ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Acknowledgement is not only formality but also an expression of deep sense of gratitude. This project report is the product of inspiration and perspirations, no doubt, some transpiration as well. At this juncture, my heart is filled with the feeling to them whose effort has made this task a reality.

I express my deep sense of gratitude to all the VEL RS CMS-faculty members for conducting the training project. I am extremely grateful to respected Mr. A.K.SUBRAMANI Sir under the guidance of whom I have executed the project.

I also extend my heartiest gratitude to all of respondents and all those who directly or indirectly helped me in this project without whom the project would not have been otherwise.

R.NAVEENDRAN(MBA-1STYEAR)

CONTENTS

CHAPTER NO

TITLE PAGE NO

1

2

3

4

5

Introduction of the studyIndustry profileCompany profile

ObjectivesScope of the studyLimitations

Review of Literature

Research methodology

Data analysis & Interpretation a)

6

7

FindingsSuggestionsconclusion

Bibliography

Annexure

PREFACE

Research is the feedback, which any organization sought for the purpose ofeffective policy making. It is the systematic problem Analysis, model building and fact finding for the purpose of important decision -making and control in the marketing of goods and services. Practical aspect gives more knowledge and experience than the theory and no learning can be completed without practical aspect.

This is a project on “CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR TOWARDSHARPIC-TOILET CLEANER” in the region of CHENNAI.

INTRODUCTION

FMCG Company has been playing a pivotal role in the national economy in both rural and urban sector.

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) goods are popularly named as consumer packaged goods. Items in this category include all consumables (other than groceries/pulses) people buy at regular intervals. The most common in the list are toilet soaps, detergents, shampoos, toothpaste, shaving products, shoe polish, packaged foodstuff, household accessories and extends to certain electronic goods. These items are meant for daily of frequent consumption and have a high return.

A major portion of the monthly budget of each household is reserved for FMCG products. The volume of money circulated in the economy against FMCG products is very high, as the number of products the consumer use is very high. Competition in the FMCG sector is very high resulting in high pressure on margins.

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INDUSTRY PROFILE

Cleaning the closet in the bathroom/washroom could be a demanding task. Thanks to some sophisticated products, it is no longer a cumbersome task. Some actually find it intriguing enough to indulge in it.  

Our focus today is on one such product which makes cleaning toilets very easy. We would have seen some advertisements on the television about this from time to time, but here we are covering some different aspects of this wonder cleaning liquid – HARPIC.

For starters, Harpic is a brand owned by a British company called Reckitt Benckiser who is a strong player in the Indian Market along with many other interesting products. We will cover them one after another in the coming days. Interestingly enough, Reckitt Benckiser was previously known as Reckitt & Colman India. Harpic was originally invented by Mr. Harry Pickup (hence the name!).

Launched in England in the 1920s, Harpic toilet bowl cleaner has been successfully extended to 47 countries on a platform of powerful cleaning. Harpic provides a full range of liquid toilet bowl cleaners, tablets, wipes, toilet bowl blocks, cistern blocks and brush systems. (taken from Reckitt Benckiser’s website)

One of the features on the product is that it has a “child-proof” cap which has to be pressed and opened, making it safe against kids at home.The primary claims of the product enhanced by its ”Opti-Thick” formula are:

1. Kills germs post 60 minutes of contact with undiluted product.2. Removes tough stains and keeps your closet sparkling clean.3. Removes bad odour from the closets and keeps your bathrooms fresh.

The product is available in 500 ml, 200 ml and 35 ml quantities. The first two are bottles whereas the last one is a sachet.

The competing products for Harpic are primarily “Sanifresh” and other local players such as phenyl and powder based cleaning agents.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company Overview

Reckitt Benckiser is a global force in household, health and personal care, delivering ever better solution of consumers.

The company has the sales of over 6 billion pounds consistently going ahead of the industry due to its leading brands, its operation in over 60 countries and sales in 180, and its highly motivated multinational management.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc. (Reckitt Benckiser) is principally engaged in the manufacturing and marketing of household, cleaning, health and

personal care products. The company manufactures products related to several categories which include dishwashing, fabric care, surface care, health, home care and personal care products and food. The company operates through 60 operating companies across 180 countries. The company has 13 directly held subsidiaries which include Propack, Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited, Reckitt Benckiser (Brazil) Limited, Reckitt Benckiser (Canada) Inc. Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH, Reckitt Benckiser Health care (UK) Limited, Reckitt Benckiser Inc., Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited,Reckitt Benckiser Italia and Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Limited.

