1

A

PROJECT REPORT

ON

““AA SSTTUUDDYY OOFF CCOONNSSUUMMEERR PPEERRCCEEPPTTIIOONN

TTOOWWAARRDDSS BBAATTHHIINNGG SSOOAAPPSS WWIITTHH RREEFFEERREENNCCEE

TTOO LLUUXX,, DDOOVVEE && PPEEAARRSS””

SUBMITTED TO

AWADHESH PRATAP SINGH UNIVERSITY, REWA (M.P.)

FOR THE AWARD OF

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

MBA (SEMESTER-IV)

BY

MR. VIKAS PANDEY

UNDER GUIDANCE OF

PROF. K.P.TRIPATHI

THROUGH

THE DIRECTOR

VINDHYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH,

SATNA (M.P.)

2013- 2014

2

VINDHYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH,

SATNA (M.P.)

GUIDE’S CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that MR. VIKAS PANDEY has satisfactorily completed the

Project work on “A Study of Consumer Perception towards Bathing Soaps with

reference to Lux, Dove & Pears” under my guidance for the partial fulfillment of

MBA (Semester-IV) submitted to Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa

during the academic year 2013-2014.

To best of my knowledge and belief the matter presented by her is original

work and not copied from any source. Also this report has not been submitted

earlier for the award of any Degree of Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa.

Place: Satna PROF. K. P. TRIPATHI

Date: / / 2014 (Project Guide)

3

VINDHYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH,

SATNA (M.P.)

DECLARATION

I undersigned, hereby declare that this project report entitled “A Study of

Consumer Perception towards Bathing Soaps with reference to Lux, Dove &

Pears” prescribed by AWADHESH PRATAP SINGH UNIVERSITY, REWA during the

academic year 2013-2014 under the guidance of PROF. K.P.TRIPATHI is my original

work.

The matter presented in this report has not been copied from any source. I

understand that any such copying is liable to be punishable in any way the

university authorities deem to be fit. Also this report has not been submitted

earlier for the award of any Degree or Diploma of Awadhesh Pratap Singh

University, Rewa or any other University.

This work humbly submitted to Awadhesh Pratap Singh University for the

partial fulfillment of Master of Business Administration (Sem-IV).

PLACE: SATNA MR. VIKAS PANDEY

DATE: / / 2014

4

VINDHYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH,

SATNA (M.P.)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Whenever we are standing on most difficult step of the dream of our life,

we often remind about The Great God for His blessings & kind help and he

always helps us in tracking off the problems by some means in our lifetime. I feel

great pleasure to present this project entitled “A Study of Sales, Brand Image and

Service Effectiveness with reference to Reebok Shoes”.

I am grateful to those people who help me a lot in preparation of this

project report. It is their support and blessings, which has brought me to write

this project report. I have a deep sense of gratitude in my heart for them.

I am very thankful to my project guide Prof. K.P.Tripathi for his whole-

hearted support and affectionate encouragement without which my successful

project would not have been possible.

Finally, I am very grateful to Mighty God and inspiring parents whose

loving & caring support contributed a major share in completion of my task.

Mr. Vikas Pandey

5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.N. Contents Page No.

1 Introduction of Project 6-9

2 Company Profile 10-20

3 Objectives 21-22

4 Review of Literature 23-25

5 Research Methodology 26-29

6 Data Analysis & Interpretation 30-50

7 Findings & Suggestions 51-53

8 Limitations 54-55

9 Conclusion 56-57

10 Bibliography 58-59

11 Annexure

Questionnaire 60-64

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INTRODUCTION:

The term ―perception‖ can be defined as the ability to derive meaning. Derived from the

word ―perceive‖, it refers to the ability of giving meaning to whatever is sensed by our sense

organs. It is the process through which an individual interprets ones‘ sensory impressions to

give meaning to them. Schiffman defines it as ―the process by which an individual selects,

organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world.‖

Perception can be better explained by understanding the nature and characteristics of

perception:

1. Perception is a complex process. After a stimulus is detected by the sense organs, the

perception process comes into play and involves the interplay of three processes, viz.,

selection, organization and interpretation. It is a dynamic process.

2. It is also an intellectual process; it involves a lot of cognitive effort. Once sensation

takes place, the perception process involves the selection, organization and

interpretation of data.

3. Perception is broad in nature; it includes a physiological component (through

sensation), as well as sociological and psychological components.

