RIMS JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT - M S Ramaiah Foundation...• RIMS has been ranked at No.75 out of top...
Transcript of RIMS JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT - M S Ramaiah Foundation...• RIMS has been ranked at No.75 out of top...
ISSN 2455 – 1449
Vol.4(II), Students’ Issue, Feb, 2020
M S RAMAIAH FOUNDATION RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
RIMS JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT
Theme: Innovations and Emerging Trends for Sustainable Global Economy
A STUDY OF THE CHALLENGES FACING DIGITAL MARKETING AS A TOOL OF PROMOTION Ms. Valanteena D and Ms. Lidweena Mary A STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL MARKETING METHODS Ms. Nousheena Imran and Ms. Maseeha Arjumand A STUDY ON GREEN MARKETING PAVING WAY FOR BANKING SECTORS TOWARDS ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY Ms. Abida Azim and Ms. Keerthana N VITALITY OF A HIGHLY EDUCATED POPULATION FOR THRIVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP Ms. V. Ektha A STUDY OF CUSTOMER BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS GREEN MARKETING Ms. Ayushi Somanna M and Ms. Shyamilee
PRE & POST-MERGER FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE: AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE OF EXIT
STRATEGY
Mr. Girish Mallappa Mabanur and Ms. Sindhu A N A STUDY ON PERCEPTION OF EMPLOYEES TOWARDS GIG SYSTEM Ms. Ancy S. S and Ms. Umaima Rukhsar BRAND MANAGEMENT OF SMART DEVICES IN BANGALORE CITY Mr. Mohammed Yousuff Ahmed UNDERSTANDING THE GROWING THEMATIC BOND MARKET Ms. Lahari Murthy and Mr. Gurupreet Kaur CUSTOMER PERCEPTION OF BRAND MANAGEMENT OF RELIANCE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, RETAIL AND ELECTRONICS Ms. Steffi V Dousza and Ms. Vanessa Akanskha RURAL MARKETING CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES Ms. Sarah N Augustine and Ms. Pearl Martina A STUDY ON ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT Ms. Ayesha Soubia A STUDY ON RECENT TRENDS IN MARKETING STRATEGY WITH REFERENCE TO BANKING SECTOR Mr. Anirbon Roy and Ms. Shruthi J TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT AND FRAUDS IN BANKING Ms. Subhashree K and Ms. Harshitha S
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
PREFACE
The students’ edition of our Journal comprises research contribution made by business
students to our National Conference on “Innovations and Emerging Trends for Sustainable
Global Economy” on September 6, 2019. The conference aimed to highlight sustainability
measures and economic growth achieved by emerging economies and traditional global
powers. It gave an opportunity to exchange of novel ideas in the field of sustainable global
and gig economy.
The papers presented by researchers, research scholars, academia fraternity and few
corporate experts were published in UGC Care Approved International Indexed and Referred
Journal “Think India Journal” with an Impact Factor 6.2 and few papers were published in
UGC Approved Journal “Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research – An
International Open Access Journal with an Impact Factor 5.87.
The student edition is an attempt to build a culture of research. Through research the student
fraternity can develop new skills, gather in-depth learning on new concepts, explore new
possibilities, provide solutions to the current problems, enhance personal branding to support
professional development and improve their career prospects.
- Dean
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This students’ issue, was supported by Dr. M. R. Pattabiram, Founder, Trustee; Mrs. Anitha Pattabiram,
Founder Trustee, M. S. Ramaiah Foundation. We thank Dean, Dr. Radha R, for her continuous support and
guidance.
Special thanks to our faculty team Dr. Julie Sunil, Dr. S. Murali, Dr. Saravana Kumar,
Prof. Sreerengan V. R, Prof. K. V. Sridhar, Dr. Dhanalakshmi K, Prof. Mallika B K for their insights and
expertise in compiling and editing the research papers and prepare the research papers for publication. We
are also immensely grateful for their feedback and recommendations, although the students work is
published with faith that this submitted work is authentic and should not tarnish the reputations of these
esteemed persons. We shall also thank Ms. Tarakeswari for the technical support.
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
RIMS JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT
RIMS Journal of Management is a bi-annual publication of Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies /
Sciences. The journal is committed to delivering high-quality research findings and results to the world.
All manuscripts are subject to a double blind peer review by the members of the editorial board. The
accountability of the ideas, information, data and analysis presented by the authors rests on the authors.
The aim of this Journal is to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, academicians and
professionals from diverse management disciplines to share innovative research findings to stimulate
scholarly debate in the development of Management Studies / Science.
This Journal is dedicated to publish high quality original research papers offering meaningful insights and
application oriented research, relevant to the corporate world.
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES / SCIENCES (RIMS)
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES/SCIENCES (RIMS) is an institution of higher
education dedicated to the cause of business education. The institution is a part of the M S RAMAIAH
Foundation, a charitable trust that has the avowed objective of providing exemplary service in all of its
offerings.
Dr. M S RAMAIAH, the founder of the MSR Group of institutions, was a pioneer in the educational sector
in South India. A visionary leader who rose from humble beginnings to being one of the most respected
figures in the field of higher education, he saw education as a noble way to serve society. M S RAMAIAH
Institute of Technology was founded in 1962 and is today considered to be one of the best technology
institutions in the country that attracts students from different parts of the world. Over the years, the
legendary founder forayed into medicine, pharmacy, law, science, arts and dentistry. Today, the group is
one of the largest of its kind in the country, with most of its programs having been given the autonomy to
design and deliver the best because of their excellent track record.
Dr. M R PATTABIRAM, the Managing Trustee of M S RAMAIAH FOUNDATION and Founding
Director of RIMS is a chip off the old block. A deeply spiritual and ethical leader, he is well-known for his
impeccable integrity and the ability to achieve results without cutting corners. Not surprisingly, besides his
many qualifications at the graduate level, he has devoted his doctoral studies to an analysis of Mahatma
Gandhi's ideas and ideals in terms of their profound relevance to the current world. Ever anxious to look
beyond the ordinary and the local, he had an abiding passion for creating a management institution that
would one day be counted among the best in the world. Thus was born RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF
MANAGEMENT STUDIES/SCIENCES (RIMS).
VISION To be a global center of learning to evolve competent human resource asset with professional skills, ethics
and personal values.
MISSION To provide a “Comprehensive Learning Experience” to develop our students to be most preferred
prospects by the corporate.
• To integrate corporate needs and academic inputs.
• To enhance the learning experience by building competent professionals of the millennium in terms of
physical fitness, community orientation, solidarity of living & learning together, interdependence and
self- confidence.
• To constantly and consistently upgrade the intellectual capital in terms of teaching faculty, use of
technology in designing, developing and delivering curricula with value added inputs to students.
• To promote research among faculty to enhance the intellectual capital value.
• To train and develop faculty and support staff for improved quality of service.
QUALITY POLICY
• Meet or exceed student expectations relating to
• Assurance of Learning
• Career Development
• Meet or exceed expectations of all stakeholders, faculty, staff, recruiters, parents, promoters, regulators
and society.
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
CORE VALUES
• Ethical Approach
• Leadership with long term perspective
• Respect for our individual
• Service Orientation
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Empowerment
• Innovation
• Accountability
• Inclusive growth and progress
• Global Outlook
• Uncompromising commitment to Quality and Continuous Improvement
• Performance Orientation
Within a short span of time, RIMS has established itself as an innovative B-School with a deep and
uncompromising attitude towards quality as can be gauged from the following:
• RIMS was honoured by ABP Mumbai as “BEST INSTITUTE WITH INNOVATION IN SKILL
DEVELOPMENT” under National Education Awards 2018 (9th Edition) on 5th July 2018.
• RIMS has been ranked at No.75 out of top 100 B-Schools by Dalal Street Investment Journal dated
Feb 19 – March 4 2018.
– The FIRST and ONLY B-School in India to have earned two CHEA (Council for Higher Education
Accreditation, USA) recognized Accreditations for its PGPM and MBA Programs - the accreditations
have been granted with commendations by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and
Programs (ACBSP), USA and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE),
USA.
• The only B-School to have been awarded the highest STAR AWARD at the National Quality
• Education Conference of the American Society for Quality (November 2012) and also the only B-School
in India to have won two Awards of Distinction at the National Quality Education Conference of the
American Society for Quality (2010 and 2011)
• The only B-School in India to have reached the finals of the International Team Excellence Awards of
the American Society for Quality in two successive years – 2011 and 2012. In 2011, RIMS received the
Attendee's Choice Award for “Complex Project” and in 2012 for “Creative Solution / Action”
• The youngest B-School in the country to be accorded the highest A++ grading by Business India, the
pioneer in B-School ratings, which has been grading B-Schools since 1982 (October 2011 and
November 2012)
• The youngest B-School in the country to be ranked by BUSINESS TODAY (October 2012) – No. 33 in
Learning Experience, No. 36 in Future Orientation, and No. 69 Overall.
• Ranked No. 70 by MBAUniverse.com (December 2012)
• The only B-School in India to have partnered with ASQ India Chapter to conduct innovative programs
on quality in different sectors (IT, Manufacturing, Health Care, Financial Services, and
Pharmaceuticals).
• The only B-School to have been featured in two Case Studies of the American Society for Quality
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Call for Papers
Dear
Researcher,
Greetings from RIMS, Bangalore!
RIMS Journal of Management (ISSN 2455-1449) is published by RIMS, Bangalore - a premier
business institute under the M S Ramaiah Foundation and committed to excellence in academics,
research and corporate partnerships. The journal aims to serve managers, researchers and
academicians with emerging principles and practical inputs across the myriad challenges
confronting management discipline.
We welcome insightful articles, case studies, book reviews, interviews and research papers.
Rigorous, detailed and thought-provoking work that establish clear connects on contemporary
issues using empirical findings, in-depth application of theoretical frameworks or other
significant observations in any area of management will be appreciated.
The journal is peer-reviewed and follows a double blind review process. The manuscript should
be well written and follow the APA style of formatting.
Important dates for authors:
Issue/Date Abstract
(on or before)
Word
Limit for
Abstract
Full Paper (on
or before)
Word Limit
(for Full Paper)
January-June Issue April 30
500 words
with 6
keywords
June 10
Up to 5000
words (page
limit 10- 15
pages )
Notification of
Approval
May 15 June 20
July-December Issue October 31 December 10
Notification of
Approval
November 15 December 20
We look forward to your valuable contribution.
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
A study of the challenges facing digital marketing as a tool of promotion
Valanteena. D
Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
+91 8147785299
Lidweena Mary
Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
9071117422
Abstract
In the present scenario with the increased effect of globalisation and modernisation the
marketers and their businesses are facing a lot of severe challenges and also opportunities
leading to their success. Earlier the customers would focus mainly on the product and also the
brands of the product.
Digital marketing is the way of marketing or promoting the products or services to the customers
with the help of electronic media. It helps the marketers to know the customers, their taste and
preferences and most importantly their the expectation from the marketers. Digital marketing is a challenge to the marketers and simultaneously it offers a lot of
opportunities at the same time.
If the marketers interact with the customers it leads to better understanding and also enables the
marketers to have a deeper insight. The customers prefer to purchase products and avail services
of good quality but the customers do not have much time to spend on these aspects and hence
marketers have been using digital marketing as an effective tool to reach them. The problems
faced by the marketers need to be addressed carefully and appropriately so that it gives long
term solutions to the problems.
The objectives of the study were (a) Study the perception of the customers on digital marketing.
(b) Study the expectation of customers from digital marketers. Respondents were administered
a questionnaire to select responses. The findings reveal that most of the customers feel that
digital marketing promotions are the better option for the availability of products. And also they
expect the advertisements to be in suitable time, attractive to watch and hear, relevant, etc.
Keywords: digital marketing, challenges, promotions, online marketing, customers.
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Introduction
Now it is a well-known fact that what we call
'marketing' has undergone substantial
changes over the recent years and the key role
in this transformation has been played on the
internet. Internet refers to the physical
connection of computer networks with any
other computer throughout the globe via
routers and servers. The vast amount of
information are being transported and held
computers as the wide-area communication
links and network infrastructure. As per
several studies, the introduction of the
internet has reshaped the structured and
performances to address in different sectors
like hospitality, health, education, marketing,
etc.
“The use of electronic devices and internet in
regards to promotion of a product or a brand
is to be termed as Digital marketing”. The
primary objective of digital marketing is to
attract customers and to provide a platform to
interact with the brand through digital
tools. Digital marketing includes social
media marketing, search engine marketing,
display advertisements, etc. and the scope is
beyond internet marketing for channels
which do not require internet like MMS and
SMS in mobile phones.
Tools of digital marketing are Search Engine
Optimization: Organic search, Paid Search:
AdWords, Analytics, Social
Media Marketing (PR and influencer), Email
Marketing/ Marketing Automation and
Content Marketing.
Challenges faced in digital marketing
• Limitation of internet access.
• Limited consumer link and
conversation.
• High competition of brand.
• Risk of hacking strategies.
• Anti-brand activities.
• Advertisement for limited products.
Literature review
Number of research papers and articles
provide a detailed insight into the role of
digital transformation in current education
and view of digitalization.
Digital marketing media, eg internet and
mobile phones, are considered powerful new
opportunities to reach consumers but are
dependent upon consumer responsiveness to
the new media. Consumer responsiveness is
a function of the perceived relevance of the
marketing message and the acceptance of the
medium of the message[i].
The challenges that social media faces for
enhancing consumer-brand engagement. In
doing so, they seek to turn social media
challenges into future research directions.
The majority of social media marketing
initiatives take the form of communicating
sales promotions to already engaged
consumers[ii].
The concept of digital marketing as
understood in the Indian conditions
can be explained still further in terms of its
effectiveness on and receptivity by the
consumers and the markets if proper
Scientific Research methods and techniques
are applied. To advertising points, the author
research is a part of the marketing activities
“built-in-progress”[iii].
Statement of the problem
Today digital marketing took over traditional
marketing. There is a rapid change in the
marketing and advertisement sector, the
expectations of each individual customer is a
challenge to digital marketing. There is a
huge gap between the customer’s expectation
and what they get back. There are lot of
problems faced by digital marketing in
satisfying the customers. Most of the
customers do not believe in digital marketing
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
advertisements are effective this is the major
challenge for digital marketing.
Objectives of the study
a) Study the perception of the customers
on digital marketing.
b) Study the expectation of customers
from digital marketers.
Methodology
The research on challenges facing digital
marketing as a tool of promotion was based
on both primary and secondary data. The
primary data was collected from the
questionnaire from a sample of 70 customers
and represented in the form of graphs. The
secondary data was collected from online
websites relating to digital marketing and a
couple of books. This data was classified and
tabulated. Findings have been summarised
and suggestions have been made.
Analysis and interpretation of data
Age group of the respondents
Age Percentage
18-25 76.50%
26-35 16.20%
35-above 7.40%
From the above data table it is seen that
76.50% of the respondents are in the age
group of 18-25, 16.20% of them are in the age
group of 26-35 and the remaining 7.40% of
the respondents belong to the age group of 35
and above. Therefore it can be inferred as
majority of the respondents are from the age
group of 18-25 who are young people just
passed their teens.
Gender of the respondents
Gender Percentage
Female 82.40%
Male 17.60%
From the above table it can be analysed that
82.40% of the respondents are female and
remaining 17.60% of the respondents are
male. Therefore it can be inferred as most of
the respondents are female.
Type of customer of the respondent
Type of customer Percentage
Student 60.30%
Professional 33.80%
Housewife 5.90%
Retired Nil
From the above table it is seen that 60.30% of
respondents are student, 33.80% of the
respondents are professionals, and remaining
5.90% of the respondents are housewives.
Therefore it can be inferred that majority of
the respondents under the type of customers
are students
77%
16%
7%
Age
18-25
26-35
35-above
82%
18%
0%
Gender
Female
Male
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Qualification of the respondents
Qualification Percentage
Under graduation 55.90%
Post-graduation 39.70%
Professional 4.40%
Others Nill
From the above table it can be analysed as
55.9% of the respondents are under
graduates, 39.7% of the respondents are post
graduate and remaining 4.4% of the
respondents are professionals. Therefore it
can be inferred as majority of the respondents
are perusing higher education.
Lifestyle of the respondents
Life stage Percentage
Young and dependent 52.90%
Young and independent 36.80%
less young and independent 1.50%
Family with children at
home 8.80%
From the above table it can be analysed as
52.90% of respondents are young and
dependent, 36.8%of the respondents are
young and independent, 8.8% of respondents
are having family with children and the
remaining 1.5% of respondents are less
young and independent. Therefore it can be
inferred as majority of the respondents are
young and dependent.
Experience of the respondent in buying
the products through internet
Response Percentage
Yes 100%
No 0
From the above table it can be analysed as
100% of the respondents have experience
purchasing products through internet.
Therefore it can be inferred as the entire
respondent have experienced purchasing
products through internet.
60%
34%
6% 0%
Type of customers
Student
Professional
Housewife
Retired
56%40%
4%
Qualification
Under
graduation
Post
graduation
Professional
53%37%
1%9%
Life style
Young and
dependent
Young and
independent
less young and
independent
Family with
children at
home
100%
0%0%
Responses
Yes
No
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Frequency of purchase through internet
by the respondent
Response Percentage
Frequently 27.90%
Occasionally 38.20%
Rarely 32.40%
Used internet only few
times 1.50%
Never used internet Nill
From the above table it can be stated that
38.2% respondents purchase occasionally,
32.4% of the respondents purchase rarely
through internet, 27.9% of respondents are
frequent online purchasers and the remaining
1.5% of the respondents are rarely exposed to
the use of internet for purchase. Therefore it
can be inferred as majority of the respondents
purchase occasionally.
Awareness of digital marketing among
the respondents
Response Percentage
Yes 97.10% No 2.90%
From the above table it can be analysed as
97.1% of the respondents are aware about
digital marketing and remaining 2.9% of the
respondent are unaware about digital
marketing. Therefore it can be inferred as the
majority of the respondents are aware about
digital marketing.
Opinion of the respondents on digital
marketing over traditional marketing
Response Percentage
Good 55.90%
Better 44.10%
Bad Nill
From the above table it can be analysed as
55.9% of the respondents are having a good
opinion on digital marketing and remaining
44.1% of the respondents do not have good
opinion on digital marketing over traditional
marketing. Therefore it can be inferred as
majority of the have positive opinion on
digital marketing.
28%
38%
32%
2% 0%
Responses
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Used internet
only few timesNever used
internet
97%
3%0%
Responses
Yes
No
56%
44%
0%
Responses
Good
Better
Bad
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Perception of the respondents on the
effectiveness of the digital marketing
promotions
Response Percentage
Yes 67.60%
No 4.40%
May be 28.00%
From the above table it can be analysed as
67.6% of the respondents feel digital
marketing is effective, 28% are contradicting
towards the effectiveness of digital marketing
promotions and remaining 4.4% of
respondents perceive digital marketing is
ineffective. Therefore it can be inferred as
majority of the respondents’ feel digital
marketing is effective as a promotional
marketing tool.
Perception of the respondents on effective
digital media platform for promotion.
Response Percentage
Facebook 70.60%
YouTube 52.90%
Instagram 73.50%
Website 29.40%
E Mail 25%
From the above table it can be analysed that
73.5% of the respondents feel Instagram as
effective digital media platform, 70.6% of the
respondents feel Facebook as an effective
promotional platform, 52.9% of the
respondents feel you tube as an effective
media, 29.4 % of the respondents feel
websites as an effective platform and the
remaining 25% feel email marketing as
effective platform. Therefore it can be
inferred as majority of the respondents feel
Instagram and Facebook as an effective
digital media platform for promotion.
Whether respondents are beneficial
through digital marketing
Response Percentage
Yes 83.80%
No 16.20%
From the above table it can be analysed as
83.3% of the respondents have benefited
through digital marketing and remaining
16.2% have a perception that digital
marketing is non-beneficial. Therefore it can
be inferred as majority of the respondent feel
digital marketing is beneficial to them.
68%4%
28%
Responses
Yes
No
May be
48
36
50
20
17
70.60%
52.90%
73.50%
29.40%
25%
0 20 40 60
Youtube
Website
E Mail
Med
ia t
oo
ls
Response
84%
16%
0%
Responses
Yes
No
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Respondent’s perception on the area of
benefit from digital marketing.
Response Percentage
Availability of
information 52.50%
Creates awareness 41%
Relatebility 6.50%
From the above the table it can be analysed
as 52.5% of the respondent feel digital
marketing is beneficial because of
availability of information, 41% of the
respondent feel digital marketing creates
awareness and the remaining 6.5% of the
respondents feel digital marketing helps them
to relate it with their needs and wants.
Therefore it can be inferred as majority of the
respondents feel digital marketing provides
them with good information which makes
them feel digital marketing is beneficial.
Table no 14 showing the perception of
respondents towards digital marketing as
a new trend
Response Percentage
Yes 94.10%
No 5.90%
From the above the table it can be analysed
as 94.1% of the respondents perceive digital
marketing as a new trend and remaining 5.9%
of the respondents feel digital marketing as
not a new trend. Therefore it can be inferred
as the majority of the respondents perceive
that digital marketing to be a new trend.
Perception of respondents towards an
attractive feature of digital marketing as
a platform for shopping or promotion
From the above table it can be analysed as
38.5% of the respondents feeling convenient
in shopping, 24.6% of the respondents feel
digital marketing helps in easy to purchase,
23.1% feel digital marketing provide wide
variety of the products, 9.2% feels offers
availability in digital shopping is attractive
and the remaining 4.6% feel availability of
products on time as attractive feature.
Therefore it can be inferred as majority of the
respondents feel convenient in digital
shopping as an attractive feature of digital
marketing as a platform for shopping and
promotion.
56%
44%
0%
Responses
Availability ofinformation
Createsawareness
Relatebility
94%
6%0%
Responses
Yes
No
Response Percentage
Convenient 38.50%
Easy to purchase 24.60%
Availability 4.60%
Offers 9.20%
Wide variety of products 23.10%
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
Perception of the respondents on the
statement digital marketing
advertisements are effective
Response Percentage
Yes 77.90%
No 22.10%
From the above table it can be analysed as
77.9% of the respondents agree with digital
marketing advertisement are effective and
remaining 22.1% of the respondents are not
agree with the statement. Therefore it can be
inferred as majority of the respondents
perceive that digital marketing
advertisements are effective.
Reasons for ineffectiveness of digital
marketing advertisements of the
respondents
Response Percentage
Wrong timing 33.30%
Irritating 26.70%
Not relevant 40.00%
From the above table it can be analysed that
40% of the respondents feel the
advertisements on digital media platforms are
irrelevant to the customers, 33.3% of the
respondents feel time slots chosen to
advertisement by them is a reason for
ineffectiveness and the remaining 26.7% of
the respondents feel digital advertisements
are irritating. Therefore it can be inferred as
irrelevant advertisements are the major
reason for ineffectiveness of digital media
advertisement.
Opinions of respondents to make digital
marketing advertisement effective.
Response Percentage
Suitable time schedule 32.40%
Attractive music to hear
and to watch video 23.50%
Relevancy 17.60%
Not disturbing the work
in between 26.50%
38%
25%5%
9%
23%
Responses
Convenient
Easy topurchaseAvailability
Offers
Wide variety ofproducts
78%
22%
0%
Responses
Yes
No
33%
27%
40%
Responses
Wrongtiming
Irritating
Not relevant
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
From the above table it can be stated that
32.4% of the respondents feel suitable time
schedule can make digital media
advertisement effective, 26.5% of the
respondents feel understanding the work
schedules of the customers and displaying
advertisement based on that can make it more
effective, 23.5% of the respondents feel using
attractive music and videos can make digital
advertisement effective and the remaining
17.6% of the respondents feel understanding
customer needs and displaying relevant
advertisement will make digital marketing
advertisement effective. Therefore it can be
inferred as majority of the respondents feel
choosing suitable time schedule to display
advertisements will make digital marketing
advertisement more effective.
Findings
• Majority of the respondents are young
and dependent. • Almost all the respondents as customers
have experienced purchasing products
through the internet and the majority of
them purchase occasionally through
internet • Most of the respondents are aware of
digital marketing and have a positive
opinion on digital marketing. • Majority of the respondents’ feel digital
marketing is effective as a promotional
marketing tool. FaceBook and Instagram
are an effective digital media platform for
promotion • Most of the respondents’ feel digital
marketing is beneficial to them and the
majority of them feel the availability of
information makes digital marketing
effective. • Majority of the respondents perceive that
digital marketing to be a new trend in the
field of marketing. • Majority of the respondents perceive that
digital marketing advertisements are
effective due to convenience in shopping
as an attractive feature of digital
marketing - a platform for shopping and
promotion • The respondents feel irrelevant
advertisements are the major reason for
the ineffectiveness of digital media
advertisement. • Most of the respondents feel choosing a
suitable time schedule and relevant
advertisements will make digital
marketing advertisement more effective.
Recommendations
• The respondents who aren’t using the
internet for shopping can adopt to this
advancement to experience digital
shopping as it is more convenient and
easy to purchase. And the marketers can
make it more attractive and provide the
right benefits to the right customers at the
right time.
• The digital marketers should focus on
customers’ expectation and understand
their perception towards digital
marketing as a promotional tool. So that
the marketers can avoid confusions and
problems, which will lead to fulfilling
customer’s expectations and what they
receive.
• Most of the respondents’ feel digital
marketing is ineffective, the reasons like
wrong time schedule chosen by marketers,
32%
24%18%
26%
ResponsesSuitable time
schedule
attractive music
to hear and to
watch videoRelevancy
Not disturbing
the work in
between
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
irrelevant advertisements the customers and
they also feel digital advertisements are
irritating. This can be overcome through
proper market research by the marketers to
understand customer requirements.
• Most of the respondents feel changes like
choosing suitable time schedule and relevant
advertisements will make digital marketing
advertisement more effective. So it can be
suggested that the markets should have a
clear cut study on problems faced by
customers in digital marketing as a tool for
promotions and this will be a challenge to
digital marketers to make digital marketing
more effective.
Conclusion
The purpose of the study is to highlight
digital marketing and its challenges. The
study seeks to provide the ability to
visualize how digital marketing strategies
are formulated and perceived by consumer
segments. The study seeks to offer key
indicators of effective digital marketing
strategies. Advertising in the digital media
were taken into account. For this purpose,
advertisements in the digital media have been
taken into consideration.
Digital marketing has emerged as a trending
word in last few years. E-Commerce has re-
regularised the concept of business from
physical aspect of delivery to virtual aspects
of marketing and selling. Digital activities are
an increasingly important part of any
marketing and sales strategy. There is a
paradigm of shift in how business is
conducted from traditional model to E-
commerce model. There is a huge expansion
of digital marketing and promotion of
products and markets but the players are still
facing the challenge in this field with tough
competitions. Today, most companies are
either thinking about or pressing ahead with
digital change initiatives. Every company has
a website, and few marketing strategies are
signed off without incorporating social
media. Certainly, social media is a critical
component of any digital strategy, but a
holistic response to the digital shift must go
much further.
Digital is changing the world, and progress
is not linear. In a world where a Smartphone
is no longer just a Smartphone, but a potential
revolution, we invite organisations to explore
what digital advances mean for them and
their stakeholders. We support the opinion of
executives who view digital much more as an
opportunity to be tapped than as a risk to
guard against. Not every digital initiative will
work for every organisation, and it is
important to assess capability and capacity
for change before deploying a digital
strategy. In general, though, there is more
holistic initiative, the greater the chance of
success. We believe that those who act
holistically, and act now, stand to gain the
greatest competitive advantage
Limitations of the study
1. The research paper limits to the
challenges faced in digital marketing by
the customers.
2. The expectations from customers and
their perceptions
References
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/099d/76c9c
faa21a479154f8b06a6507334a74a74.pdf
http://iaetsdjaras.org/gallery/23-january-
402.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/32
6380915_DIGITAL_MARKETING_AND_
ITS_CHALLENGES
[i] Wiebke Etal (2013) “study on digital
marketing” journal of marketing AMA/MSI,
India [ii] Don E Schiltz, James Peltier (2013)
“Challenges of social media marketing”,
Journal of advertising research. India. [iii] Ayaz S. Peerbhoy (2010), “Digital
marketing and its challenges”, Journal of
Airo international research, Chennai, Tamil
Nadu
RIMS Journal of Management
Vol.4 (II), Students’ Issue, Feb 2020 2019
A study of the effectiveness of social media marketing compared to traditional marketing
methods
Nousheen Imran Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
Email id: [email protected] Mob: 9980796167
Maseeha Arjumand Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
Email id: [email protected]
[email protected] Mob:: 8892920894
Abstract
In this modern era of innovative technology and increasing social media apps and websites,
every business strives to reach to its potential customers by marketing on various social
media websites. Social media marketing is a form of internet marketing which uses social
networking websites or apps as a marketing tool. The main aim of companies adopting social
media marketing is to produce content that users will share with their social network to help
the company increase brand exposure and broaden customer reach. Social media has become ubiquitous and most significant for long range interpersonal
communication; content sharing and web-based getting to. Because of its dependability,
consistency and quick includes, web-based life opens a wide place for organizations, and for
example, web-based advertising. Advertising which happens by means of web-based life is
known as internet-based life promoting. Online life showcasing has made feasible for
organizations to reach focused on buyers effectively, viably and immediately. Other than
that, web-based social networking promoting likewise faces a few difficulties in the field.
Social media marketing helps the customers to know the brands, it’s not just one-way
communication from business to customers but also it involves customer’s engagement.
Social media has progressed from essentially giving a stage to people to remain in contact
with their family and friends. Presently it is where buyers can get familiar with their
preferred organizations and the items they sell. Advertisers and retailers are using these sites
as another approach to arrive at buyers and give another approach to shop. "Technology-
related improvements have expanded advertisers' capacity to arrive at customers through
new touchpoints". A sample size of 100 respondents was chosen, Google forms were
circulated to collect the primary data. Through the study, it was found that most of the
customers are aware of the social media marketing and it was found that Social Media
Marketing has helped respondents in making a purchase decision and majorly respondents
accept Social Media Marketing rather than the traditional methods.