The company is headquartered in the UK.The company reported revenues of (British Pounds) GBP 6,563.00 million during the fiscal year ended 2008, an increase of 24.56% over 2007.

The operating profit of the company was GBP 1,505.00 million during the fiscal year 2008, an increase of 22.06% over 2007. The net profit of the company was GBP 1,120.00 million during the fiscal year 2008, an increase of 19.40% over 2007. In 2008, the BBC broadcast an investigaton into the methods Reckitt Benckiser used to maintain the market share of the Gaviscon powerbrand.

The company held Platinum status in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 in the Business.

History

RECKITT COLMANColman's was founded in 1814 when Jeremiah Colman began milling flour and mustard in Norwich, England. Reckitt & Sons started in 1840 when Isaac Reckitt rented a starch mill in Hull, England. He diversified into other household products and in due course passed on his business to his four sons. Reckitt & Sons was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1888.

In 1938 Reckitt & Sons merged with J&J Colman to become Reckitt & Colman Ltd. Reckitt & Colman sold the Colman's food business in 1995 but still has some food brands.

BenckiserJohann A. Benckiser founded a business in Germany in 1823. Its main products were industrial chemicals. Benckiser went public in 1997.

Merger and subsequent developmentsThe company was formed by a merger between Britain's Reckitt & Colman and the Dutch company Benckiser NV in December of 1999. Bart Becht became CEO of this new company and has been credited for its transformation, focusing on core brands and improving efficiency in the supply chain. The new management team’s strategy of “innovation marketing”. A combination of increased marketing spend and product innovation, focusing on consumer needs – has been linked to the company’s ongoing success. For example, in 2008, the company’s “rapid succession of well publicised new product variants” were credited for helping them “to capture shoppers' imagination” Business Week has also noted that “40% of Reckitt Benckiser's $10.5 billion in 2007 revenues came from products launched within the previous three years.”

In October 2005, Reckitt Benckiser agreed to purchase the over-the-counter drugs manufacturing business of Boots Group, Boots Healthcare International, for £1.926 billion. The three main brands acquired were Nurofen in analgesics; Strepsils sore throat lozenges; and Clearasil antiacne treatments.

In January 2008, the Company acquired Adams Respiratory Therapeutics Inc., a pharmaceutical company, for $2.3bn: one of the major brands acquired with this purchase was Mucinex.

Brief Profile of the Business

Reckitt & Benckiser Plc, UK, promote Reckitt & Benckiser of India Ltd (Reckitt & Benckiser).The company has business interests in household products, personal care and pharmaceuticals.Key brands include Dettol, Cherry Blossom, Harpic, Robin liquid blue and Mortein. Around 40% of the company´s sales come from its flagship product Dettol. Dettol`s market share hovers around 85% and its product portfolio comprises toilet soaps, anti germ liquids and talcum powder. The remaining divisions, namely fabric care, shoe care and floor care contribute approximately 15% to the total turnover.

Within the household products and the personal care segments, Reckitt & Benckiser is mainly into insecticides, lavatory care, surface care, shoe care and air fresheners. Insecticides contribute over 50% to Reckitt & Benckiser’s household business and 26% to its total sales. The company has a strong brand Mortein in the insect repellent market with a total market share of 45% (coil 12% and mats 33%). In the relatively small lavatory care market (Rs320m), Reckitt & Benckiser’s Harpic enjoys a 79.6% market share. Its brand Cherry enjoys a 79% market share in the Indian shoe care industry. The Indian air freshener market is estimated at Rs120m with Balsara Hygiene’s Odonil leading the market with an 80% share. Reckitt & Benckiser has positioned its Haze brand at the premium end of the market. Regarding the wash-segment, Reckitt & Benckiser is currently present only in the post-wash segment with its flagship brand Robin Blue, which is in existence since 1984. Robin Blue powder market share is around 20%.

