of

    Commercial Intelligence &

    Statistics

    Import-Export statistics

    5) Centre for monitoring Indian

    Economy (CMIE)

    Economic Growth, GDP

    6) Census Population, no. of families,

    no.of voters

    7) Geographic Survey of India Regionwise production of agri-

    produce

    8) Horticulture Board of India Value-added fruits, vegetables

    & flowers and markets

    9) Directorate General of

    Foreign Trade (DGFT)

    Import Export Regulations

    10) Exim Bank Creditworthiness of importers

    and countries.

    11) Export Credit Guarantee

    Corporation of India (ECGC)

    Insurance covers and financial

    guarantees available to

    exporters.

    12) Agriculture & Processed

    Food Export Development

    Authority(APEDA)

    High Tech Agri Farming,

    technology tie-ups, seed

    capital, inspection, etc.

    13) Central Statistical

    Organisation (CSO)

    Industry Economics

    14) National Sample Survey

    (NSS)

    Per Capita consumption &

    monthly per capita income,

    literacy per state, employment

    across male & female

    etc.

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    Non-Government Sources

    1) Org Marg TRP ratings, Retail Store Audit

    2) INSDOC (private Library) Any publication after 1970

    3) Path Finder Household disposable income &

    consumer behaviour.

    4) University Public Relation

    Offices

    Various courses, fees, duration

    and eligibility.

    5) Yellow Pages & Ask Me Classified information

    6) Internet Sites Classified information

    7) Indian Association of

    Retailers

    No.of Retailers, their

    classification, types, etc.

    8) J.D.Power Asia Pacific Customer satisfaction Index

    Survey

    9) Technopak Retailing in India

    10) A.T.Kearney

    THE NATURE OF SECONDARY DATA

    Secondary data is available from publications, in-house

    databases, research agencies etc. It constitutes readymade information that

    can be used for research purpose with minimal analysis. However, the

    researcher should bear in mind that secondary data is published for purposes

    other than the current research.

    Collecting primary data involves field work and further

    analysis on the data collected to arrive at a conclusion. For instance, a

    marketer who wants to launch a particular product may be interested in

    collecting data regarding the buying habits of consumers in that particular

    region. The marketer can conduct field surveys to collect the relevant data,

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    which, in turn, can be analyzed to arrive at a proper conclusion. But at the

    same time, he can refer to any published material that has already done an

    analysis. While the first method is tedious, time consuming, and expensive,

    the second method, which is collecting secondary data, is fast and

    inexpensive.

    ADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY DATA

    One of the main advantages of secondary data is that it is

    quite inexpensive. A small start-up company study the market to launch a

    product may not be able to afford to do primary research. By getting hold of

    good reports and articles, such small organizations will be able to do the

    study cost effectively.

    Secondary data helps researchers save time. While primary

    research takes a considerable amount of time in the form of collecting and

    analyzing the data, secondary data offers readymade solutions.

    If the demographics of a particular region have to be studied,

    the researcher has to collect the statistics of the population. It is impossible

    for any organization to conduct such a census study. Here too, secondary

    data published by a government organization will be of considerable use.

    Moreover, data collected and published by the government will be less

    biased.

    DISADVANTAGES OF SECONDARY DATA

    The major disadvantages of secondary data are

    Relevance

    Accuracy

    Sufficiency

    Availability

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    METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION IN FIELD RESEARCH

    Elementof

    differenti

    ation

    Personal interviewmethod

    Mail method Telephoneinterview

    method

    No of

    samples

    Not very high due

    time constraint

    Large no

    samples can be

    contacted

    Much more

    sample can be

    contacted as

    less time

    required

    Time Is used when

    adequate time is

    available

    Used when

    considerable

    time is

    available

    Used when

    very short is

    available

    Cost Highest Lowest Moderately

    high as

    compared to

    MM

    Accuracy Highest due to

    personal interaction

    and data recording

    with rightunderstanding

    Not very high

    due to

    a. Response

    rate not more

    than 20 to 25%

    b. Wrong

    interpretation

    of Qus. can not

    be sorted out.

    Fairly high but

    depends on

    skill of

    interviewer insorting out

    misinterpretati

    on of Qus.

    Use Not much useful

    when large

    For

    geographically

    For outstation

    samples the

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    geographic area is

    to be cover due to

    cost constraint

    scattered

    samples this is

    best suited

    cost could be

    prohibitive

    hence useful

    local surveys

    only.