4. Perception is a subjective process as two people may perceive the same stimuli

differently. While two persons may be exposed to the same stimuli, the manner in

which they select them, organize and interpret them is different. This is because the

two are impacted by their background, learning and experiences, motivation,

personality, cultures, values and lifestyles, social class effects etc which may be

different from each other.

The perceptual process starts when a person is exposed to a stimulus and the sensory

receptors report the same to the human body. While the senses may be exposed to various

stimuli, the human senses select only some of these at a point of time. This is because the

sense organs have a limited capacity at a particular point of time. After the sense organs,

report a few stimuli, the perceptual process takes over. Of the stimuli that have been detected,

8

few are selected, organized and interpreted for meaning. This is known as perception.

During this process of selection, organization and interpretation, the human being is

assisted by the memory bank or the information that is stored in his long term memory. This

is known as the schema. The scheme acts as a filtering mechanism and helps select some of

the stimuli, and then interpret and organize them. The selection, organization and

interpretation by the human mind is done on the basis of i) characteristics of the perceiver,

and ii) characteristics of the situation. The characteristics of the perceiver include learning

and experiences, knowledge and beliefs, motivation, need and involvement, attitude,

personality, social class, culture etc. All these constructs act as the bases of the schema, and

put together affect the perceptual process. The characteristics of the situation include the time

and location.

NATURE OF PERCEPTION:

6.4.4 THE PERCEPTUAL PROCESS AND THE MECHANISM:

People perceive things differently because of their characteristics and backgrounds,

and because of the different perceptual mechanisms that take place. Although we may differ

in such processes, universally speaking, the perceptual process comprises four components,

viz., input, perceptual mechanism, output and behavior. Let us have a discussion on these.

i. Input: The input to the perceptual process refers to the various stimuli that surround an

individual and exist in his environment. It could assume various forms, for example, it could

be another person, object, thing, or situation. The perceptual process begins when the sensory

receptors detect a stimulus in the environment, which acts as an input to the perceptual

mechanism.

ii Perceptual mechanism: The perceptual mechanism consists of three sub-processes, viz.,

selection, organization and interpretation. Once the sense organs detect a stimulus in the

environment, a person selects, organizes and interprets it through perceptual selectivity,

perceptual organization and perceptual interpretation. Put together, these are known as

perceptual mechanisms.

9

Perceptual selection or perceptual selectivity refers to a tendency within a person to

select one or a few out of the many stimuli present in the environment; this selectivity

is based on one‘s demographic, socio-cultural and psychographic factors. A person

would tend to select those stimuli that appear relevant and attractive to him.

Perceptual organization refers to the process of organizing the various stimuli with

other cues around so that a whole picture can be created. In other words, the various

stimuli are organized and given a form. It is the process of organizing inputs into a

definite, coherent and interpretable structure.

Perceptual interpretation refers to the process of drawing in inferences out of the

organized whole (of stimuli), and giving meaning to it.

iii Output: Once the input has been interpreted, it results in an output. This output towards

the stimuli assumes various forms, for example, in the formation of emotions and moods,

feelings and opinions, as well as attitudes and beliefs.

iv Behavior: The resultant behavior is an outcome of the output. Based on his emotions and

moods, feelings and opinions, as well as attitudes and beliefs, a person would enact out a

behavior. This behavior is a function of and will be reflective of such emotions and moods,

feelings and opinions, as well as attitudes and belief.

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COMPANY PROFILE:

Soap is a product that many people might take for granted or consider rather ordinary, but

for some, lathering up can be a treasured part of a morning or nightly routine.

Scented or unscented, in bars, gels, and liquids, soap is a part of our daily lives. In the

United States, soap is a $1.390 million (US$)* industry with over 50 mass market brands.

But in some markets the sales potential for soap is only beginning to be realized. At the end

2000, soap was a $1.032 million (US$)* business in India. IFF's marketing experts offer

the following overview of this growing category.

Overview of the Indian Soap Category

India is a vast country with a population of 1,030 million people. Household penetration of

soaps is 98%. People belonging to different income levels use different brands, which fall

under different segments (see table below), but all income levels use soaps, making it the

second largest category in India (detergents are number one). Rural consumers in India

constitute 70% of the population. Rural demand is growing, with more and more soap

brands being launched in the discount segment targeting the lower socio-economic strata of

consumers.