Key words: Social Media, Marketing Tool, Two Way Communication, Retailers,
Advertising, Traditional Media, Technology.
Introduction
Social media sites have turned out to be
progressively well known and are being
utilized by an ever-increasing number of
individuals each and every day. A few
organizations have discovered that utilizing
social media platform as a stage to bring their
business can be extremely viable. Social media marketing is a substantial
method for organizations of all sizes to arrive
at prospects and clients. The clients as of now
are cooperating with brands through social
networking, and in case if the marketers are
not talking directly to the group of spectators
through social sites like Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and Pinterest then the marketer will
be missing out the opportunity presented to
.them. Marketing on social media can lead to
a phenomenon of accomplishment to any
business, making dedicated brand advocates
and also driving leads and sales.
Social media marketing comprises activities
such as posting text and picture updates,
videos, and other content that drives crowd
commitment, as well as paid social media
publicizing.
Social media marketing can help with various
objectives, for example,
• Expanding website traffic
• Building transformations
• Raising brand awareness
• Creating a brand identity and positive
brand affiliation
• Improving communication and
association with key spectators.
• The greater and increasingly engaged
your audience is on social media
networks, the simpler it will be for you
to accomplish every other marketing
objective on your list.
Literature review
Social media are likely to develop marketing
strategies in firms through trust-building
mechanisms and affecting customers’
intention to buy online products[i]. Through
FaceBook companies can increase brand
awareness by advertising or creating their own
profile where information can be shared[ii].
Instagram has taken a new advertising service
to use, which enables marketers to buy
advertisement space. However, this scene is
not yet available in the Nordic
countries[iii].Advertising on Twitter is
efficient when a company wants to, for
example, get more traffic on their website[iv].
Social media is a group of Internet-based
applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0 and
allow the creation and exchange of user-
generated content[v]. Social media is a set of
online word of mouth forums which includes
blogs, discussion boards, forums or social
networks to name a few[vi]. Media sharing
sites (i.e. YouTube, Picassa and Flickr) or
blogging platforms (i.e. blogspot, WordPress)
are also members of this ecosystem called
social media[vii]. Social media marketing to
the relationship marketing where firms need to
shift from “trying to sell” to “making
connections” with the consumers[viii]. Social
media marketing as the process that empowers
individuals to promote their websites,
products, or services through online social
channels and tap into a much larger
community that may not have been available
via traditional channels[ix]. A Facebook page
or Twitter account can notify all its followers
of specific subject quickly and
simultaneously[x].
Statement of problem
Few Companies are still facing challenges using a
traditional form of advertising. The role of social
media and its impact on branding. The challenges
that companies face by using social media today for
their business purpose and how they can be
managed or reduced. Determining whether
traditional advertising channels are still relevant in
the era of social media. Determining whether social
media marketing serves as the best tool for creating
brand awareness.
Objectives of study
• The aim of this research is to study how
effective has social media platform been to every
business in creating its brand awareness and
promoting its products and it has also been
effective to those companies venturing into
social media to increase their brand visibility
through social media marketing.
• To study why traditional methods of
advertising (newspapers, televisions, radio) are
not that effective now due to the rise of social
media.
Scope of the study
The scope of the study has been limited to
social media marketing and its effectiveness.
The study has been confined to all the age
groups and to every individual. It includes
marketing on all social media platforms.
Research methodology
The research on the effectiveness of social
media marketing was based on both primary
and secondary data. The survey was conducted
through a questionnaire and it was done based
on the convenience sample technique. A sample
size of 123 was considered to carry out the
research. Secondary data was collected from
online websites. This data was tabulated and
analyzed. Findings have been summarized and
recommendations have been made.
Analysis and interpretation
Popular social media platforms
1. Using Facebook for Social Media
Marketing
Facebook must possess an active social media
marketing strategy and promoting
methodology. Begin by making a Facebook
Business Fan Page. One must give cautious
consideration to layout, as the visual part is a
key aspect of the Facebook experience.
Facebook is a spot where people go to relax and
talk with companions, so the tone should be
kept light and friendly. And also remember
natural reach on Facebook can be amazingly
constrained, so consider cost-effective
Facebook ad technique, which can have a big
impact on an organic Facebook presence as
well.
2. Using Google+ for Social Media
Marketing
Google+ entered as a Facebook competitor, but
it now serves a more niche audience. It doesn’t
work for everyone but few of them are still
engaged in using google+. On Google+ one can
upload and also share the videos, photos and
links and view their +1s. Google+ circles, also
permit to divide your followers into minor
groups, allowing them to share information
with some followers while keeping others
aside. For example, one might make a “super-
fan” circle, and share special discounts and
exclusive offers only with that circle.
3. Using Pinterest for Social Media
Marketing
Pinterest is growing drastically as being one of
the social media marketing trends. Pinterest’s
seems to be perfect for a retailer but it’s helpful
for anyone and everyone from using Pinterest
for social media cause or sales-driving advt.
Pinterest enables every business to advertise the
products that they offer while also developing
brand personality using unique pin boards.
4. Using Twitter for Social Media
Marketing
Twitter is one of the fastest social media
marketing tools where one can spread their
updates across the web. An individual needs to
follow tweeters in their industry and they
should be able to gain a balanced flow of
followers in return. An organization has to
combine its official tweets about offers,
discounts and also brand-building tweets. And
he/she should be alert to retweet when the
customer says something good about them and
they should also never forget to answer
people’s questions wherever necessary. Using
Twitter as social media marketing gives great
importance to communication, so one should be
sure to interact as much as possible to foster and
build their following.
5. Using LinkedIn for Social Media
Marketing
LinkedIn is one of the professional social media
sites where LinkedIn Groups is a great place for
entering into a professional conversation with
people in similar industries and it provides to
share the content with compatible individuals.
It works well for posting jobs and also in
employee networking.
6. Using YouTube for Social Media Marketing YouTube is the best place for making a video and also
sharing its content, and it’s the most powerful social
media marketing tool. A lot of businesses put their efforts
in creating video content with the aim of having their
video “go viral,” and get lot of subscribers and earn
through every video which is been posted.
Advantages of social media marketing:
1. Increased Brand Awareness
In the present world every company use a cell
phone, desktop or a laptop, and they make use of
social media sites for executing their social media
marketing plan and strategies and this improves its
product recognition and creates brand awareness so
that every firm connects with a larger group of their
spectators. To begin one can always demand their
Instagram followers and companions to like and
share their post or page. In order to execute their
marketing plan one needs to be active on social
media.
2. Better consumer loyalty
It is the human instinct to stand out. Setting up social
media marketing for advertising products to clients.
Clients do truly acknowledge when they realize that
particular business is up to the mark and they give
comments. It drives any business to be more attentive
and caring. As an advertiser, this puts an individual at an
advantage position since more clients will be attracted.
3. Cost effective
Social media marketing is the most cost effective
method of promoting any product. Making another
profile and entering in is free for every social
media. Those that usually charge, the amount is
minute compared to the overall returns. Saving on
advertisement expenses ensure greater returns and
investments.
Disadvantages of social media marketing:
1. Trade mark and copyright issues
It is crucial for organizations to ensure their own
trademarks and copyrights when they come across
social media to endorse their brands and products.
Company gives great importance to their brands and
also trademarks as same as the products or services
that they offer.
2. Trust, privacy and security issues
By using social media one focuses on
promoting its brand, products, or services but
that might associate with trust, privacy and
data security issues. It is very important for
every organization to be concerned about these
issues and take necessary measures in
maintaining personal data or official data.
3. Negative feedbacks
When an individual comes up with
a marketing campaign he fails in it by
receiving negative post responses that is
unhappy customers post offensive comments,
pictures or anything as such and a marketer
cannot do much in order to prevent these
occurrences. These negative feedbacks make a
marketer to lose its interest in promoting its
brand or product.
4. Customer preferences
There are lots of customers who still prefer in
purchasing the product in hand and not
through any social media site. For example
Social media marketing enables a customer to
view how a phone looks like and its
specifications but most of them prefer having
a look at the phone in the store to get hands-on
experience.
5. Keeping up to date
Every Individual who thinks of marketing its
product on social media must be focused on
updating the information and that requires
constant attention and monitoring to ensure
that their marketing strategy does not look out-
of-date.
6. Vulnerability to fraudulent activities
There are a lot of illegal or unauthorized
websites which looks alike to original websites
and try stealing customer’s money in one or
the other way and also confidential data can be
stolen by hackers Spamming also takes place
quite often which is also the biggest challenges
for social media marketing. So they should
give their attention to all of these in order to
avoid any fraudulent activity.
7. Lack of human touch
Social media marketing lacks the human touch
that is involved when a customer buys a product
from a salesperson. This hampers the prospects
of relationship building which plays an
important part in repeat sales and word-of-
mouth publicity.
8. Depending upon technology
Social media marketing depends on technology
to a greater extent which is liable to technical
faults. For example, if a customer clicks on your
advertisement but due to a technical glitch
when he is unable to process further to buy the
product, he may easily get irritated and switch
onto or take his business somewhere else.
Awareness of social media marketing
Interpretation: From the above mentioned
pie chart it is seen that 95.1% of them are
aware of social media marketing whereas
only 4.9% of the respondents are unaware
of the concept. Therefore we can infer
that majority of them are familiar with
social media marketing as that is the on
going trend in the market followed by
majority of them.
Awareness of social media based on
the age group of the respondents
AGE GROUP PERCENTAGE
18-21 18.70%
22-25 44.70%
Above 25 36.60%
95%
5%
Awareness about social
media marketing
Yes No
19%
45%
36%
Age group
18-21 22-25 Above 25
Interpretation: From the above pie chart it is
seen that 18.70% of the respondents are in the
age group of 18-21, 44.70% of them are in the
age group of 22-25 and the remaining 36.60%
belong to the age group of 25 and above.
Therefore it can be inferred as majority of the
respondents are from the age group of 22-25
who are aware about social media marketing
as those gains much of the attention of youth
and is helpful in many ways.
Qualifications pursued by
respondents.
Interpretation: Based on the analysis
done we see that majority of them who
have responded to our questionnaire are
from PG background.
Which social media sites or apps do
respondents use quite often for marketing.
Interpretation: From the above bar graph it is
inferred that majority of respondents use
Instagram as a social media platform for
marketing as they can promote their products
or services in a quick manner and because of its
viral nature whereas others use Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others.
Does respondents see the advertisements on
the sites that they daily interact with.
Interpretation : From the above bar graph it is
said that 78.9% respondents watch the
advertisements on social media sites that they
daily deal with as their interest lies in it and only
7.30% of them don’t watch the advertisements
and 13.80% of them may or may not see the
advertisements.
If yes which form of advertisements have
respondents looked into.
Interpretation: Therefore it is seen that
majority of them come across with running
ads rather than other forms such as fixed
advertisements, pop ups and others. Based
on the survey done 67.20% of the
respondents mostly encounter with running
ads , 62.90% with pop up ads, 41.40% with
fixed advertisements and others just by
7.80%.
8%
37%46%
9%
QUALIFICATION
PUC UG PG Others
020406080
100
Social media Apps used by
Respondents for marketing
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
Yes No May Be
7.80%
67.20%
41.40%
62.90%
Others
Running Ads
Fixed Advertisements
Pop-ups
Form of advertisements
respondents come across with
Have such ads been beneficial for the
respondents in their purchases decision.
Interpretation: From the above pie chart we
can say that ads have been beneficial for
majority of the respondents i.e 72% are
benefited wherein the ads have met their
expectations, whereas only for few of them
i.e for 29% it’s not that helpful where
customers feel unsatisfied with their
purchase decision.
If yes, what kind of information has it
conveyed to the respondents that
helped them in their purchase
decisions.
Interpretation: From the above bar
graph we see that information regarding
deals discounts and offers have helped
53.70% of the respondents substantially
in their purchase decisions whereas
information in relation to the product have
attracted 53% of the respondents, 14.60%
focus on information like point of sale
address and just 13% gives attention to
other kind of information.
In comparison of traditional and social
media which platform has helped an
individual in marketing and also for
buyers to make a purchase decision
Interpretation: In order to conclude
majority of them i.e 73.20 % prefer social
media marketing rather than traditional
media which is just 27%.
Findings
• It is inferred that the majority of them are
familiar with social media marketing as that
is the ongoing trend in the market followed
by the majority of them.
• It is found that majority of the respondents
from the age group of 22-25 are aware of
social media marketing as social media is
been used much by that age group as they are
much interested in that and is also helpful in
many ways.
• It is also found that the majority of
respondents use Instagram as a social media
platform for marketing as they can promote
their products or services in a quick manner
by posting their product content, images, and
videos on their Instagram page.
Communication plays a major role here.
• Majority of the respondents encounter with
the running ads.
• 72% of the respondents are benefited by
various ads.
• We also see that information regarding deals
discounts and offers have helped 53.70% of
the respondents substantially in their
purchase decision.
• Respondents feel that Advertising on social
media is less time consuming and increases
brand visibility.
71%
29%
Yes No
53%
14.60%
53.70%
13%
27%
73%
Sales
Traditional media Social Media
• Through social media marketing the
individuals get to know the brands, it’s not
just one way communication from business
to customers but also it involves customer’s
engagement.
• Effectiveness of social media as a marketing
tool has helped in knowing the customer's
taste preferences and demand personally.
• And lastly, it is seen that 73.20 % prefer
social media marketing rather than
traditional media which is just 27%. In the
near future, there seems to be a paradigm
shift from traditional advertising to social
media platforms.
Recommendations
• Since this is a very important shift in the
marketing arena it is recommended that there
should be furthermore research done to study
this phenomenon to understand detailed aspect.
There is a huge potential for every company in
social media so they must focus on expanding
their social media strategies to a greater extent
• Every organization who thinks of social media
marketing should implement strategies like
online surveys and blogs for product reviews
which enables the company to communicate
effectively that enhances the level at which
individuals want to engage or associate with
the brand
• Engaging customers online to ask them for
suggestions would also give the company an
insight to adapt to the latest methodology of
innovation
• Companies that are still using a traditional form
of advertising can adapt to social media
marketing which consumes lesser time, the
lesser cost for advertising, and an increase in
sales.
Conclusion
By doing this research we saw how social media is
slowly becoming a marketing tool for every
company and how it's grabbing the attention of
everyone. By doing a survey we understood that
majority of the students and others prefer social
media marketing rather than the traditional form.
Through social media, the information reaches to
every individual regarding the looks, features or
specifications of the product etc. Social media
marketing platforms can pose a threat as well as an
opportunity for every company out there who wants
to advertise or publicize their product or service
online. The social network effect can also influence
the purchase decision because of its viral nature.
Effectiveness of the traditional form of marketing is
falling henceforth social media is considered to be
an effective tool for marketing.
Limitations of the study
• The analysis and findings are based on
the responses of respondents and is
assumed to be accurate.
• The findings of the study cannot be
generalized to other areas of research.
References
• [i] Liang & Turban (2011)
• [ii] Castronovo and Huang (2012),
123; Some works • [iii] Kokalitcheva 2015, Business
Instagram 2015; Kokalitcheva
(2015)
• [iv] Castronovo and Huang (2012),
124; Some works
• [v] Kaplan and Haenlein (2010)
• [vi] Mangold and Faulds (2009)
• [vii] Kietzmann et al.(2011).
• [viii] Gordhamer (2009)
• [ix] Weinberg (2009)
• [x] Berselli, Burger, & Close,
2012.
• https://www.wordstream.com/soc
ial-media-marketing
A study on green marketing paving way for banking sectors towards environment sustainability __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abida Azim,
Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
Email id: [email protected]
Contact no: 8746999074
Keerthana. N
Student, M.Com ‘IB’, Mount Carmel College, Autonomous,
#58,Palace Road,Vasanthnagar,Bangalore- 560052
Email id: [email protected]
Contact no: 9845229609
Abstract
The banking system is an organised network of financial institutions providing services to the
people and institutions. The main functions of banks at present scenario provide numerous
advanced customised based services due to rising demands. For all such services,
documentation plays a very important role and the same has been recorded on papers.
Paper is used for the major part of the banking processes and services which in return is affecting
the environment to a greater extent. To avoid the overuse of paper especially in their marketing
department, banks are adopting green marketing strategies in their green banking systems for
having a paper-free record-keeping process and a sustainable environment. Green marketing
refers to marketing activities involved in the process of selling products or services with the
main aim of protecting the environment.
This the study delves with the main objective of the general understanding of green marketing
strategies and techniques in the banking sector along with its impact on the customers of the
bank. The structured questionnaire has been disturbed (n=100) to gather information relating to
the research. Thus, based on the responses received it was found that almost all the banking
sectors are making this shift- use of paper to paperless processes and the customers are also
satisfied with this evolution and are taking steps towards sustaining the environment.
Keywords: Banking, Green Banking, Green Marketing, Sustainability, Customers
A study on green marketing paving way for banking sectors towards environment sustainability
Introduction
Manufacturing goods and services which are
sustainable to the environment and the process
of marketing the same in an eco-friendly
manner is known as Green Marketing.
Companies are making green marketing
decisions relating to the various processes of
the company’s products and services. In a
broader spectrum environmental, societal and
legal criterion are included in these steps
undertaken by the firm. For the producers,
green marketing includes using
environmentally friendly practices in the
production process like using renewable
energy, reduction of emissions, recycling
water and others. This concept attracts the
attention of investors because it shows the
companies social responsibility, good
corporate governance and sustainability.
Green marketing as a concept is evolving not
only in the tangible product lines but also in the
service sectors and one among them is the
banking sectors. The main reasons for the
adaptation of this new concept even in this
sector is because of economic and financial
crises along with climatic and environmental
issues which stands as a major challenge
towards creating a better future. Therefore,
banking sectors which are involved socially
are evolving as a well-designed set of
principles in the financial services market
because they provide monetarily related
services keeping in mind the environmental
issues and also having a transparent reporting
of Corporate Social Responsibility.
Banks have always relied on the use of papers
for documentation. This comes under the
traditional system of banking. In the present
system of modern banking, the paper has been
replaced with digital means of documentation
due to advancement in technology such as
online banking, paperless bank statements and
similar transactions. Energy resources are
consumed in large amounts by the banking
sectors for the functioning of their various
systems, operations of ATMs and computers,
etc. Installing solar power panels or even using
wind energy are some of the alternatives.
Review of literature
Social Responsibility Issues, Implications and
Implementation that:-Over the past decade
there has been an increasing awareness of the
many ways that businesses affect the ecology
of the planet. Most of the attention, however,
has been directed towards activities of
organizations in the manufacturing sector of
the economy. This argues that service
organizations have social responsibilities in
the preservation of the environment, too. It
presents the importance of a product, such as
longevity or specific marketing, of green
practices among services, a framework to
describe green activities across the service
sector, and a pragmatic means to implement a
green programme for service organizations.
In light of current market conditions, the
financial services industry has been reshaped,
requiring new marketing knowledge to provide
guidelines for successful practice. To that end,
corporate social responsibility, green
marketing and a green brand image (GBI) have
attracted considerable interest in the banking
sector, although no framework has yet been
established relating these constructs to one
another. In this article, the authors present
exploratory research as a basis for developing
a model of green bank marketing. The model
was tested to confirm the dimensions of green
bank marketing and investigate its impact on a
GBI, thus providing statistical evidence of the
relationship between the two variables.
Green banking refers to the banking business
managed in such a manner that helps for an
overall reduction of external carbon emission
and internal carbon footprint. The present
study attempts to understand the use of Green
Banking Products in the banking sector and
examine the green banking initiatives by top
three Public and Private Sector Banks in India.
The study concluded that both banks have
effectively initiated green banking initiative.
Comparatively, Public sector banks have
shown better performance in terms of Green
banking initiatives.
Industrialization approximately the globe has
triggered the detection of ever-increasing
needs and demands of the population and it has
become symbolic of prosperity and
development of an economy. On the other
hand, it has resulted in the exploitation of the
natural environment, which in turn has
disturbed the ecological balance. The
disturbance in ecological balance has
adversely affected the human and its
surrounding environment. The recent
industrial disasters and natural disaster that
occurred in the last three decades were directly
or indirectly linked with the uneven
industrialization. This, in turn, has raised an
important issue of environmental protection
among environmentalists, government and
organization from all over the world.
Environmental sustainability and sustainable
development have become an important
agenda in the international community. The
main objective of this paper is to deeply
understand how Indian banks are responding
to environmental turbulence and to provide an
overview of their action in view of Go Green
banking adoption & its advantages.
Preservation of the environment and
Sustainable development are actually
recognized internationally as overriding
imperatives to safeguard our world from the
ravages inflicted onto it by mankind. Green
Banking is a real way to sustainable economic
growth. Banks play a crucial role in economic
development and they are well equipped to
attempt Green Banking activities. A fresh
rising mantra within the bank sector is
certainly going green. The word Green refers
to a wide range of sociable, environmental and
ethical dimensions. Green Banking is one of
banking activities that focus on socio monetary
and environmental (Ecological) factors with a
try to protect the surroundings and conserve
natural resources. Since banking institutions
are one of the key professional establishments
that connect to the masses, they could adopt
renewable activities of their organizations and
affect their customers to come about the
environment. Green Bank is a multi-
stakeholders undertaking where bankers have
to work meticulously with administration,
NGOs, IGOS, Central Standard bank,
consumers and business neighbourhoods to
attain the goal. Green initiatives by banks
include internal environment management,
environmental financing/product ecology,
environmental reporting and disclosure,
adopting and formulating guidelines and
promoting other stakeholders.
In recent years, both academics and banking
professionals are paying more attention to the
green banking concept due to its significant
influence on environment management in the
banking context. In Sri Lanka, People’s bank
adapted to the green banking practices in 2015
with YES savings accounts as the first state
sector bank which introduced the green
banking products to their customers. Even
though there are so many convenient facilities
and benefits available with green banking in
People’s Bank since 2015, the problem is that
there is less customers’ intention to use these
green banking products. Thus this study aims
to investigate factors affecting the customers’
intention to use green banking products in
people’s Bank. Data were collected by
distributing a structured questionnaire among
the sample of 371 customers in the People’s
bank in the Kandy branch. Customers’
purchase intention has been considered as the
dependent variable and green product
awareness, green product trust, green product
image, green benefits, green perceived value
and green product security & privacy have
been considered as independent variables. The
results indicate that there are significant
positive effects of green product awareness,
green product benefits, green perceived value
and green product privacy & security on the
customers’ intention while there are significant
negative effects of the green product image
and green product trust on the customers’
intention to use green banking products in
People’s bank.
Research Problem
A study on green marketing paving way for
banking sectors towards environment
sustainability
Objectives
1. To understand the concept of green
marketing in green banking.
2. To study and analyse the green banking
strategies with special reference to green
marketing,
3. To know the customer perception towards
green marketing and its impact on services.
4. To analyse the impact of green marketing
strategies on environment sustainability.
5. To offer few suggestions with respect to
the study findings.
Methodology
Under the study ‘Green Marketing Paving
Way for Banking Sectors towards
Environment Sustainability’, a structured
questionnaire was used to collect and analyze
the views from the sample group. The
questionnaire was administered to a group of
n=100 respondents using online Google Forms
through simple random sampling technique.
The sample group included bank consumers
across age groups having accounts in various
banks. The survey consisted of 3 demographic
questions and 8 subject related questions.
Analysis technique
The data collected from the 100 respondents
are analysed using the percentage analysis
method. This analysis has helped to draw the
various conclusions and suggestions of the
study.
Data analysis and interpretation
The following analysis has been drawn from
the respondents who are customers of both
public sector and private sector banks across
Bangalore. They have been regular customers
in their respective banks from 1 year and more
and half of the respondents are having at least
1 account in the bank.
Gender profile of the respondents
Gender No. of
respondents Percentage
Male 23 23%
Female 75 75%
Others 2 2%
TOTAL 100 100%
Age Groups
Groups No. of
respondents Percentage
18-30 69 69%
30- 50 20 20%
More
than 50 11 11%
TOTAL 100 100%
Employment status of the respondents
Status No. Of
respondents Percentage
Student 57 57%
Employed 34 34%
Unemployed 9 9%
TOTAL 100 100%
At present banks are taking a step towards
preserving the environment.
Interpretation:
About 81% of the respondents feel that banks
are taking a step towards environmental
preservation. These initiatives are from the
perspective of the customers who are able to
understand that the bank is taking actions
towards the same. The remaining 19% of the
respondents fell that no such initiative or very
less action is taken up by the banks in this
aspect.
Solar power should be used for operating
the ATMs in India.
Interpretation:
94% of the respondents feel that it is a great
initiative to be taken up by the banks in the use
of sustainable energy like solar power for
ATM’s across the countries. The remaining
6% are not agreeing to this idea keeping mind
the challenges like the costs involved and the
level of reliability of this resource.
Forgoing the Balance Slip during an ATM
transaction is considered as a step taken
towards environment sustainability.
Interpretation:
87% of the respondents fell that it is
completely alright to refrain from requesting
for a balance slip after a transaction at an
ATM. They feel that it is a complete waste of
paper as most of them usually discard the same
right away. They fell that it is one of the few
steps that customers can contribute towards to
the preservation. The remaining 13% of the
respondents do not agree about the same.
To what extent are the steps taken by the
banking sector towards environment
sustainability have a positive impact in the
work efficiency?
Interpretation:
62% of the respondents have not experienced
a major change in the working efficiency of the
banks which indicates that the implementation
of the green strategies has been a smooth one
without much interference on the working
efficiency of the bank. Although about 28% of
the respondents feel that these steps have a
positive impact on the working of the banks
while the remaining 10% do not agree to the
statement.
As a customer of a bank, to what extent do
you feel the green initiatives are effective?
Interpretation:
About 30% of the respondents feel that the
green initiatives taken up by the banks is
effective and that they are able to see a positive
shift in the mind-set of the banks towards the
preservation of the environment. 58% of the
respondents feel that the impact created by the
banks is to a satisfactory level and that
additional steps can be undertaken to
implement them more effectively while the
remaining 12% of them feel that these
initiatives are not taken seriously and
implemented by the banks.
What do you think is the biggest challenge
faced as a customer due to banks becoming
computerised for environment
sustainability?
Interpretation:
From the above chart, 54% feels technical
glitches and rest of them feel maintain records
and understanding the process are the
challenges faced. Thus, we can say that not
having proper technical assistance is the main
problem faced by the customers of the
computerised banks.
Apart from protecting the environment,
which of the following do you think is the
reason for green initiative plans in banking
sectors?
Interpretation:
From the above chart, a total of 66% of the
respondents feel its time saving and
advancements in technology. 25% feels it to be
cost effect and the rest 9% says because of
flexibility. Thus, apart from protecting the
environment to be the main reason, the other
reasons from the respondents perspective are
rapid growth in technology and time factor.
Which of the following do you prefer?
Interpretation:
From the above chart, we can say that 96% of
the respondents prefer modern tech based
banking system and the remaining 4% still
likes to use traditional paper based banking.
Thus, we can say that most of them prefer tech
based system because of time factor, flexibility
and also helping in the protection of the
environment.
Findings
1. Majority of the respondents feel that their
banks are taking a step towards the
preservation of the environment and rest
feel that they are not inclusive.
2. Almost all the respondents feel that
sustainable energy like solar power can be
used for operating the atms in the country.
3. Fairly large amount of the respondents are
ready to forgo the balance slip received
during ATM transactions as a step towards
environment sustainability.
4. More than half of the respondents have an
opinion that the transition towards banks
taking a step in the same has been very
smooth without any major effect in the
efficiency of the same.
5. More than half of the respondents feel that
the effectiveness of green initiatives
adopted by the banking sectors is effective
but also feel that more strategies can be
adopted creating a more stronger impact.
6. It is identified that technical glitches is the
main hindrance for the customers from
making the shift towards banks becoming
computerised by more than half of the
respondents.
7. Technological advancements and time
factor are the two main reasons involved in
the adaptation of green strategies in banks
by more than half of the respondents.
8. Almost all the respondents prefer the
modern technology based banking for
reasons like convenience, time saver,
keeping up with growing trends, part of
green community, etc.
Suggestions
1. The Research and Development
department of the banking sector can come
up with more similar initiates apart from
paperless transactions and increase the
involvement towards protecting the
environment.
2. The use of solar power in the atms can be
implemented at the earliest.
3. Banks can involve themselves more
actively in protecting the environment as a
part of their CSR activities.
4. The software and networks used for
computerised banking can be made more
user-friendly and efficient as the
respondents feel those technical glitches
are the biggest challenge they face for the
same.
Conclusion
The basic aspects of green marketing includes
encouraging the consumption and production
of high quality and environmental friendly
products, the implementation of just trade
practices with the customers and the society
and protection of the eco system.
Environmental concerns like global warming
mainly caused due to deforestation and
emission of greenhouse gases, have increased
the need for various sectors of the economy to
undertake green initiatives in their operations.
Thus from the study, it can be inferred that the
banking sectors are also taking a step towards
preserving the environmental from the impacts
caused by them. This is done by digitalising
their process like making a shift towards paper
less transactions and initiating the use of solar
power. From the study it was also understood
that although the consumers are ready to shift
towards paperless transactions, the banks are
needed to increase the speed of their processes,
making the websites user-friendly and
attractive and work on the privacy factors
enabling the change. Therefore, green
marketing is considered as a marketing
philosophy promoting the production and sale
of eco-friendly goods and services with the
main aim of achieving ecological balance.
Limitations of the study
The less number of respondents is considered
to be a limitation of the study as the same may
not be sufficient enough to support the
conclusions drawn.