The company has entered into a joint venture, operational from March 1998, with pharmaceutical major Nicholas Piramal; a company having a strong distribution reach with chemists. The UK parent and Nicholas Piramal hold 40% stake each while the balance is with Reckitt & Benckiser. The joint venture, Reckitt Piramal, is the largest over the counter (OTC) pharmaceutical company in the country. The JV, besides improving sales of its flagship product Dettol, which currently contributes to over 80% of the

JV´s sales, would also help in pushing other products like Dispirin and Gelora.

Recent DevelopmentReckitt Benckiser Plc and Lancaster Square Holdings SL, have made a voluntary offer to the equity shareholders of Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd to acquire 41,91,339 equity shares of Rs 10each, representing 12.73 per cent of the paid up equity share capital of Reckitt Benckiser India,at Rs 250 per share, payable in cash. The specified date is August 16, 2002. The date of the opening of the offer is September 2, 2002. The date of the closing of the offer is October 1, 2002.In aggregate, Reckitt Benckiser Plc and Lancaster Square at present hold 28,721,849 fully paid up equity shares of Rs 10 each, representing 87.27 per cent of the paid up equity share capital of Reckitt Benckiser India. After the open offer the company plans to delist its shares.

Reckitt Benckiser Plc has received approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for infusion of funds of Rs 403.19 crore for the open offer of its subsidiary, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd. The parent has made an open offer to acquire the public shareholding of Reckitt Benckiser (India) at Rs 250 per share.

The company is making serious efforts to improve penetration of the specialised toilet cleaner and to upgrade the habits of Indian consumer. For this purpose, Reckitt & Benckiser has recently tied up with sanitaryware major EID Parry’s premium brand Parryware for a co-branding initiative in Delhi. The company has recently relaunched Cherry Blossom Shine in a handy and compact case. The company also launched the Mortein Xtra Power range of mosquito coils and mats. It extended the range of offerings of the Dettol brand further by recently introducing Dettol Extra Care soap and Dettol talcum powder.

As part of its strategy, Reckitt & Benckiser has decided to pull out of its food products business. Its factory at Chetla, which manufactures the Robinson brand of barley, is proposed to be sold as a going concern. Negotiations in this regard are currently underway.

The merged overseas parent, christened Reckitt Benckiser Plc, which holds 51 per cent of the company`s equity stake, was firming up its strategy to garner a higher share of the market for dish wash, home care, fabric care and health care products. Reckitt & Benckiser would draw up its strategy some time later in line with the parent company`s strategy. A decision on change in the name of Reckitt & Benckiser would also be taken after the legal formalities are completed in the UK.

The merged parent is also working on a global e-commerce initiative strategy. Initially, however, this strategy will more likely to focus on B2B rather than B2C transactions. Reckitt’s Indian operations would, for the time being, continue to be channeled through the existing distributors` network.

Future PlansThe company will relaunch several products with new packaging, introducing new delivery systems and offering better value to the customers. The pest control business will come under greater focus as Reckitt & Benckiser sees a lot of potential in this segment in the future. Productsare also to be introduced under umbrella brands Mortein, Lizol and Dettol.

VISION

‘Reckitt Benckiser is about passionately delivering better solutions in household cleaning and health & personal care to customers and consumers, wherever they may be, for the ultimate purpose of creating shareholder value.’

This vision defines both our purpose and our values as a Company and encompasses our commitment to product quality and safety, customer service, innovation, global reach and corporate social responsibility.

VALUES

Our core values are a set of guiding principles through which we think, behave and conduct our business in order to deliver on our vision.

OBJECTIVES

Reckitt Benckiser's objective is to generate above industry average profitable growth by:

Focusing on building the power brands in high growth categories Geographic expansion of the portfolio

Continuous innovation

Higher investment in brand building

Margin expansion and cash conversion to fund reinvestment in core brands and to grow returns to shareholders.

Selective add-on acquisitions

Executive Committee/Board of directors

RB’s international management make their mark by pushing boundaries, being progressive and bold thinkers, and being driven to outperform wherever they focus.

JA Benckiser circa1823(left), Isaac Reckitt circa 1860s (right)

Bart Becht - Chief Executive Officer Freddy Caspers - Executive Vice President, Developing Markets Colin Day - Chief Financial Officer Amedeo Fasano - Executive Vice President, Supply Gareth Hill - Senior Vice President, Information Services Rakesh Kapoor - Executive Vice President, Category Development Simon Nash - Senior Vice President, Human Resources

ACHIEVEMENTS & REWARDS

2001 a Highly Commended in the Best Factory Awards, run by leading business magazine Management Today in conjunction with Cranfield School of Management.