Soap Price (per 75 gram cake)

Segment in

rupees

in US$

Carbolic* 5.00 10 cents

Discount 7.00 15 cents

Popular 11.00 23 cents

Premium 17.00 36 cents

Super

Premium

35.00 75 cents

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History of Soap in India

During the British rule in India, Lever Brothers England introduced modern soaps by

importing and marketing them in India. However, North West Soap Company created the

first soap manufacturing plant in India, which was situated in the city of Meerut, in the

state of Uttar Pradesh. In 1897, they started marketing cold process soaps. During World

War I, the soap industry floundered, but after the war, the industry flourished all over the

country.

Mr. Jamshedji Tata set up India's first indigenous soap manufacturing unit when he

purchased OK Coconut Oil Mills at Cochin Kerala around 1918. OK Mills crushed and

marketed coconut oil for cooking and manufactured crude cold process laundry soaps that

were sold locally. It was renamed The Tata Oil Mills Company and its first branded soaps

appeared on the market in the early 1930s. Soap became a necessity for the moneyed class

by around 1937.

Brand Positioning Then and Now

Soap manufacturers originally targeted their products to the lowest income strata in urban

as well as rural areas, positioning their brands as a way to remove dirt and clean the body.

For some brands, that positioning persists even today with a focus on removal of body odor

and keeping the user healthy. However, soap positionings are moving towards skin care as

a value-added benefit.

Consumer Use Today

Toilet soaps are always used in the bar form—there is no other form in the Indian market—

and they are used in the bath. Showers are a distant dream for 70% of India‘s population,

who live in the villages where there is not even a regular supply of drinking water. In the

urban areas, people bathe by using a bucket of water, mug, and a bar of soap. In villages,

they usually bathe by the river bank or village ponds. Although most of the urban houses

have a shower facility, showers are seldom used because of the scarcity of water.

Consumer Preferences

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Consumer preferences are varied and are more regionally specific. India is divided into

four regions: North, East, West, and South.

Consumers in the North prefer pink colored soaps, which have floral profiles. Here

the fragrance preference is for more sophisticated profiles reflecting their lifestyles.

Freshness soaps with lime and citrus notes are also popular preferences as the

climate in the North is very hot and citrus/lime scented soaps are seen to be

refreshing.

The East is not a big soap market; hence no particular preference skews.

Consumers in the West exhibit preferences for strong, impactful fragrances and

somewhat harsher profiles compared to the North. Preferences are more for the pink

soaps with floral fragrances, primarily rose, which are positioned on the beauty

platform.

In the South, the skew is towards specific soap segments like the Herbal/Ayurvedic

profiles and also the Sandal profiles. Consumers here do not exhibit high brand

loyalty and are ready to experiment and try out new brands. Hence, most fast

moving consumer goods companies tend to launch their new brands in these

markets, which they call test launch markets.

Marketing

Soap is primarily targeted towards women, as they are the chief decision-makers in terms

of soap purchase. Medicated positionings like germ killing and anti-bacterial are marketed

to families.

About 75% of soap can be bought through these different types of outlets:

Kirana Store: This is the most common source for buying soap, which usually forms a

part of the month‘s grocery list (which is purchased from these Kirana Stores). Consumers

exhibit loyalty to these stores, which is largely dependent on proximity to consumers‘

homes. Here consumers buy across the counter and do not have an option of browsing

through display shelves.

14

Pan-Beedi Shops: These are really small shops, almost like handcarts, and they are

primarily set up to dispense cigarettes and chewing tobacco. However, one would find such

a shop at every corner and they are the main sources of soap purchase for the lower socio-

economic classes. These kinds of shops exist by the dozen in rural areas.

Department Store: In India, there are very few department stores and the ―Indianised‖

version of department stores are called ―Sahakari Bhandars.‖ It is still a fairly new concept.

However, department stores have good display counters and this is the only place where

consumers get a first hand experience of shopping and choosing from available options.

Here soap prices are also discounted below the retail prices.

HINDUSTAN UNILEVER LIMITED

Introduction

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest fast moving consumer goods company,

with leadership in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages. HUL's brands,

spread across 20 distinct consumer categories, touch the lives of two out of three Indians.

They endow the company with a scale of combined volumes of about 4 million tonnes and

sales of Rs.13,718 crores.

The mission that inspires HUL's over 15,000 employees is to "add vitality to life". With 35

Power Brands, HUL meets every day needs for nutrition, hygiene, and personal care with

brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life.

It is a mission HUL shares with its parent company, Unilever, which holds 52.10% of the

equity. A Fortune 500 transnational, Unilever sells Foods and Home and Personal Care

brands in about 100 countries worldwide.