References
Mr. Stephen J. Grove, Mr. Raymond P. Mr. Fisk,
Mr. Gregory M. Pickett and Mr. Norman Kangun,
Going Green In The Service Sector:
M. Ioannis E Chaniotakis and Mr. Magdalini
Soureli, A Model of Green Bank Marketing
Ms. Kavitha Vadrale, Green Banking Initiatives
By Indian Public And Private Sector Banks
Ms. V. Kanchana Naidu and Mr. Paramasivan C,
A Study On Green Banking Trends In India
Green Marketing, Internal Res journal Mangat
Sci Tech
Ms. Aruna Shanthaarchchi, Customer’s Intention
to Use Green Banking Products: Evidence from
Sri Lanka,
https://arca.com/resources/blog/goint-green-
how-technology-affords-banks-an-eco-friendly-
approach
https://www.emerals.com/insight/content/doi/10.
1108/03090569610118777/full/html
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/green-
marketing.asp
http://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Green_
Banking
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24188
5678_Goint_green_in_the_service_sector_Socia
l_responsibility_issues_implications_and_imple
mentation
http://www.academia.edu/Documents/in/Green_
Banking
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/31097
3098_A_STUDY_ON_GREEN_BANKING_T
RENDS_IN_INDIA
https://222.researchgate.net/publication/3055472
84_GREEN_BANKING_INITIATIVES_BY_I
NDIAN_PUBLIC_AND_PRIVATE_SECTOR_
BANKS
https://study.com/academy/lessor/banking-
system-definition-types.html
Vitality of a Highly Educated Population for Thriving Entrepreneurship
V. Ektha
Student, M. Com (International Business)
Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
9972781327
Abstract
An individual creating a new business opportunity while is also bearing its risks, uncertainties
and benefiting from most of its rewards are referred to as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur
is mostly perceived as an innovator who brings in a source of new idea generation as solutions
to problems in the economy. In a market characterized by contingencies, an entrepreneur
combines capital, land and labour for the production of goods or for service provision through
the formation of a business firm.
This research study was conducted to explore the perception of a highly educated population
towards entrepreneurship. Data was collected from n=100 respondents who are of various
academic disciplines and profession through a structured questionnaire. The respondents were
selected using a simple random sampling method. The study also delves in the attitude of the
sample group towards thriving entrepreneurship, the challenges faced, and the impact
entrepreneurship holds on the economy.
Keywords: Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurship, Education, Perception, Attitude
Introduction
An entrepreneur, as stated earlier, is an individual
person who initiates a new business activity from
a potential opportunity that presents itself in the
dynamic business environment. The basic tool of
entrepreneurs is innovation, by which they
identify changes and exploit them for suitable
business opportunities. These individuals possess
skill set and competencies essentially required to
anticipate the current and future demands in the
society among consumers. Entrepreneurship is a
practice of commencing a new business venture
or revitalization of mature organizations. It
is categorized as one of the most important
resources which is integral to the production
process in addition to capital, land and labour.
These individuals typically generate a business
plan, acquire labour, obtains raw materials,
resources and finances, provide management and
leadership for the economic activity called
business. Unlike traditional professionals, the
path way of an entrepreneur is mystique, the
factors which support one entrepreneur succeed
may not help the other and vice-versa. That said,
there exist five general steps that are
most successful entrepreneurs follow, it involves,
ensuring financial stability, building a diverse
skill set, consuming content across multiple
channels, identifying a social or economic
problem to solve and lastly finding solutions to
solve the problem posed.
Entrepreneurship is a result of three dimensions
operating together, these dimensions are,
conducive framework conditions, well-
established and designed
government programs and lastly a supportive
cultural and societal attitude. PM Modi’s
initiative Start-up India program was aimed to
make our country one of the largest and vigorous
start-up ecosystems on a global level to build a
strong conducive and growth-oriented
environment for rising entrepreneurs. As a result
of this initiative, many start-ups were recognized,
women entrepreneurs were motivated and it
generated large-scale opportunities in the
country.
Entrepreneurial activity is considered as an
important determinant of economic development
in the nation. These new activities play an
essential role in the process of creative
destruction that foster innovation, employment,
growth and diversification.
Review of Literature
Ali Raoofi, Morteza Afghah, Simin Hoshyar
(2014), expresses achieving development as an
important and a basic goal is conditioned to
optimal utilization of all available resources.
Human workforce among other resources play a
vital role in the process of economic
development. Thus, the basic purpose of this
paper is to examine the relation between
entrepreneurship as an intellectual capital and
economic growth in sixty, selected countries in
the period of 2004 to 2012. To do that, the data
on economic growth and entrepreneurship are
employed as explained and explanatory variables,
respectively. Furthermore, the ratio of
government expenditures to gross domestic
product (GDP), inflation, and the net school
students’ enrollment are used as control
variables. The data for this study is collected from
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the
World Bank data sites. The results show that
entrepreneurship has a positive and significant
effect on economic growth. Further, it is resulted
that other control variables have affected
economic growth.
Krishna Kumar Agarwal, Rajesh KR
(June 2009), opined that India is moving fast to
emerge as one of the strongest economies in the
world by 2020. But at the same time, as per
Dorothea Schmidt of the
International Labour Organization (ILO)
employment trend team, around 34.3% of the
Indian population is still living below the
benchmark of $1/day set by the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP). One of the best
ways to solve the problem of poverty in
developing countries like India is to promote
Small Scale Industries (SSI). It can play a vital
role in income distribution, economic self-
dependence and economic uplifting. The Central
as well as State Governments in India are taking
so many steps to promote entrepreneurial
activities. One untested assumption in policy
making is the impact of attitude. Attitude
formation is highly influenced by the family
background of an individual as well as his/her
educational background. Hence, this paper
hypothesizes that an individual’s family
background and educational qualification
influences their attitude towards entrepreneurs
and entrepreneurship. This hypothesis was tested
on more than 100 respondents in Varanasi using
an appropriate questionnaire and suitable
statistical tools.
Abishek Goel, Neharika Vohra, Liyan Zhang,
Bupinder Arora (2009), argues that social
support is an important enabler in the
entrepreneurial activity in a country or a region.
One untested assumption in policy making on
entrepreneurship development has been that all
regions are equally desirous of entrepreneurial
activity and one policy could address issues in all
regions. It was argued that societal attitudes
towards entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship are
important determinants for future entrepreneurial
activity. These attitudes would be impacted by
the family background of an individual and
entrepreneurial development in the region an
individual comes from. It was hypothesized that
more positive attitude would be seen in (i) people
form entrepreneurial backgrounds, and
(ii) entrepreneurial more developed regions.
These hypotheses were tested on more than 5,000
respondents in India and China. The results for
family background’s influence on attitudes found
strong support in both India and China. Regional
development showed stronger influence on
attitude in India than in China.
Jaganaddha Pawan Tamvada (2011) :
Empirical work on micro and small firms focuses
on developed countries, while existing work on
developing countries is all too often based on
small samples taken from ad hoc questionnaires.
The census data we analyze here are fairly
representative of small business structure in
India. Consistent with findings from prior
research on developed countries, size,
and age has a negative impact on firm growth in
the majority of specifications. Enterprises
managed by women have lower expected growth
rates. Proprietary firms face lower growth on the
whole, especially if they are young firms.
Exporting has a positive effect on firm growth,
especially for young firms and for female-owned
firms. Although some small firms are able to
convert know-how into commercial success, we
find that many others are unable to translate it into
superior growth.
Objectives of the Study
• To study on the perception and attitude of a
highly educated population towards thriving
entrepreneurship
• To identify the challenges or barriers faced by
entrepreneurs
• To understand the impact of entrepreneurship
towards the economy of the country
• To investigate whether entrepreneurship is
viewed as a future career among the
respondents
Methodology
The research study is descriptive in
nature. To accomplish the objectives of this
study, Questionnaires were circulated via internet
by the use of online google forms. In order to
achieve the study objectives, structured
questionnaires were distributed among a sample
size of n=100 consisting of graduates, post
graduates and a population pursuing professional
studies. A random sampling method was used for
this research study. The survey instruments
contained four demographic questions (gender,
age group, educational qualification and
employment status) and ten entrepreneurial
questions.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Demographic Details
Table 1: Gender Profile of the Respondents
Gender Percentage
Male 40%
Female 60%
Total 100%
(Source: Primary)
Table 2: Age Groups
Groups Percentage
<20 4%
20-30 69%
30-40 22%
>40 5%
Total 100%
(Source: Primary)
Table 3: Educational Qualification
Qualification Percentage
Graduates 49%
Post Graduates 44%
Professional Studies 7%
Total 100%
(Source: Primary)
Table 4: Employment Status
Status Percentage
Employed 34%
Unemployed 66%
Total 100% (Source: Primary)
Study Details
Chart 1: The importance of a supportive
ecosystem to nurture entrepreneurship
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
Majority of the respondents, 57% strongly agree
that entrepreneurship cannot operate in vacuum
and therefore they need a supporting ecosystem
to nurture them. This supporting system consists
of the government initiatives towards the growth
of entrepreneurship, motivating peer groups and
society, funding institutions and supportive
business organisations.
32% of the respondents are unsure or neutral
about the same and only 11% disagree to the need
of an assisting environment for the thriving
entrepreneurs.
Chart 2: Bengaluru as a start-up hub for
growing entrepreneurship
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
37% of the respondents strongly agree that
Bengaluru has been a start-up hub for growing
entrepreneurship, 47% also agree to the same.
16% of the respondents remain neutral and none
of the respondents disagree or strongly disagree
to this point.
This result shows that the entrepreneurial spirit is
high in Bengaluru with government incentives,
pouring of investments and a nurturing
environment.
Chart 3: Education as a societal criterion to
become a successful entrepreneur
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
29% of the respondents agree to the statement that
education is a main societal criterion in order to
flourish as a successful entrepreneur whereas
44% are neutral or uncertain about the same. Only
27% of the sample group disagree saying
education is not an essential requirement for an
57%11%
32%
YES NO MAYBE
37%
47%
16%0%
STRONGLY AGREE
AGREE
NEUTRAL
DISAGREE
STRONGLYDISAGREE
29%
27%
44%
YES NO MAYBE
entrepreneur.
Majority of the respondents are unsure mainly
because they believe the need of education for
entrepreneurship would completely depend upon
the potential opportunity and type of business
undertaken.
Chart 4: Essentiality to possess work
experience for entrepreneurship
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
This result shows that 43% of the respondents
agree that prior work experience is required to
take up entrepreneurial activities and be
successful. 40% of the respondents disagree to
the same and only 17% are uncertain if work
experience is necessary.
There is a very small difference in percentage of
the respondents who agree and disagree, this is
mainly because half of the sample group believe
having a potential opportunity is sufficient to start
a successful business and the other half says prior
experience is essential for successful
management of the business.
Chart 5: Quality requirement for an
entrepreneur
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
39% of the respondents are convinced that the
most essential entrepreneurial quality that must
be possessed is risk taking ability and positive
acceptance of failure. 28% agree on innovative
ideas and creativeness to be the important
qualities, 16% of the sample group agree that
entrepreneurs need to be ambitious followed by
14% at goal-orientation and lastly 3% on
leadership skills.
Chart 6: Barriers to growing
entrepreneurship
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
39% of the sample group state that the most
prominent barrier or challenge to be a successful
entrepreneur is obtaining financial support and
high debts followed by insecure income and
work-life balance at 16%. 15% of the respondents
agree on tough competition, 9% on lack of
business ideas and lastly only 5% suppose that the
lack of professional skills is a major barrier.
Chart 7: Start-up India and its significance
towards entrepreneurship
(Source: Primary)
43%
40%
17%
YES NO MAYBE
0 10 20 30 40 50
AMBITIOUS
RISK TAKING AND…
INNOVATIVE AND…
GOAL ORIENTED
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
0 10 20 30 40 50
FINANCE AND DEBT
INSECURE INCOME
TOUGH COMPETITION
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
LACK OF BUSINESS…
LACK OF…
64%4%
32%
YES NO MAYBE
Inference:
A majority of 64% of the respondents are strongly
convinced that the programme Start-up India by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2016
has been of significant impact towards the growth
of entrepreneurship in India during its budding
stages which led to generation of large-scale
employment and 15,113 start-ups were
recognised between 2016-2019.
32% are uncertain and 4% of the respondents are
unaware of the significant impact this programme
holds on entrepreneurship.
Chart 8: Contribution of entrepreneurship to
the economy
(Source: Primary)
31% of the respondents consider economic
growth and increase in national income to be the
most contributing factor of entrepreneurship to
the economy, followed by 25% at improves
standard of living, 20% at entrepreneurship
creating employment opportunities, 18% of the
sample group agree on community development
and social change entrepreneurial activity brings
in and lastly only 6% at balanced regional
development.
Chart 9: Entrepreneurship as future career
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
66% of the respondents are positive about
adopting entrepreneurial business activities as
their future career if a potential opportunity
presents itself. 19% of the study group are unsure
of the same keeping in mind the various
challenges to be faced as discussed earlier such as
insecure income, financial risks, tough
competition etc.
15% of the respondents are content with their
regular employment characterized by lesser risks
rather than adopting to entrepreneurship as their
future career.
Chart 10: Greater importance for
entrepreneurship in educational institutions
(Source: Primary)
Inference:
A majority of 85% of the respondents strongly
agree that entrepreneurial subject must be given
greater importance in educational institutions due
to its growing significance to the economy as
whole. 13% are undecided about the subject
matter and only 2% disagree to the same.
Findings of the Study
• A significant portion of the
sample groups strongly believes that
entrepreneurship essentially requires a
supporting or assisting ecosystem to nurture
its growth, and that they cannot operate
successfully in vacuum.
• Majority of the respondents agree that
Bengaluru has been a start-up hub in the field
of thriving entrepreneurship, this result
0 10 20 30 40
ECONOMIC GROWTH…
COMMUNITY…
BALANCED REGIONAL…
IMPROVES STANDARD…
CREATES EMPLOYMENT
66%15%
19%
YES NO MAYBE
85%
2%13%
YES NO MAYBE
shows that the entrepreneurial spirit is a
high in Bengaluru with government
incentives, pouring of investments, and a
nurturing environment.
• Education beings a main societal criterion for
successful entrepreneurial business, a large
portion of the respondents are unsure of the
same because they believe the need of
education for entrepreneurship would
completely depend upon the potential
opportunity, and type of business undertaken.
• There is a very small difference in percentage
of the respondents who agree and disagree to
the need of work experience for victorious
entrepreneurs, this is because half of the
sample group believes having a potential
opportunity is a sufficient to start a
successful business and the other half says
prior experience is essential for efficient and
effective management of the business.
• This study shows that the most necessary
qualities to be possessed by an entrepreneur
in order of significance are, risk taking ability
and positive acceptance of failure followed
by innovative and creativity, ambitious, goal-
oriented and lastly leadership skills.
• According to this study, the most prominent
barrier or challenge to be a successful
entrepreneur is obtaining financial support
and a high debts followed by insecure
income and work-life balance.
• The respondents are strongly convinced that
the programme Start-up India by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi in the year
2016 have been of significant impact
on towards the growth of entrepreneurship
in India, during It's budding stages.
• The study considers economic growth and
increase in national income to be the most
contributing factor of entrepreneurship to the
economy, followed by improving standard of
living and creation of employment
opportunities.
• A large portion of the study group are
positive about adopting entrepreneurial
business activities as their future career if a
potential opportunity present itself.
• The respondents strongly agree that
entrepreneurial subject must be given greater
importance in educational institutions due to
its growing significance to the economy as a
whole.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Successful entrepreneurs are those who learn
from their business failures, they identify
problems and bring about suitable solutions for
the same. They are high risk takers, given the
riskiness of their new business firms in a dynamic
environment, the acquisition of capital and
financial resources is particularly most
challenging to new entrepreneurs. Many
individuals consider bootstrapping, that is
financing the economic activity
using their investments, sweat equity to reduce
cost of labour, minimizing inventory,
and factoring of receivables. Some entrepreneurs
are lone players struggling to kick start their
business and others consider partnering with
those armed in significant access to capital and
other essential resources. New entrepreneurial
firms can obtain finances from venture capitalists,
angel investors, crowdfunding, hedge fund or
even traditional financial sources such as bank
loans.
A positive impact on the society and economy is
contributed by nurturing entrepreneurs in India.
They start a new business, innovate goods and
services resulting in job opportunities and often
generating a ripple effect that only results in
greater economic development. They add to the
national income and enable higher
spending in public projects from the government
side. Existing mature ventures
stay confine whereas new product development,
innovation and technologies lead to new market
creation and increased wealth. Entrepreneurs help
clear uncertainties by making judgments and
assuming risks. Established
business organizations face higher competition
from potential entrepreneurs which require them
to spur towards research and development efforts
as well causing steady state equilibrium.
Entrepreneurs cause social change with their
innovative and unique creations through which
they break traditions. These individuals also help
charities, non-profit-making organizations and
invest in community projects thereby supporting
causes beyond self-profit making. Fostering
entrepreneurship is highly important for the
economic growth, reason being, entrepreneurship
if not regulated effectively, can cause unfair
practices of the market, corruption and
inequalities in the income of the society.
Government of India must support in the
development of a healthy ecosystem for the
thriving entrepreneurs through various incentives
and programs. The formation of associations for
entrepreneurs, business incubators and
educational programs also help to a great extent
by providing information and significant support
to ambitious entrepreneurs. Successful
entrepreneurs are well versed in money
management, and also know when to change their
course of action.
References
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/entrepren
eur.asp
https://www.google.com/amp/s/inc42.com/featur
es/how-successful-is-pm-modis-startup-india-
programme-heres-the-numberspeak/amp/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11187-
011-9318-7
http://vslir.iima.ac.in:8080/jspui/handle/11718/1
95
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26850
9407_A_study_on_the_effect_of_entrepreneursh
ip_on_economic_growth
https://search.proquest.com/openview/a73396ec
ec42c6b55925a0e7ac01070f/1?pq-
origsite=gscholar&cbl=54457
A Study Of Customer Behavior Towards Green Marketing
Ms. Ayushi Somanna M (8762350116)
Research Student,
Mount Carmel College
Ms. Shyamilee C S (9481756084)
Research Student,
Mount Carmel College
Abstract
Green marketing refers to marketing of eco-friendly products to preserve the environment as
well as the welfare of people. Today, customers have become more conscious about the
environment and companies have become socially responsible. Green marketing concept has
become a new age business practice. Environmental hazards such as pollution, change in
climate, global warming, wildlife extinction and depletion of natural resources caused as a
result of increased industrial activities called for change on the way products were
manufactured and marketed. There is a shift in the consumer preferences as they directed their
attention towards green products. This paper attempts to understand the behavior and
perception consumers’ exhibit towards green products. This research gives an insight into the
awareness consumers have about green products and their behavior towards such products. It
studies the determinants that affect the green behavior of the consumers and their decision-
making. The marketers are interested to know how committed the consumers are towards green
products, and also the marketing strategies that would be effective.
Keywords: Green Product, Consumer Behavior, Organic, Environment
Introduction
In the recent years, green marketing, and has
been emerging as an important concept due
to environmental issues such as a ozone
depletion, air, and water pollution and
climate change. This has resulted in
consumers shifting towards eco-friendly
products and manufacturers adopting
sustainable business practices. Marketers
have been adopting sustainable business
practices. The concept of green marketing
emerged in the 1980s when there started a
shift in the attention of consumers to green
products. According to American marketing
Association, marketing of products that are
presumed to be environmentally safe is called
Green Marketing. Businesses have been
considering green marketing strategies as it
meets the consumers’ expectations as well as
provides a platform to address the
environmental issues. It also gives a
competitive edge to businesses. Green
marketing activities can include avoiding use
of plastics, using bio-degradable or herbal
products, responsible disposal of waste,
adopting changes in the production processes
and other business practices that do not
negatively affect the environment. The
strategies such as green branding, green
packaging, repositioning of products and
designing new products have been adopted
by marketers. Eco-labels are used by
companies to communicate to its customers
about the characteristics, and benefits of the
products and its impact on environment.
Developing countries like India have also
realized the importance of adopting green
marketing. The Environment protection Act
of 1986 encourages companies to
manufacture and market green products, and
adopt green technology. There are several
other laws mandating the businesses to
preserve environment concerning
management of hazardous wastes, managing
bio-medical waste, recycling of e-waste,
partnering with Government to safeguard
biological diversity, responsible water
consumption and various such activities.
Literature Review
1. Oyewole, P. (2001) in his paper presented
a conceptual link among green marketing,
environmental justice, and industrial
ecology. It argues for greater awareness of
environmental justice within the practice for
green marketing. a search agenda is finally
suggested to work out consumer's awareness
of environmental justice, and their
willingness in touch the prices related to it.
2. Sanjay K. Jain & Gurmeet Kaur (2004) in
their study of environmentalism which had
fast emerged as a worldwide phenomenon
discussed business firms too have risen to the
occasion and have started responding to
environmental challenges by practicing green
marketing strategies. Green consumerism has
played a catalytic role in ushering corporate
environmentalism and making business firms
green marketing oriented. supported the info
collected through a field survey, the paper
made an assessment of the extent of
environmental awareness, attitudes and
behavior prevalent among consumers in
India.
3. Cherian and Jacob (2012) studied
consumer???s attitude towards environment-
friendly products. They presented a
conceptual framework of green marketing
and various ways during which different
consumer attributes are associated with the
concept of green marketing. it had been
concluded that there's a requirement for green
marketing and a requirement for a shift in
consumer behavior and attitude towards an
environmental friendly lifestyle. The
researchers recommended exploring the
factors that encourage consumers to
cooperate with green marketing, that is,
through green product usage
4. Shafaat F. & Sultan A(2012), the present
paper is that the reflection of the work done
by the previous researches and underpins the
grounded concept of green marketing. The
study encompasses all the facets of green
marketing, its issues, benefits, and practices
by different companies. Suggestion roll out
of the study advocates that solutions to the
environmental problems fall into three
categories: ethical, legal, and business
(economic and technological). Green
marketing is far quite a marketing approach
because it has both environmental and social
dimension attached thereto , but it shouldn't
neglect the economic aspect of selling.
Research Methodology
Under the study on the customer behavior
towards green marketing strategies,
questionnaires were used to collect and
analyze the views from the sample group.
Questionnaire was sent to a group of n=100
respondents using online Google Forms. The
survey consisted of 4 demographic questions
and 16 subject related questions.
Need of the Study
Green marketing is an emerging dimension
which gives stress on protecting the
environment. As resources are limited and
human wants are unrestricted, it is
indispensable for the manufacturers to utilize
the resources efficiently. This has become the
new mantra to satisfy the needs of consumers
and to earn better profits. Hence, this study
has focused on the awareness of consumers
about green marketing and the preference
towards eco-friendly products by the users
within the Bengaluru city. The respondents
were users of eco-friendly products within
the Bengaluru city.
Objectives
1. To study the awareness of consumers
with respect to green marketing
2. To find out the willingness of consumers
to pay more for eco-friendly products
3. To find out the preference of consumers
towards eco friendly products
Research Methodology
The study is a descriptive study and studied
on the characteristics of green marketing as
well as on the users of eco friendly products.
The study is been conducted using the survey
method, asking the respondents to fill the
questionnaries and thus data was analysed.
The sampling unit of the study is 100
respondents, who are the users of eco-
friendly products within the Bangalore city
and used the random sampling method, in
order to reduce the bias involved when
compared to any other sampling method.
The data is collected through survey method
asking the respondents to fill the
questionnaire and then analyze the
information using percentage method and
presented the information through pie-chart.
ethodology of Study
Both primary data and secondary data has
been used for the research paper.
1. Primary Data
This includes questionnaire survey of people
from the study area.
2. Secondary Data
Various published articles from journals,
books, internet websites.
Sample Design
The present study has been conducted for
the city of Kolhapur. The total population of
the city is approximately 6,00,000 which
would roughly amount to 1,20,000
households. However the researchers have
only considered the middle class and higher
middle class as our respondents.
Due to limitations of time and cost
the questionnaires were collected
through convenient
sampling method. A total of 100 cases were
considered for the analysis
Methodology of Study
Both primary data and secondary data has
been used for the research paper.
1. Primary Data
This includes questionnaire survey of people
from the study area.
2. Secondary Data
Various published articles from journals,
books, internet websites.
Sample Design
The present study has been conducted for
the city of Kolhapur. The total population of
the city is
approximately 6,00,000 which would
roughly amount to 1,20,000 households.
However the
researchers have only considered the middle
class and higher middle class as our
respondents.
Due to limitations of time and cost
the questionnaires were collected
through convenient
sampling method. A total of 100 cases were
considered for the analysis
Methodology of Study
Both primary data and secondary data has
been used for the research paper.
1. Primary Data
This includes questionnaire survey of people
from the study area.
2. Secondary Data
Various published articles from journals,
books, internet websites.
Sample Design
The present study has been conducted for
the city of Kolhapur. The total population of
the city is approximately 6,00,000 which
would roughly amount to 1,20,000
households. However the researchers have
only considered the middle class and higher
middle class as our respondents.
Due to limitations of time and cost
the questionnaires were collected
through convenient sampling method. A
total of 100 cases were considered for the
analysis
Methodology of Study
Both primary data and secondary data has
been used for the research paper.
1. Primary Data
This includes questionnaire survey of people
from the study area.
2. Secondary Data
Various published articles from journals,
books, internet websites.
Sample Design
The present study has been conducted for
the city of Kolhapur. The total population of
the city is
approximately 6,00,000 which would
roughly amount to 1,20,000 households.
However the researchers have only
considered the middle class and higher
middle class as our respondents.
Due to limitations of time and cost
the questionnaires were collected
through convenient sampling method. A
total of 100 cases were considered for the
analysis
Analysis of the Study
Interpretation: For this study majority in the
sample group were between the age group of
21 – 30 years. There were 11 respondents
from the age group of 41 and above and 8
respondents between the age group of 31 –
40. From this we can infer that the sample
group consisted mostly the younger
generation.
81
811
Age of the Respondents
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 and above
Interpretation: The sample group
considered for this study consisted of 60%
female and 40% men. This indicates that
majority of the respondents were females.
The sample group consisted mainly of
females between the ages of 21-30.
The sample group mainly consisted of
graduates and post graduates who accounted
for 52% and 33%. 14% have a professional
degree. From this we can infer that this study
consists mostly of graduates and post
graduates and finds out the awareness of
green marketing among them.
Awareness of Green Marketing
Interpretation: From the above chart we can
infer that majority of the respondents are
aware about green marketing and the
existence of green products. 91% are aware
about the same while 9% are not aware. This
shows that most of the respondents in the
group consisted of people who were exposed
to the concept of green marketing.
Chart 5: Forms of green marketing that
the group is aware about
Interpretation: From the data given in the
above chart we see that 85 out of the 100
respondents were aware of the bio-
degradable products, 78 out of 100 were
aware about avoidance of plastics while 68
and 41 were aware about waste disposal
practices and sustainable business practices.
From this we can infer that bio-degradable
products and avoiding plastics are the
practices that the group was more aware
60
40
Gender of the Respondents
female
men
5233
14 1
Educational Qualification of the
Respondents
Graduate
Post Graduate
ProfessionalDegree
91
9
Awareness of Green Products
and Green Marketing
yes
no
41
68
78
85
0 50 100
sustainable…
waste…
avoiding…
Bio-…
Forms of Green Marketing that
the Group is Aware about
FORMS OFGREENMARKETINGTHAT THEGROUP ISAWAREABOUT
about when compared to sustainable business
practices being adopted by companies. This
may be due to the growing significance of
avoidance of plastics and increasing
importance of eco-friendly products.
Chart 6: Mediums through which
awareness was gained
Interpretation: From the above data we can
infer that social media plays a huge role in
creating awareness about green marketing
among people. This is due to the increase in
the usage of digital media. Awareness
through social media accounted for 63% of
the respondents. 19% gained awareness
through print media, 12% through televisions
and 6% through websites.
Chart 7: Purchase from a company that
uses eco-friendly business practices
Interpretation: Majority of the group which
accounts to 99% are ready to buy from a
company that uses eco-friendly business
practices. This shows that the respondents are
environment conscious and are ready to
spend on products that are environmental
friendly.
Chart 8: Willingness to pay more for eco-
friendly products
Interpretation: From the above data we can
see that 53% of the respondents may pay
more for eco-friendly products while 44% are
ready to pay more. Only 3% of the group does
not want to pay more for the eco-friendly
products. Majority of the people are ready to
pay more for eco-friendly products out of
concern for the environment, climate change
and global warming. Few also wish to
enhance the quality of life for which they are
willing to pay more. Out of the people who
do not want to pay more or are not sure about
paying more, majority feel that the prices of
eco-friendly products are too high for them.
Others do not want to pay more for such
products for reasons such as they are not
aware about the actual positive impact of
these products and green misconception. Few
also believe that the products are not
positioned in a way that makes the product
superior when compared to other products.
63
19
12
6
Mediums through which
Awareness was Gained
social media
newspapers/magazines
television
websites
991
Purchase from a Company that
uses
Eco-friendly Business Practices
yes
no
5344
3
Willingness to Pay more for Eco-
friendly Products
maybe
yes
no
Chart 9: Problems with regard to green
Marketing
Interpretation: The above chart shows that
54% of the respondents found that green
marketing was not suitable for all product
types and 32% found that false marketing are
practiced. The rest 11% and 3% found that it
caused inconvenience and there was no
problem with green marketing. Through this
we can infer that no all products can be
marketed under green marketing as it might
not be eco friendly and many concerns carry
false marketing with regard to green products
to push their products into the market.
Chart 10: Consideration of eco labels in
products during purchase
Interpretation: According to the above chart
68% which is the majority of the group look
for eco- labels in the green products during
purchase while the rest 32% do not check the
eco labels. This is because majority is
concerned about the quality and the price that
they are willing to pay for the green products.
The main reason for not looking at Eco labels
in products before purchase is mainly due to
lack of information on the part of the
customer. They did not give much attention
to this as they thought it was not very
necessary.
Chart 11: Concern towards organizations
polluting the environment
Interpretation: It is evident from the above
chart that the entire 100% of the group is
concerned about the organizations polluting.
Most of the organizations are the main cause
for the environment being polluted due to the
harmful wastes and gases that they emit. The
customers are fully aware of this and are
concerned about the environment and are
willing to take steps to mitigate this problem.