Derby site director Andre Croatto said: “We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved over the past four years. Improvements in efficiency and cost savings have more than justified the capital investment levels and personal commitment that the Group’s senior management has shown in Derby. It is also a huge credit to the team here at all levels, and has not been without its problems or pain at times - but the results have been outstanding. We are confident,

despite fierce competition in all our market sectors, that the future both for Derby and the company as a whole, is very bright.”

Qouting an AC Nielsen study, Reckitt Benkiser Chairman and Managing Director Chander Mohan Sethi said the brand right now is around Rs 900 crore. "We are very close to achieving our target of Rs 1,000 crore brand. It might have already reached also," he said but declined to provide further details on it.

According to the industry experts, if the company is able to achieve Rs 1,000-crore sales from Dettol in the current year, it would become the second company after Hindustan Uniliver Ltd (HUL) to achieve the milestone.

COMPETITORS

Sanifresh Others (Domex)

MARKET SIZE

MARKET SIZE 2005 2006 2007Market Size Value (RS Crore) 90.1 103.3 120.2Market Size volume(Kilometers) 5719 6499 7339

NEED OF THE STUDY

The term consumer behavior refers the behavior that consumers display in the searching for purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of product and services that they expect, will satisfy their needs. Consumer is highly

complex individuals, subject to a variety of psychological needs and buying behavior. Need and priorities of the different consumers segment differ effectively.

This project has been undertaken to understand the consumer behavior towards different toilet cleaners which are of different Brands. There is a wide range of use of toilet cleaners everywhere. How many toilet cleaners are in the market especially in non urban area and up to what limit popular product of toilet cleaners has been able to compete to the local product in terms of QUALITY,QUANTITY…or INSPIRATION FACTOR to accept buying decision. How the Rural People use a particular toilet cleaners and how they show their attitude towards different toilet cleaners and why?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of understanding this study is to accomplish the following objective:

To study the awareness of HARPIC TOILET CLEANER among the locality where I used to reside CHENNAI.

To know about the most favorite TOILET CLEANER brand of the consumer in that particular area.

To know what are the expectations of the buyer’s towards their favorite

Toilet cleaner.

To know how the several factors like price, quality, brand name, availability affects the buying decision.

To know about the market share of these toilet cleaner.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Although every effort is made to make the result accurate but almost all the report suffers from certain limitations. The result which I obtained from this

study, also suffers from certain limitations. The limitations of this study are as follows.

This study is done in CHENNAI, hence this study is applicable only in that particular region and not elsewhere.

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

I visited door to door to collect the opinion and perception about Antiseptic liquid and this may vary because they may be biased as the perception regarding their favorite brands.

Sometimes some consumers were not in full mood to give the answers of my questions so some of the answers may not be exact.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study helps to find the consumer buying behavior towards HARPIC TOILET CLEANER.

This study helps to analyze the confidence and skill level of the students .

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge and or methodological approaches on a particular topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and as such, do not report any new or original experimental work. A good literature review is characterized by: a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of terminology; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the topic

According to Serena Jian (senior company analyst),“Reckitt Benckiser is strong at marketing its brands to consumers.” And "Combined with good product innovation, that helps increase brand loyalty and drive up margins."

CONSUMER:-

Everyday purchaser of a good or service in retail. End user, and not necessarily a purchaser, in the distribution chain of

a good or service. See also customer.

BEHAVIOUR:-

The action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances;

consumer buying behavior

 Definition

Process by which individuals search for, select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services, in satisfaction of their needs and wants.

Consumer Buying Behaviour

What influences consumers to purchase products or services? The consumer buying process is a complex matter as many internal and external factors have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer.

When purchasing a product there several processes, which consumers go through. These will be discussed below.

 Need to understand:

why consumers make the purchases that they make? What factors influence consumer purchases? The changing factors in our society.

Consumer Buying Behavior refers to the buying behavior of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyze buying behavior for:

Buyer’s reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firm’s success.

The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy.

Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.