Products & Services of HUL: -

1. Home & Personal Care

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Personal Wash

Lux

Breeze

Lifebuoy

Dove

Liril

Pears

Hamam

Rexona

Laundry Skin Care

Surf Excel Fair & Lovely

Rin Pond's

Wheel Vaseline

Aviance

Hair Care Oral Care

Sunsilk Naturals Pepsodent

Clinic Closeup

Deodrants Color Cosmetics

Axe

Lakme

Rexona

Ayurvedic Personal and Health Care

Ayush

2. Foods: -

Tea Coffee

Brooke Bond Brooke Bond Bru

Lipton

Foods Ice Cream

Kissan Kwality Wall's

Annapurna

Knorr

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LUX SOAP

• The name Lux means ‗light‘ in Latin.

• In the country since 1929 and endorsed by popular film stars, Lux is the biggest

brand in the soap category.

• First brand ambassador: Leela Chitnis (1929)

Everything about the brand – from the look and feel of the products and packaging to the

subtle fragrances – is a delight to the senses. In fact, Lux has been making waves since 1924,

when it launched the world's first mass-market beauty soap at a fraction of the cost of some

expensive brands.

How it all started

Lux was first introduced as a toilet soap in 1925. Produced by Lever Brothers, it

arrived in the UK in 1928, offering people a chance to pamper themselves for a

modest price.

From the 1930s right through to the 1970s, Lux soap colours and packaging were

altered several times to reflect fashion trends. In 1958 five colours made up the range:

pink, white, blue, green and yellow. People enjoyed matching their soap with their

bathroom colours.

In the early 1990s, Lux responded to the growing trend away from traditional soap

bars by launching its own range of shower gels, liquid soaps and moisturising bars.

Lux beauty facial wash, Lux beauty bath and Lux beauty shower were launched in

1992.

In 2004, the entire Lux range was relaunched in the UK & Ireland to include five

shower gels, three bath products and two new soap bars. 2005 saw the launch of three

exciting new variants with dreamy names such as ―Wine & Roses‖ bath cream,

―Glowing Touch‖ and ―Sparkling Morning‖ shower gels.

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Advertising

In 2004, Sarah Jessica Parker featured in the Lux 'Brings Out the Star in You‘

advertising campaign. Sarah Jessica Parker epitomizes the modern Lux woman:

comfortable and confident in her femininity.

Prominent Variant:

Lux fruit

Lux saffron

Lux sandalwood

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Lux rose

Lux international

Lux chocolate

Lux aromatic extracts

Lux oil and honey glow etc.

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Aishwarya Rai in a print advertisement featuring Lux international

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DOVE SOAP

Hindustan unilever limited offers dove. Dove soap, which was launched by unilever, has

been available in India since 1995. It provides a refreshingly real alternative for women who

recognize that beauty is not simply about how you look, it is about how you feel.

The skin`s natural ph is slightly acidic 5.5-6. Ordinary soaps tend to be alkaline, with ph

higher than 9. Dove is formulated to be ph neutral [ph between 6.5 and 7.5] and to be mild on

skin. This makes it suitable for all skin types for all seasons. While dove soap bar is widely

available across the country, dove body wash is available in select outlets.

Dove has been positioned throughout its history without referring to it as "soap", but as a

"beauty bar" with one-fourth cleansing cream. Dove‘s logo is a silhouette profile of a dove,

the colour of which often varies. Dove‘s products include: antiperspirants/deodorants, body

washes, beauty bars, lotions/moisturizers, hair care and facial care products.

PEARS SOAP

Pears transparent soap is a brand of soap first produced and sold in 1789 by Andrew Pears

at a factory just off Oxford Street in London, England. It was the world's first transparent

soap. Under the stewardship of Thomas J. Barratt, A. & F. Pears Ltd. company initiated a

number of innovations in sales and marketing. According to Unilever records, Pears Soap

was the world's first registered brand and is therefore the world's oldest continuously existing

brand.

Benefits of Pears Soap

Pears soap is hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic so it will not clog pores, and contains no

color that may irritate sensitive skin. It is designed to be a gentle and mild cleanser. It is

made with quality ingredients including glycerin and natural oils. It contains no animal

byproducts.

21

How is Pears Soap Made?

Very little has changed from the first process started by Andrew Pears, which basically

follows the same process used for other soaps. Each bar is aged under controlled conditions

for three months. This time frame allows for the curing period of the soap. The longer each

bar cures, the more it allows for a harder bar and gentle cleansing. After each bar has

matured, it is individually polished and packaged.