54%
32%
11%3%
Problems with regard to Green
Marketing
Not suitablefor all theproductsfalsemarketing
Inconvenience
68%
32%
Consideration of Eco Labels in
Products during Purchase
Yes
No
100
Concern towards Organizations
Polluting the Environment
Yes
Chart 12: Environmental concerns
impacting the purchase decisions of the
group
Interpretation: From the above chart we
can infer that 91% that is the majority of the
group are concerned about the environment
while purchasing the products. 9% of the
group is not concerned about the same. This
is because majority of the respondents are
concerned about keeping the environment
clean and safe for a better living and want to
preserve the environment.
Chart 13: Initiation of concerns for
environment by the company
Interpretation: According to the data
obtained we can infer that 53% of the
respondents felt that that concern for the
environment should be initiated by
companies during the manufacturing process.
33% of the group felt that it should be
initiated at the design and the drawing stage.
While 12 % felt that it should be initiated at
the marketing and selling process. The least
2% of the respondents felt it has to be
initiated during the transportation and
logistics process. This means that the major
concerns regarding the environment can be
minimized if proper initiative is taken during
the manufacturing process as it is one of the
beginning steps towards the development of
the product.
Chart 14: Checking the product features
before buying a green product
Interpretation: This above chart shows that
the majority of the group with 84% will
always go through the product features
before buying the products. 16% of group
finds it unnecessary to go through the product
features before purchasing them. This shows
that majority of the group are concerned
about the products that they are consuming or
purchasing and they keep themselves updated
with the product features for better clarity.
91%
9%
Environmental Concerns
Impacting the
Purchase Decisions of the Group
Yes
No
53%
33%
12%2%
Initiation of Concern gor
Environment
by the Company
Manufacturing
process
Design and
drawing stage
Marketing and
selling
Transport and
logistics
84%
16%
Checking the Product Features
before
Buying a Green Product
Yes
No
Chart 15: Suggestions for improving green
marketing
Interpretation: The above chart indicates
that 44% of the respondents suggested on
creating awareness among the people in order
to improve the reach of green marketing.
Awareness can be given through providing
more information about the need for green
products using social media and on use and
disposal of products and use of effective
promotional channels .24% suggested on
using green initiatives through using green
designs, green energy ,recycling ,reducing
the use of plastics and eco-friendly methods
such as sustainable and organic agriculture
20% suggested for making the price
affordable as they feel that the green products
that are sold in the markets are usually priced
high. The other suggestions include
initiatives on the part of the government to
encourage as well as produce products that
are affordable and trustworthy, certification
for green products by a trusted central
agency.
Findings
• Through this survey it was found that
majority of the respondents were aware
about green products and green
marketing
• Bio-degradable products and avoidance
of plastics were the forms of green
marketing that the group is mainly aware
about. The group was also aware about
the various waste disposal practices used
by the company
• The study indicated that social media
plays a major role in spreading awareness
about green marketing. This is due to the
increase in the use of digital media by the
people and marketers are increasingly
using this medium to communicate
information to the customers
• Majority of the respondents were ready to
purchase from a company that uses
sustainable business practices
• Majority of the group will pay more or
may consider paying more for eco-
friendly products
• The group feels that major problem with
regard to green marketing is that it is not
suitable for all the product types. The
practice of false marketing was also
found to be a problem
• The study indicated that most of the
respondents look out for eco-labels when
purchasing a product
• The entire group have concern towards
organizations polluting the environment
• Environmental concerns do impact the
purchasing decisions of the group as they
are concerned about preserving the
environment
• Majority of the respondents opted for
initiation of concern for environment by
the company in the manufacturing
process. Companies must also consider
this during the design and drawing stage
• Most of the people in the group check for
the product features before buying a
green product
• There were suggestions to provide more
awareness to improve green marketing
and taking up more green initiatives
Suggestions
• Providing customers with info graphics
and referral program credits
• Providing information of green products
through campaigning in schools and
colleges to increase awareness
1220
2444
0 50
othersaffordable…
green…awareness
Suggestions for Improving
Green Marketing
SUGGESTIONSFORIMPROVINGGREENMARKETING
• Providing information on responsible use
and disposal of products
• Government can encourage green
marketing by providing certifications for
authenticity, mandating green seals on
products
Conclusion
With green marketing concept emerging as a
new business practice companies have been
resorting to use eco-friendly methods to
preserve the environment from being
exploited. This paper aimed at studying the
behavior of the customers towards the green
marketing strategies that are used today.
From this study it is clear that the customers
are aware of the need for green products and
are willing to contribute to the environment
by going green. It is necessary to find ways
to make the products affordable to
the customers, so that, they are encouraged
making the purchase. There is more research
that needs to be done in this field as it is now
growing. For the long-term survival of
the companies have to implement strategies
to go green. The attitude of the consumers
towards green products is positive and the
affordability of the products should be looked
into by the manufacturers. The consumers are
alarmed about the situation of the
environment and anticipate the organizations
to take necessary actions regarding green
practices for a better environment to live in.
To make a greater impact about the green
products the marketers, and the organizations
have to constantly communicate with their
customers to know them better and to cater to
their needs. This indicates that marketers
should make the green products available to
the consumers for their consumption as
customers have shown willingness to buy
green products if it is available.
Limitations of the Study
1. The respondents are limited to the users
of eco-friendly products in Bengaluru
city
2. The accuracy of the information is based
on the response received from the
respondents.
3. This study was conducted within a short
period of time therefore an in depth study
was not possible
References
Faulds, W. G. (2009). Social Media: The
new hybrid element of the promotion mix .
Hoefel, T. F. (2018, November). Retrieved
from
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consu
mer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-
generation-z-and-its-implications-for-
companies
Jacob Cherian, J. J. (2012). Green
Marketing: A Study of Consumers’ Attitude
towards Environment Friendly Products.
Asian Social Science , 8 (12).
Oblinger, D. G. (2005). Educating the Net
Generation.
Oyewole, P. (2001). Social Costs of
Environmental Justice Associated with the
Practice of Green Marketing. journal of
business ethics , 29 (3), 239 - 251 .
Research, S. &. (2015). The Hispanic
Millenial Project .
Sanjay K Jain, G. K. (2004). Green
Marketing: An Attitudinal and Behavioural
Analysis of Indian Consumers. Global
Business Review , 5 (2), 187 - 205 .
SHAFAAT, M. F., & SULTAN, A. (2012).
Green Marketing. International Journal of
Multidisciplinary Management studies , 2
(5).
Virdi, J. S. (2016). GREEN MARKETING:
CURRENT SCENARIO AND
CHALLENGES. International Journal In
Applied Studies And production
management , 2 (3).
Ward, S. (n.d.). Green Marketing . Retrieved
from
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/green-
marketing-2948347
Pre & Post-Merger Financial Performance: An Indian Perspective of Exit
Strategy
Girish Mallappa Mabanur
Student
Ramaiah Institute of Management Studies
Sindhu A.N Research Scholar
Dept of Commerce Bangalore
Bangalore University
Abstract
The financial performance is evaluated based on various variables. The study finds a negative
impact of merger on return on equity, return on assets, Net profit ratio, yield on advance and
yield on investment. However, variables namely, the Earning per share, Profit per employee
and Business per employee has shown positive trend and growth after merger. It has been
observed that after the merger, the assets, equity, investment and advances of all banks
increases but due to underutilization their respective yield decreases. On a contrary, the
business per employee and profit per employee has increased due to optimum utilization of
human resources. By applying the Comparative analysis, the paper also assess the financial
performance of acquiring bank with the banking industry. The Bank of Baroda and Oriental
bank of commerce has found decreases in Yield on Advances, and yield on investment as
compared to average of all banks in the post- merger period. State Bank of India & IDBI Bank
has higher business per employee and profit per employee as compared to industry average.
Key Words: Merger, Exit Strategy, Financial performance, Bank, India.
Introduction
The Indian banking industry plays a vital role
in the economic development of the country.
The Indian banking industry has witnessed
many reforms in last three decades. Banking
industry is divided into two categories,
namely, Scheduled commercial banks and
Non-scheduled commercial banks. Banks
registered as per the Schedule II of the
reserve bank of India act, 1934 are known as
scheduled commercial banks, which further
categorized as Public-sector banks, Private
sector banks and foreign banks. The
Nationalized banks, State bank of India and
its associate banks, Regional Rural Banks fall
in the category of a public sec-tor bank. The
Private sector banks include the old Private
sector banks and new Private sector banks.
The regional rural banks are sponsored by
particular bank, state government and central
government and working in rural areas. The
Merger and acquisition is one of the
important tools to achieve the growth. The
merger as per the Godbole (2013) is the
“combination of all the assets, liabilities,
loans & business of two or more companies
such that one of them survives.” Many firms
across the globe has adopted the strategy of
merger and acquisition to achieve high
growth in business. Further, the merger and
acquisition also serves the purpose of
expansion, reducing the level of competition,
and creation of a large entity. According
to Narayanswamy (2017) the financial
analysis is a technique to study the annual
report of company to provide relevant
information to the decision makers.
Acquiring firm always needs to check
financial performance of the tar-get firm as
merger affects the financial position and
wealth of all stakeholders. Since merger can
have significant impact on financial
performance of the acquiring firm in any of
the ways, i.e. either positive or negative, the
acquirer needs to evaluate the target firm in
well manner before going for merger deal.
Again, the merger can result in poor financial
performance. There are five different forms
of merger. Vertical Merger is a merger of
non- competing companies where one’s
product is a necessary component of other’s.
Such merger can be done between two firms
engaged in different aspects of business.
Horizontal merger involves two, firms that
operate and compete in the same kind of a
business activity. The acquiring firm belongs
to the same industry as the target company.
Accretive Merger occurs when a company
with a high price-to-earnings ratio purchases
a company with a low price-to-earnings ratio.
If there is no economic relationship between
the acquiring & acquired firm, such a merger
is known as Conglomerate merger. A merger
is dilute one, if the EPS of acquiring
company falls after merger. This happens due
to poor financial performance of target firm.
Literature Review
The literature on pre- and post-merger
financial performance has been used in recent
times. A review of many studies carried out
in many countries across the globe is
presented here. Many researchers have found
a positive impact of merger on financial
performance. Harrison et al. (1991) analyses
the post-acquisition performance of 1100 US
firms in the period of 1970-1989 and
demonstrates that the acquisition remains
beneficial for the acquiring firms & resulted
in improvement of profitability ratios. Lees
(1992) finds that the merger remains
beneficial for the acquiring firm and in the
post-merger period the profitability has
increased with higher rate as compared to the
pre- merger period. Shanmugam and Nair
(2004) analyzed the impact of merger on
financial performance of 54 Malaysian
banks. By applying the paired t-test on 1990-
2000 data, it is found that merger has
strengthened the financial position of banks
and resulted in improvement in profitability
ratios. Feroz et al. (2005) finds that financial
performance enhanced significantly after
merger. The financial ratios are in improved
version after
merger. Mumcu and Zenginobuz (2005)
examine the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of the Turkish banking industry.
They find that merger has significant and
positive impact on financial performance and
resulted in improved
profitability. Demirbag et al. (2007) analyses
the impact of merger on financial
performance of Indian pharmaceutical firms.
The study finds that the merger remains
positive from the financial point of view and
ensued in increases in Return on investment
and Net profit margin. Ramakrishnan (2008)
finds that the merger that happened in the
Indian financial sector from 1996 to 2003 led
to improvement in financial performance of
firms, and also contributed towards brisk
growth. In another
study, Ramakrishnan (2010) examines the
impact of merger on financial performance of
Indian firms using data from 1996 to 2002.
The study came with the outcome that the
mergers have enhanced the long- term
performance of firms. Kilic (2011) examines
the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of 10 Turkish banks using data
envelopment analysis and finds positive
impact of merger on profit-ability. After the
merger, the financial performance improved
pointedly. Dobre et al. (2012) assess
financial performance of Romanian
corporate firms covering the period of 2005-
2011. They find that the merger resulted in
the improvement of financial performance
and, as a result, the profitability ratios
increased significantly. Francoeur et al.
(2012) using the 1990 to 2003 data of
Canadian firms, finds that the merger
improves the profitability. The profitability
ratios in-creases significantly after the
merger and shows better
results. Meghouara and Sbai (2013) find that
the merger of the commercial bank of
morocco remains beneficial. The profitability
ratio increased significantly after the
merger. Reddy et al. (2013) investigate the
pre- and post-merger financial performance
of Indian banks covering a period from 2000
to 2006. The study finds that the merger
remains positive for the financial
performance. Ahmed and Ahmed (2014)
assess the financial performance of Pakistani
manufacturing companies covering a period
of 2000 -2009. They find that the merger
resulted in improving the over-all
performance of the firm. Further, after the
merger, there is significant improvement in
profitability, and the merger remains
positive. Arvanitis and Stucki (2015)
analyses the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of mergers that happened
among small and medium-sized firms in
Switzerland during 2008-2010. The study
revealed that the merger had a positive
impact on financial performance, and the
profitability ratios showed improved
performance. Joash and Njangiru (2015) by
using the data from 2000 to 2014, come to the
conclusion that the merger remains positive
for Kenyan banks. After the merger, the
Return on investment & earning per
share has increased significantly. Rani et al.
(2015) analyses the pre- and post-merger
financial performance of 305 Indian firms
using a paired t-test. The study finds that after
the merger the financial performance has
upgraded and Return on equity, Return on
capital employed, the Net profit margin
increased significantly. Daniya et al. (2016)
examine the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of 24 Nigerian banks and
concludes that after the merger the financial
performance improved and, as a result, the
profitability ratios increased
significantly. Al-Hroot (2016) using the
paired sample t-test on seven different
Jordanians firms finds that the merger
resulted in improving the overall
performance of the firm. Das (2014) studied
the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of regional rural banks using a
paired t-test. The study finds that the merger
has a positive impact on financial
performance and increases profitability
significantly. Patel and Shah (2016)
investigate the pre- and post-merger financial
performance of the Indian banking industry
covering a period of 2001 to 2014. They find
the impact of merger to be positive and
significant for financial performance.
Research Methodology
This study is carried out with the objective
to know the before- and after-the- merger
comparative position of long term
profitability with respect to the selected
Indian banks. Further, the study also aims to
analyse the financial performance of the
selected banks with the average of the
industry in both pre - and post-merger. This
study uses five years before and five years
after the merger event to test the hypothesis.
Total duration of eleven years is taken into
consideration. The year of merger is
designated as (T0) whereas the five years
before and after the merger are shown as (-
T5, -T4, -T3, -T2, - T1) and (T1, T2, T3, T4,
T5), respectively. This study is carried out
using a descriptive research design. The
study is carried out by using the Basic
research approach.
Data
Here five banks, namely Bank of Baroda,
IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Oriental
Bank of Commerce and State bank of India
are selected as per the following criteria.
• Banks belong to the public sector
• Banks have domestic merger
• Banks involved in merger and
acquisition activity during 2003 to 2018
• Accounting data and financial ratios of
the sample banks are available The data
contain the profitability ratios, balance
sheet and profit and loss ac-count. The
reliable data are taken from ACE Equity
database software, Reports and
Publications of Reserve Bank of India,
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy
(CMIE), and Reports and Publications of
Indian Banker’s associations. The
sample banks are selected using the
judgmental sampling method.
Variables and Hypothesis
To perform the financial analysis, various
ratios and variables such as Business per
Employee, earnings per share, net profit
margin, and profit per employee, return on
assets, return on equity, yield on advances
and yield on investments are used. These
variables were selected by various
researchers in the past, for example Har-
rison et al. (1991), Lees (1992), Pawaskar
(2001), Shanmugam and Nair (2004), Feroz
et al. (2005), Mumcu and Zenginobuz
(2005), Demirbag et al. (2007), Ku-mar and
Bansal (2008), Mantravadi and Reddy
(2008), Ramakrishnan (2008),
Kumar (2009), Uddin and Boateng (2009),
Ramakrishnan (2010), Kemal
(2011), Kilic (2011), Dobre et al. (2012),
Francoeur et al. (2012), Reddy et al. (2013),
Sufian et al. (2012), Meghouara and Sbai
(2013), Ahmed and Ahmed (2014), Ghosh
and Dutta (2014), Jayaraman et al. (2014),
Duggal (2015), Joash and Njangiru (2015),
Lakstutiene et al. (2015), Patel and Patel
(2015), Rani et al. (2015), Daniya et al.
(2016), Al-Hroot (2016), Das (2014), Patel
and Shah (2016), Rashid and Naeem (2017)
and Vulanovic (2017). The business per
employee and profit per employee are
variables which concern only the banking
industry. But as these variables are important
in order to evaluate the financial
performance with respect to human
resources, the present study considers these
variables.
Here, a paired t-test is used to check the
before- and after-the-merger
comparative position of long term
profitability. The paired t-test is
considered as important to check the
comparative positive and used by
various researchers in the past, for
example Harrison et al. (1991),
Pawaskar (2001), Shanmugam and Nair
(2004), Mumcu and Zenginobuz
(2005), Demirbag et al.(2007),
Mantravadi and Reddy (2008),
Ramakrishnan (2008), Kumar (2009),
Uddin and Boateng (2009),
Ramakrishnan (2010), Kemal (2011),
Dobre et al. (2012), Francoeur et al.
(2012), Reddy et al. (2013), Sufian et al.
(2012), Meghouara and Sbai (2013),
Ahmed and Ahmed (2014), Ghosh and
Dutta (2014), Jayaraman et al. (2014),
Duggal (2015), Joash and Njangiru
(2015), Lakstutiene et al. (2015), Patel
and Patel (2015), Rani et al. (2015),
Daniya et al. (2016), Al-Hroot (2016),
Das (2014), Patel and Shah (2016),
Rashid and Naeem (2017) and
Vulanovic (2017).
The variable wise hypotheses for
performing the paired t-test are listed as
below. Here, the period before merger and
the period after merger are characterized as
BM & AM, respectively.
Table 1: Variable wise hypothesis
Variable Null Hypothesis Alternative
Hypothesis
Return on Equity (ROE) ROEBM = ROEAM ROEBM ≠
ROEAM
Return on Assets (ROA) ROABM = ROAAM ROABM ≠
ROAAM
Earnings per Share (Rs).
(EPS)
EPSBM = EPSAM EPSBM ≠ EPSAM
Yield on Advances
(YOA)
YOABM =
YOAAM
YOABM ≠
YOAAM
Yield on Investments
(YOI)
YOIBM = YOIAM YOIBM ≠ YOIAM
Net Profit Ratio (NP) NPBM = NPAM NPBM ≠ NPAM
Profit per Employee
(PPE)
PPEBM = PPEAM PPEBM ≠ PPEAM
Business per Employee
(BPE)
BPEBM = BPEAM BPEBM ≠ BPEAM
Source: Author’s creation
Result and discussion
The study is performed using two different
sets of analysis. 1) The pre- and post-merger
financial performance measurement 2)
Comparative Analysis
The pre- and post-merger financial
performance measurement
Each variable here is compared on the basis
of the average value of five years be-fore
and five years after the merger, respectively.
The results of all five banks are depicted
below.
Bank of Baroda
Table 2: Pre and Post merger financial
performance of Bank of Baroda
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 2 shows the comparative
profitability situation of Bank of Baroda.
The average earning per share (EPS)
before the merger had been Rs. 20.84
which in-creased to Rs. 34.90 after the
merger. The t-value (-3.72) and
significance value (0.020) reveals that after
the merger the EPS enhanced significantly.
The yield from advances decreased from
18.89 % to 11.79% after the merger.
Further, the t-value (12.92) and
significance value (0.0002) divulge the
significant impact of merger on yield on
advances. The yield on advances decreased
due to underutilization of advance in post-
merger period. The yield on investment
also decreases from 11.13% to 8.37%. The
t-value (6.39) and significance value
(0.003) shows the significant impact of
merger on yield on investment. The yield
on investment de-creases due to not
utilizing the investments in optimum level
in the post-merger period. Return on assets
does not change with respect to the merger.
The reason is proper utilization of assets in
both pre- and post-merger period. Return
on equity witnessed minor change in post-
merger period (14.10%) as compared to the
pre-merger period (15.81%). The t-value
(1.15) and significance value (0.31) shows
insignificant impact of merger on return on
equity. The net profit ratio decreased from
27.88% to 22.26% and the t-value (0.21)
and significance value (0.008) shows there
is significant impact. Profit per employee
increases three times after the merger, and
t-value (-3.65) as well as significance value
(0.021) show significant impact. The
business per employee rose 2.81 times after
the merger. The t-value (-4.19) and
significance value (0.013) reveal that the
merger had significant impact on business
per employee. The increase in business per
employee and profit per employee shows
better utilization of human resources.
Overall, the merger has negative impact on
Return on equity (%), Net Profit Ratio,
Yield on Advances & Yield on
Investments (%) and positive impact on
Return on assets, Earnings per Share, Profit
per Employee and Business per Employee.
Particula
rs
Durati
on
Mea
n
Standar
d
Deviatio
n
t-
valu
e
Sig.
Earnings
Per Share
(Rs.)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
20.8
4
34.9
0
9.06
16.15 -
3.72 0.020
Yield on
Advances
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
18.8
9
11.7
9
2.04
1.75 12.9
2
0.000
2
Yield on
Investme
nts (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
11.1
3
8.37
0.48
0.90 6.39 0.003
Return on
Assets
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.88
0.87
0.28
0.14 0.17 0.86
Return on
Equity
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
15.8
1
14.1
0
4.64
2.69 1.15 0.31
Net Profit
Ratio (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
27.8
8
22.2
6
51.62
32.12 0.21 0.008
Profit per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.01
0.03
0.01
0.02 -
3.65 0.021
Business
per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger 2.05 0.48
-
4.19 0.013
Oriental Bank of Commerce
Table 3: Pre and Post merger financial
performance of Oriental bank of
commerce
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 3 shows the comparative profitability
situation of Oriental bank of commerce. The
EPS increases from Rs. 20.20 to Rs. 26.55
after the merger. The t-value (-1.14) and
significance value (0.031) reveals
significant improvement in the EPS after
the merger. The Yield on Advances is
decreased from 22.10% to 12.70%. The t-
value (5.91) and significance value (0.04)
divulges the significant impact of the
merger. The yield on investment also
decreases from 12.88% to 9.47%. Further,
the t-value (4.97) and significance value
(0.007) shows the significant impact of
merger on the yield on investment. The
bank has not utilized the investment and
advances in optimum level which resulted
in decrease in their respective yield. After
the merger, the return on assets is
decreasing with difference of 0.34%, which
is significant as per the t- value (4.97) and
significance value (0.027). The assets
increase after the merger, but due to
underutilization, the return on assets
decreased in the post-merger period. The
Return on Equity witnessed significant
decrease in the pre-merger period (21.59%)
and post-merger period (13.77%). Further,
the t-value (1.93) and significance value
(0.012) shows the significant impact. The
equity increase after the merger but due to
underutilization, the return on equity
decreased in post-merger period. The Net
Profit Ratio witnessed negative impact of
the merger where the ratio decreased from
28.91% to 19.94%, after the merger. The t-
value (0.28) and significance value (0.007)
show a significant impact on the negative
side. The Profit per employee increased
after the merger with double value. The t-
value (-5.71) and significance value (0.004)
show a significant impact of the merger on
the positive front. The Business per
employee also increased significantly from
Rs. (In Lakh) 3.116 to Rs. (In Lakh) 7.788
and it was supported by t-value (-5.65) and
significance value (0.004). After the
merger, the business per employee and
profit per employee increased due to
optimum utilization of human resources.
Overall, the merger had a negative impact
on Return on assets (%), Return on equity
(%), Net Profit Ratio, Yield on Advances &
Yield on Investments (%) and positive
Particul
ars
Durati
on
Me
an
Standa
rd
Deviati
on
t-
val
ue
Sig
.
Earnings
Per Share
(Rs.)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
20.2
0
26.5
5
9.86
9.87 -
1.14
0.0
31
Yield on
Advances
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
22.1
0
12.7
0
3.74
0.90 5.91
0.0
4
Yield on
Investmen
ts (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
12.8
8
9.47
0.52
1.04 4.94
0.0
07
Return on
Assets
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
1.27
0.93
0.38
0.39 1.26
0.0
27
Return on
Equity
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
21.5
9
13.7
7
5.57
6.62 1.93
0.0
12
Net Profit
Ratio (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
28.9
1
19.9
4
34.24
76.27 0.28
0.0
07
Profit per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.02
8
0.05
6
0.013
0.005 -
5.71
0.0
04
Business
per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
3.11
6
7.78
8
0.75
2.58 -
5.65
0.0
04
impact on Earnings per Share, Profit per
employee and Business per employee.
IDBI Bank
Table 4: Pre and Post merger financial
performance of IDBI Bank
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 4 shows the comparative profitability
situation of IDBI Bank. The EPS in-creased
from Rs. 5.40 to Rs. 12.32 after the merger.
The t-value (-6.47) and significance value
(0.0029) divulge significant improvement in
the EPS after the merger. The Yield on
Advances is decreased from 11.25% to
10.79%. The t-value (0.223) and
significance value (0.834) reveals an
insignificant impact of the merger. The
yield on investment also decreases from
7.65% to 6.42%. Further, the t-value (0.682)
and significance value (0.532) shows an
insignificant impact of merger on the yield
on investment. The bank has underutilized
the investment and advances which resulted
in decrease in their respective yield. The
return on assets decreased from 0.89 % to
0.61%, in the post-merger period. The t-
value (2.37) and significance value (0.076)
show insignificant impact of the merger.
The assets increases after the merger but due
to underutilization, the return on assets
decreased in the post-merger period. The
Return on Equity witnessed a significant
decrease in the pre-merger period (17.21%)
and post-merger period (12.44%). Further,
the t-value (1.12) and significance value
(0.032) show a significant impact. Equity
increased after the merger but due to
underutilization, the return on equity
decreased in the post-merger period. The
Net Profit Ratio witnessed negative impact
of the merger where the ratio decreased
from 101.45% to 25.19%, after the merger.
The t-value (2.86) and significance value
(0.0455) show a significant impact. The
Profit per employee increased from Rs. (in
Lakh) 0.07 to Rs. (in Lakh) 0.09 after the
merger. The t-value (-2.05) and significance
value (0.0109) show a significant impact.
The Business per employee also increased
significantly from Rs. (in Lakh) 11.10 to Rs.
(in Lakh) 19.98 which was supported by t-
value (- 9.27) and significance value
(0.0005). After the merger, the business per
employee and profit per employee increased
due to the optimum utilization of human
resources. The merger has the most negative
impact on the net profit ratio among all the
variables. Overall, the merger remains
average from the financial performance
point of view.
Particula
rs Duration Mean
Standa
rd
Deviati
on
t-
valu
e
Sig
.
Earnings
Per Share
(Rs.)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
5.40
12.32
1.60
3.23 -6.47
0.0
02
9
Yield on
Advances
(%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
11.25
10.79
4.04
0.81 0.22
3
0.8
34
Yield on
Investme
nts (%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
7.65
6.42
3.66
1.16 0.68
2
0.5
32
Return on
Assets
(%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
0.89
0.61
0.25
0.07 2.37 0.0
76
Return on
Equity
(%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
17.21
12.44
7.92
2.20 1.12 0.0
32
Net Profit
Ratio (%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
101.45
25.19
51.62
19.69 2.86
0.0
45
5
Profit per
Employe
e (Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
0.07
0.09
0.03
0.02 -2.05
0.0
10
9
Business
per
Employe
e (Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
11.10
19.98
4.37
4.20
-9.27
0.0
00
5
Indian Overseas Bank
Table 5: Pre and Post merger financial
performance of Indian Overseas Bank
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 5 shows the comparative profitability
situation of Indian Overseas Bank. The
average EPS increased from Rs. 12.72 to Rs.
17.98 after the merger. The t-value (-1.39)
and significance value (0.023) reveal that
after the merger, the EPS improved
significantly. The yield from advances is
decreased from 15.84% to 12.51% after the
merger. Further, the t-value (2.58) and
significance value (0.06) divulge an
insignificant impact of the merger on the
yield on advances. The yield on advances
decreased due to underutilization of advances
in the post-merger period. The yield on
investment also decreased from 10.22% to
7.69%. The t- value (3.90) and significance
value (0.017) shows significant impact of the
merger on the yield on investment. The yield
on investment decreased due to
underutilization of investment in the post-
merger period. The return on assets decreased
from 1.28% to 0.86%, which is insignificant
as per the t-value (1.86) and significance
value (0.13). The assets increased after the
merger but due to underutilization, the return
on assets decreased in the post-merger period.
Return on equity experienced a significant
change in the post-merger period (18.51%) as
compared to the pre-merger period (31.20%).
The t-value (5.55) and significance value
(0.005) show there is a significant impact of
the merger on return on equity. The net profit
ratio decreased from 36% to 6.49% in the
post- merger period.
Further, t-value (1.58) and significance value
(0.018) show a significant impact. Profit per
employee increased 1.25 times after the
merger. The t- value (-1.84) and significance
value (0.013) show a significant impact.
Business per employee also increased 2.72
times after the merger. The t- value (-8.23)
and significance value (0.001) reveal that the
merger had a significant impact on business
per employee. Increase in business per
employee and profit per employee shows
better utilization of human resources.
Overall, the merger remains average from the
financial performance point of view.
Particula
rs
Durati
on
Mea
n
Standar
d
Deviati
on
t-
valu
e
Sig.
Earnings
Per Share
(Rs.)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
12.7
2
17.9
8
3.84
5.14 -
1.39
0.02
3
Yield on
Advances
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
15.8
4
12.5
1
3.40
0.96 2.58 0.06
Yield on
Investme
nts (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
10.2
2
7.69
1.33
1.09 3.90
0.01
7
Return on
Assets
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
1.28
0.86
0.15
0.36 1.86 0.13
Return on
Equity
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
31.2
0
18.5
1
3.32
7.55 5.55
0.00
5
Net Profit
Ratio (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
36.0
0
6.49
25.23
35.78 1.58
0.01
8
Profit per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.03
0.04
0.01
0.009 -
1.84
0.01
3
Business
per
Employee
(Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
3.06
8.33
1.07
2.47 -
8.23
0.00
1
State Bank of India
Table 6: Pre and Post merger financial
performance of State Bank of India
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 6 shows the comparative profitability
situation of State bank of India. The EPS
increased from Rs. 112.92 to Rs. 134.85
after the merger. The t-value (-0.535) and
significance value (0.62) exposes
insignificant impact of merger on the EPS.