    Infrastruc

    ture

    Huge infrastructure

    in form of project

    leader, research

    officer and

    investigators

    required

    Almost

    negligible

    In terms of

    skilled

    telephone

    operator and

    data base

    Type of

    samples

    Useful for ignorant

    and illiterate

    samples

    Suitable for

    samples who

    can read and

    write

    Suitable if

    samples can

    properly

    communicate

    Question

    naire

    Samples loose

    interest with lengthy

    questionnaire

    lengthy

    questionnaire

    is no prob.

    bcoz

    Sample feel it

    at his

    convenient

    time

    Legthy

    questionnare

    wont do bcoz

    sample is not

    directly seen

    Interview

    er

    Skilled Interviewer

    can improve

    accuracy

    Skilled o not

    skilled

    Interviewer r

    does not affect

    accuracy

    Skilled

    Interviewer can

    improve

    accuracy

    Type of

    Qus

    Suitable for

    spontaneous Ans

    Suitable for

    spontaneous as

    Suitable only

    for

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    since samples do

    not like to tax their

    memories

    well as well

    thought Ans

    Spontaneous

    Ans

    Drawback

    s/Limitati

    ons

    If investigators are

    not trend, he himself

    might fill up

    Questionnaire

    Questionnaire

    might not be

    filled up by

    intended

    person

    It is impossible

    to judge person

    contacted is

    desired person

    as such the 1st

    name of

    sample must

    be known

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    Internet Interviewing

    Web interviewing Email survey

    Applications marketing surveys All type of Exam

    CAT

    Admissions

    Advantages of Internet interviewing

    Fast set up, Execution and completion

    Visual stimuli can be evaluated ( in case of web cap)

    Stimuli presentation can be controlled allowing for pre and post questions

    unlike traditional mail.

    Question presentation is consistent and eliminates interviewer's bias

    Questionnaire skip pattern can be controlled

    Less instructive process, allowing respondents to ans as per their

    convenience

    Accurate responses possible since it is self administered.

    Eliminates cost of an interviewer

    Permits real time data

    Much cheaper than traditional research procss.

    SAMPLING

    Web interviewing can be generated provided sample are accessible. Hence

    samples to b chosen from

    a. Visitors to a website

    b. E-commerce customers

    c. Users of certain compuer hardware or software

    d. Employees of a company that provides web access for 24 hours

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    e. Regular web surfers at net cafes

    f. Wap users

    SURVEY DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS

    Screen look and feel

    Question layout

    Word dynamics for onscreen questionnaires

    Placement of graphics

    Randomization of ans or stimuli

    Richer open end responses

    APPLICATIONS

    Study of competitor's product where PI/MM/TI may not be possible due to

    cost, time Ect.

    Marketer can heir a .com company to study competitor's actions

    LIMITATIONS

    No. of PC owner/internet users are limited

    This type of survey can not be for masses but for classes

    Sampling is complex due to problems in identifying in sample frame.

    MARKETING AUDIT

    Definition: A systematic, comprehensive, independent and periodic examination of

    companies business units marketing problem areas and opportunities and to

    recommend an action plan to improve marketing effectiveness.

    Marketing Audit

    (1) Marketing Environment Audit (2) Marketing Strategy Audit

    (3) Marketing Organization Audit (4) Marketing System Audit

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    The frequency of conducting the exercise of marketing audit depends on type of

    products. For example, in case of consumer non durables the exercise might have to

    be done twice in a year whereas for home appliances once in a year could be OK.

    DATABSE MARKETING

    Definition: Marketing Database system is an organize collection of comprehensive

    data about individual customers, prospects or even suspects (suspects can be

    converted into customers), i.e. current, accessible and actionable for marketing

    purpose such as lead generation and sales of a product or service or maintenance of

    customer relationships.

    Effective database marketing might start with employees itself (case study of Alpha

    Laval and Mrs. Poonawala to be discussed).

    For consumer durables, database marketing could be done as follows:

    All the dealers could be enlightened to ensure that the customers who walk in the

    shops to be converted into buyers. For this purpose, whosoever just enquires his

    name, address, contact nos. to be taken down and to be followed at regular interval

    till he is converted as buyer?

    FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE

    This is also known as indirect interviews. A group of eight to ten samples jointly

    participate in an unstructured interview conducted by a moderator. The samples

    selected have similar background or use experience related to the problem being

    research. The moderator in informal way goes on asking unstructured questionnaire

    and recording the data in two-in-one tape recorder. This information later on

    analyzed for decision making.

    Advantage: The data can be collected in shortest possible time, say, a day or two.

    Disadvantage: Since sample size is very small, accuracy could be doubtful.

    Moreover, in one focus group if a dominant personality is one of the sample then

    other samples gets carried away with his views even though they want to say

    something different.

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    BASIC TERMS IN SAMPLING

    Sample Population: It is pre-defined set of potential respondents (elements)

    in a specific geographic area where research is intended.

    For example: All mothers in Delhi city who buy branded baby products.

    All teenagers in Mumbai who love watching MTV

    Sample Frame: It is a sub-set of the defined target population, from which

    researcher can select a sample for collection of data. Sample frame is

    usually a partial list of population.

    For Example: Telephone directory of Delhi

    List of income tax payers in Delhi

    Sample: It is the test unit, which provide information or data to the

    researcher. Alternatively, samples are the respondents who represent the

    characteristics of the target population and drawn from sample frame.

    Sample Size Calculation

    N = (ZS / e)2

    where n = sample size, Z = standard normal distribution for certain

    confidence level, e.g. Z95% = 1.96 & Z90% = 1.645, Z99 = 2.58,

    S = Population Standard Deviation = (Maximum value minimum value) / 6

    e = Tolerable error in estimating the variable

    SAMPLING TECHNIQUES

    Probability Sampling Non-probability Sampling

    1) Each sample unit in sample

    frame has equal or know chance

    of being included as sample

    1) The chance of each sample

    unit from sample frame being

    included as sample cannot be

    estimated.