Specialty of Pears Soap :

Perhaps the most prominent feature of Pears Soap is the transparency of each bar. The

glycerine that is a natural byproduct of the soap-making process is retained in the soap,

causing the transparency. Another feature is the concave shape of each bar. According to the

thesoapopera.com, this is caused by the curing process and not a mold.

Where is Pears Soap Made?

Pears soap was introduced in India in 1902. The facility in India is the only facility in the

world that makes the famous Pears soap. The same quality that made Pears famous is still as

important today as it was when it was first started.

Significance of Pears Soap:

Andrew Pears revolutionized the soap world when he developed his formula for Pears Soap.

He claimed his soap as "safe and healthy and made its users beautiful." When Pears soap first

came on the market in the late 18th century, other soaps were indeed harsh and would

sometimes damage delicate skin. Pears soap offered a more gentle cleanser.

Different Types of Pears Soap:

Pears soaps have expanded into different product lines. It now offers the traditional

transparent soap along with shower gels, body washes, facial cleansers and hand washes. It

comes in three variants: the traditional Amber; Lemon Flower Extract using the "oil clear

formula" and Tea Tree Oil, which is known for its antibacterial properties.

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OBJECTIVES

To study the consumer perception towards bathing soaps

To study the awareness regarding various brands of soap.

To identify the factors considered before buying bath soap.

To identify the soap having best range of prices , attractive packaging and easy

availability

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Review of Literature:

Perception is basically an organism which describes an individual‘s perceived image which

he expect from any product or service. Observation can be changed or influenced by

numerous factors.

AWARENESS OF CONSUMER ABOUT PRODUCT:

Brown et al. (2000) reported that the need for educating young generation specially those

who are in their adolescence are noticeably increasing, given their regular food eating habits

and International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology, behaviour, children

who are in their teenage prefer food with respect to food nutritious as well as three factors

plays very important role, home envirnment, school and social gatherings .

Aaker (2000) assess that brand awareness plays a vital role in consumer perception especially

when their buying pattern is not defined. Branded items gives the feeling of familiarity

especially in low involvement products for example soaps and other day to day usage items,

media and advertisement are effective tools for awareness.

Nandagopal and Chinnaiyan (2003) conclude that the mode of purchase of product also

effecting buying pattern and so perception of consumer.

FACTORS INFLUENCE THE CONSUMPTION PATTERN:

Kumar et al. (1987) examined those factors which effect buying decisions making of large

number of respondents for different food products. Country, origin, and brand of the product

impact effectively and largely. Brand of the product is the most important factor since

consumers more attracted toward brand. Income, age and awareness are dependant factors.

26

Sabesson (1992), stated that brand of processed food is chosen by its quality, taste of the

product and price of product. These are the major factor which affects the criteria for food

brand selection.

Rees (1992), study he explains those factors which influence consumer choice of food and

flavor includes food texture, appearance, taste and quality whereas use of microwave and

reduction in traditional cooking are the factors which effect consumer usage of product.

Vanniarajan and Kubendran (2005) describe that consumer perception and usage of any

product can be changed due to change in food eating habbits. If income and urbanization

increases in among consumers then the percentage of income spent on

consumption Increases. The urban consumer mostly like branded products as compared to

rural consumers.

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Research Methodology:

This project is prepared with the help of theoretical knowledge as well as practical

knowledge & a crumb of advises & suggestions from the concerned professors. As far as

practical is concerned, all the information about the companies information available on

internet. The theoretical pert taken from the various books & magazines available on this

subject. And other recent happing in marketing is taken from magazines & news paper.

Overall this mission has been completed with the combination of all those things & it had

been with the best of my facts & information.

Research methodology refers to search for knowledge. Redman and Mory define research as

a ―Systematized effort to gain new knowledge. Research is an academic activity and such the

term should be used in technical sense. According to Clifford Woody, Research comprises

defining and redefining problem, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting,

organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and research conclusions; and at last

carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

Research is thus an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge making for its

advertisement. It is pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and

experiment. In short the search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of

finding solution to problem is research.

RESEARCH DESIGN Methodology is the way to systematically solve the research problem. Research methodology

just does not deals with research methods but also consider the logic behind the methods. It

may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically and

systematically. In studying research problem along with the logic behind them it is necessary

for the researcher to know the research methods, would apply to the problem given to him.

All this means that it is necessary for the researcher to design methodology from problem to

problem.