The yield on advances increased from
11.89% to 11.99%. The t-value (0.56) and
significance value (0.60) reveal
insignificant impact of the merger. The
yield on investment also increased from
7.36% to 7.85%. Further, the t-value (-0.70)
and significance values (0.519) show
insignificant impact of the merger on yield
on investment. The bank had utilized the
investment and advances in an efficient
manner which resulted in an increase in
their respective yields. The return on assets
decreased from 0.96% to 0.79%. Further,
the t-value (2.12) and significance value
(0.100) reveal an insignificant impact of the
merger on the return on assets. The assets
increased after the merger but due to
underutilization, the return on assets
decreased in post-merger period. The
Return on Equity witnesses the significant
decrease in the pre-merger period (16.21%)
and the post-merger period (12.28%).
Further, the t-value (2.59) and significance
value (0.060) shows the in-significant
impact. The equity increase after the merger
but due to underutilization, the return on
equity decreased in post-merger period. The
net profit ratio witnessed negative impact of
merger where the ratios decreased from
17.93% to 9.96%, after the merger. The t-
value (0.46) and significance value (0.0166)
showed a significant impact. The profit per
employee increased from Rs. (in Lakh)
0.03 to Rs. (in Lakh)
0.05 after the merger. The t-value (-3.67) and significance value (0.02) shows a significant impact. The business per employee also increased significantly from Rs. (in Lakh) 11.10 to Rs. (in Lakh) 19.98 which was supported by t-value (-14.91) and significance value (0.0001). After the merger, the profit per employee and business per employee increased due to optimum utilization of human resources. The merger had positive impact on all variables namely, Earnings per Share, Yield on Advances, Yield on investments, Profit per employee and Business per employee. The return on equity and return on assets experienced negative impact of the merger.
Particular
s Duration Mean
Stand
ard
Devia
tion
t-
val
ue
Sig
.
Earnings Per
Share (Rs.)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
112.92
134.85
29.73
71.70
-
0.5
35
0.6
2
Yield on
Advances
(%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
11.89
11.99
1.05
0.56 0.5
6
0.6
0
Yield on
Investments
(%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
7.36
7.85
0.95
0.64
-
0.7
0
0.5
19
Return on
Assets (%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
0.96
0.79
0.10
0.15 2.1
2
0.1
00
Return on
Equity (%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
16.21
12.88
1.04
2.64 2.5
9
0.0
60
Net Profit
Ratio (%)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
17.93
9.96
22.32
25.91 0.4
6
0.0
16
Profit per
Employee
(Rs. In Lakh)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
0.03
0.05
0.01
0.01
-
3.6
7
0.0
2
Business per
Employee
(Rs. In Lakh)
Pre-Merger
Post-
Merger
4.61
9.49
1.39
2.10
-
14.
91
0.0
00
1
Table 7: Comparative analysis of
financial variables of sample banks with
average of all banks
Source: Author’s calculation
Table 7 presents a comparative analysis of
various financial performance variables of
acquiring banks and the banking industry.
Among all the banks, SBI has higher
Earning per share than the average of all
banks, in both pre - and post-merger period.
Rests of the banks have their EPS below
average. The Bank of Baroda and Oriental
bank of commerce had higher yield on
advances and yield on investment as
compared to the average of all banks in the
pre-merger period. But in the post-merger
period, yield on advances and yield on
investment of all the banks fell below
average. It further reveals that after the
merger, the yield on investment of banks
does not grow at the industry average rate.
Indian overseas bank and Oriental bank of
commerce have found their return on assets
and return on equity higher than the average
of the industry in both pre- and post-merger
period. Interestingly, the Bank of Baroda had
a higher Return on assets and return on equity
as compared to that of the industry in the post-
merger period, which further enhances the
improvement in financial performance.
Among all the banks, only State bank of India
and Indian overseas bank have reported
lower net profit ratio as compared to the
industry. IDBI Bank and State bank of India
have higher profit per employee as compared
to the industry in both pre- and post-merger
situations. Profit per employee of the Indian
overseas bank is higher as compare to
average in the pre-merger period, but it falls
below in post-merger period. Profit per
employee of Oriental bank of commerce had
been below the average in the pre-merger
period and rose above the average in the post-
merger period. IDBI Bank and State bank of
India have higher business per employee in
both pre- and post-merger periods and the rest
of the banks fall below average.
Summary and Conclusion
Using the paired t-test, the paper compares
the before and after merger position of long-
term profitability with respect to the selected
Indian banks for the period from 2003 to
04 to 2017/18. The pre-merger and post-
merger financial performance has been
measured by selecting certain financial
variables. Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank,
Indian Overseas Bank and Oriental Bank of
Commerce has experienced a negative
impact of the mergers on most of the
variables and a positive impact on a few
variables. In the post-merger period, the
profitability of all four banks decreased.
Particu
lars Period BOB
Oriental
Bank of
Commerce
IDBI
Bank IOB SBI
Averag
e of all
Banks
Earnings
Per Share
(Rs.)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
20.84
34.9
20.2
26.55
5.4
12.32
12.72
17.98
112.92
134.85
32.24
41.84
Yield on
Advance
s (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
18.89
11.79
22.1
12.7
11.25
10.79
15.84
12.51
11.89
11.99
16.21
15.99
Yield on
Investme
nts (%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
11.13
8.37
12.88
9.47
7.65
6.42
10.22
7.69
7.36
7.85
10.32
9.83
Return
on Assets
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.88
0.87
1.27
0.93
0.89
0.61
1.28
0.86
0.96
0.79
0.98
0.84
Return
on
Equity
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
15.81
14.1
21.59
13.77
17.21
12.44
31.2
18.51
16.21
12.88
21.24
13.48
Net
Profit
Ratio
(%)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
27.88
22.26
28.91
19.94
101.4
5
25.19
36
6.49
17.93
9.96
39.42
21.43
Profit per
Employe
e (Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
0.01
0.03
0.028
0.056
0.07
0.09
0.03
0.04
0.03
0.05
0.0284
0.0491
Business
per
Employe
e (Rs. In
Lakh)
Pre-
Merger
Post-
Merger
2.05
5.77
3.116
7.788
11.1
19.98
3.06
8.33
4.61
9.49
4.243
9.13
However, for all four banks, the earnings per
share, profit per employee and business per
employee showed positive trend and have
grown after the merger. The State bank of
India had a positive impact of the merger on
the majority of the variables namely, earnings
per share, yield on advances, yield on
investments, profit per employee and
business per employee. After the merger,
assets, equity, investment and advances of all
banks increased, but some banks would
not be able to utilize these resources at the
optimum level, and it resulted in decrease in
their respective yields. After the mergers, the
business per employee and profit per
employee in all the banks have increased due
to optimum utilization of human resources.
Overall, Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, Indian
Overseas Bank and Oriental Bank of
Commerce has experienced mix impact of
merger where certain variables found a
negative impact and some variables found a
positive impact. The State bank of India
also finds a mix impact of merger, but the
impact is more towards the positive side. As
compared to other banks, the merger of State
bank of India had more positive impact on
profitability variables. Further, the
comparative analysis of various financial
performance variables of acquiring bank /
acquired banks and the banking industry is
also performed. Bank of Baroda and Oriental
bank of commerce experienced decreases in
yield on advances, and yield on investment
as compared to the average of all banks in the
post-merger period. IDBI Bank and State
bank of India had higher business per
employee and profit per employee in
both pre- and post-merger periods.
References
• Ahmed, M., and Ahmed, Z. (2014).
Mergers and acquisitions: Effect on
financial performance of manufacturing
companies of Pakistan. Middle- East
Journal of Scientific Research, 21(4):
689-699.
• Al-Hroot, Y. A. K. (2016). The Impact of
Mergers on Financial Performance of the
Jordanian Industrial Sector.
International Journal of Management &
Business Studies, 6(1): 2230-9519.
• Arvanitis, S., and Stucki, T. (2015). Do
mergers and acquisitions among small
and medium-sized enterprises affect the
performance of acquiring firms?.
International Small Business Journal,
33(7): 752-773.
• Daniya, A. A., Onotu, S., and
Abdulrahaman, Y. (2016). Impact of
Merger and Acquisitions on the
Financial Performance of Deposit
Money Banks in Nigeria. Arabian
Journal of Business and Management
Review, 6(4): 1-5.
• Das, S. (2014). Performance Mantra of
the Regional Rural Banks: An
Evaluation between the Pre-merger and
Post-merger Era. Jindal Journal of
Business Research, 3(1-2): 14-28.
• Demirbag, M., Ng, C. K., and Tatoglu,
E. (2007). Performance of mergers and
acquisitions in the pharmaceutical
industry: a comparative perspective.
Multinational Business Review, 15(2):
41-62.
• Dobre, F., Brad, L., Ciobanu, R., Turlea,
E., and Caloian, F. (2012). Management
performance audit in mergers and acquisitions. Procedia Economics and
Finance, 3: 309-314.
• Duggal, N. (2015). Post-merger
performance of acquiring firms: A case
study on Indian pharmaceutical industry.
International Journal of Research in
Management and Business Studies, 2(3):
24-28.
• Feroz, E. H., Kim, S., and Raab, R.
(2005). Performance measurement in
corporate governance: do mergers
improve managerial performance in the
post-merger period?. Review of
Accounting and Finance, 4(3): 86-100.
• Francoeur, C., Ben Amar, W., and
Rakoto, P. (2012). Ownership structure,
earnings management and acquiring firm
post-Merger market performance:
evidence from Canada. International
Journal of Managerial Finance, 8(2):
100-119.
• Ghosh, M. S., and Dutta, S. (2014).
Mergers and acquisitions: A strategic
tool for restructuring in the Indian
telecom sector. Procedia Economics and
Finance, 11: 396-409.
• Godbole, P. G., Mergers, A., &
Restructuring, C. (2013). V
• ikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
Brand Management of Smart Devices in Bangalore City
Mr. Mohammed Yousuff Ahmed
Student
Al-Ameen Institute of Management Studies
Abstract
People buy smart devices to meet their needs, status, comfort, etc., among different brands
of smart devices, there is huge competition. In this context, it is necessary to find out how
many consumers prefer which brand over other brands. It needs to know the attributes
necessary in the brand building, and brand management to overcome the competition
existing in the market. This paper has addressed the impact of brand management on smart
devices concerning quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. The study is a
descriptive research and conducted a survey in Bangalore city where the respondents were
the users of smartphones. It has been identified that the respondents are influenced by brand
ambassador, are influenced by sponsoring, and retail image, personnel selling, brand
champions respectively.
Keywords: Brand management, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, quality,
smart devices.
Introduction:
Brand management is a fundamental part of
individual and business improvement. It does
not just build the voice and buyer's attention
to a brand, yet it additionally gives it a
character and worth. The appearance of
participatory and intelligent stages has
allowed numerous organizations to improve
mark mindfulness and value. If you have
been considering building an individual or
business mark, at that point you must realize
that brand management takes a lot of time and
assets. In the area that tails, we might
characterize mark building and take a gander
at various kinds of brands and the means to
make a healthy brand. Brands are in stores, in
advertisements, television commercials and
with the internet, they are everywhere we
look while browsing through the vast
networks of our interests. Brands are
extremely fascinating. Most companies
recognize brands but fail to see the true
essence behind the brand or the reason for
their purchasing behavior. Many companies
see branding as a process that involves only
tangible aspects such as the visual appearance
of a company.
Statement of problem:
Generally, people buy smart devices to meet
their needs, status, comfort, Etc. Among
different brands of smart devices, there is
huge competition. In this context, it is
necessary to find out how many consumers
prefer which brand over other brands. It
needs to know the attributes necessary in the
brand building, and brand management to
overcome the competition existing in the
market. Therefore this study has been
conducted to evaluate the necessary
techniques to be used in brand building.
Objectives:
• To study the brand management of
smart devies in Bangalore City.
Scope of the Study:
Brand management scope helps to collect the
required information from a team that has
experienced, implemented and successful. It
leads to track records in building brand and
creating healthy business in the market to a
target customer. It applies to a selected
company. The study was conducted in
Bangalore City.
Methodology:
A descriptive type of research design has
been used for the study. Descriptive research
methods are used when the researcher wants
to describe specific behaviour as it occurs in
the environment.
Data Collection:
1. Primary Data: Primary data is collected
by
a. Observation : The observation method was
used to add value and be effective and
adequate on the respondents response.
b. Questionnaire: A well structured
questionnaire were framed and given to the
respondents who were using smart devices
and collected the data.
c. Interviewing : The respondents were asked
the questionnaires and filled the response, as
some respondents were not to ready to fill but
were ready to give their oral opinion on it.
Hence, it was taken in the mode of personal
interview and collected the information
required for research.
The collection of data has been done by using
the aforesaid methods.
2. Secondary Data
The secondary data is collected from
journals, publications, research papers,
dailies Magazine, the internet, etc.,
Research Methodology
Sampling Unit:
The sample unit for the study is the users of
Smartphones in Bangalore.
Sampling Technique:
Simple random sampling technique is used to
collect the data, as many people were using
the smartphone devices and to reduce the
bias involved when compared to any other
sampling.
Sample Size:
Sample size of 100 respondents is taken for
the study, where the questionnaires were
distributed more to users of the smartphones
Analysis
Table No. 1 : Age Group Of Respondents
Particulars
(age)
No. of
respondents
Percentage
20-25 83 83
25-30 14 14
30-40 03 03
40 above 00 00
Total 100 100
Analysis
There are 83 respondents belongs to the age
group of 20-25, 14 respondents are of 25-30
age group, 03 respondents are of 30-40 age
group respectively. From the above table, we
can see that most of the respondents are from
the age group of 20-25, hence if the
companies try to look after improving the
features which can be used by these people it
will help them in increasing the sales.
Table No.2 : Gender Of The Respondents
Particulars
(gender)
No. of
respondents
Percentage
Male 72 72
Female 28 28
Total 100 100
Analysis
We find that the 72 persons are male and 28
of the respondents are female. According to
the above table, male respondents are more
than the female respondents towards the
usage of smart devices. Hence if the
companies try to focus on improving features
concerning females, it might help them in
increasing sales.
Table No. 3 : Occupation Of The
Respondents
Particulars
(occupation)
No. Of
respondents
Percentage
Own business 19 19
Salaried 46 46
Student 29 29
Others 06 06
Total 100 100
Analysis
We can notice that the salaried group of
people uses smart devices when compared to
other working classes, hence the companies
should try to improvise the features of smart
devices concerning the salaried type of
working group and find that 19% of the
respondent's occupation is own business, the
major respondents are salaried persons with
46%, 29% of the respondents are students,
06% of the respondents are belong to other
occupations.
Table No. 4 : Income Range of the
Respondents
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Less than Rs.1
lakh per Annum
42 4
Rs. 1to Rs. 5
lakhs per Annum
48 48
Rs. 5 to Rs.8
lakhs per Annum
08 08
Rs. 8 to Rs. 10
per Annum
02 02
More than ten
per Annum
00 00
Total 100 100
Analysis
From the above table 4, In the 100
respondents, 42% of the respondents are in
the range of less Rs.1 lakh per annum, 48%
of the respondents are in the range of Rs.1 to
5 lakhs per annum, 08% of the respondents
are in the range of Rs.5 to 10 lakhs per
annum, 02% of the respondents are in the
range of Rs. 8 to 10 lakhs per annum, 00%
of the respondents are in the range of more
than 10 lakhs per annum.
Table No. 5 : Qualification of the
Respondents
Particulars
(qualification)
No. of
respondents
Percentage
SSLC 11 11
PUC 21 21
Post
Graduation
36 36
Others 04 04
Total 100 100
Analysis
11% of the respondents are qualified in
SSLC, 21% of the respondents are qualified
in PUC, 36% of the respondents are qualified
to graduate, 28%of the respondents are
qualified in postgraduate, and 04% of the
respondents belong to other categories.
Table No. 6 : Present Smartphone of the
Respondents
Particulars
(smartphones)
No. of
respondents
Percentage
Samsung 20 20
Apple 08 08
Oppo 25 25
Vivo 08 08
Redmi 22 22
Gionee 02 02
Oneplus 03 02
Analysis
It clearly shows that 20% of the respondents
are the users of Samsung Smartphone's, 25%
of the respondents are the users of OPPO
Smartphone, 22% of the respondents are the
users of REDMI Smartphone, and 08% of the
respondents are the users of VIVO, NOKIA,
and other Smartphone
Table No. 7 : Respondents Frequency in
Upgrading Smartphone
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Frequency 36 30
Occasionally 50 50
Never 14 14
Total 100 100
36% of the respondents are frequently
changing their smartphones, 50% of the
respondents are occasionally changing their
smartphones, and 14% of the respondents are
never changing their smartphones.
Table No. 8 : Most Desirable Brands in
Smartphone’s
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Samsung 27 27
Apple 12 12
Oppo 28 28
Vivo 07 07
Redmi 22 22
Others 04 04
Total 100 100
27% of the respondents are desire of
SAMSUNG brand Smartphone, 12% of the
respondents are desire of APPLE brand
Smartphone, 28% of the respondents are
desire of OPPO brand Smartphone, 07% of
the respondents are desire of VIVO brand
Smartphone, 22% of the respondents are
desire of REDMI brand Smartphone.
Table No.9 : Brand Prominence While
Considering Smartphone
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Yes 83 83
No 17 17
Total 100 100
Analysis
83% of the respondents are brand
prominence while considering smartphones
for purchase and 17% of the respondents are
not prominence to a brand.
Table No. 10 : Medium Of Brand
Familiarity in Smartphone’s
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Advertisement 46 46
Peer Groups 24 24
Social media 0 30
Total 100 100
Analysis : 46% of the respondents are
familiar with smartphones through
advertisement, 24% of the respondents are
familiar Smartphone with through peer
groups and 30% of the respondents are
familiar with Smartphones through social
media.
Table No. 11 : Most Convincing Factors
Decisive in Buying Smartphone
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Brand
ambassador
25 25
Sponsoring 14 14
Retail image 22 22
Personnel
selling
19 19
Brand
champions
20 20
Total 100 100
Analysis : We have been identified that 25%
of respondents are influenced by brand
ambassador and it has been also identified
that 14% of respondents are influenced by
sponsors. And 22%, 19% 20% are retail
image, personnel selling, brand champions
respectively are the respondent.
Table No. 12 : Preferred Mode of
Payment
Particulars No. of
respondents
Percentage
Loans 42 42
Full cash 58 58
Total 100 100
Analysis : 42% of the respondents prefer
loan mode of payments to buy Smartphone
and even we have analyzed that 58% of the
respondents prefer cash mode of payment to
buy smartphones.
Findings
• The major 83 respondents are belongs to
the age group of 20-25 years and that the
72 persons are male and 28 of the
respondents are female. The major
respondents are salaried persons with 46%
and 29% of the respondents are students.
• It is identified that 42% of the respondents
are in the range of less than Rs.1 lakh per
annum and 48% are in the range of Rs.1 to
5 lakhs per annum. The 36% of the
respondents are qualified graduate and
28% are qualified in post graduate.
• It is analysed 25% of the respondents are
the users of OPPO Smartphone and 22%
are the users of REDMI Smartphone. Our
36% of the respondents are frequently
changes their Smartphone and 50% are
occasionally upgrade their Smartphone,
where, we can clearly see that in 27% of
the respondents are desire of SAMSUNG
brand Smartphone, 12% APPLE brand
Smartphone, 28% OPPO brand
Smartphone, 07% VIVO brand
Smartphone, and 22% REDMI brand
Smartphone.
• 83 % of the respondents are brand
prominence while considering
Smartphone for purchase and 17% of the
respondents are not prominence to a
brand. 46% of the respondents are familiar
with Smartphone’s through
advertisement, 24% & 30% of the
respondents are familiar with
Smartphone’s through peer groups and
social media.
• 25% respondent are influenced by brand
ambassador and it has been also identified
that 14% of respondent are influenced by
sponsoring, and 22%, 19% 20% are retail
image, personnel selling, brand
champions respectively are the
respondent.
Suggestions
Companies should focus more on the female
customers, between the age group of 25-30.
Companies should target the salaried person
more compared to other. Customers are more
prominence to the brand which they buy, so
companies should try to maintain the brand
image. The quality of the Smartphone is more
rated to be a good brand. Companies should
endorsed by the well known Brand
Ambassador to influence more customers.
The familiar strategy is advertisement
through which the Smartphone are much
known for the population. Preferable choice
of media which has maximum impact for the
customer is social media. Companies should
develop more on the camera, music and
internet applications. Companies should
come up with more highly competent
strategies when compared to its competitors.
In seasonal promotional activities companies
should offer more on gifts and discounts to
enhance the sales. Companies should sponsor
still little more on the sporting events to grab
more popularity.
Conclusion
Establishing a new company and a new brand
is a massive undertaking. Its approach has
proved highly successful. Rebranding the
organization has made it possible to open up
new opportunities while building on the
strengths of the past. Because developing a
strong brand depends so heavily on creating
appropriate perceptions, the internal and
external communication exercises have been
vital in quickly building up the confidence of
stakeholders. Creating a consistent and well-
recognized character to the company
throughout the globe based on quality,
performance and presentation will have
beneficial results, reinforcing the ethos of
'one company, with one name and one vision'.
Limitations of Study
❖ The study is limited to 100 respondents.
❖ The study is conducted in Bangalore City
only.
❖ There might be bias in the information
provided by the respondents.
References
• De Chernatony, L. and McDonald. M.
(2003). Creating Powerful Brands,
Elsevier, Butterworth Heinemann.
• Doyle, P. (1989). Building successful
brands: the strategic options, Journal of
Marketing Management, 5(1), 77-95.
• Evans, Franklin B. "Psychological and
Objective Factors in the Prediction of
Brand Choice: Ford versus Chevrolet,"
Journal of Business, 32 (October 1959),
340-69.
• Farquhar, P. H. (1990). Managing brand
equity, Journal of Advertising Research,
30(4), 7-12.
• Festinger, Leon. "Behavioral Support for
Opinion Change, "Public Opinion
Quarterly, 28 (Fall 1964), 404-17.
• Kameswara Rao Poranki (2015) & Mukhtar
Yahia Ahmed Gumaa& Dr. Asif Perwej
'Assessment of Brand Preference in the
Indian Mobile Phones Market" in
www.theinternationaljournal.org, RJSSM:
Volume: 04, Number: 10, February
2015,pp 128- 136.
• Koponen, Arthur. "Personality
Characteristics of Purchasers, "Journal of
Advertising Research, 1 (September
1960),6-12.
• Tucker, W. T. and John J. Painter.
"Personality and Product Use," Journal of
Applied Psychology, 45 (October 1961),
325-9.
• Wong, H.Y. and Merrilees, B. (2007).
Multiple roles for branding in international
marketing, International Marketing
Review, 24(4), 384-408.
• http://www.ipsosinsight.com/pressrelease.
aspx?id=3049 (accessed 28 Nov 2006).
• http://www.eiu.com/industry/article/78242
1662/the-smart-growth-in-indias-
phonemarket/2014-10-27.
• http://www.nokia.com/t-aboutus-ttsl-
organization. aspx
• http://www.samsung.co
.in/webapp/Aboutus/aboutushome.js
• http://www.LG.com/LG.portal?
nfpb=true&pageLabel=LG Page AboutLG
• http://www.motorola.co.in/about.htm 18)
http://beckysebring.com/2015/08/hello-
world/
Understanding the growing thematic bond market
Lahari N Murthy
Assistant Professor
Acharya Institute of Graduate Studies
Gurupreet Kaur
Student, II BCom
Acharya Institute of Graduate Studies
Abstract
Sustainability bonds exclusively finance green and social projects. They are governed
by International Capital Market Association (ICMA) through clear guidelines for project
selection, use of proceeds and reporting. Thematic bonds are traditional fixed income
instruments which allow investors to finance specific investment themes such as climate
change, health, food, education, access to financial services and social housing. By linking
this traditional financial instrument with the ability to target specific Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), these financial products have proven to be a winning combination.
This paper tries to cover all the aspects concerning thematic bonds which is now a
very promising investment in the market.
Keywords: Finance, investment, sustainable.
Introduction
The financial system enables the exchange of
funds between lenders, investors, and
borrowers. In theory, by directing effort and
resources through monetary motivation, the
financial system should encourage people to
trade. Trade in turn should reward
comparative advantage and specialization,
thus raising productivity and efficiency. The
financial system has four core roles in
providing, namely, Safe custody for assets;
Payments system; Intermediation between
savers and borrowers; risk reduction
(insurance). The financial system consists of
a number of groups of actors, in particular:
Consumers — who make payments, borrow,
and save; Corporations (and similar
economic entities) — who make payments,
borrow and save; Investors — who commit
funds to direct, or indirect investments with
the expectation of financial returns — e.g.
corporate investors, asset managers, lenders;
Traders — who buy, sell and make markets
in securities; Guarantors — who insure or re-
insure project or corporate operations and
risks; Financial services firms — who
operate payment systems, manage
aggregation vehicles, and assist with mergers
& acquisitions; Professionals and financial
sector workers — ranging from accountants,
actuaries, lawyers, bankers, insurers, wealth
managers, investment advisors and other
professionals to the wider workforce of the
financial services industry;
Governments — who issue fiat currency (the
basis of modern monetary systems), regulate
financial services (most, especially banking
leverage, but also consumer protection,
market integrity, and competition), and
control the taxation system.
Objectives of the study
• To find the impact of current and
future innovation in financial
systems.
• To understand the different type of
thematic bonds.
• To analyse the setbacks for thematic
bonds.
Scope and Methodology
The scope of the study is qualitative and
comprehensive. It covers the growth and
development of a new set of investments in
the economy, current scenario of thematic
bonds in and around India. This study is a
descriptive study and data is analysed using
secondary source. It is collected from various
journals, magazines and paper articles.
Analysis
What Impact will Current and Future
Innovation in Financial Systems and
Services have on Sustainable
Development?
Financial system consists of institutional
units and markets that interact for the purpose
of mobilizing funds for investment and
providing facilities, including payment
systems, for financing commercial activity.
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, is
reported to have said that technology creates
new markets in two, distinct waves. The first
wave of ‘shallow change’ sees companies
simply automating the old way of doing
things, improving productivity and cutting
costs. ‘Deep change’ comes as a second wave
of innovation when companies find that new
technology allows them to create completely
new processes, so-called ‘Uber moments’.
Over past few years, the disruptive effects of
technology have meant that the financial
services sector have embraced innovation in
technology, services, platforms to some
degree, systems. The pace of change in
financial services appears to insiders to be
accelerating, and there is a perception that
traditional models for financial services may
be under threat, but so far it appears as yet to
be ‘shallow change’. Accenture predicts that
full-service banks could lose approximately
35 percent of their market share by 2020 to
‘Pure Plays’ — whether online or mobile —
and up to 25 percent of US banks could
disappear completely during that same
period. Significant structural challenges have
drawn the focus of policymakers and
regulators, at both the international and
national level, to systemic market failures
particularly around; • Information
asymmetries — a seller knows more about an
item than the buyer. Likewise, a borrower
knows more about their financial condition
and future prospects than a lender. • agency
problems - conflict of interest is inherent in a
relationship where one party is expected to
act in another's best interests, but has a
financial stake in the outcome. For example,
a company's management wants to maximise
their remuneration and job security while a
company's stockholders will want to
maximise returns. • Inappropriate
competition or lack of competition
- monopolies distort markets through the
control of the supply of or trade in a
commodity or service. Oligopolies (where a
market structure is dominated by a few firms)
reduce competition and lead to rigid
Accenture Banking. • Externalizes — these
are consequence of an industrial or
commercial activity which affects other
parties without this being reflected in market
prices. The failure to charge for carbon and
other greenhouses gas emissions is an
‘externality’. Nicholas Stern, states that
“Climate change is the biggest market failure
the world has ever seen.” Financial services
institutions operate within frameworks of
policy, regulation and standards. Financial
services are among the most fluid and
international of industries. In an increasingly
global world, there are frequent conflicts
between local, national, regional, and
international standards in finance. For
example, conflicting requirements
in USA mortgage and insurance regulation
between states. Or conflicting European
Union requirements on data protection. Or
conflicts between the USA and European
regulators over the USA’s Foreign Account
Tax Compliance Act. Conflicts and systemic
failures have caused some policymakers and
regulators to call for regulation at a global
systems level. Thematic bonds are traditional
fixed income instruments which allow
investors to finance specific investment
themes such as climate change, health, food,
education, access to financial services and
social housing. By linking this traditional
financial instrument with the ability to target
specific Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), these financial products have proven
to be a winning combination. Illustrating the
consistent growth of this market is the fact
that the aggregate amount of thematic bonds
issued in 2017 reached approximately USD
700 billion. Within this category of
“thematic” fixed income instruments, the
most common types are, “Green Bonds”,
“Social Bonds” and “Sustainability
Bonds.” Other types of bonds under this
“thematic” umbrella is being developed.
Thematic bonds such as green, blue,
and social bonds (i) raise money for
investments that deliver sustainable
economic and social outcomes and (ii) Offer
investors the opportunity to earn competitive
financial returns and diversify their portfolios
while supporting positive societal impact.
These bonds are bought by a growing number
of investors who has begun to embed
Environmental, Social, and Governance
(ESG) standards into their investment
decisions. The World Bank (Bank) has
played a leading role in founding and
developing these markets.
Green Bonds
The most common instrument within the
thematic bond framework are Green Bonds.
Green Bonds are fixed income instruments
whose use of proceed finance or re-finance
environmental and climate projects, such as
renewable energy, energy efficiency,
pollution prevention and land conservation.