    2) Samples are selected at

    random from sample frame.

    2) Samples are selected w.r.t.

    prior Experience or judgement of

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    the researcher

    3) Whenever large sample size is

    involved, this method is used.

    3) For accessing small sample

    size this method is used.

    4) When highly accurate

    decisions of known errors are

    intended regardless of cost, this

    method is useful.

    4) Whenever time and cost

    constraints are inevitable (like

    exploratory Research), this

    method is used.

    5) Normally used for consumer

    goods survey.

    5) Normally used for industrial

    goods survey.

    Sampling Methods

    For probability sampling technique

    (i) Random Sampling

    (ii) Systematic Sampling

    (iii) Stratified Sampling

    (iv) Multistage Sampling

    (v) Area Sampling

    For non-probability technique

    (i) Purposive Sampling

    (ii) Quota Sampling

    Questionnaire Design and Drafting

    Following elements in balance manner make good questionnaire

    (i) The questions must be relevant to subject matter and a set of questions must

    be able to cover the entire topic of the research (illustration of Chaitanya

    Health Clubs questionnaire)

    (ii) The question should not indicate specific answers. (example of Amuls Masti

    curd and HLLs study on Surf Wash Boosters)

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    (iii) Lengthy and difficult questions would lose customer attention and hence

    short and easy questions to be posed.

    (ii) Each and every question should create interest in the minds of samples so

    that samples also feel importance of question being asked and hence likely to

    give accurate answers seriously.

    (iii) Double-baralled Questions to be avoided.

    Inexperienced questionnaire designers have a tendency to combine two

    questions into a single question, such as:

    Are you happy with the price and quality of brand Y?

    Yes No

    This is not a good question to ask, because the answer will be ambiguous, whether it

    is yes or no. It would not be clear whether the respondent has said yes for price

    alone, quality alone, or for both. The same problem exists for a no answer.

    It is better to rephrase the question and provide for different answer categories for

    each attribute or ask two separate questions, one for price and one about quality.Then the interpretation of answer becomes far easier.

    Appropriate Layout

    Information Needed

    (Secondary or Primary data)

    Method of data

    collection, PI, TI or

    Observation

    Sampling technique and

    methods

    Questionnaire Layout Design

    Decide on content of each question

    Decide on type of questions

    Decide on wording or questions

    Decide sequence of questions

    Decide pre-testing of questionnaire

    Final testing of revised questionnaire24

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    Questionnaire Dos and Donts

    Ensure questions are free of bias

    Make questions simple

    Make questions specific

    Avoid sophisticated words

    Avoid ambiguous words

    Avoid negatives

    Avoid hypotheticals

    Avoid words that could be misheard

    Use mutually exclusive categories

    Allow for other in fixed response questions

    APPLICATIONS OF MARKETING RESEARCH

    PRODUCT RESEARCH

    Product research areas Marketing research techniques

    (1) Formulating new product Regression Technique, Benefit

    Analysis

    (2) Product Line Extension /

    Brand Extension

    Perceptual Map

    (3) Test Marketing of new

    product

    Experimental research design

    (4) Re-launching of declining

    product

    Qualitative Research or

    Perceptual mapping

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    DISTRIBUTION RESEARCH

    Decision area Marketing researchtechnique to be adopted

    1) Selecting suitable channel option

    from two alternatives like direct

    Distribution or Indirect distribution

    Indepth interviews, focus

    group studies,

    exploratory research

    2) Performance Appraisal of two

    horizontal channel partners (retailer vs

    retailer)

    Cluster analysis

    3) Encouraging or motivating channel

    members

    Qualitative research or

    focus group studies

    ADVERTISING RESEARCH

    Decision area Marketing research technique

    1) Determining ad-objectives

    (which objective should be

    chosen)

    Focus group interview,

    qualitative research

    2) Evaluating ad-copy and ad-

    effectiveness

    Experimental research deisgn

    3) Deciding media Qualitative research

    4) Advertising budgets Opinion poll, qualitative

    research

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    STUDY OF SELECTED RESEARCH PROBLEM

    4.1 Statement of research problem

    Case 1:

    Whether Shah Rukh Khan is the right choice as a male ambassador for Lux.

    To test this we will have to find out whether people associate Shah Rukh Khans

    qualities with Lux.

    We shall also analyze whether Lux needs to target the male consumers also.

    We shall test by finding out whether men really have a say in the purchase

    decision for soaps.

    Case 2

    To study market penetration of Surf Detergent Powder in & around Delhi.

    4.2 Statement of Research objectives

    Case 1

    Primary Objective

    To find whether there is an image mismatch between the image of Shah Rukh Khan

    and Lux

    Secondary Objective

    To find out whether the new improved positioning of

    Lux (targeting men also) is required?

    To find out which male celebrity (if any) is the most

    appropriate for Lux.

    Case 2

    Research Objectives

    To find out:

    (a) Which is the most commonly used detergent in the market?

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    (b) What influences people to buy a particular brand?

    (c) What is the penetration level of Surf in the market?

    (d) To identify customer needs.