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Research methodology may be summarized in the following steps –

1. Defining the research objective.

2. Preparing the research design.

3. Implementation of the research design.

1. Research design

A complete enumeration of the items in the population is known as census enquiry. It can be

presumed that in such as enquiry when all items are covered, no elements of change are left

and highest accuracy is obtained. However this type of inquiry involves a great deal of time,

money and energy.

In sample survey we select only few items from the total population. Results are sufficiency

accurate and much lesser time; energy and money is spending in field studies. Hence, it was

decided to opt for sample survey.

2. Data collection

There are two types of data collection

Primary data collection –

Questionnaire had been prepared to get the response of the people as per guided by the

organizational guide. To provide the best end results without any kind of biasness, which can

give a brief idea about sampling and would be beneficial for making inferences for

tabulations and calculations with research instruments? I made a survey through

questionnaire as prepared by me.

Secondary data collection –

Secondary data collected by authorized dealer, magazine, internet, pamphlets, etc.

Need of the study:

The need of the study is to determine the consumer perception towards the bathing soap.

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Scope of the study:

The scope of the study is restricted to analyze the consumer perception towards the bathing

soap with reference to lux dove and pears within the city of Satna only.

Sample size: 100 respondents

Sampling technique: convenient sampling

Sample area: Satna city

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DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

1. Gender of respondents:

Gender Respondents Percentage

Male 48 48

Female 52 52

Total 100 100

48%52%

sex

Male

Female

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that out of 100 respondents, 52 respondents are female while

48 are males.

33

2. Income Group:

Income group Respondents Percentage

< 1 lakh 8 8

1—3 52 52

3—5 24 24

>5 16 16

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the majority of 52% respondents are belonging the

income group between 1 to 3 lakhs.

34

3. Age group of the respondents:

Age group Respondents Percentage

12-18 10 10

19-25 50 50

26-35 22 22

36-45 10 10

> 45 8 8

Total 100 100

10%

50%22%

10%8%

age group

12--18

19--25

26--35

36--45

> 45

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that out of 100 respondents, 50% respondents are belonging

the age group between 19-25 years.

35

4. Number of family members:

Family members Respondents Percentage

<5 58 58

5—7 34 34

7—10 6 6

>10 2 2

Total 100 100

58%34%

6% 2%

Family members

<5

5--7

7--10

>10

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, a huge amount of 58% are

having the family members less than 5 while 34% of the respondents are between 5-7 family

members.

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1. Awareness regarding various brands of soap:

Options Aware Unaware

Respondents Percentage Respondents percentage

Lux 100 100 0 0

Dove 96 96 4 4

Pears 94 94 6 6

Cinthol 92 92 8 8

Liril 84 84 16 16

lifebuoy 92 92 8 8

Rexona 92 92 8 8

Margo 78 78 22 22

Santoor 82 82 18 18

Fair glow 84 84 16 16

Park avenue 58 58 42 42

100 96 94 92 84 92 92 78 82 8458

0 4 6 8 16 8 8 22 18 1642

aware unaware

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the 100% of the respondents are aware of lux soap.96%

are aware of dove.94% are aware of pears. The least awareness is regarding Park Avenue

(58%).

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2. Number of soaps purchased every month:

Option Respondents Percentage

1—3 30 30

4—6 34 34

>6 36 36

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that 36% of the respondents purchase more than 6 soaps every month.

34% purchase 4-6 soaps every month. 30% of the respondents purchase 1-3 soaps.

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3. Frequency of purchase:

Options Respondents Percentage

Weekly 12 12

Bimonthly 80 80

Quarterly 8 8

Semi annually 0 0

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that 80% respondents purchase soaps bimonthly, 12%

purchase soap weekly and a minimum of 8% respondents purchase soap quarterly.

39

4. Liking towards the bath soap:

Options Respondents Percentage

Herbal soap 23 23

Beauty soap 38 38

Medicated soap 39 39

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents like medicated soap, 38% like beauty

soap and 23% respondents like herbal soap.

40

5. Bath soap currently in use:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 32 32

Dove 15 15

Pears 22 22

Others 31 31

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents 32% using Lux, 22% using

pears, dove is being used by 15% respondents while 31% respondents are using other soaps.

41

6. Source of information about bath soap:

Options Respondents Percentage

Family 29 29

Relatives 3 3

TV 55 55

Newspaper 4 4

Shopkeeper

reference

0 0

Others 9 9

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents 55% of the respondents are getting

information of any soap from TV and 29% from their family members.