Stages of the Consumer Buying Process

Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purchasing is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity...

The 6 stages are:

1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)--difference between the desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of product

2. Information search-- o Internal search, memory. o External search if you need more information. Friends and

relatives (word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc.

A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set.

3. Evaluation of Alternatives--need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want

4. If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can you think of another product? Marketers try to influence by "framing" alternatives.

5. Purchase decision--Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store, method of purchase etc.

6. Purchase--May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability.

7. Post-Purchase Evaluation--outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction. Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties, after sales communication etc.

Types of Consumer Buying Behavior

Types of consumer buying behavior are determined by: Level of Involvement in purchase decision. Importance and intensity

of interest in a product in a particular situation. Buyer’s level of involvement determines why he/she is motivated to

seek information about a certain products and brands but virtually ignores others.

Types of risk: Personal risk Social risk Economic risk

The four type of consumer buying behavior are: Routine Response/Programmed Behavior--buying low involvement

frequently purchased low cost items; need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc.

Limited Decision Making--buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes--know product class but not the brand.

Extensive Decision Making/Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and/or infrequently bought products. High degree of economic/performance/psychological risk. Examples include cars, homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding. Information from the companies MM; friends and relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the buying process Impulse buying, no conscious planning.

The purchase of the same product does not always elicit the same Buying Behavior. Product can shift from one category to the next.

Categories that Effect the Consumer Buying Decision Process

A consumer, making a purchase decision will be affected by the following three factors:

1. Personal 2. Psychological 3. Social

The marketer must be aware of these factors in order to develop appropriate MM for its target market.

Personal

Unique to a particular person. Demographic Factors. Sex, Race, Age etc.Who in the family is responsible for the decision making.Young people purchase things for different reasons than older people.

Psychological factors

Psychological factors include:

Motives--

A motive is an internal energizing force that orients a person's activities toward satisfying a need or achieving a goal.Actions are effected by a set of motives, not just one. If marketers can identify motives then they can better develop a marketing mix.MASLOW hierarchy of needs!!

o Physiological o Safety o Love and Belonging o Esteem o Self Actualization

Need to determine what level of the hierarchy the consumers are at to determine what motivates their purchases.

Perception--

What do you see?? Perception is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning. IE we chose what info we pay attention to, organize it and interpret it.Information inputs are the sensations received through sight, taste, hearing, smell and touch.

Selective Exposure-select inputs to be exposed to our awareness. More likely if it is linked to an event, satisfies current needs, intensity of input changes (sharp price drop).

Selective Distortion-Changing/twisting current received information, inconsistent with beliefs.

Advertisers that use comparative advertisements (pitching one product against another), have to be very careful that consumers do not distort the facts and perceive that the advertisement was for the competitor.

Selective Retention-Remember inputs that support beliefs, forgets those that don't.

Interpreting information is based on what is already familiar, on knowledge that is stored in the memory.

Ability and Knowledge--

Need to understand individual’s capacity to learn. Learning, changes in a person's behavior caused by information and experience.

Therefore to change consumers' behavior about your product, need to give them new information re: product...free sample etc.

When making buying decisions, buyers must process information.Knowledge is the familiarity with the product and expertise.

Inexperience buyers often use prices as an indicator of quality more than those who have knowledge of a product..

Learning is the process through which a relatively permanent change in behavior results from the consequences of past behavior.

Attitudes—

Knowledge and positive and negative feelings about an object or activity-maybe tangible or intangible, living or non- living.....Drive perceptions

Individual learns attitudes through experience and interaction with other people.

Consumer attitudes toward a firm and its products greatly influence the success or failure of the firm's marketing strategy.

Consumers screen information that conflicts with their attitudes. Distort information to make it consistent and selectively retain information that reinforces our attitudes. IE brand loyalty.

There is a difference between attitude and intention to buy (ability to buy).

Personality--

All the internal traits and behaviors that make a person unique, uniqueness arrives from a person's heredity and personal experience. Examples include:

o Workaholism o Compulsiveness o Self confidence o Friendliness o Adaptability o Ambitiousness o Dogmatism o Authoritarianism o Introversion o Extroversion o Aggressiveness o Competitiveness.

Traits effect the way people behave. Marketers try to match the store image to the perceived image of their customers.