    4.3 Research Design & methodology

    The plank on which the study rests is information, which was procured as a

    judicious mix of both secondary data and primary sources of data.

    Developing research plan

    (a) Research Design Descriptive

    (b) Sources of secondary data From Indian retailers association, name and

    addresses of grocers, supermarkets were collected, from whom name and

    addresses of detergent users were collected.

    Sources of primary data Household samples

    (c) Research approach Focus group interviews and individual sample

    interview.

    (d) Research instruments Structured questionnaire

    (e) Sample Plan Universe Residents of Delhi

    Frame Detergent users

    Sample size 52 / 40 (52 list of

    detergent users from whom 40 Surf

    users were picked up)

    Method Systematic sampling

    Unit Household

    (f) Contact method TI / PI

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    ANALYSIS

    5.1 Analysis of data

    FINDINGS

    Qualities Rank for Lux Rank for SRK

    1 Masculine 5 6 0

    2 Feminine 1 2 1

    3 Status 3 5 2

    4 Sophisticated 4 3 1

    5 Cool / Hep 5 4 1

    6 Glamorous 2 1 1

    Summary of Findings

    Correlation

    1 Glamour There is not a significant Difference

    2 Feminist There is a significant Difference

    3 Mascutinity There is a significant Difference

    4 Status There is a significant Difference

    5 Sophistication There is not a significant Difference

    6 Cool / Hap There is a significant Difference

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    ANALYSIS

    Market Share of Various Soaps:

    Out fo the total 21 men interviewed 5 of them use Lux, 3 use Cinthol and 3 use

    dove. 9 of them use soaps other than those mentioned here.

    From among the 73 women interviewd, 18 of them use Lux i.e. around 25% of them

    use Lux, 13% use dove and pears and around 17% use Cinthol. A very small share

    goes to Dettol, i.e. around 2.7% whereas around 25% of the female respondents

    prefer to use other soaps like Chandrika and other medicated soaps.

    Men and Buying Decision:

    From, the data collected, we have found that out fo all the men interviewed only

    21% either buy the soap themselves or ask someone else to buy the brand they

    specify. This means that the men do not have any influence on the buying decision

    for any brand of soap. Thus the strategy of Lux of trying to capture the male

    segment of the society by targeting them would not work as men do not influence

    the buying decision.

    Reason for buying a Soap:

    From what we have collected, we find that just 4% of the respondents buy soap

    because a celebrity endorses it. Majority of the respondents buy it for medical

    reasons (31%) or because of its attractive packaging, shape or scent (24%). Not

    even one of these respondents claims to be buying their brand of soap due to

    influence by friends or peers. A good 14% of the respondents buy their brand of

    soap because they think their brand is value for money. Thus we can infer that thebuying decision for a particular brand of soap largely depends upon medical reasons.

    Thus Lux would be better off trying to capture more market share by using that

    strategy.

    Lux and Male Celebrity?

    When the respondents were asked about their opinion on Lux using a male celebrity

    to endorse it, only 23% said that they liked the idea, 20% said that it does not matter

    to them whether Lux uses a male or a female celebrity, whereas 57% of them did not

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    like the idea. This shows that the Ad has not been absolutely accepted by the

    general public. The Ad might have created a stir in the market, but that according to

    us will not attract many customers and may be not improve the market share for the

    soap.

    Preferred male Star in Lux Ad:

    If the company plans to continue with a male celebrity in its ads, it should take Saif

    Ali Khan as majority of the respondents (31%) though he is more of a metro sexual

    man as compared to SRK. He was followed by Shahid Kapoor with 19% votes.

    This supports our research as it shows that the public have not been able to connect

    to the Lux-Shah Rukh Khan partnership and the company would been better off if

    they would have chosen either Saif Ali Khan or Shahid Kapoor for the same. Both

    Saif and Shahid are on the up in their careers and are thus very much in the news.

    The metro sexuality quotient is very high in both of them and thus very much liked

    by youth of today.

    LUX AD FEATURING SHAH RUKH KHAN:

    Nearly 1 out of every 2 people asked did not like the Lux Advertisement featuringShah Rukh Khan. Also, the number of people who liked the Advertisement is a

    19%. Most of the people were of the opinion that the advertisement was not only

    unaesthetic but also that it could have been shot in a better manner as it was the first

    time that Lux was experimenting with a male celebrity. The advertisement has

    created a stir in the minds of the consumers, but has not necessarily helped the

    company in increasing its market share. The advertisement is in the news, but not

    for the reasons the company must have wanted it to be in. this has lead to confusion

    in the minds of the consumers.

    TESTING OF HYPOTHESIS

    To test our stated hypothesis, we wanted to see if there was a correlation between

    the qualities associated with Lux and those associated with Shah Rukh Khan. There

    is significant difference in the rankings given to the qualities for each Shah Rukh

    Khan and Lux.

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    1. There is no significant Difference in the Glamour quotient of Shah Rukh

    Khan and Lux.

    2. There is a significance Difference in the Feminine quotient of Shah Rukh

    Khan and Lux.

    3. There is no significance Difference in the Sopyhistication quotenti of Shah

    Rukh Khan and Lux.