42

7. Factors considered before buying a soap:

Options Respondents Percentage

Price 7 7

Quality 41 41

Hygiene 22 22

Brand name 12 12

Fragrance 14 14

Special offer 1 1

Availability 3 3

Total 100 100

7%

41%

22%

12%

14%1% 3%

pricequalityhygienebrand namefragrancespecial offeravailability

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, 41% consider quality as an

important factor before buying a soap, 22% consider hygiene factor, 14% considers

fragrance.

43

8. Soap with best range of prices:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 60 60

Dove 11 11

Pears 16 16

Others 13 13

Total 100 100

60%11%

16%

13%lux

dove

pears

others

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents 60% of the respondents feel

that lux has the best range of prices.

44

9. Easy availability in stores:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 67 67

Dove 10 10

Pears 14 14

Others 9 9

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents 67% respondents are agree

with lux in respect of easily accessible in stores.

45

10. Soap with zero side effects:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 12 12

Dove 36 36

Pears 39 39

Others 13 13

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, 39% respondents have opinion that

pears have zero side effects after that 36% agreed with dove.

46

11. Soap with the most attractive packaging:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 21 21

Dove 35 35

Pears 41 41

Others 3 3

Total 100 100

21%

35%

41%

3%

lux

dove

pears

others

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents 41% feels that dove has the

most attractive packaging followed by dove (35%) and lux (21%).

47

12. Advertisement which can be easily recalled:

Options Respondents Percentage

Lux 46 46

Dove 22 22

Pears 32 32

Total 100 100

46%

22%

32%lux

dove

pears

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, 46% respondents were able

to recall the advertisement of lux soap, 32% were able to recall the ad of pears and only 22%

of the respondents were able to recall the ad of dove.

48

13. Satisfaction regarding the soap in current use:

Options Respondents Percentage

Yes 96 96

No 4 4

Total 100 100

96%

4%

yes

no

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, 96% were satisfied with the

soap they are currently using while 4% respondents are not satisfied with their soap.

49

14. Planning to change your current soap:

Options Respondents Percentage

Yes 22 22

No 78 78

Total 100 100

INTERPRETATION

From the above chart it is clear that the out of 100 respondents, only 22% are planning to

switch to use other brand of the soap.

50

15. Ranking of the various attributes

LUX

Factors Strongly

agree

Agree Neutral

Low price 60 25 15

Hygiene 0 50 25

Brand image 40 50 0

Skincare 10 35 25

Easy availability 85 15 0

Packaging 25 40 25

Celebrity

endorsement

85 10 5

Moisturizing

effect

0 0 60

Good effect on

germs

0 15 60

DOVE

Factors Strongly agree Agree Neutral

Low price 0 40 25

Hygiene 35 30 25

Brand image 50 30 10

Skincare 50 25 25

Easy availability 25 35 25

Packaging 70 10 15

Celebrity

endorsement

0 0 0

Moisturizing

effect

60 15 20

Good effect on

germs

30 30 40

51

PEARS

Factors Strongly

agree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

disagree

Mean

score Low price 0 50 25 15 10 3.2

Hygiene 40 40 10 10 0 4.1

Brand image 45 40 15 0 0 4.3

Skincare 55 30 15 0 0 4.4

Easy

availability

50 25 15 10 0 4.1

Packaging 65 35 0 0 0 4.7

Celebrity

endorsement

0 0 15 35 50 1.7

Moisturizing

effect

30 40 30 0 0 4

Good effect on

germs

45 30 25 0 0 4.2

INTERPRETATION

From the above tables it is clear that on the basis of low price, easy availability and celebrity

endorsement, Lux is on the top. On the basis of hygiene factors, brand image, skincare,

packaging, and good effects on germs, Pears is on the top. On the basis of moisturizing

effect, dove is on the top.

52

CCHHAAPPTTEERR--VVIIII

FFIINNDDIINNGGSS && SSUUGGGGEESSTTIIOONNSS

53

FINDINGS

It has been found that:

100% respondents were aware of lux soap while 42% respondents were not aware

about Park Avenue.

36% of the respondents purchase more than 6 soaps every month.

80% respondents purchase soap bimonthly.

39% respondents like medicated soap.

32% of the respondents were currently using lux soap.

55% of the respondents got the information about their soap from TV.

41% of the respondents consider quality as the most preferred factor before buying a

soap.

60% of the respondents feel that lux have the best range of prices.

39% of the respondents feel that pears have zero side effects.

41% of the respondents were of the view that pears have the most attractive

packaging.