According to data from the Climate Bond
Initiative, global green bond emissions have
grown exponentially since 2015, rising
from $ 43.2 billion in 2015 to $ 155.4 billion
in 2017 and are expected to reach $
250 billion by the end of 2018. US, China and
France account for 56% of 2017 issuance and
the main issuers are International
development banks, local public authorities
and corporate. International Capital Market
Association (ICMA) has developed and
published voluntary guidance to bond market
participants for the issuance of the most types
of these thematic bonds. Among the
companies that have recently issued Green
Bondsare Iberdrola,HSBC, Orsted, Barcalay
s and Engie. In the Swiss
market, Helvetia Environmental, and the
Canton of Geneva were the first corporate
and governmental issuers to
successfully issue Green bonds. The
European Investment Bank
(EIB), KfW Group, and World Bank are in
the top three positions among the main
development banks that have issued green
bonds. Other public issuers are the European
Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, International Finance
Corporation, the African, and the Asian
Development Bank. Poland, France and Fiji
entered the market with the first green
sovereign bonds, while the United States has
issued numerous green bonds through local
authorities to help cities and local
communities strengthen their fight against
climate change and promote the transition to
renewable energy
Social Bonds
Social Bonds are bonds issued with the aim
of carrying out social development projects
and currently represent a small segment of
the market with enormous potential. Up to
now, only $5 billion dollars in Social Bonds
have been issued. In June
2017, ICMA provide guidance for this
category through the publication of the
‘Social Bonds Principles’, providing a careful
process of evaluation and selection of
projects, revenue management, reporting and
external review activities. In general, this
type of obligation covers: basic
infrastructure, access to essential services,
affordable housing, job creation through
funding and micro financing to SMEs, food
security and hygiene, and
finally socioeconomic progress and
strengthening. Again, these areas match
the SDGS, including “No Poverty”, “Reduce
Inequality,” “Decent Work” and “Gender
Equality.” Among the main issuers of Social
Bonds are International organization IFFIm,
the Dutch BNG, the Mexican
bank, National Financier and the
Spanish Kutxabank. These bonds have
financed access to vaccines and primary cares
(IFFIm) and social housing projects (BNG,
NF, Kutxa) respectively. Italy has become a
leading player in the Social Bonds market
through the social bond recently issued
by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which through
its liquidity platform, finances banks
members of the Italian Banking Association,
which in turn will finance SMEs operating in
depressed and / or areas affected by natural
disasters.
Sustainability Bonds
In addition to green and social bonds, there
are Sustainability Bonds. These bonds
finance both green and social projects. To
date, they are the newest version of these
types of bonds and have been well-
received by the investors as was
demonstrated by the recent issues by the City
of Paris and Development Bank of Japan.
Green bond indices
Green bond indices identify specific bonds as
green via a stated methodology, and allow
investors to invest in a portfolio of green
bonds to diversify risks. To this extent, the
green bond index providers also effectively
act as institutions of certification. At present,
global green bond indices are compiled by
Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays
MSCI, Standard & Poor's and Solactive.6
Each has its own methodology for choosing
the components of the index. While
advertising consistency with the Green Bond
Principles, each index also specifies
additional factors such as size and liquidity,
as well as the specific industry sectors for
which the proceeds are used. Index providers
can arguably serve ongoing monitoring
function, since they can discard entities from
an index as well as include them. However,
since many inclusion criteria for green bond
indices are much less concrete than those for
conventional bonds (such as minimum levels
of market liquidity and credit ratings), it
remains to be seen whether the index
providers can monitor such environmental
criteria on a continuous basis.
Barriers to scaling up of bonds
The speed at which green bond markets
develop and mature hinges on many
variables, including policy and regulatory
factors (e.g. policies that create the demand
for green projects) and market conditions
(e.g. interest rate developments and the credit
cycle). These conditions will differ across the
jurisdictions in which green bonds have been
issued; the sub-national, national and
regional markets that add up to an investor
base of green bond demand with a global
outlook.
Additionally, the evolving green bond market
faces a range of specific challenges and
barriers to its further evolution and growth.
Policy makers have a suite of options
available to overcome these barriers and help
to grow a sustainable green bond market with
integrity. The OECD modelling scenarios
suggest that if there is a concerted push by
policy makers and market participants to
develop it, the green bond market can scale
up rapidly to raise and finance the debt capital
that will be needed for a transition to a low-
carbon economy. Barriers may differ in
importance across jurisdictions, with
challenges particular to developing and
emerging economies, where more
fundamental and general actions are needed
by governments. For instance, the lack of a
domestic debt capital market and other
enabling conditions for issuance would need
to be addressed in line with longer-term
financial market development priorities.
While this presents a barrier to green bond
market growth it also represents an
opportunity for synergy if addressed in
tandem (CBI/UNEP Inquiry, 2015). A
common list of barriers to green bond market
growth may include:
• Lack of a pipeline of infrastructure
projects corresponding to a long-term
governmental commitment to low-
carbon development;
• Lack of commonly accepted green
definitions;
• Investors with limited capacity to
analyse green investments;
• Scale and mismatch among projects,
bonds and institutional investors;
• A lack of suitable aggregation
mechanisms; non standardised
projects and cash flow instability;
• Low credit ratings for potential green
bond issuers and green projects,
especially in emerging economies.
Conclusion
Green bond principles and standards are an
important step towards promoting green
finance. Since the introduction of the Green
Bond Principles by the ICMA in January
2014, the issuance of labelled green bonds
has increased rapidly, with a growing number
of issuers from the private sector and EMEs.
Several green bond indices have also been
introduced, allowing a broader group of
investors to take a diversified position in
green bonds. The evidence suggests that
investors place value on the green label at
issuance, even though the post-issuance
financial performance of green bonds is
comparable with that of conventional bonds.
However, for this still relatively small market
to grow more, several further developments
need to take place. First, various existing
definitions and labels for green bonds pose a
challenge for investors, who may benefit
from more consistent standards. The ongoing
work to improve the consistency of standards
in China, and the European Union is
promising in this regard. At the same time,
more ongoing monitoring by “second
opinion” providers, rating agencies or other
forms of continuous third-party verification
may be needed. Even if asset managers utilize
the green label simply to signal to ultimate
investors their fulfillment of green mandates,
the information value of those labels can
depreciate over time as technology evolves or
policies of the issuer change. A second
informational aspect that is not covered by
current green certification schemes is the
environmentally related financial risks of
green bonds. While the management of
environmental risks extend far beyond green
bonds, it is important to avoid the
misperception that green bonds are insulated
from such risks. In fact, among all rated
bonds, those with a green label are more
likely to be in sectors that are exposed to such
risks. Green bond standards could be
enhanced to highlight the degree of financial
risks stemming from environmental factors to
further encourage investors to manage these
risks effectively.
Limitations of the Study
• This study is only limited on thematic
bonds and its types and not to any other
types of bonds.
• This study cannot be generalized.
References
• Professor Michael Mainelli & Simon
Mills, Business & Sustainable
Development Commission, Financial
Innovations & Sustainable
Development, UK, January 2018.
• Steve Rocco, Understanding the
growing thematic bond market,
newsletter, Impact Insights#15 –
London March 2018
• Bloomberg Philosophies, OECD,
Better policies for better lives.
• www//home.barclays/investor-
relations/reports/
• www.mspartners.org/understanding-
the-growing-thematic-bond-market/
Customer Perception of Brand Management of Reliance in Telecommunications, Retail
and Electronics.
Steffi V Dsouza,
Mount Carmel College Autonomous.
Vanessa Akanksha,
Mount Carmel College Autonomous.
Abstract
A brand represents who the company is, their beliefs and expected perception from the
audience. It’s absolutely important to have an alignment between the core competencies
of your product and the branding strategy. The branding acts as an ambassador for the
product and unless true to the product, will not work. Overall, brand management has
evolved from “product-centric” to “consumer-centric” in the 21st century.
The practise of Brand Management is a major component of marketing and plays a major
role in purchasing power of consumers. It helps to create differentiation between
competitive offerings. Brand management is the science of crafting and sustaining a
brand and should be managed as valuable long-term corporate assets. In today’s world,
a brand is everything.
This study makes an attempt to analyze the perception of the brand of Reliance among
customers in 3 major sectors of telecommunications, retail and electronics. The expertise
of Reliance lies in their innovation which makes them emerge as a trendsetter. Reliance
has joined hands with many companies and evolved as one of the valuable brands of
India. They remain one of India's largest exporters and contributes greatly towards the
economy Major focus is to add value to stakeholder’s life and diversify among various
sectors.
Keywords: Brand, Brand Management, purchasing power, differentiation, competitive
offerings, sustaining, customer’s preference
Introduction
Brand must be given support in order to
sustain in the market for a longer period of
time. Through branding, it makes the
customer get committed to the business. A
strong brand basically differentiates the
product from the competitors and creates a
brand affinity towards the product. The
success of a particular brand is not achieved
over night, it takes many years to establish a
brand but when it occurs, it has to be
managed and maintained through innovation
and creativity.
A brand does not only need to be tied to one
product, but it can cover many products and
services. A brand that is managed well should
always be flexible and open to adjustments.
Developing a good relationship with the
target market is essential for brand
management. Brand management means
having a full-fledged knowledge of the term
“brand”. It engages in structuring a promise,
establishing it and finally enabling it. It is a
concept adopted by companies to create an
emotional connect between products and the
customers. Brand management is an art of
creating and sustaining the brand. Branding is
basically combining various marketing mix
medium into a whole in order to provide an
identity to the product.
Brand Management is the process of
identifying the core value of a particular
brand and reflecting it among targeted
consumers. The process of brand
management starts from identifying and
establishing brand positioning, plan and
implement brand marketing, measure and
interpret brand and grow and sustain brand
equity. Brand managers must research
consumer markets and monitoring market
trends, analyse the potential profitability,
exploring new ways to communicate with
customers and monitor consumer reactions
through focus groups and market research.
Tangible elements of brand management
include the product, look, price and
packaging. Intangible elements are the
experience that consumer takes away from
the brand and also relationship that they have
with the brand. A brand manager oversees all
of these things. Effective brand management
requires taking a long-term view of
marketing decisions. Any action that a firm
takes as part of its marketing has the potential
to change consumer knowledge about the
brand. It will also have an indirect effect on
the success of future.
Entrepreneurs explain that a brand is a
promise to the customer. The stronger the
brand it is most likely to be recommended by
the customer. The important characteristics
of brand management is excellent delivery of
desired benefits, maintaining relevance,
perception to match customers expectations,
proper positioning in minds of consumers,
right balance between change and continuity
and coordination of marketing activities.
Modern brands do multi brand processes and
business. Their portfolio will have a range of
products and services.
Brands are focused around a product by
product managers. While product managers
focus on design and features of a product,
brand managers focus on maintainence and
perception of a particular brand. Their work
is strategic involving high-level curation of
company’s image and practical steps to
maintain that brand. They aim to enhance,
maintain and inspire interest in their brand
with a strong emphasis on marketing and how
overall organization is viewed. They inspire
feelings, reaction and loyalty. A value
proposition is a business or marketing
statement that summarises why a consumer
should buy a product/use a service.
Brand managers are responsible for product
line depth width and extensions and they
prevent brand obsolescence and constantly
come up with new products to keep the brand
on top of the mind in the market. They create
a mindspace for the product. He aligns his
brand strategy with organisational goal and
builds awareness and consensus on the
strategy formulated.
This research paper studies Brand
Management and we have selected one of the
most valuable brands of India “Reliance” and
it will cover the the three main sectors namely
telecommunication, retail and electronics.
Reliance Trends: is a fashion and
accessories brand of Reliance Retail. It was
set up in the year 2008. It has a good social
media presence on various platforms. They
have a store locator app, videos on latest
trends and what celebrities are flaunting.
They focus on the product quality that attracts
and influences the customers. The staff work
on to reconnect with their customers through
various techniques such as discounts,
organise competitions, give style tips and
vouchers. They also have various touch point
such as cash counter, trial rooms, customer
service desk & entry.
Reliance Jio: it was launched on 27th
December, 2015. It is an LTE mobile
network operator in India. They initially
captured the market through free products
and service and provide affordable services to
all. Jio is earning a rich dividend by making
data the centre of attention. Jio brought a
great impact on the telecommunications
sector and is a great competitor to other
brands. India has a fast growing digital
audience and Reliance envisages creation of
Digital Revolution in India.
Reliance Digital: They collaborate with
various other brands in order to give the best
gadgets to their customers through their
services. They mainly focus on four sectors
such as enhancement, productivity,
entertainment and home appliances. Reliance
offers resQ. ResQ is a service tool by
Reliance Digital. Digital xpress and Mini
Stores provide after sale service to customers.
resQ is India’s first multi brand, multi
product and location service which provides
service from 10am to 10pm 365 days of the
year.
Literature Review
Several studies focus on the huge potential of
Brand Management in India and customer’s
preferences towards the brand of Reliance.
Few studies like the study by Francesca Dall
’Olmo Riley focuses on Brand and Brand
Management. It also describes the various
elements in brand management, issues and
challenges faced by brand managers and
brand equity.
De Chernatony and Mcdonald (2003)
highlights ‘brand’ as an added value to the
product and the success of the brand depends
on customer’s perceptions of the brand
matching their needs better than the other
brands. It then states that being able to sustain
customer perceptions of a brand’s differential
value is the key to successful brand
management.
Biradar (2018) (Customer satisfaction
towards Reliance Digital products)
highlights the understanding of customer
satisfaction towards Reliance Digital and its
products. Jangde and Sharma (2018)
evaluate the factors that influence customer’s
perception towards Reliance Retail. Kalyani
(2016) (Empirical study on customer
perception on Reliance JIO) states the
perception of customers about the Reliance
Jio effect.
Sousa and Tavares (2016) (Brand
management challenges in the context of
recession) pointed out through an extensive
research study about the challenges faced by
Indian companies in managing their brands
during recession. Contribution has been made
to identify and analyse the skills that brand
managers need to strengthen their brand in
uncertainity. Bergstrom, Landgren and
Muntzing (2010) (Successful brand
management in SME’s) investigates how
branding is exercised in SME’s and how it
can build and strengthen its brand.
Statement of Problem
Brand management is critical to differentiate
a product from its competitors by establishing
a unique selling proposition (USP). It boosts
the value of the product and builds devoted
customers.
Reliance has established a brand for itself by
innovation and diversification among various
sectors. It has emerged as one of the valuable
brands in India and they have spread their
operations over a number of years. They have
also contributed to CSR of the country.
This study makes an attempt to analyse the
customer’s perception of the Reliance brand
in telecommunications, retail and electronics
and aims at filling the research gap of many
authors as to why brand management is
important in success of a company.
Objectives of the Study
1. This study aims at determining the factors
that influence customer’s perception
towards
Reliance Digital, Reliance Trends
and Reliance Jio.
2. To examine the reasons of successful
Brand Management of Reliance.
3. To determine the challenges of managing
brands in India.
4. To propose various strategies for
improved brand management of
Reliance.
Challenges for Brand Management
1) Consistency
The message should be kept
consistent across all platforms. A
brand must appear as a complete
entity that offers customers positive
experience across multiple devices.
2) Clutter and Connectivity
Challenge is to stand out among the crowd.
The company should carve a niche for
their product. The brand should be
memorable.
3) View your brand as asset
Continued pressure on short term
financial results and media fragmentation
will force companies to ignore the goal of
asset creation and focus on tactics and
performance.
4) Have a persuasive vision
The brand vision should be differentiated
from competitors and inspire employees.
It should be possible to implement and
operate. Surgical vision is usually
multidimensional and can be adapted in
various situations. The company must use
concepts of brand identity, organisational
value, higher goals and overall functional
benefits.
5) Create a new subcategory
With a few expectations, the only way to
grow is to develop innovations that define
new subcategories and barriers to keep
competitors on the side-lines. This
requires innovations that can drive
subcategory awareness.
6) Integrated Marketing
Communications achieved (IMC)
IMC needs to choose different methods
that are more complex and difficult than
advertising, sponsorship and social
networks, etc. These methods should be
more competitive because the media
scenes and options are too complex and
dynamic rather than cooperative and
communication.
7) Internal brand building
Internal brand building is difficult for
people to achieve. Successful integrated
marketing communications or innovative
marketing should not be done without
knowing the vision. Viewing a brand
without a higher goal has no purpose.
8) Establish a digital strategy
The strategy for building a digital arena
is complex, dynamic, and requires a
different mindset. The reality is that the
audience here is under control. New
ways of dealing with new marketing
opportunities, creative initiatives and
other marketing conditions are needed.
Develop a program around fun places
with renowned partners.
9) Developing a brand-portfolio strategy
that yields synergy and clarity.
Brands need a clearly defined role and
vision to support this role. Strategic
brands must identify and provide
resources, as well as create and manage
brand differentiators and activators.
10) Grow with brand assets
A brand portfolio is designed to drive
growth by offering new offers,
expanding brands vertically or extending
brands to different classes of products.
The goal is to use the brand in a new
context where it creates and adds value
and enhances itself.
Success of Reliance
Reliance wouldn’t have emerged without the
business icon Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani who
founded the company in the year 1960.
Reliance Industry was the first private
company to be rated by the international
credit agencies.
Reliance as a brand caters to the needs of
diverse range of customer segments with its
wide range of products and service ranging
from telecom to petrol stations. Reliance uses
various variables such as profession, age,
gender, income level, behaviour, region etc to
produce their products. They have more than
85 subsidiaries and continue maintaining
their market share in India which is
considered as the greatest strength of
Reliance. They also have an extensive
business network in 5 continents as well as in
India. Considering the domestic market in
India, there are hardly any competitors to
compete with such a successful industry.
Ability to influence the government decisions
has been an important facet of Reliance
industries.
Mission: “to create value to all stakeholders.
They grow through innovation and they lead
in good governance practises. They use
sustainability to drive product development
and enhance operational efficiencies”
Vision: Reliance adds value to the nation by
improving the quality of life in the socio-
economic sphere and help India to become a
world leader in domains where they operate.
Reliance is one of the largest companies in
India and has a strong “brand” that helps to
create a reliable image to its customers. They
are recognised through various awards,
excellent financial conditions and high
profitability. Participation in CSR activities
provides a positive brand image for various
stake holders and in “brand loyalty”.
Reliance seeks to attract consumers through a
variety of rehabilitation programmes and
campaigns such as education for all (EFA)
which is a social initiative of the Reliance
foundation that has helped to educate more
than 70,000 children.
Research Methodology
Primary data has been collected from the
discussion of the focus group interview
conducted among M.Com students of Mount
Carmel College. It focused on their
perception towards Reliance as a brand. This
helped to get an insight into the mindset of
young adults towards the brand.
Secondary data has been acquired from
internet sources, websites, journals,
conference papers and published reports to
achieve the objectives of the study.
The study is a Descriptive research which
describes the brand preferences towards
Reliance and its various sectors. Descriptive
research describes the characteristics of the
population and it reports what has already
taken place. There is no control over the
variable like the other types of researches as
it describes what, when, why and how of the
features of the population.
Analysis of this data and interpretation has
helped in the development of findings and
conclusion.
Conclusion
This study starts with the introduction to
brand management in India. It also opens
with some information about Reliance
Trends, Digital and Jio and how management
of brand is taking place in these sectors. This
research is based on the existing literature
and research papers on management of
brands by various companies and the brand of
Reliance. It mentions the reasons for success
of Reliance as a brand. While brand
management of Reliance has been successful
in the past in building a value for the
company due to their competitive
differentiation in sustaining their brand, there
is a long way to go for utilising all the
strategies to the fullest potential. This is
because of the challenges that are presented
by the ever changing dynamics of customers
and their shift of brand loyalty. All these
difficulties lead to complications in
managing the value of the brand by the
managers. Therefore, from literature,
success, challenges in brand management and
from the discussion carried out in this paper
regarding the importance of brand
management in improving the brand value of
Reliance, it is recommended that brand
management plays a huge role in the
consumer purchases. Reliance has been able
to manage its brand because of
diversification, innovation and CSR
activities. Though Reliance has managed its
brand pretty well it can still tap the untapped
potential of brand management. Additionally,
the consumers must be made aware of brand
management and the benefits arising out of
brand loyalty.
Implications for Future Research
The following is a list of implications for the
future research:
• A survey in the consumer markets can
be conducted to comprehend how
people in these areas consider brands
in the purchasing of a commodity and
role played by brand loyalty in the
value of a company.
• Feedbacks can be collected from
customers regarding as to how
companies must manage their brands
• Extensive social media marketing can
help the Reliance brand managers
build and manage their brand
efficiently.
• Brand management is customer
driven and not product driven, and
thus an identification of the customer
needs and wants has to be undertaken.
• Reliance trends needs to innovate in
designing value proposition.
They spend a lot of money on
marketing and promotional activities
for driving customers into the store
but not converting them to final
customers.
• The retail sector is growing rapidly
due to the increase in foreign direct
investment (FDI) and they can take
advantage of this.
• Customers expect consistency in the
plans of Jio which has to be
developed by the company in order to
manage their brand in a better way.
References
Grant and Kenton, (2019). Brand Mangement
Retrieved from
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bran
d-management.asp
Biradar, (2018). Customer satisfaction
towards Reliance Digital products at Bidar.
International Journal for Scientific Research
and Development, Vol. 6, Issue 3,
1262-1264.
Jangde and Sharma, (2018). Evaluation of
customer experience at Reliance Retail.
International Journal of Research, Vol. 7,
Issue 7, 537-549.
Mazumdar, (2017). From ‘outsider’ to
‘insider’: The case of Reliance. South Asia
Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Article, “An Empirical study on Reliance
Jio” (2016)
Kalyani, (2016). An Empirical study on
Customer perception on Jio.
Journal of Management Engineering and
Information Technology. Vol. 3, Issue 5,
18-22.
Souse and Tavares, (2016). Brand
Management Challenges in the Context of
Recession. European Journal of Applied
Business Management. Vol. 2, Issue 1,
1-11.
Bergstrom, Landgren and Muntzing, (2010).
Brand Management, A Qualitative Study on
Branding in SME’s
Journal of Brand Management, Volume 26,
Issue 165
Juneja, Brand management meaning and
important concepts
Jangde, Volume 7, Issue vii, 2008, 539 and
540.
Rural Marketing Challenges And Strategies
Sarah N Augustine
Pearl Martina [[email protected]]
I M.Com General
Mount Carmel College, Autonomous
Abstract
Over the past few years, Rural Markets have been growing steadily and is now even bigger
than the urban markets. India has about 6,50,000 villages, making up for 70% of population.
They contribute to half of the country’s GDP, though majority of people who live in poverty
are from the rural areas, marketing firms are still struggling to turn them into their customer.
Therefore the overall growth of the economy has resulted in substantial increase in the
purchasing power of the rural communities.
Rural markets in India can be categorized into consumer goods which comprises of durable
and non-durable goods and goods for agricultural purposes. The Indian rural markets consist
of a special uniqueness which has always been difficult to predict. As the preferences of the
rural markets are changing, investors are keen on investing in the rural markets. Though there
is possible and considerable growth options in the rural markets, there are some challenges
too which causes hurdles in tapping the untapped markets. The main aim of the study is to
take a step forward in exploring various strategies which can be adopted in rural markets along
with current scenario, highlighting the key challenges relating to rural marketing.
Keywords: rural marketing, marketing, challenges in rural marketing, rural marketing
strategies
Introduction
Customer is the KING; today marketing has
evolved from basic pamphlets to digital.
Marketing needs to give the consumer
exhaustive information about the product, in
certain products it is mandatory to provide
the directions to use, lifespan of the product
and provide the contents of the product.
Advertisements are basically for targeting
kids and women in particular, since they are
the decision makers of the family.
Marketing’s major role is to create an
everlasting impression among the consumers.
The urban market needs to keep up to the
latest trends to survive.
Marketing of products started way back from
late 1960s which was unorganized and
mainly controlled by the Maharajas of the
various kingdoms. The first marketing started
during the barter system where the goods
were bought and sold from one kingdom to
the other. Due to the green revolution which
took place during the 1960-1990 involved the
improvement in the farming industries due to
scientific technologies .during this phase
many of the poor villages became prosperous
business centers. Many industries like khadi
and villages industries had bloomed. After
1990’s India’s industrial sector had gained
strength and many improvements had come
in place. the contribution of GDP had
increased substantially. Many government
policies and development programs where
initiated. The definition of rural marketing
was differentiated from agricultural
marketing.
Now With digitalization and logistics in
place, the markets have expanded from urban
to rural areas which are a vast and an
untapped market, the size of the untapped
market is 40% higher than the urban market.
With the development programmers in the
field of electrification, improved
infrastructure, connectivity of roads,
communication systems, agricultural related
activities, health and education facilities, this
has improved the lifestyle of the rural
population.
Objectives of the Study
The main objective is to study the present
scenario in rural marketing, the various
challenges faced by the marketers and the
strategies which can be used to overcome the
challenges faced.
Research Methodology
The present study is descriptive in nature.
The data used for this study is secondary data
which has been collected from various
websites and journals in order to achieve the
objectives of the study The discussion that
follows is also the perception of students
from the Marketing specialization from
Mount Carmel College, Autonomous.
Review of Literature
Pawan Kumar and Noah Dange ( 2013) in
their study have covered the evolution of
rural marketing which started from the late
1960’s where the maharajas had dominance
and the development after 1990’s which
states the difference of agricultural marketing
from rural marketing . The objective of this
paper was to cover the various issues and
challenges the rural marketers faced, which
stays as a challenge till date in few areas
Nafeesa Fareda and Swathi (2016) have
also studied the various challenges and
startergies which have been a part of rural
marketing. The study also states the present
scenario and the needs for rural marketing
which is becoming an important part of
marketing as three fourth of the nation’s
income come from the rural part of the world.
Benefits of Expanding into Rural Areas
Increase in population automatically
increases demand; the rural population is
40% higher than the urban population.
Profitable farming, the Governments
developmental programme, migration from
rural to urban and foreign countries have
increased the financial and the purchasing
power of the people, and migration from
urban to rural adds to demand. Increases
employment opportunities, the changing
lifestyle in rural population has increased the
basic necessities, now-a-days every
household owns a two wheeler, television &
mobile thus giving opportunity for branded
companies.
Challenges in Rural Market
Today half of the nation’s income is
generated from the rural markets. There is no
doubt that rural market offers great
opportunities and attraction for investors to
invest in order to have a profitable return , but
it is not easy as it poses, it is not simple and
easy to enter and succeed in the rural market
. They pose a variety of challenges and the
marketers have to work very hard to
overcome these challenges, few of the
challenges faced by the marketers are listed
below:
1. Connectivity of Villages :-
The villages in India are situated in
remote location making it difficult for
them to get access to better goods and
services .most of the villages are not
connected properly poor road
facilities , non –availability of railway
services etc. make it extremely
difficult for the marketers to get in
touch with them. Few villages in
Rajasthan and Gujarat still use camel
carts to commute from one village to
the other
2. Ware Housing Problems :-
Warehousing is an important factor
the manufactures have to keep in
mind as there is a time gap between
the production and consumption of
commodities, facilities to store the
goods have to be made in order to
protect them and supply them at the
right time when they are needed
.suitable places for setting up these
warehouses in villages are not
available and the maintenance cost of
these warehouses are higher, due to
this goods cannot be stocked in proper
condition. .
3. Logistics :-
Transportation of goods plays an
important role as goods have to be
transported from the urban production
units to remote villages. In India the
transportation facilities are quite
poor. Nearly half of the villages
situated in Indian are not connected
by well-constructed roads, making it
difficult for marketers to get access to
these rural markets.
4. Banking / Usage of Payment
Gateways :-
Most of the villages are not provided
with the basic banking facilities they
need in order to carry on their day to
day activities as it is done in the urban
places. People in the rural areas are
not aware or not educated with the
different payment methods available
.like pat, phone pay, Google pay etc.,
they prefer to have cash transactions
as they hold cash in hand instead of
depositing it. The poor connectivity
of villages in terms of internet
facilities is also a concern in this era
of digitalization.
5. Designing of Products that Suits the
Rural Lifestyle :-
The lifestyle of village people are
completely different from the life
style of urban people., the choice of
brands the urban customer enjoy is
not available for a rural customer, a
urban customer are provide with a
variety of options and designs too
choose from, whereas the rural
customer has a traditional set of
design and taste according to which
they choose their products.
6. Understanding and usage of
Products or Services :-
There are certain products in the
market which is a basic need for an
urban customer whereas a luxury
product for a rural customer. The
luxury products seldom sell in the
rural sector, making it difficult for the
marketers to sell these products in the
rural areas.
7. Low Levels Of Literacy :-
The levels of literacy in the rural area
compared to the urban is very low,
due to this communication is
difficult for the marketer’s , print
media becomes ineffective, since
Its reach is very poor, so low levels
of literacy becomes a challenge for
them to market their products.
8. High Distribution Cost :-
As the roads connecting to the
remote villages are not constructed
well and rail services are not in place
, the lack of warehousing facilities
and an improper supply chain , the
manufactures incur high levels of
costs in order to market their
products in the rural areas , which in
turn will result in the increase in the
price of the product.
9. Customs and Traditions
Rural areas customer are very much
tradition oriented they follow the
customs very rigidly, in order to cater
to these category of people the
marketer’s have to design products
accordingly. This is not possible for
them as they have to cater to a large
number of people
10. Language Barriers :-
As we all know India is home to a
variety of people with different
religion , culture and languages , it
becomes a barrier for effective
communication . The languages vary
from state to state, region to region
and district to district, since messages
has to delivered in the local language,
it is difficult for the marketing team to
design promotional activities and
campaigns in different languages.
11. Local and Cheaper Products
Which are more Desirable :-
Local products play a major role in
the rural areas as they are not aware
of the brand, they are satisfied with
the product what the ancestors were
using and they make it mandatory to
use only those products, and they do
not believe in brand. Moreover a local
product is much lower in cost wise.