    4. There is a significance Difference in the Masculinity quotient of Shah Rukh

    Khan and Lux.

    5. There is a significance Difference in the Status quotient of Shah Rukh Khan

    and Lux.

    Thus, we find that there is a significant difference in the quotients of 4 of the 6

    qualities used to describe Shah Rukh Khan and Lux. Thus we conclude that there is

    an image mismatch to some extent.

    Therefore, we reject the null hypothesis (that there is no mismatch between the

    image of Lux and Shah Rukh Khan), thus concluding that,

    There is an image mismatch between Lux and Shah Rukh Khan.

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    CASE -2 DETERGENTS

    Sample Composition

    In all, group members as a part of our survey visited 52 households. 12 of them

    revealed that they were entirely dependent on local washermen or launderettes.

    Therefore these respondents were not considered for answer the questionnaire. The

    remaining 40 thereby formed the sample size of our survey.

    Sex

    Male

    Female

    Sample size = 40

    Sample Size = 40

    OCCUPATION

    23

    107

    0

    10

    20

    30

    Housewife Student Working

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    Sample Size = 40

    INCOME GROUP

    10

    10

    14

    6

    0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

    >15000

    10001-15000

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    Findings of Survey

    MEMBERS IN HOUSEHOLD

    5%10%

    14%

    19%24%

    28%

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    6

    Sample Size = 40

    OWN A WASHING MACHINE?

    50%50%

    Yes No

    Sample Size = 40

    77%

    23%

    Yes No

    Sample Size = 52

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    As a part of our survey, we visited 52 houses. It was found that 12 households gave

    all their clothes to launderettes, while 40 households washed their clothes at home.

    Since the objective of our survey was to find out which detergent is popular in the

    households, we did not take into consideration the 12 who depended entirely on

    launderettes.

    Of the 40 people interviewed, it was found that 21 households used Surf, while 19 of

    them washed their clothes with other detergents. This is a clear indicator of the

    popularity and the presentation of this particular brand in the consumers mind andin the market.

    3. Sub-brands of Surf used

    Of the 21 consumers using Surf, it was found that Surf Excel & Blue as a sub-brand

    was the most commonly sued, with 17 consumers stating it as their preference. This

    was followed by Surf Ultra and Surf Super Excel with 2 consumers each. However,no users could be detected for Surf Excel Matric.

    Sample Size = 40

    48%52%

    Surf

    Others

    17

    2 20

    0

    5

    10

    15

    20

    Surf Excel Surf Ultra Surf Super

    Excel

    Surf Excel

    Matic

    Users of Surf 21

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    4. Influential factors while buying Surf

    As indicated above, whiteness that the detergent provides, say 8 of the consumers, is

    one of the most potent influences while buying the detergent. The second most

    important influence is the fact that it is easy on the fabric, say 5 of them. Other

    influential factors are its gentleness on hands and its good stain removing capacity

    (Daag dhoondte reh jaaoge).

    5. Consumer awareness with respect to the advertising campaign of Surf.

    Of the consumers surveyed, awareness with respect to advertising by Surf was centper cent-that is, all consumers using Surf were aware of its promotional campaigns

    37%

    10%10%

    24%

    14%

    5%

    Whiteness

    Lather

    easy on hands

    easy on Fabric

    Stain Removal

    Others

    Sample Size = 21

    32%

    24%10%

    24%

    10%

    Lalitaji

    Surf Excel hai Naa

    Dho Daala

    Dhoondte Reh

    JaaogeAny Other

    Sample Size = 21

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    and all had seen Surf ads at one point of time or the other. Of the different types of

    ads aired by the media, the lalitaji ad held the greatest retention power and linking,

    with 7 out of the 21 consumers liking it the most, followed by the ad for Surf Excel

    and Dhoondthe Reh Jaaoge, with a fan following 5 consumers each.

    6. Persuasive Powers of various

    Schemes, which are launched by Surf to promote sales, are generally not THE major

    criteria when the consumer goes in for a purchase. This is also reflected by the

    survey in which 13 out of 21 of the consumers supported the fact. Only 8 were

    those who were affected by the schemes propagated by Surf.

    7. Suggestions provided by the consumers

    The following changes were suggested in the any other category.

    Demands for a measuring scale so as to avoid wastage of powder.

    Change in the color of the detergent powder.

    Fragrance of the detergent.

    8. Reasons for not using Surf.

    Price of the detergent and association with fewer schemes were the two primary

    reasons for which consumers preferred other brands to Surf. Price was a factor for

    0

    1

    2

    3

    4

    5

    Price Quality Packaging Fewer

    Schemes

    Others

    Sample Size = 19

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    users of cheaper washing powders such as Nirma, Rin and Wheel. Users of Henko,

    Tide and Ariel insisted that the quality of their detergent was superior to that of Surf.

    9. Detergents (other than Surf) frequently used by consumers

    Amongst many existing brands available (excluding Surf) in the market, the most

    frequently used ones are Rin and Wheel followed by Ariel with others (Local)

    constituting the rest of the market. In the chart indicted above, 19 were nonusers of

    Surf, while 5 of them also preferred an additional detergent besides Surf.

    10. Major influencers while making a purchase

    Factors No.