46% of the respondents were able to recall the ad of lux out of which 60% were able

to recall the ad featuring Abhishek and Ashwariya.

96% of the respondents were satisfied with the soap they are currently using.

22% of the respondents were planning to switch over to some other brand of soap

(out of which 63% would switch to pears).

54

SUGGESTIONS

Dove should try to attract more customers by reducing its prices.

Lux should improve its packaging.

Pears and dove should make use of celebrity endorsement in order to increase their

customers.

Efforts should be made by lux to increase the moisturizing ingredients.

Pears lux and dove should go for an medicinal variant.

Dove and Pears should add floral fragrance to their soap.

55

CCHHAAPPTTEERR--VVIIIIII

LLIIMMIITTAATTIIOONNSS

56

LIMITATIONS:

This study is done in Satna city hence it is applicable only in this particular

region and not elsewhere. .

Time frame of this study was limited. The result could be different if the time

frame would have been long.

Sometimes some respondents were not in full mood to give the answers to

the questions so some of the answers may not be exact.

57

CCHHAAPPTTEERR--IIXX

CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONN

58

Conclusion:

This project is containing the combination of both theoretical and practical knowledge.

From this survey one can conclude that in the recent years the awareness regarding the

varieties and effects of soaps have increased many folds. While buying soaps quality is

preferred over the price. It was also found that packaging and celebrity endorsements

influence the buying decisions of the consumers. At last it can be said that if the

recommendations are followed the sales of the companies can be improved.

59

CCHHAAPPTTEERR--XX

RREEFFEERREENNCCEESS

60

REFERENCES

BOOKS

1. Philip Kotler, ―Marketing Management‖, 11th

edition, Pearson education Asia

Publication.

2. C.R.Kothari, ―Research Methodology methods & techniques‖, New Age

International (P) Ltd. publishers, 2nd

edition.

WEBSITES

www.hll.com

www.wikipedia.org

www.google.com

www.fmcg.com

61

CCHHAAPPTTEERR--XXII

AANNNNEEXXUURREE

62

Questionnaire

RESEARCH SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ON CONSUMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS

BATHING SOAPS

I am a student of A.P.S University, Rewa pursuing M.B.A. with Marketing

Specialization. I am currently doing a survey regarding “A Study of Consumer

Perception towards Bathing Soaps with reference to Lux, Dove & Pears”. Please

spend your precious time by filling up this questionnaire. Your feedback will be kept

confidential. Your answers are valuable to my research. Thank you for your kind

cooperation.

Personal Information:

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Education qualification:

Occupation:

Annual income: <1 lakh ( ), 1-3 lakh ( ), 3-5 lakh ( ), >5 lakh ( )

Family members: <5 ( ), 5-7 ( ), 7-10 ( ), >10 ( )

1. What are the brands of soap you are aware of?

Products Spontaneous Aided

Lux

Dove

Pears

Cinthol

Liril

63

Lifebuoy

Rexona

Margo

Santoor

Fair glow

Park avenue

2. How many bath soap do you purchase for your household every month?

1-3 4-6 more than 6

3. What is the frequency of purchase?

Weekly Bimonthly quarterly semi-annually

4. Which kind of bath soap do you like?

Herbal soap

Beauty soap

Medicated soap

5. Which bath soap do you use?

Lux Dove Pears Other (specify)

6. How did you come to know about your favorite bath soap?

Family relatives TV newspapers

Shopkeeper reference others (specify)

7. What are the factors you take into consideration before buying soap?

Price Quality Hygienic Brand name

64

Fragrance Special offer Availability Others

8. Which brand does u think has the best range of prices?

Lux Dove Pears Others

(specify)

9. Which brand is easily available in stores?

Lux Dove Pears Others

(specify)

10. Which soap do u think has zero side effects?

Lux Dove Pears Others

(specify)

11. Which brand is having most attractive packaging?

Lux Dove Pears Others

(specify)

12. Which Ad do you recall?

Lux ___________________________________________________________

Dove ___________________________________________________________

Pears____________________________________________________________

13. Are you satisfied with your soap? Y / N

If no what do you expect more from your soap?

Do you have any plan to switch over? Y / N

14. If yes, to which brand?____________________________________________

65

15. Which celebrity is most suitable for endorsing bath soap?

16. Rank the following soaps with respect to corresponding attributes.

Attributes Lux Dove Pears

Price

hygiene

Brand image

Skincare

Easy availability

Packaging

Celebrity

endorsement

Moisturizing Effect

Gsood effect on

germs

THANK YOU!