12. Seasonal Demand :-
Seasonal demand is a major
constraints .Agricultural situations
play a major role in the demand for
commodities as it is their main source
of income . The change in the weather
conditions affects their income from
agriculture resulting in the variation
in the buying capacity of the
consumer which affects the sales of
the manufactures making it a big
challenge for the manufactures to
keep up with the varying demands.
13. Under Developed Markets
Few remote villages in India are still
under developed .thought technology
has advanced in this era , it has not
contributed to the development in
these remote villages .
14. Media
Communication plays a vital role in
influencing the crowd especially
through television. Due to the under
developed situations in few of the
rural area, the lack of electricity and
television sets stand as a barrier.
Majority of the people are denied of
the various benefits.
Marketing Strategies
In order to overcome the various challenges
which the rural markets pose, the companies
keen in investing In these markets have to
come up with innovative strategies to flourish
. some of the strategies which can be adopted
by them are as follows:
1. Creative Team which can
Communicate in Vernacular
Languages
In a country of a billion people and a
million languages, no one language
has the capacity to bring us all
together. The British tried it with
English, but till date, the number of
fluent English speakers in India
reflects only a small percentage of our
populous. Given our size and
diversity, brands, too, need to find a
way to get our attention. Whether
you’re an Indian brand or an
international one, planting your roots
in Indian soil won’t work if your
digital-first marketing strategy uses
only English. You need to speak the
language of the locals.
If you are a company from India, then
multilingual marketing will be the
difference between reaching a limited
audience base versus reaching your
intended target audience. After all,
statistics show that Indian language
Internet users will be more than 2.5
times that of English users by 2021.
Multilingual or multicultural
marketing will help you take into
account cultural values and nuances
of vernacular languages. This strategy
can give your brand the benefit of
building trust with potential
customers who may not know your
brand or consider it to be international
brand.
You need to localise your content,
website and all brand to reflect
cultural nuances, as everything that
works in one language won’t have the
same effect in another.
The secret to building an effective
multilingual marketing strategy is to
ensure that every step of your
consumer’s journey is in a language
they are comfortable with.
2. Cater to Hetrogeneous Market
India being a diverse nation, it is a home to
a variety of people from various cultures
which creates a heterogeneous market, this
types of a market create opportunities for
manufacturer to start new lines of products
or to start a totally different types of
product to cater to the different need of the
people therefore , A distinctive and
different customer needs can be identified
and which can be used as a basis for market
segmentation
3. Digital Marketing to Engage the
Younger Generation
Digital marketing is advertisement delivered
through digital channels such as social media,
mobile applications, email, web applications,
search engines, website or any new digital
channels. The offline and online world are
colliding, traditional electronic equipment
such as refrigerator, micro oven, will be
connected to digital. Google and face book
generate more revenue than any traditional
media company, because the no of eye balls
they connect is the highest, that is why digital
marketing matters, it is where the attention is.
Digital marketing is responsible for
developing, implementing and managing
marketing campaigns that promote a
company and its products and services, he or
she plays a major role in enhancing brand
awareness within the digital space as well as
driving website traffic and acquiring leads.
4. Cultural Marketing According to
Festivals
Cultural marketing is a kind of marketing
where a message is promoted to a certain
group of potential customers who belong to
a particular culture or demographic. Culture refers to the influence of religious,
family, educational, and social systems on
people, how they live their lives, and the
choices they make. Organizations that
intend to market products in different
countries must be sensitive to the cultural
factors at work in their target markets.
So, culture holds a distinct and important
value in marketing. Cultural and religious
values are important because going very far
from them is not possible for consumers.
Brands are now establishing new
connections with local markets by utilizing
culture as the tool of connection.
Cultures influence each other by offering
knowledge, belief, art, customs, et cetera
that are compatible with their own values
and ways that they perceive the world. ...
Cell phones are adopted in most cultures
because they full-fill perceived needs.
5. Marketing Cycle
Marketing progresses through a series of
steps to get to a sale or repeat sale. The first
phase of marketing is getting Attention.
People need to know that you exist and what
it is that you do or offer before they can buy.
The second phase is positioning; before a
prospect will part with their hard earned
money, they need to get to know and trust
you and learn the value of what you provide.
The final phase of the marketing cycle is
Selling, getting first time and repeat sales.
6. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is an incredible
technology that can work wonders for your
brand. Using AI for digital marketing
strategies will help brands deliver improved
customer experience and do more effective
marketing. It will also ensure faster
problem-solving for consumers
Artificial intelligence marketing is a
method of leveraging customer data, With
AI solutions, marketers know exactly what
consumers are thinking, saying, and feeling
about the brand in real time. Similarly,
marketers can truly understand what
customers are feeling, and then quickly
modify messaging or branding for
maximum effectiveness. Artificial
intelligence plays a vital role in the life of
many people. As the nation is growing
towards digitalization and the drastic
improvement in technology, many of the
marketers are suggested to use this
technological development in terms of
artificial intelligence in order to increase
their sales in the rural areas, and which
would be an interesting task for them to
implement.
Conclusion
India offers a vast untapped market creating
a wide range of opportunities for investors to
invest in for their growth and development.
However the companies have to face the
challenges in tackling the rural markets, but
the marketers are unable to tap these markets
due the lack of infrastructure facilities, under
developed markets and high rates of illiteracy
in terms of identification of brand
differences. The lack of proper
communication through media such as
television and social media also stands a
barrier in this era where technology has made
a big impact in the lives of many.
Like how HUL, BPCL, ITC had implemented
various strategies to improve their sales in the
rural markets, keeping in mind the income
status of the rural people. Many companies
have to use similar/ innovative strategies to
tap the rural markets.
Looking at the challenges which can be
overcome and the strategies which can be
adopted in rural marketing, the future is very
promising for companies who are ready to
accept the challenges and make use of them
to their best advantage. They can successfully
serve villages spread across the entire nation.
References:
Nafeesa Fareed, S (2016).
Recent trends in Rural Marketing.
International Journal of Latest Trends in
Engineering and Technology (Special Issue
SACAIM), 474-478.
Nasreen, V. N. (2017).
Development of Rural Marketing in India.
National Conference on Marketing and
Sustainable Development,, (pp.107-113).
Pawan Kumar, N.D. (2013).
Rural Marketing in India: Chanllenges and
Opportunities. International Journal of
Management and Social Sciences Research
(IJMSSR), Volume 2, No.8, 93-100.
A study on Issues and Challenges of Women Empowerment.
Ms. Ayesha Soubia
Research Student,
Al-Ameen Institute of Management Studies
Abstract
This paper attempts to research the status of women empowerment and highlights the
problems, and challenges of women empowerment. Today the empowerment of women has
become one among the foremost important concerns of 21st century. But practically women
empowerment remains an illusion of reality. We observe in our day-to-day life how women
become victimized by various social evils. Women Empowerment is the vital instrument to
expand women’s ability to possess resources and to form strategic life choices.
Empowerment of women is actually the method of uplifting of economic, social,
and political status of girls, the traditionally underprivileged ones, within society. It's the
method of guarding them against all sorts of violence. The study reveals that women of India
are relatively dis empowered and that they enjoy somewhat inferiority than that of men in
spite of many efforts undertaken by Government. It's found that acceptance of unequal
gender norms by the women are still prevailing within society.
Keywords: Women Empowerment, Issues, Challenges, Government, Society
Introduction
Women’s role in the economic development,
in most countries of the world, can't be
undermined. Although women constitute
almost half the total population of the planet,
their social, economic, and political status is
lower than that of men, and that they are
subjected to the tyranny and oppression of a
specific order for hundreds of years and de
facto even today. They are customarily
expected to confine themselves to household
environs and play a passive role as daughters,
daughters-in-law, wives, and mothers. They
are typically considered as weaker than men.
This attitude has constrained their mobility
and consequently lack of opportunities for the
development of their personalities.
Women belonging to underprivileged and
poorer sections, irrespective of their social
strata or region, are by themselves, in no
position to unravel their problems. They're
subject to discrimination and exploitation and
occupy an inferiority in domestic, political,
and economic scenario. Women, particularly,
in rural areas have proportionately the least
possessions, skills, education, social station,
leadership qualities and capabilities for
mobilization, which determines the degree of
deciding and power, and as a result, their
dependence on men increases. They need
been confined to the four walls of the
household, over burdened with
domestic works and controlled of their
mobility and private freedoms by the lads of
the household since time out of
mind. In order that they have lagged behind
within the fields of education, skill
development, employment and as a result,
their work is greatly undervalued in
economic terms. Women’s lack of
empowerment is believed to be a crucial
factor for this example and hence they require
social and economic protection. Therefore,
they have to be empowered economically,
socially and politically.
Women empowerment may be a critical
determinant of economic well-being, social
status and political power. Micro finance
aims at providing the urban and rural poor,
especially women, with savings, credit and
insurance and aims to enhance household
income security and
successively endeavors to empower the
ladies.
Empowered women who reach
unconventional positions make choices not
sacrifices, Empowerment of women is
essentially the tactic of uplifting of
economic, social, and political status of
women, the traditionally underprivileged
ones, within society. It's the method of
guarding them against all sorts of violence.
Everyone has the proper to life, liberty and
security of an individual. The status of
women in Republic of India has been
subjected to many good changes
over past few millennia. From equal standing
of men in the past, through the low points of
the medieval amount, through the promotion
of equal rights by several reformers, the
history of women in India has been eventful.
In modern India, women have held high
offices in India including that of the
president, prime minister, speaker
of lok Sabha and the leader of opposition.
Women's rights are secured below the
constitution of Republic of India
principally — equality, dignity and freedom
from discrimination.
Review of Literature
H. Subrahmanyam (2011) compares
women education in India at present and
Past. Author highlighted that there features
a good progress in overall enrolment of girl
students in schools. The term empower
means to offer lawful power or authority to
act. it's the method of acquiring some
activities of women .
M. Bhavani Sankara Rao (2011) has
highlighted that health of women members
of SHG have certainly
taken address better. It clearly shows that
heath of women members discuss among
themselves about health related problems
of other members and their children and
make them conscious of various
Government provisions specially meant for
them.
Doepke M. Tertilt M. (2011) Does Female
Empowerment Promote Economic
Development? This study is an empirical
analysis suggesting that cash within
the hands of mothers benefits children.
This study developed a series of non
cooperative family bargaining models to
know what quite frictions can produce to
the observed empirical relationship.
Duflo E. (2011) Women’s Empowerment
and Economic Development, National
Bureau of Economic Research Cambridge
The study argues that the inter
relationships of the Empowerment and
Development are probably too weak to
be independent which continuous policy
commitment to equally for its own
sake could also be needed
to cause equality between men and
women .
Sethuraman K. (2008) The Role of
Women’s Empowerment and violence in
child Growth and Under nutrition during
a Tribal and Rural Community in South
India. This research paper explores the
connection between Women’s
Empowerment and violence , maternal
nutritional status and therefore
the nutritional status and growth over six
months in children aged 6 to 24
months during a rural and tribal
community. This longitudinal
observational study undertaken in rural
Karnataka. India included tribal and rural
subjects.
Venkata Ravi and Venkatraman (2005)
focused on the consequences of SHG on
women participation and exercising control
over deciding both in family matters and in
group activities.
Objectives of the Study
• To study on the challenges and issues
faced by women
• To know the reasons for women
empowerment
• To know the schemes introduced by
Government for women
empowerment
Research Methodology
This paper is basically descriptive and
analytical in nature. In this paper an attempt
has been taken to analyze the empowerment
of in India. The data used in it is purely from
secondary sources according to the need of
this study.
Analysis
India stands far below in gender related
indices. There are historical reasons for the
lower status of women in India especially in
rural areas. Patriarchal symbolism, ritualism,
dualism, marital traditions and caste systems
are some of the historical factors that
prescribe the status of Indian women. Some
of these traditions are thousands years old
and their impacts have become almost
irreversible. By socialization both men and
women develop gendered self-image since
childhood and carry these stereotypes till
their death. They bring up with them such a
mental set which do not permit them either to
perceive the reality properly or even to think
otherwise. Gender equality has become
unthinkable for Indian psyche. But efforts are
on from both governmental and non-
governmental sectors to reverse this situation.
Challenges and Issues Faced by Women.
• Family Restriction.
Cultures vary significantly in their degree
of governing gender roles in families.
Some cultures closely bring down male-
female roles, et al allow a variety of roles.
Worldwide, the male role in early cultures
is represented as hunter-warrior and
thus women role as gatherer and child
care giver. However, continued analysis
suggests that early cultures could have
practiced various gender roles.
Descriptions of wife-husband roles rising
from the nineteenth century Western
world assumed a male supplier role
and women mediator-nurturing role.
Crossing gender lines, like women doing
traditionally male tasks during war, was
tolerated and expected, but it followed that
with peace, traditional gender roles need
to follow. Deviance from gender roles met
with explicit and covert punishments and,
in some cultures, punishment by death.
Generally, punishments were additional
raspingly applied to women than men
(Stephens 1963). Cultures that strictly
enforce one role for men and one for
women are meeting with sizable criticism.
Such countries assume a division of
labor supported political and economic
conditions not suitable amidst economic
and industrial change (Ashford 2001).
Although disentangled roles may target
decrease feminine restrictions, both males
and females often see personal advantages
in moving toward more role options. Some
people want to include role dimensions
not currently assigned to their gender;
males might want to be more expressive
and nurturing and females more career-
oriented. Extensive analysis shows that
assumptions regarding roles and actual
role behavior don't essentially coincide.
Industrial and industrial cultures tend to
permit husbands and wives additional role
latitude. Cultures ease role restrictions by
permitting women to emulate men's larger
freedom within the marketplace and
causing men to have larger domestic
responsibilities. Single parenting needs
even additional flexibility in each
feminine and male parenting roles.
Although cultures allow multiple
parenting roles, parenting is
predicated on identity . There are signs
that married roles are becoming even
additional versatile, as reflected within
the individualized ways marriage
ceremonies are conducted. Individualized
ceremonies and agreements could
elaborate ancient norms or replicate
innovative lifestyles.
Lack of Finance.
Financial responsibility isn't gender
specific it's imperative for
women because it is for men. Financial
challenges that women face are
often overcome with certain wise actions
such as:
• If one isn't conscious of the way
to invest, it's never too late to find
out the art of investing.
• Look for friends and relatives who can
provide good advice on investments and
financial planning. Seeking support adds
to strength and overcome ones’
weakness.
• Be a part of the cash plan and be more
active in taking financial decisions.
• Be ready with a budget that lists your
assets, income and expenses that
becomes a reckoner of your financial
position.
• Analyze for well-being of oneself and
family money spent on life assurance ,
health or Medical claim policies, income
protection plans etc.
It is understandable that influencing the
society to vary its mindset goes to be
tough, and reworking workplaces to treat
women at par isn't easy, but women
taking financial control and managing
their finances is that the most suitable
option a women has. Only women
themselves can bring a difference
through wise investment, increasing their
confidence and enjoying the financial
freedom through money management
skills.
Lack of Education.
Today more girls than ever attend school.
However, despite progress, girls and
ladies still face multiple barriers
supported gender and its intersections
with various factors , like age, ethnicity,
poverty, and incapacity, within the equal
enjoyment of the proper to quality
education. This includes barriers, within
the least levels, to access quality
education and among education systems,
establishments, and faculty rooms, such
as, amongst others: harmful gender
stereotypes and wrongful gender
stereotyping; child marriage and early
and unintended pregnancy; gender-based
violence against women and girls; lack of
comprehensive and quality learning
environments and inadequate and unsafe
education infrastructure, along
side sanitation; poverty.
The international community has
recognized the equal right to quality
education of everyone and committed to
achieving gender
equality altogether fields, including
education, through their acceptance of
international human rights law. this
suggests that states have legal
obligations to get rid of all
discriminatory barriers, whether or not
they exist in law or in lifestyle , and to
undertake positive measures
to cause equality, along side in access of,
within, and thru education.
• Role Conflict.
Role conflict happens once there area
unit incompatible demands placed upon
someone concerning their job or position.
Persons expertise role conflict once they
notice themselves force in numerous
directions as they fight to reply to the
various statuses they hold. "Inter-role
conflict results from competing sets of
expectations that are aroused by
organizational, interpersonal, and
private conflicts”. One response to role
conflict is deciding that one thing should
go. quite one politician, for instance , has
decided to not run office due to the
conflicting demands of a busy campaign
schedule and family life. In alternative
cases, people postpone having
children so as to remain on the means for
career success. Even the roles
connected to at least one standing will
create competitor demands on us of
America. A plant supervisor could fancy
being friendly with employees. At
identical time, distance is important to
guage his staff. a private can alter
external, structurally imposed
expectations held by others,
regarding the acceptable behavior of an
individual in his or her position. the
foremost effective alteration is
change within the workplace. If the
task could also be a "family-friendly"
atmosphere, the requirements of a
parent could also be met easier. one
among the most important stress-
relievers for working parents is paid day
off including family sick days. A parent
could feel cornered if he or she must keep
home with their kid however is conscious
of that missing daily of labor can, in
return, dock them each day of pay.
If they need a couple of days of paid
leave they're going to be ready
to lookout of their child and not need
to worry about losing money for doing
so. Another workplace support of work-
family conflict is child-care. Some jobs
have a toddler care facility on website or
close, assisting parents in knowing their
children are well taken care of
while they're working. The latter
example distributes role expectations to
others so on alleviate role conflict.
"Another approach involves changing
one's attitude toward and perceptions of
one's role expectations,
as against changing the expectations
themselves. An example is setting
priorities among and among roles, being
positive that bound demands area
unit forever met (for example, the
requirements of sick children), whereas
others have lower priority (such as
dusting furniture).
• Lack of Persistent
Women generally have sympathy for
others. they're very emotional. This
nature shouldn't allow them to
urge easily cheated in business
• Unfavorable Environment
The society is dominated by males.
Many business men aren't interested to
possess account with women
entrepreneurs. Male
generally don't encourage women
entrepreneurs.
• Poverty
Poverty is taken into account the
best threat to peace within the world,
and eradication of poverty should be a
national goal as important because
the eradication of illiteracy. thanks
to this, women are exploited as domestic
helps.
• Health and Safety
The health and safety concerns of
women are paramount for the wellbeing
of a rustic and is a crucial think
about gauging the empowerment of
women during a country. However, there
are alarming concerns where maternal
healthcare cares.
• Professional Inequality
This inequality is
practiced employed sand promotions.
Women face countless handicaps in male
customized and dominated environs in
Government Offices and
personal enterprises.
• Morality and Inequality
Due to gender bias in health and
nutrition there's unusually high morality
rate in women reducing their population
further especially in Asia, Africa and
china.
• Household Inequality
Household relations show gender bias in
infinitesimally small but significant
manners all across the world , more so, in
India e.g. sharing burden of housework,
childcare and menial works by so called
division of labor.
• Lack of Mental Strength
Sadly, it isn't just the poor women who are
ill-treated. fairly often in wealthy
households too women live lives of
disrespect and even within the times there
are families who are getting fanatics and
forcing women into purdah, curtailing their
freedom and voice. the primary step in
women empowerment is education and also
the second money independence. So be
bold and breakthrough . make sure that the
women/girls of your house facilitate to
urge education. Teach illiterate women in
order that their men folk don't rob them of
their wealth and land. Work with self-help
groups, in many regions within the world
women have benefited by fixing self-help
groups and gaining economic and social
independence. Draw on the strengths
within don't fear the planet or cower when
being threatened. Predators always gain
strength from fear. So learn to
face firm and appearance at the predator
within the attention and say “no” firmly.
• Lack of Data
While the country has adult from leaps and
bounds since independence wherever
education cares . the gap between women
and men is severe. The gender bias is in
instruction, specialized professional
training's which hit women very
hard employed and attaining top leadership
in any field. Increasing education among
ladies is of important in empowering
them. it's conjointly noticed that variety of
women are too weak to work. They
consume less food but work more.
Therefore, from the health purpose of
read, women who are to be weaker are to
be made stronger. Another problem is that
workplace harassment of girls. There
are numerous cases of rape, kidnapping of
girl, dowry harassment, and so on. For
these reasons, they require empowerment
of all types so as to guard themselves and
to secure their purity and dignity. To sum
up, ladies authorization can't be potential
unless ladies accompany and facilitate to
self-empower themselves. there's a desire
to formulate reducing feminized poorness,
promoting education of girls , and
prevention and elimination of violence
against women. the primary and foremost
priority need to run to the education of
women , which is that the grassroots
problem. Hence, education for
girls possesses to be paid special attention.
• Stiff Competition
Women entrepreneurs face a stiff
competition in creating themselves stand
determined in their venture to become
fortunate. There are many restraining
forces which stop them. Women are still
given suspicious appearance after they
leave late within the evening. Thus ladies
face a big challenge in facing the cruel
attitudes of officers and also the toil
needed to start up a business. thanks
to restricted quality they realize tough
to deal with men.
Ways To Empower Women
To recognize International Day of the Girl
Child on Oct. 11, there are many ways to
make a big difference in the lives of
daughters, sisters, and mothers around the
world — and right in our own
neighborhoods. To mention few are :
Provision the ticket to a better life (emphasis
is more hygiene and health); Support girls
and women in crisis that is they are subject to
abuse, child labour, trafficking, child
marriage and any other offences; Mentor a
girl / women close to home; Invest them in a
small business owner; aid the girls in
education, that is to ensure they finish
secondary education and enjoy better health;
Changes in women’s mobility and social
interaction; Changes in women’s labor
patterns; Changes in women’s access to and
control over resources; Changes in women’s
control over Decision making; Self-
employment and Self-help group; Providing
minimum needs like Nutrition, Health,
Sanitation, Housing; Other than this society
should change the mentality towards the
word women; Encouraging women to
develop in their fields they are good at and
make a career; The internet as a tool of
empowerment.
Reasons For The Empowerment of
Women.
Today we've noticed different Acts and
Schemes of the Central
Government, also as Government to
empower women of India. But in India
women are discriminated and marginalized
at every level of the society
whether it's social participation, political
participation, economic participation,
access to education, and also reproductive
healthcare. Women are found to be
economically very poor everywhere the
India. A few women are engaged in
services and other activities. So, they
have economic power to face on their own
legs on per with men. Other hand, it's been
observed that ladies are found to be less
literate than men. Increasing education
among women is of vital in empowering
them. It has also noticed that a number
of women are too weak to figure . They
consume less food but work more.
Therefore, from the health point of
view, women who are to be weaker are to
be made stronger. Another problem is that
workplace harassment of women . There
are numerous cases of rape, kidnapping of
girl, dowry harassment, and so on.
For these reasons, they require
empowerment of all types so as to
guard themselves and to secure their purity
and dignity. To sum up, women
empowerment can't be possible unless
women accompany and help to self-
empower themselves. there's a
requirement to formulate reducing
feminized poverty, promoting education of
girls , and prevention and elimination of
violence against women.
Government Schemes For Women
Empowerment.
• Rastria Mahila Kosh (RMK) 1992-
1993.
• Indira Mahila Yojana (IMY) 1995.
• Women Entrepreneur Development
program given top priority in 1997-
98.
• Mahila Samakhya being implemented
in about 9000 villages.
• Swayasjdha.
• Swa Shakti Group.
• Support to Training and Employment
Program for Women(STEP).
• Swalamban.
• Crèches/ Day care center for the
children of working and ailing
mother.
• Hostels for working women.
• Swadhar.
• National Mission for Empowerment
of Women.
• Integrated Child Development
Services (ICDS) (1975),
• Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for
Empowerment of Adolescence Girls
(RGSEAG) (2010).
• The Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche
Scheme for Children of Working
Mothers.
• Integrated Child Protection scheme
(ICPS) (2009-2010).
• Dhanalakahmi (2008).
• Short Stay Homes.
• Ujjawala (2007).
• Scheme for Gender Budgeting (XI
Plan).
• Integrated Rural Development
Program (IRDP).
• Training of Rural Youth for Self
Employment (TRYSEM).
• Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana
(PMRY).
• Women’s Development Corporation
Scheme (WDCS).
• Working Women’s Forum.
• Indira Mahila Kendra.
• Mahila Samiti Yojana.
• Khadi and Village Industries
Commission.
• Indira Priyadarahini Yojana.
• SBI’s Sree Shakti Scheme.
• SIDBI’s Mahila Udyam Nidhi Mahila
Vikas Nidhi.
• NGO’s Credit Schemes.
• National Banks for Agriculture and
Rural Development’s Schemes.
• Mahila Samridhi Yojana (MSY)
October,1993.
Constitutional Provisions For
Empowering Women In India.
The principle of gender equality is enshrined
in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble,
Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties
and Directive Principles. The Constitution
not only grants equality to women, but also
empowers the State to adopt measures of
positive discrimination in favour of women.
Within the framework of a democratic polity,
our laws, development policies, Plans and
programmes have aimed at women’s
advancement in different spheres. India has
also ratified various international
conventions and human rights instruments
committing to secure equal rights of women.
Key among them is the ratification of the
Convention on Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in
1993.
Constitutional Provisions
The Constitution of India not only grants
equality to women but also empowers the
State to adopt measures of positive
discrimination in favour of women for
neutralizing the cumulative socio economic,
education and political disadvantages faced
by them. Fundamental Rights, among others,
ensure equality before the law and equal
protection of law; prohibits discrimination
against any citizen on grounds of religion,
race, caste, sex or place of birth, and
guarantee equality of opportunity to all
citizens in matters relating to employment.
Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 16, 39(a), 39(b), 39(c)
and 42 of the Constitution are of specific
importance in this regard. Constitutional
Privileges (i) Equality before law for women
(Article 14) (ii) The State not to discriminate
against any citizen on grounds only of
religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any
of them (Article 15 (i)) (iii) The State to make
any special provision in favour of women and
children (Article 15 (3)) (iv) Equality of
opportunity for all citizens in matters relating
to employment or appointment to any office
under the State (Article 16) (v) The State to
direct its policy towards securing for men and
women equally the right to an adequate
means of livelihood (Article 39(a)); and equal
pay for equal work for both men and women
(Article 39(d)) (vi) To promote justice, on a
basis of equal opportunity and to provide free
legal aid by suitable legislation or scheme or
in any other way to ensure that opportunities
for securing justice are not denied to any
citizen by reason of economic or other
disabilities (Article 39 A) (vii) The State to
make provision for securing just and humane
conditions of work and for maternity relief
(Article 42) (viii) The State to promote with
special care the educational and economic
interests of the weaker sections of the people
and to protect them from social injustice and
all forms of exploitation (Article 46) (ix) The
State to raise the level of nutrition and the
standard of living of its people (Article 47)
(x) To promote harmony and the spirit of
common brotherhood amongst all the people
of India and to renounce practices derogatory
to the dignity of women (Article 51(A) (e))
(xi) Not less than one-third (including the
number of seats reserved for women
belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of
seats to be filled by direct election in every
Panchayat to be reserved for women and such
seats to be allotted by rotation to different
constituencies in a Panchayat (Article 243
D(3)) (xii) Not less than one- third of the total
number of offices of Chairpersons in the
Panchayats at each level to be reserved for
women (Article 243 D (4)) (xiii) Not less than
one-third (including the number of seats
reserved for women belonging to the
Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes)
of the total number of seats to be filled by
direct election in every Municipality to be
reserved for women and such seats to be
allotted by rotation to different constituencies
in a Municipality (Article 243 T (3)) (xiv)
Reservation of offices of Chairpersons in
Municipalities for the Scheduled Castes, the
Scheduled Tribes and women in such manner
as the legislature of a State may by law
provide (Article 243 T (4)) xiv
Legal Provisions:
To uphold the Constitutional mandate, the
State has enacted various legislative
measures intended to ensure equal rights, to
counter social discrimination and various
forms of violence and atrocities and to
provide support services especially to
working women. Although women may be
victims of any of the crimes such as 'Murder',
'Robbery', 'Cheating' etc, the crimes, which
are directed specifically against women, are
characterized as 'Crime against Women'.
These are broadly classified under two
categories. (1) The Crimes Identified Under
the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (i) Rape (Sec.
376 IPC) (ii) Kidnapping & Abduction for
different purposes ( Sec. 363-373) (iii)
Homicide for Dowry, Dowry Deaths or their
attempts (Sec. 302/304-B IPC) (iv) Torture,
both mental and physical (Sec. 498-A IPC)
(v) Molestation (Sec. 354 IPC) (vi) Sexual
Harassment (Sec. 509 IPC) (vii) Importation
of girls (up to 21 years of age) (2) The Crimes
identified under the Special Laws (SLL)
Although all laws are not gender specific, the
provisions of law affecting women
significantly have been reviewed periodically
and amendments carried out to keep pace
with the emerging requirements. Some acts
which have special provisions to safeguard
women and their interests are: (i) The
Employees State Insurance Act, 1948 (ii) The
Plantation Labour Act, 1951 (iii) The Family
Courts Act, 1954 (iv) The Special Marriage
Act, 1954 (v) The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955
(vi) The Hindu Succession Act, 1956 with
amendment in 2005 (vii) Immoral Traffic
(Prevention) Act, 1956 (viii) The Maternity
Benefit Act, 1961 (Amended in 1995) (ix)
Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (x) The
Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971
(xi) The Contract Labour (Regulation and
Abolition) Act, 1976 (xii) The Equal
Remuneration Act, 1976 (xiii) The
Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (xiv)
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1983
(xv) The Factories (Amendment) Act, 1986
(xvi) Indecent Representation of Women
(Prohibition) Act, 1986 (xvii) Commission of
Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (xviii) The
Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act, 2005
Special Initiatives for Women
(i) National Commission for Women : In
January 1992, the Government set-up this
statutory body with a specific mandate to
study and monitor all matters relating to the
constitutional and legal safeguards provided
for women, review the existing legislation to
suggest amendments wherever necessary,
etc. (ii) Reservation for Women in Local Self
-Government : The 73rd Constitutional
Amendment Acts passed in 1992 by
Parliament ensure one-third of the total seats
for women in all elected offices in local
bodies whether in rural areas or urban areas.