    Friends 3

    Neighbours 4

    Advertisements 13

    Self-experience 19

    Others 1

    Total 40

    While conducting the survey, personal experience of using the product along with

    many others over a period was major influence while indulging in the purchase.

    2

    1

    1

    7

    7

    2

    4

    0 2 4 6 8

    Others

    Tide

    Rin

    Wheel

    Ariel

    Sample Size = 24

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    Apart from this, effective advertising was a close runner-up and was largely

    responsible in influencing people while buying their preferred brand.

    11. Quantity usually purchased

    Quantity No.

    Less than 1 kg 10

    1-2 kg 20

    2-3 kg 6

    3-4 kg 3

    More than 4 kg 1

    Total 40

    As is predictable, due to the fact that the survey was done in an area which was

    middle class one, the housewives usually went in for the 1-2 kg pack and the

    frequency of purchase was once in a month which is depicted in the chart above.

    12. Frequency of purchase

    Frequency No.

    Once a week 3

    Once a fortnight 11

    Once a month 23

    Once in two months 3

    Total 40

    Usually households preferred to buy their stock of detergent once in a month, as is

    mostly the case with all stock being ordered along with the ration that comes

    monthly. But still many households also buy it fortnightly.

    Packets (500 gm, 1 kg, 2 kg) are the outright winners in this section with more than

    50% consumers in this category preferring this particular style of packaging.

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    However, Jars were also preferred because of their multi-utility purpose after using

    the primary product.

    14. Alternative brand of detergent

    First choice Second choice

    Brands No. Brands No.

    Rin 9 Rin 11

    Wheel 8 Wheel 12

    Surf 10 Surf 5

    Tide 1 Tide 6

    Ariel 7 Ariel 3

    Henko 4 Henko 1

    Nirma 1 Nirma 2

    Total 40 Total 40

    There were 10 non-users of Surf who preferred it as their first choice of purchase in

    case of non-availability of their preferred brand. Users of Surf voted for Ariel, Rin

    and wheel as their first choice given the same situation.

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    15. Stock of detergents

    More than 50% of the households did not keep a stock of detergents at home and

    resorted to purchase only when the need arose.

    16. Preferred detergent amongst acquaintances of consumers

    The general impression that we get after conducting the survey is that Surf rules the

    market because it was revealed that amongst the acquaintances also Surf was the

    most popular brand followed by Ariel and Nirma.

    Findings

    In Q.No. 7, eight respondents stated that they would like more schemes

    to be associated with Surf. However, when they were asked that what

    change would they suggest in their detergent (Q.No. 8), only 5 of them

    suggested more schemes.

    Surf Excel (17/21) is preferred by the consumers because of its

    extraordinary whiteness (8/21) and the fact that it is easy on the fabric

    (5/21).

    When it comes to housewives the verdict is almost equal with 12 saying

    Yes and 11 saying that they do not use Surf but when it comes to

    students, Surf is the clear winner with 6 out of 7 favouring the product.

    Of the 40 consumers surveyed, 21 Surf and of those 21, 19 were women

    as Surf is more a product that homemakers use. Of the 19 non-users, 16

    0 5 10 15 20 25

    Yes

    No

    Sample Size = 40

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    again were women with the rest being men who had genuine knowledge

    about the product and who had used it at one moment of time or another.

    Of the users of Surf, all of them were more or less equally distributed

    when categorized according to the income group with the higher income

    group categories preferring Surf a little more as Surf is costlier than most

    of the other brands (13/21).

    An interesting fact is revealed, 4 suers stated that some of their clothes

    were washed either by themselves or by their maids; however the

    expensive clothes were given to launderettes.

    We also find that the trend of people who are in the different categories is

    almost the same with almost an equal number in each category.

    One interesting observation may be possible. It is seen that the less than

    25 age group of users are more inclined to sue Surf and as the age group

    increases the number of users decrease, this may be due to the new

    positioning that Surf is using where it is targeting the younger generation

    too, through its advertisements.

    Surf is popular with acquaintances of both the users and the non-users.

    In the acquaintances of users section Ariel follows (5/21) while in the

    alternative category Nirma (6/19) and Ariel (4/19) are preferred widely.

    Recommendations for designing marketing strategy

    Of the sub-brands, Surf Excel was the most recognized one, so the

    company ought to take some measures to make the consumer awareabout other sub-brands.

    If possible, pricing should be reviewed, with many consumers citing it as

    a negative factor.

    Surf being viewed as a premium product could come up with a lower

    priced sub-brand for more rural market penetration to compete with

    Wheel, Nirma and so on.

    More schemes should be introduced to attract non-users.

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    Advertising standards should be maintained, if possible improved, as

    advertisements have contributed immensely to the awareness level and

    usage of the product.

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    SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

    6.1 Summary of Learning Experience

    The nature of marketing research is very much linked with marketing as such. It

    deals with each and every decision which marketing also deals with. In nut and

    shell marketing research involves research related to nature and range of products,

    demand for the products, pricing, distribution and promotion, etc.; virtually every

    aspect of serving customer or clients right from idea generation till delivery,

    recovery of payment, installation and training.