There is a weak association between personality and Buying Behavior, this may be due to unreliable measures..

Lifestyle--

Recent US trends in lifestyles are a shift towards personal independence and individualism and a preference for a healthy, natural lifestyle.

Lifestyles are the consistent patterns people follow in their lives.

Social Factors

Consumer wants, learning, motives etc. are influenced by opinion leaders, person's family, reference groups, social class and culture.

Opinion leaders--

Spokes people etc. Marketers try to attract opinion leaders...they actually use (pay) spokespeople to market their products.

Roles and Family Influences--

Role...things you should do based on the expectations of you from your position within a group. People have many roles. Husband, father, employer/ee. Individuals role are continuing to change therefore marketers must continue to update information.

Family is the most basic group a person belongs to. Marketers must understand:

o that many family decisions are made by the family unit o consumer behavior starts in the family unit o family roles and preferences are the model for children's future

family (can reject/alter/etc) o family buying decisions are a mixture of family interactions and

individual decision making o family acts an interpreter of social and cultural values for the

individual.

The Family life cycle: families go through stages, each stage creates different consumer demands:

o bachelor stage...

o newly married, young, no children...me o full nest I, youngest child under 6 o full nest II, youngest child 6 or over o full nest III, older married couples with dependant children o empty nest I, older married couples with no children living with

them, head in labor force o empty nest II, older married couples, no children living at

home, head retired o solitary survivor, in labor force o solitary survivor, retired o Modernized life cycle includes divorced and no children.

Because 2 income families are becoming more common, the decision maker within the family unit is changing...also, family has less time for children, and therefore tends to let them influence purchase decisions in order to alleviate some of the guilt. (Children influence about $130 billion of goods in a year) Children also have more money to spend themselves.

Reference Groups--

Individual identifies with the group to the extent that he takes on many of the values, attitudes or behaviors of the group members.

Families, friends, sororities, civic and professional organizations.Any group that has a positive or negative influence on a persons attitude and behavior. Membership groups (belong to) Affinity marketing is focused on the desires of consumers that belong to reference groups. Marketers get the groups to approve the product and communicate that approval to its members. Credit Cards etc.!!

Aspiration groups (want to belong to)Disassociate groups (do not want to belong to)

The degree to which a reference group will affect a purchase decision depends on an individuals susceptibility to reference group influence and the strength of his/her involvement with the group.

Social Class--

An open group of individuals who have similar social rank. US is not a classless society. US criteria; occupation, education, income, wealth, race, ethnic groups and possessions.

Social class influences many aspects of our lives. IE upper middle class Americans prefer luxury cars Mercedes.

o Upper Americans-upper-upper class, .3%, inherited wealth, aristocratic names.

o Lower-upper class, 1.2%, newer social elite, from current professionals and corporate elite

o Upper-middle class, 12.5%, college graduates, managers and professionals

o Middle Americans-middle class, 32%, average pay white collar workers and blue collar friends

o Working class, 38%, average pay blue collar workers o Lower Americans-lower class, 9%, working, not on welfare o Lower-lower class, 7%, on welfare

Social class determines to some extent, the types, quality, quantity of products that a person buys or uses.

Lower class people tend to stay close to home when shopping, do not engage in much prepurchase information gathering.Stores project definite class images.

Family, reference groups and social classes are all social influences on consumer behavior. All operate within a larger culture.

Culture and Sub-culture--

Culture refers to the set of values, ideas, and attitudes that are accepted by a homogenous group of people and transmitted to the next generation.

Culture also determines what is acceptable with product advertising. Culture determines what people wear, eat, reside and travel. Cultural values in the US are good health, education, individualism and freedom. In American culture time scarcity is a growing problem. Big impact on international marketing.

Different society, different levels of needs, different cultural values.

Culture can be divided into subcultures:

o geographic regions o human characteristics such as age and ethnic background.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a very organized and systematic way through which a particular case or problem can be solved efficiently. It is a step-by-step logical process, which involves:

Defining a problem

Laying the objectives of the research Sources of data Methods of data collection Tabulation of data Data analysis & processing Conclusions & Recommendations

Sources of Data

Data refers to a collection of natural phenomena, descriptors, including the results of experience, observation or a set of premises. This may consist of nos., words or images particularly as measurements or observations of a set of variables.