(iii) The National Plan of Action for the Girl
Child (1991-2000) : The plan of Action is to
ensure survival, protection and development
of the girl child with the ultimate objective of
building up a better future for the girl child.
(iv) National Policy for the Empowerment of
Women, 2001 : The Department of Women
& Child Development in the Ministry of
Human Resource Development has prepared
a “National Policy for the Empowerment of
Women” in the year 2001. The goal of this
policy is to bring about the advancement,
development and empowerment of women.
Findings of the Study
• Globalization, Liberalization and other
Socio - Economic forces have given
some respite to a large proportion of the
population. However, there are still
quite a few areas where women
empowerment in India is largely
lacking.
• There needs to be a sea – change in the
mind set of the people in the country.
Not just the women themselves, but the
men have to wake up to wake up to a
world that is moving towards equality
and equity. It is better that this is
embraced earlier than later for our own
good.
• There are several Government
programmes and NGOs in the Country,
there is still a wide gap that exists
between those under protection and
those not.
• Poverty and illiteracy add to these
complications, The Empowerment of
Women begins with a guarantee of
their health and safety.
• Empowerment of Women could only
be achieved if their economic and
social status is improved. This could be
possible only by adopting definite
social and economic policies with a
view of total development of women
and to make them realize that they have
the potential to be strong human beings.
• In order to create a sustainable world,
we must begin to Empower Women.
Suggestions
1. The first and foremost priority should be
given to the education of women, which is the
grassroots problem. Hence, education for
women has to be paid special attention.
Protecting girls and women by equipping
skilled, local staff to offer training, education,
counseling, medical care, small business
loans, and other programs that reach women
and girls as well as boys — helping to end
cycles of gender-based violence.
2. Awareness programmes need to be
organized for creating awareness among
women especially belonging to weaker
sections about their rights.
3. Women should be allowed to work and
should be provided enough safety and
support to work. They should be provided
with proper wages and work at par with men
so that their status can be elevated in the
society.
4. Strict implementation of Programmes and
Acts should be there to curb the mal-practices
prevalent in the society.
Conclusion : Thus, the attainment in the field
of income / employment and in educational
front, the scenario of women empowerment
seems to be comparatively poor. The need of
the hour is to identify those loopholes or
limitations which are observing the
realization of empowerment of women and
this initiative must be started from the women
folk itself as well as more importantly policy
initiative taken by the state and society. Let
us take the oath that we want an egalitarian
society where everybody whether men or
women get the equal opportunity to express
and uplift one’s well being and well being of
the society as whole. Women’s
empowerment is not a Northern concept
women all over the world, including
countries in South, have been challenging
and changing gender inequalities since the
beginning of the history. Struggles have also
been supported by many men who have been
outraged at injustice against women. Women
represent half the world’s population and
gender inequality exists in every nation on
the planet. Until women are given the same
opportunities that men are, entire societies
will be destined to perform below their true
potentials. The greatest need of the hour is
change of social attitude to women. “When
women move forward the family moves, the
village moves and the nation moves”. It is
essential as their thought and their value
systems lead the development of a good
family, good society and ultimately a good
nation. The best way of empowerment is
perhaps through inducting women in the
mainstream of development. Women
empowerment will be real and effective only
when they are endowed income and property
so that they may stand on their feet and build
up their identity in the society. The
Empowerment of Women has become one of
the most important concerns of 21st century
not only at national level but also at the
international level. Government initiatives
alone would not be sufficient to achieve this
goal. Society must take initiative to create a
climate in which there is no gender
discrimination and women have full
opportunities of self decision making and
participating in social, political and economic
life of the country with a sense of equality.
References.
• Kishor, S. and Gupta, K. (2009), Gender
Equality and Womens Empowerment in
India, NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH
SURVEY (NFHS-3) INDIA, 2005-06,
International Institute for Population
Sciences, Deonar, Mumbai. 8. Suguna,
M., (2011). Education and Women
Empowerment in India. ZENITH:
International Journal of Multidisciplinary
Research, 1(8), 19-21.
• http://www.slideshare.net/puneetshar
ma5688/women-
empowermentpuneet-sharma.
• https://www.academia.edu/27408340
.
• https://www.slideshare.net/raghurh/
women-empowerment-2.
• https://accountlearning.com/challeng
es-problems-faced-women-
entrepreneurs-remedial-measures/
• https://www.iaspaper.net/women-
empowerment-in-india/amp/
• http://www.business-
standard.com/article/current-
affairs/domestic-violence-
topscrimes-against-women-says-
report-115120200013_1.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women
_in_India
• http://www.indiacelebrating.com/ess
ay/women-empowerment-essay/
• http://www.importantindia.com/1905
0/essay-on-women-empowerment/
• http://wcd.nic.in/schemes-
listing/2405
A Study on Recent Trends in Marketing Strategy with reference to Banking Sector
Anirban Roy
Student
Ramaiah Institute Of Management Studies
Bangalore
E-Mail Id: [email protected]
Shruthi J
Assistant Professor
Department Of Commerce
Gfgc Saragur
E-Mail Id: [email protected]
Abstract
Indian banking sector historically developed under five stages that are stated as pre-
independence, post-independence, pre-nationalization, nationalization and post-liberalization
stages. In all these stages, other than post liberalization stage, marketing was always
considered not to be a banker’s cup of tea. But today, it is considered to be an integral
management function in the banking sector. India’s banking sector has made rapid strides in
reforming and aligning itself to the new competitive business environment. Traditionally,
Indian banks have not really paid adequate attention to marketing and market research. The
paper focuses on the recent macro and micro trends in the marketing of the banking sector.
The paper also develops the conceptual frame work in the form of model relating banks with
each touch point of customer exposure. Finally, the paper ends with the conclusion that
marketing services are not only for the survival but also needed for improving the efficiency
of banking services and building a loyal customer base.
Keywords - Banking sector, Service Marketing, Macro and Micro trends, Touch point.
Introduction
The banking sector is an integral part of the
economy. Hence this sector plays a key role
in the wellbeing of the economy. A weak
banking sector not only jeopardizes the long-
term sustainability of an economy, it can also
be a trigger for a financial crisis which can
lead to economic crises. Majority of the
banking institutions are now putting
emphasis on marketing to make customer
aware about the services and benefits offered
by them.
Marketing is the crucial connection between
banks and customers, no banks can expect to
succeed without putting substantial
investments in its marketing efforts. Banks
nowadays are coming up with surprising and
impressing ways to lure the customers and
retaining their customer base. These days’
banks are focusing heavily on building long
term relationships with their existing
customers and thereby gaining new
customers. Hence, relationship marketing
becomes very important for the banks. It is
concerned with mapping out all the touch
point and evaluating what services are
provided, by whom, and when, and how, and
what is expected by customers.
Bank marketing is the aggregate of
functions, directed at providing services to
satisfy customers’ financial and other
related needs and wants, if more effectively
and efficiently than the competitors
keeping in view the organizational
objectives of the banks.
All the techniques and strategies of
marketing are used so that ultimately, they
induced the people to do business with the
particular bank. To create and keep a
customer means doing all those things so that
people would like to do business and
continue to do it with the particular bank
rather than with the competitors. It cannot
stay in business if it does not attract and hold
enough customers, no matter how efficiently
it operates
Increasing Importance of Marketing in
Banking Industry
The reasons for marketing scope to have
importance in banking and for banks to
interest in marketing subject can be
attributed to the following factors:
Change in demographic dynamics
Cut throat competition in the service
industry
Increased profit consciousness of the
banks
Deregulation of interest rates
Entry of various private and foreign
banks
Increasing awareness, education and
urbanization
Indigenous growth of non-banking
financial institutions
Disintermediation
Advent of the technology
Increasing the reach of innovative
banking products
Literature Review
The effort to promote banking business is
quite distinguished affair. At present, it has
become very tricky due to the changing
trends of industry, increasing competition
and efficiency of regulatory environment,
and the financial system. The complexity in
the banking services is also an issue of vital
importance. This is the time when banks are
offering new and innovative services,
frequently in the market. The content of
promotional tools should help the customer
in making most valuable decision. This can
be firmly said that well-designed
promotional strategies are very important
to promote banking services effectively. In
marketing any product or service, customer
satisfaction has been given the prime
importance. The most frustrating aspect of
marketing of banks is lack of management
support, lack of inter-departmental
cooperation, government regulations and
advertising & media problems.
Berry & Lindgreen, 1980; Sarin & Anil
2007 recommended that manpower in
service organizations must work with the
focus of satisfying the customer.
Promotional packages are very important
for financial service industry (Ananda &
Murugaiah, 2003). Thus, the orientation of
banks should be with a much wider focus in
relation to consumer and market needs, and
the consequent marketing strategies. The
challenges put forth by the changing
environment have to be effectively tackled
to identify the consumer needs and
providing valuable services through
product innovation (Nair Raman, 2006).
A study by Krishna, Suryanarayana &
Srikant (2005) recommended that
promotional strategies should be designed
as per the nature of the services to be
promoted. The advertisers should seek a
narrative approach to communicate the
service experience rather than a logical,
argumentative approach. Narrative
approach involves storytelling
methodology using sequence of events
(Sehgal Roli, 2004). It has been generalized
in the studies that services marketing
advertisement is more challenging than the
advertising of tangible products (Ray and
Bose, 2006). The case should be taken in
the marketing of financial services very
seriously (Farrokhtakin, Stavash, 2000).
Kumar Ashok (1991) states that while
formulating marketing strategy, a bank
should focus attention on (i) consumer
sovereignty, (ii) attitude, (iii)
responsiveness and personal skills of bank
staff, (iv) revitalizing the marketing
department, (v) top management support to
the marketing department, (vi)
participation of marketing personnel in key
bank decisions.
Conceptual Model for Bank Marketing
Recent Trends in Marketing Strategies
of Banks
Traditionally, banks were seen as the
holders of the money, which gradually
changed their role as the creators of money.
Today, the scope of banks has widened
phenomenally, now the banks are seen as
the purveyor of finance for the entire
nation. A sound banking system is the life
blood of any developing economy and it
reflects the growth of the economy.
Financial inclusion is a major agenda for
the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Without
financial inclusion, banks cannot reach the
un-banked. It is also a major step towards
increasing savings and achieving balanced
growth. Recently two conferences were
held in Mumbai highlighting these issues;
The Sixth Banking Tech Summit of
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and
another one organized by the Society for
Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication, SWIFT.
Of the 6.9 billion people on the planet, just
30 per cent (2.1 billion) have bank accounts
while 75per cent— 5.2 billion people—
have mobile phones. In India, only 200
million people have access to a bank
account while 811 million have a mobile
phone. For a population of 1.2 billion
people, this translates into 68 per cent
having a mobile phone and only 17 per cent
having a bank account. The numbers speak
for themselves: when it comes to reaching
the ‘un-banked’ and extending financial
inclusion for the larger population, mobile
phone is the key, stated by Wim
Raymaekers, Head of Banking Market,
SWIFT.
Observing the above statistical data, it can
be concluded that there is still an ample
scope for the growth of banking sector.
Hence, it requires sound and innovative
marketing strategies to capture the
untapped market.
Following trends have been observed in the
marketing strategies of banks recently:
• Advertising remains the undisputed
promotional tool for banks so far
among the other promotional tools.
Advertising, which includes direct
mail, accounted for the largest share of
marketing expenditures at 52 percent,
compared to 58 percent in 2007. Public
relations accounted for 27 percent of
marketing budgets compared to 21
percent in 2007.
• Consumer expectations are growing.
With the increase in the education of
the consumers, they are now
demanding more and more value-added
services and are ready to pay premium
for it.
• Mobile banking is the need for today. It
has become the blessing for the
consumers who don’t have the time to
visit the bank personally. The biggest
advantage that mobile banking offers to
banks is that it drastically cuts down the
costs of providing service to the
customers. Also, service providers are
increasingly using the complexity of
their supported mobile banking services
to attract new customers and retain old
ones.
• Social media is also a tool for marketing
the banking services. Forty percent of
banks used social media for marketing
purposes in 2009. Twenty-nine
percent used social networking (i.e.,
Face book, Twitter, etc.). Face book,
used by 76% of banks, is the most
popular among various social media
outlets, followed by Twitter at 37%.
The main reasons for using social
media were for communication and
competitiveness.
• Due to increased use of technological
bases has increased the operational
efficiency of the Indian banks. By
2009, virtually all banks had embraced
the Internet and most had websites.
Marketer said e-newsletters were the
most effective form of Internet
marketing, followed by search engine
marketing and then sponsorships.
• Marketing expenditure has witnessed
the tremendous growth in last few years
as the percentage of total banking
expenditure.
• Despite the overall state of the economy
and the banking industry, marketing
expenditures were up in 2009. Nearly
60 percent of banks said they planned
to increase their marketing
expenditures in 2009, the same amount
as in 2007. Most of the banks view
marketing as a strategic driver for their
business.
• Focus on Incremental New Customer
Growth: Instead of generating as many
accounts as possible, banks will be
focusing on the potential value of
relationships including the likelihood of
engagement and retention.
• Gathering Email Addresses: With other
communication channel cost increasing
and the improved results achieved
when email is combined with more
traditional channels, the importance of
collecting and using email addresses
has never been more important.
Conclusion
With the increased competition and
awareness about the banking sectors,
customers are now becoming over
demanding about the services offered. New
and new trends are being witnessed now
days. Banks have also realized that social
channels need to be used differently in
financial services than with retail or other
industry verticals. As opposed to trying to
find 'friends' of our brands, social media has
been used most effectively for customer
service (Twitter) and for the promotion of
broad-based public relations initiatives. No
communication channel is 'free'. While email
may seem like costly channel to use for
reaching customers, the lack of clear
targeting and message development may
prove costly as customer’s opt-out of future
communications or simply ignore email
messages. As per the studies within the
banking industry, email has not proven to be
as good of a replacement for channels like
direct mail as it has been a good supplement
for improved results.
References
• Blech and Blech (2009),
Advertising Management, Tata
McGraw Hill Publishing
Company Limited.
• Jarnsdorf (2010), “Information
regarding trends in marketing of
banking sector is obtained
Available at:
http://jarnsdorf.blogspot.in
(Accessed 20 February,2012)
• Ravi Shanker (2003), Services
Marketing—The Indian
Perspective, Excel Books.
• http:// www.texasbankers.com
(Accessed 20 February,2012)
• http://www.brandingstrategyinsid
er.com (Accessed 18
February,2012)
• http://mediamaistro.wordpress.co
m (Accessed 19 February,2012)
• http://www.aba.com (Accessed
17 February, 2012)
• http://articles.economictimes.indi
atimes.com (Accessed 17
February, 2012)
Technology Advancement And Fraud’s In Banking
Subhashree.K,
Mount Carmel College Autonomous
M.Com
Harshitha.S
M.Com
Mount Carmel College Autonomous
Abstract
Technology plays an important role in our day-to-day life and make our life easier. Technology
serves various functions in our modern life like education, communication, business, banking etc.
It makes our life easier and securer in business and personal life. Banking has grown a lot from
barter system to internet banking with technological advancement. The growth and advancement
in technology has led to the paradigm shift in the entire banking operations and systems.
Technological advancements have made way to the growth of digitalization. Internet banking came
into existence with development of the Internet technology around the globe. Technological
advancements play a major role in the economic development. Using technological advancements'
payment, transactions, deposits, and withdrawals are made easier and convenient for the customers.
Banks using technological advancements have come up with developments in mobile banking,
telephone banking, internet banking, ATM, debit cards and credit cards, computerizes banking
software’s, core banking solutions, MICR cheque processing, cheque transaction, and online loan
processing. There is increase in technological advancement, there is also a drawback in the
technology, with the increase in technology advancement in bank also facing its adverse effect in
the form of bank frauds. The major pitfalls of technological advancement in the banking is, the
personal relationship with banks and customers are reduced. There are many complex transactions
which cannot happen without face to face interaction. The major bank frauds are fake apps,
malware, fraud through SIM swap, unsecured Wi-Fi connections, PIN crack, password hacking,
ATM cloning fraud.
The objective of this research is to identify a massive change in terms of fulfilling customer needs
through e-banking, impact of technology in banking and creating awareness among the people
regarding the frauds in banking due to the technological advancements. Measures to improve
services and how the future holds good for technology
Keywords: Technological advancements, Bank frauds, Security, Customers, Internet
Banking, ATM.
Introduction
Banking plays an important role in today’s
world and development of economy. Banking
ensures quality services to customers as well
as to the government. Modern banks deal with
banking activities on the on large scale and
abide by the rules made by the government.
Annual data are used to analyze the growth of
economic development and banking sector.
Development of banking sectors has increased
the number of private banks and nationalized
banks. Private bank development has led to
increase in foreign banks entering the global
market. Nationalized banks have been
improving with policies, schemes, initiatives
of providing loans with low rate of interest and
encouraging people for savings. Increase in
deposits make the banks to invest in different
portfolios and manage their operations which
in turn leading to increase in economic
growth. Technological advancements had led
to the massive growth and development in the
banking sector. The developments are making
our life to go cash less which in turn leads to
digitization of economy. Customers are made
easy for making their transactions, withdraw,
make deposits, and borrow loans without the
lengthy procedures. It help in maintaining
good relationship with the customers. In early
days availing banking services were very
complicated, the procedures and process in
making transactions were different, to avoid
these banks have upgraded with the
technology, ATMs were introduced, debit
cards and credit cards were introduced to make
the transactions easier. These made customers
retrieve and maintain good relationship
between banks and customers. Now a
days there are so many apps and software
introduced by banks which make payments
easier in the single touch. All our banking
services from opening a bank account,
payments, transactions, shopping, ordering
things through online were made easier with
the help of technological advancement in
banking. Banks frauds are also taking place
due to the technological advancements. ATM
attacks are very common, PIN hacking,
account number are hacked. Just taking a
phone number of a person will make to crack
the bank account number as the phone number,
and Aadhar card is linked to the banks to
overcome these frauds banks have to provide
proper security measures. Impact of banking
frauds is increase in complexity, increase in
expenses, risk and effective and intelligent use
of funds. It is a big challenge for the banks to
offer a solution and security.
Review of Literature
Madan Bhasin (2016), Frauds in banking
sectors: This research focused on growth of
banking industry and ensures that reporting
system in the bank suitably satisfied so that
frauds are reported without delay and fix staff
accountability. Bank must provide sufficient
focus on the fraud, prevention,
and management functions. To enable
effective investigation of fraud cases, fraud
risk management, fraud monitoring, and fraud
investigation function
K C Chakraborty (2003), focused on the
impact of fraud on entities like banks which
are engaged in financial activities
involves intermediation of funds. The
economic cost of fraud can be a
huge regarding distributing the works of the
market, financial institution and the payment
system. The vulnerability of the banks to
frauds has been heightened by technological
advancement in recent times.
Madan Bhasin (2015), an empirical study if
frauds in banks; This study revealed there is a
poor employment practice, and lack of
effective training and focuses on how
economic development is effected by frauds
in the banking sector.
Research Methodology
The research study is descriptive in nature. To
accomplish the objectives of this study,
secondary data from various websites,
journals, and articles have been used. The
discussion is based on the review of the
customers who regularly use the banking
technologies for their day-to-day activities.
Discussion
Technological advancement in banking:
1. ATM: Automatic Teller Machine was first
technology which was introduced by the
banking sector. ATM made withdrawal and
deposit easier. ATM was available on all the
streets, and areas. It’s convenient for the
people to withdraw cash and make deposit. Not
only deposit and withdrawal, ATM also helps
to check account balance, last few transactions
shown on mini statement. This made
customers easy and convenient to check their
balance. ATM also reduced the cost on human
resources. ATMs are available 24×7 for
services. There are other automated services
such as cash deposit machine, passbook
printing, money transfer, etc. Passwords are
encrypted and protected and customer personal
identification number. ATM makes our life
easier to withdraw cash in emergency purpose.
ATM can also a transfer fund and accepts
cheque through cheque deposit machines. It
also reduces the work of customer and staffs.
It also reduces the human error. It benefits
travelers as they don’t have to carry large
amount of cash. ATM’s can provide fake
currency. ATM centers are under CCTV
surveillance.
2. Telephone Banking: This avails services of
bank through telephone line. It almost provides
all the services that a tradition brick and motor
bank provided. Telephone banking is used to
check account balance and customer can also
inquire about the information regard to their
account. Any queries such as deduction of
money from accounts, schemes of making
deposits and regarding the investment
portfolio. Telephone banking also makes
generation of PIN and password. Customer
can also inquire on how to resist telephone
banking PIN. It also provides customer
services with extreme services 24×7 within
any geographical area. It also reduces the cost
because of outsourcing call center. This is
where the call centers merged with banks.
Facilities were taken through interactive voice
response with the convenient regional
languages available. It also provides services
example: account information, current balance
and transaction.
3. Mobile Banking: Mobile banking refers to
provision of banking and financial service with
the help of mobile telecommunication devices.
The scope of offered services may include
facilities to conduct bank and stock market
transactions to administrate accounts and to
access customized information. Ever since the
Internet has taken over there is a major shift in
the personal and business life. Before the
mobile, and Internet banking, it was very
difficult of carrying a bank transaction, where
customer had to go to the bank and wait in
queue for the whole day to check the balance,
deposits, withdrawal of money and transfer of
funds. Now, everything has changed due to the
technological advancement. Transactions of
money from one account to other account,
making payments, and banking services can be
availed from anywhere in the world with the
help in Internet in the mobile. Mobile banking
provides services such as account information,
transaction, investment, support, and content
services. Mobile banking also gives SMS
alerts. Use of mobile banking among the
people have increased from 9.7% to 20.4%.
Improved customer service: 58% reduction in
misdirected inbound cells, 75% can self serve
and make payments, 97% satisfied with
service they receive. Decrease in frauds with
30% of alerts confirmed has frauds within 10
minutes, customers contacted within 30
seconds of suspicious truncation, 50% in cut in
bank losses from reaching customers faster,
35% cut in overall bank frauds.
4. Debit Cards: Debit card is a plastic
payment card that is used instead of cash while
making purchase and payments. It eliminates
the need of carrying cash. It’s used for
shopping purposes in malls, theaters, and
markets. It holds the information of the
account such as balance and soon. The
customer should have sufficient amount in the
account to make transactions and payments.
5. Credit Cards: Credit cards are similar to
debit card. Payments and transactions can be
made easier through credit cards. It does not
require having a certain balance in the account.
Credit cards can be used to make purchases,
shopping, paying bills like electricity bills,
recharge, etc. Credit limit is provided by the
bank based on the credit score. The credits
used should be repaid based on the credit card
features, and bank policies.
6. Online banking: Online banking is done
through web with the Internet connection.
Online banking is also called as internet
banking. It replicates all the services that a
physical existence bank. It identifies the
problem of the customers. Processing
capabilities gets transferred from bank staff to
the users. In this bank, it saves time, cost, and
reduces the work of bank staff. Bank also insist
customers on educating customers. Every
person in rural area can avail services through
Internet.
7. NEFT: National Electronic Fund Transfer is
a service provided to the customers for
transferring large amount of funds from one
account to another account. There is no limit
on minimum and maximum amount to be
transferred.
8. RTGS: Real Time Gross Settlement
provides services to customer for transferring
large amount of funds. The minimum amount
should be 200,000 and maximum amount is
unlimited for fund transfer.
Recent Innovations:
• Pay tm: Pay tm apps were introduced to make
payments easy and prepaid online recharge and
wallet payment. It helps to make payment for
paying bills, online recharge, movie tickets,
and electricity bill payment. Pay tm is an
Indian e-commerce payment system and
digital wallet. Payments are made easier with
help of QR code.
• Aadhar pay: payments are made through
Aadhar payment apps. Payments can be made
without phone. Payments and transaction are
made with help of a particular Aadhar number
which is linked to bank account. This app is
made for merchants, business men’s,
shopkeepers. Finger print for authentication is
required for making payments. Based on this
authentication the money is paid from Aadhar
linked account.
• POS terminal: point of sale terminal
computerized for cash register, it tracks and
record customer activity of credit and debit
cards which is connected to the system through
a network. Imps: immediate payment service:
instant transfer of funds from one account to
another account through mobile phones.
Bank Frauds:
1. ATM Card Cloning: ATM card cloning is
skimming theft of card information, which
steals information of the card. When the card
is swiped at the machine the device captures
the information from the magnetic strip of the
card. How it works? Thief places skimmer on
the ATM card swiping machine and place a
camera in the ATM and hack the camera to get
the PIN. Once it’s recorded it's stored in the
skimmer, this makes them to create clone
cards. Customer should be aware of this
skimmer and hacker of their PIN. Customer
should also check the ATM and the card reader
section which is extended.
2. Fake App: There are many fake apps, which
are replications of the original apps of the
banks. Many banks have come up with their
apps, which helps the customer to make
payments and transactions easier. These apps
are introduced to make the customers service
convenient. There are fake apps which have
come up to make frauds, taking technology has
an advantage. All apps in the Google Play
Store, Google is constantly removing the
fraudulent apps from the market place such as
fake anti-virus, browser and games.
3. Malware: it is a program which is harmful
to the system such as virus, worms, Trojan,
horse and spyware. Malware spreads virus to
systems and network. It can be delivered by
USB drive and through automatic downloads.
Phishing is also a kind of hacking system and
information. Types of malware:· Virus
attached their malicious code to clean code and
wait for an automated process to execute them.
Like a biological virus, they can spread quickly
and widely, causing damage to the core
functionality of systems, corrupting files and
locking users out of their computers. They are
usually contained within an executable file.
Worms get their name from the way they infect
systems. Starting from one infected machine,
they weave their way to the network,
connecting to consecutive machines to
continue the spread of infections. This type of
malware can infect entire networks of device
very quickly. Spyware as the name suggest, is
designed to spy on what a user is doing. Hiding
in the background on a computer, this type of
malware will collect information without the
user knowing, such as credit card details,
passwords and other sensitive information.
4. Password hacking: pass word hacking can
happen by phishing, ATM skimmer. Password
or PIN of customers can be hacked through
random phone calls. The thief makes phone
calls and when the receivers attend the call all
the information of the customer will be hacked.
5. Unsecured Wi-Fi connection: unsecured
Wi-Fi connection and hack all the personal
information of the people and automatic
downloads of fake apps can be takes place
through unsecured Wi-Fi connection.
6. Cheque frauds: Changes and alteration in
the cheque is a criminal offence. Counterfeit
and forgery of cheque is common. People
should be aware of this kind of frauds that are
happening in banking sectors.
7. Loan frauds: loan frauds are similar to
cheque frauds. Money loaning agencies only
requires a small amount of information in their
lending to application process. This is easy to
identify thieves to use stolen information
anything from social security number to your
banking information.
Some other banking frauds are shortage of
cash in account; opening bank account in the
name of nonexistence person, fraudulent
endorsement of cheque, drafts, bills, etc., fake
telegrams and emails, misuse of computer
code, fudging of financial statement,
discounting of foreign trade document without
proper trade transactions.
Suggestions:
Customer’s awareness can be created through
these measures, namely, customers should
have a receipt of that payment that is made
through physical, or online payments;
customers should check the holograms of
customers copy. Customers should check the
mode of making payment; customers should
always have a copy of the online transaction
made as evidence. The very common thing is
the customers should not share their opt, PIN
and passwords· The websites of RTGS and
NEFT will start from http; customers should
avoid unauthorized emails. Customers should
be always monitor their account and check the
balance constantly.
Conclusion
Technology places a major role in today
economic development of the country.
Technology in banks is improving day by day,
using technology advancement. Bank services
and growth of banking sector is tremendous.
Availing banking services has become easy by
technological advancement. In other hand
technology also gives way for criminal frauds.
The objective of this research is to bring
awareness among the customers. Many
customers who avail banking services through
technology should also be aware of banking
frauds. Banking frauds are such as ATM card
cloning, fake apps, fake websites, hacking of
PIN,, etc. customers should be aware of such
frauds that are taking place due to
technological advancement. Many banks and
RBI has come up with certain remedies to
prevent banking frauds. Customers should use
authorized apps of that particular bank and
websites of that particular bank. If in case
customers find themselves cheated, they
should compliant immediate to the particular
bank. Example: ATM card skimmers are
placed in magnetic strips, so, the
customers should check the reader whether the
number is extended or not. So customers
should be aware of these frauds that are
happening through banking technology
advancement. As the technology is very
important in today’s world. It has good and bad
impacts on the future holding of technology.
People should use technology according to
their need and requirement. The development
of economy depends on the technology in all
the sectors. In the same way it is also harmful.
The criminal activities will also increase. The
people in the country should use technology
for useful and effective needs. Criminal and
fraud activities have to be prevented. This
paper focus on preventive measures to avoid
bank frauds by sticking to the rules and eternal
vigilance has basic preventive measures.
Banks has to provide internal control system
security measures to protect their customers.
Bank staffs, offices, and management should
come up with policies and rules to bring
customers awareness.
References
bhasin, m. (2016). frauds in banking sector:
expericence of a developing country. asian
journal of social science and management
studies , 3, 1-9.
Bhasin, M. (2015). imperical study of frauds
in the bank. erropean journal of business and
social science , 1-12.
lifelock. (n.d.). Retrieved from
www.lifelock.com.
paisabazzar. (n.d.). Retrieved from
wwww.paisabazzar.com.
prof.h.k.singh, p. a. (2012). impact of
information technology on indian banking
services. international conference , 1-4.
serach security. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com.
vancity. (n.d.). Retrieved from
www.vancity.com.
https://searchconvergedinfrastructure.techtarg
et.com
http://www.abhinavjournal.com
http://www.ICICIbanks.com
http://www.google.com/searech?q=infographi
c+on
“ PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
is changing;
WE ARE CHANGING
professional education ”
-Dr. M R Pattabiram
Director
M S RAMAIAH FOUNDATION
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
RAMAIAH INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
No. 15, New BEL Road, M S Ramaiah Nagar, MSRIT Post, Bangalore – 560054
Ph: +91-080 - 23607640/41, 080 - 2308 1000/002/003 Fax: +91-80-23607642
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.msramaiahfoundation.in