    Marketing Research helps the marketer in following decision areas:

    (a) Target Market: To understand taste, preferences and choices of

    consumers, to understand market size, to measure market potential, to

    interpret consumer behavior, to study influence of life style on target

    market behavior.

    (b) Products / Services: To identify customer satisfaction, to identify

    customer service levels, to study and to augment product features,attributes as well as to identify service gaps

    (c) Price: To study price affordability of target market, to study competitive

    pricing structure, etc.

    (d) Distribution: To identify prevailing channels of distribution, emerging

    channels, channels of distribution by competitors and modification to be

    done in channels structures as per market requirement. (P&G introduce

    master wholesaler between stockiest and retailer to augment service

    level)

    (e) Promotion: To design promotion mix, to identify promotion mix of

    competitors, to study emerging promo tools (road shows, pops and

    kiosks)

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    6 .2 Observations & Recommandations

    Market research is systematic gathering, evaluation and analysis of data relating to

    sale and distribution of financial products and services regarding consumers'

    preferences. In marketing process, Research services India provides an approximate

    analysis of market demand either for a new product, or for existing products, as well

    as appropriate methods of distributing those product.

    According toAmerican Marketing Association, Marketing Research is the function

    that links the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information-

    information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems,generate, refine and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance;

    and improve understanding of marketing as a process.

    Marketing Research is systematic problem analysis, model building and fact finding

    for the purpose of important decision making and control in the marketing of goods

    and services. This may all sound rather complicated at the moment but you will soon

    understand it all. This site is a great way to brush up on your previous skills or to

    learn new information, like you would at online colleges. With so many subjects to

    choose from, you will be an expert in that field in no time. For more information on

    courses, please visit our homepage.

    Marketing Research is a well-planned, systematic process which implies that it

    needs planning at all the stages. It uses scientific method. It is an objective process

    as it attempts to provide accurate authentic information. Marketing Research is

    sometimes defined as the application of scientific method in the solution ofmarketing problems.

    Marketing Research plays a very significant role in identifying the needs of

    customers and meeting them in best possible way. The main task of Marketing

    Research is systematic gathering and analysis of information.

    Before we proceed further, it is essential to clarify the relationship and difference

    between Marketing Research and Marketing Information System (MIS).Whatever

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    information are generated by Marketing Research from internal sources, external

    sources, marketing intelligence agencies-consist the part of MIS.

    MIS is a set of formalized procedures for generating, analyzing, storing and

    distributing information to marketing decision makers on an ongoing basis.

    1. While Marketing Research is done with a specific purpose in mind with

    information being generated when it is conducted, MIS information is

    generated continuously.

    2. MIS is continuous entity while Marketing Research is a ad-hoc system.

    3. While in Marketing Research information is for specific purpose, so it is not

    rigid; in MIS information is more rigid and structured.

    Marketing Research is essential for strategic market planning and decision making.

    It helps a firm in identifying what are the market opportunities and constraints, in

    developing and implementing market strategies, and in evaluating the effectiveness

    of marketing plans.

    Marketing Research is a growing and widely used business activity as the sellers

    need to know more about their final consumers but are generally widely separated

    from those consumers. Marketing Research is a necessary link between marketing

    decision makers and the markets in which they operate.

    Marketing Research includes various important principles for generating

    information which is useful to managers. These principles relate to the timeliness

    and importance of data, the significance of defining objectives cautiously andclearly, and the need to avoid conducting research to support decisions already

    made.

    Marketing Research is of use to the following:-

    1. Producers

    a. To know about his product potential in the market vis--vis the total

    product;

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    b. New Products;

    c. Various brands;

    d. Pricing;

    e. Market Structures and selection of product strategy, etc.

    2. Business and Government

    Marketing Research helps businesses and government in focusing attention

    on the complex nature of problems faced by them. For example:

    a. Determination of Gross National Product; Price indices, and per

    capita income;

    b. Expenditure levels and budgeting;

    c. Agricultural Pricing;

    d. The economic policies of Government; and

    e. Operational and planning problems of business and industry.

    3. Market Research Agencies

    Marketing Research is being used extensively by professionals to helpconducting various studies in Marketing Research. Most prominent agencies

    being:-

    a. Linta India Ltd;

    b. British Market Research Bureau (BMRB);

    c. Hindustan Thompson Associate Ltd;

    d. eSurveysPro.com;

    e. MARG

    4. Managers

    1. Marketing research is research on the manifold problem of marketing.

    2. Its purpose is to aid decision making in marketing.

    3. Systematic gathering and analysis of information is what it does in achieving

    its mission.

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    With the increasing complexity of business activity, marketing research too has been

    growing in complexity and it has emerged as a highly specialized function of

    marketing management. Today, carrying out research relating to customers,

    products, products and markets necessitates specialized skills and sophisticated

    techniques.

    In applying marketing for solving marketing problems, the researcher has to go

    through several steps or stages. Each stage has its own decisive role in the total

    process. Right from defining the problem, down to the preparation of the research

    report, the researcher has to proceed step by step.