There are two sources of data: Primary Source Secondary Source

Primary Sources

This data is that the researcher collects himself. It is reliable way to collect data as it requires the learner to interact with the source and extract information. It allows the learner to access original & unedited information.Its methods are –

Surveys Observations Questionnaire Experiments

I collected data using the primary method.

Secondary Sources

Data sources are edited primary sources, second hand versions. It represent thinking of someone else. Secondary sources take the role of analysing, explaining & combining the information from the primary source with additional information.

Internet Magazines Management books

DATA SOURCE

Consumers – Residents of chennaiNo. of sample respondents – 50Types of sampling – Probability sampling including simple randomsampling.Time frame – 4th January-27th january

Questionnaire:-To a self-administered process whereby the respondent himself reads the questions and answer his questions without the assistance of an interviewer.

Structured Questionnaire:-A structured questionnaire is one in which every aspect of the questionnaire is determined and there is no scope of any modification or alteration after the final draft is adopted. For example, a question with four alternative possible answers may be given and the respondents has to select the closest answer within the four alternative given.

SAMPLE SIZE:-Sample size denotes the number of elements selected for the study. For the present study, 50 respondents were selected at random.

SAMPLING METHOD:-

A sample is a representative part of the population. In sampling technique, information is collected only from a representative part of the universe and the conclusions are drawn on that basis for the entire universe.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTIONTo know the response, the researcher used questionnaire method. It has been designed as a primary research instrument. Questionnaires were distributed to respondents and they were asked to answer the questions given in the questionnaire.

The questionnaires were used as an instrumentation technique, because it is an important method of data collection. The success of the questionnaire method in collecting the information depends largely on proper drafting. So in the present study questions were arranged and interconnected logically. The structured questionnaire will reduce both interviewers and interpreters bias.

Further, coding and analysis was done for each question’s response to reach into finding .

QUESTIONNAIRE

Dear Respondent,

I am Doing MBA program “VEL RANGARAJAN SAKUNTHALA COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT & SCIENCE”,CHENNAI.

Where I have been given a project .The title of my research is “To study theconsumer buying behavior towards HARPIC TOILET CLEANER.

Disclaimer This is to acknowledge that the following survey is purely for educational

purposes. The identity of the respondent will be kept confidential.Name - Age a) 18 to 25years b) 25 to 35years c) 35 to 45years d) above 45years Sex a) male b) femaleIncome Level

a) Less than 5000 b) 5000 – 10000 c) 10000 – 15000 d) above 15000

Please answer the below-mentioned questions as applicable1.What type of product do you use for cleaning toilets ?

a) Acid b) bleaching powder c)liquid cleaner d) flushmatic e) other

2. Which brand do you use ?a) Harpic b) domex c) sanifresh d) glaze e) teepol

3. How satisfied are you with the product ?a) Highly satisfied b) satisfied c) moderate d) dissatisfied e) highly dissatisfied

4. How do you know about this product ?a) Family members b) friends c) relatives d) media e) others

5. Have you tried out any other product ?a) Yes b) no

6. If yes mention the product ?a) Harpic b) domex c) sanifresh d) glaze e) teepol

7. If yes what were the reason for using the product ?a) Better cleaning b) fragnance c) cheaper price d) availability e) size

8. Are you satisfied with harpic ?a) Highly satisfied b) satisfied c) moderate d) dissatisfied e) highly dissatisfied

9. How long you are using harpic ?a) 0-1yrs b) 1-2yrs c) 2-4yrs d) 4-6yrs e) more than 6 yrs

10. Do you typically read the back and side panel of the product’s package ?a) Yes b) no

11. Over all, how do you rate the quality of the product ?a) Excellent b) good c) moderate d) poor e) very poor

12. Would you recommend harpic to others ?a) Yes b) no

13. How often do you buy Harpic ?a) weekly b) montly c) 2 months once d) quarterly e) annualy

14. Are you satisfied with the price of Harpic ?a) Yes b) no

15. Are you satisfied with the packing of Harpic ? a) Yes b) no16. Are you satisfied with the availability of Harpic in market ? a) Yes b) no17. Are you satisfied with available quantity of Harpic ? a) Yes b) no18. what recommendation would you suggest for improving Harpic ?