    While most marketing research assignments go through the above steps and in some

    cases the steps are compressed depending on the type of problem as well as

    considerations of time, costs and benefits. There are many recurring market research

    problems, which can be handled by certain simplified approaches instead of going

    through the elaborate process described above. Any elaborate research study will

    normally involve all the above steps / stages.

    Defining the marketing problem and the marketing research problem involved in the

    task correctly is the most important part of the marketing research process.

    Normally, there is nothing like a marketing research problem in a business. The

    problem belongs to marketing. The marketing research problem is a derivative of the

    marketing problem. Therefore, in the first instance, the marketing problem involved

    should be clearly identified, defined and conceptualized. The definition of the

    marketing problem, however, however, may not always be easy. Often the real issue

    may not be apparent and the apparent issue may be deceptive. At times, an

    understanding of the problem may in itself involve some exploratory research. Once

    the marketing problems involved are correctly identified, definition of the marketing

    research problem becomes a relatively easy task.

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    APPENDIX

    QUESTIONNAIRE

    Questionnaire for household's samples.

    Dear Sir / Madam,

    The students of Management studies, Delhi are conducting this survey, as a

    part of their project in the field of Research. The purpose of this activity is to

    measure the penetration of Surf in Delhi.

    1. Do you wash your clothes at home?

    Yes

    No

    2. Do you use Surf?

    Yes

    No

    3. If Surf, which sub-brand do you use?

    Surf Excel, Surf Excel Blue

    Surf Ultra

    Surf Super Excel

    Surf Excel Matic

    4. What influences your decision while buying Surf? (Tick as many asapplicable)

    Whiteness

    Lather

    Easy on hands

    Easy on fabric

    Stain removal

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    Any other (please specify)

    5. Have you seen any promotional campaign of Surf?

    Yes

    No

    If yes, which one does you like the most?

    Lalitaji

    Surf Excel hai na

    Dho daala ,Daag Achhe Hai !Hai Na ?

    Dhoondhthe Reh jaaoge

    Any other (please specify) ________

    6. Do the various schemes associated with Surf affect your purchase?

    Yes

    No

    7. Would you suggest any changes for Surf in the following fields?

    Availability in different quantities

    Style of packaging

    More schemes to be associated with the brand

    Pricing

    Any other (please specify) ____

    8. Why not Surf?

    Price

    Quality

    Packaging

    Fewer schemes as compared to other brands

    Any other (Please Specify) _

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    9. Which detergent does you most frequently use? (Tick as many

    applicable)

    Ariel

    Nirma

    Wheel

    Rin

    Tide

    Henko

    Any other (please specify) _______

    10. What influences you to buy your preferred brand?

    Friends

    Neighbours

    Advertisements

    Self Experience

    Any other (please specify) ______

    11. While purchasing a detergent, what quantity do you usually go for?

    Less than 1 Kg

    1-2 Kg

    2-3 Kg

    3-4 Kg

    More than 4 Kg

    12. How frequently do you purchase detergents?

    Once a week

    Once a fortnight

    Once a month

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    Once in two months

    13. You prefer your detergent in:

    Sachets (10 gm, 20 gm, 50 gm, etc)

    Packets

    Jars

    Bigger containers

    Any other (please specify) _______

    14. If your preferred detergent is not available, you go for:

    First Choice ______________

    Second Choice ___________

    15. Do you keep a stock of detergents in your home?

    Yes

    No

    16. Most preferred detergent among people you know

    Surf

    Ariel

    Nirma

    Wheel

    Rin Tide

    Henko

    Any other (please specify) _______

    Something about you

    Name :Mr./Mrs./Ms. _________

    Age Group : Kindly tick whichever is applicable

    < 25

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    25-34

    35-44

    45 and above

    Address:

    Occupation:

    Do you own a washing machine?

    Yes

    No

    Who washes the clothes in your house?

    Yourself

    Maid

    Any other (please specify) _______

    How many members are there in your household?

    _________________________________

    Income Group: (Tick whether is applicable)

    < 5000

    5,001-10,000

    10,001-15,000

    15,001 and above

    Thank you

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    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Bradley, Nigel Marketing Research. Tools and Techniques.Oxford University Press,

    Oxford, 2010

    Marder, Eric The Laws of ChoicePredicting Customer Behavior (The Free Press

    division of Simon and Schuster, 1997.ISBN 0-684-83545-2

    Kotler, Philip and Armstrong, GaryPrinciples of MarketingPearson, Prentice Hall,

    New Jersey, 2007ISBN 978-0-13-239002-6, ISBN 0-13-239002-7

    Crimp, M. and Wright, L. T. (1995) The marketing research process, 4th edition,

    Prentice Hall, London. Chapter 1, pp. 1-19.

    Imms, M. and Ereaut, G. (2002)Introduction to qualitative market research, Sage,

    London.

    Kumar, V., Aaker, D. A. and Day, G. S. (2002) Essentials of marketingresearch,

    2nd edition, Wiley, New York. Chapters 2 and 3, pp. 29-66.

    Proctor, T. (2003) Essentials of marketing research, 3rd edition,Financial Times

    Prentice Hall, Harlow. Chapter 1, pp. 17-21.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0684835452http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0684835452http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780132390026http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780132390026http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0132390027http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780132390026http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0132390027http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0684835452