A Study On Consumer Buying Behaviour of Pens at Retail Outlets in Rural Areas

PROJECT REPORT
A Study of Consumers Buying Behavior of Pens at Retail Outlets in Rural Areas
HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PVT. LTD.
Submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirement of Post Graduate Diploma in Management
Under the supervision of:

Prof. Abdul Qadir Faculty Mentor Mr. Manas Ranjan Nayak Industry Mentor
Submitted by:
Gadadhara Rath
Roll # PGSF1138, Batch 2011-13
A-32 A, Sector 62 JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Noida 201309

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA Page 1
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr. Gadadhara Rath of PGDM has successfully completed Summer Training Programme for a period of 8 weeks with HAMILTON HOUSEWARE PVT. LTD. From 29/04/2012 to 22/06/2012.
As per our assessment, he is hard working and his performance has been excellent during the training programme. We wish him all the success for his future endeavours.
Manas Ranjan Nayak Area Sales Manager Hamilton Writing Instrument Pvt. Ltd.
JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA
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DECLARATON
I hereby State that the summer project report entitled The Study of Consumers Buying Behavior of Pens at Retail Outlets in Rural Areas submitted by me in partial fulfillment of the requirements of PGDM, is my original work and that it has not previously formed the basis for the award of any other Degree, Diploma, Fellowship or other similar titles.
Date: 29th April, 2012 Place: Bhubaneswar (Orissa)
Gadadhara Rath Roll # PGSF1138
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is not enough to take steps which may someday lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude and special thanks to: Hamilton Group, for giving me the opportunity to spend eight weeks at the company in fulfillment of requirements of my Summer Internship Program in the esteemed company.
Prof. Abdul Qadir Mentor and Dr. Deepak Singh faculty member, JIM, Noida who helped me in understanding the objective of the project and in various analyses.
Mr. Bibhu Chaudhuri, sales officer, Hamilton Writing Instrument Pvt. Ltd., for his contribution regarding scope and learning of the project.
Mr. Nayandeep Dutta, Regional sales manager, for giving me a chance to work with esteemed company.
Last but not the least, my special thanks to Mr.Manas Ranjan Nayak, Area Sales Manager and Mr. Gyana Ranjan Parida, Sales Officer, Hamilton Writing Instrument Pvt. Ltd. for helping me from the very first day in each and every aspect of the project.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONTENTS Certificate Acknowledgement Declaration Executive Summary CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO STUDY 1.1 1.2 Objectives of Study Research Methodology
PAGE NUMBER I II III IV 1-3
CHAPTER 2 COMPANY PROFILE 2.1 2.2 Introduction to HWI (P) Ltd. Overview of Pen Industry
4-23
CHAPTER 3 OVERVIEW OF COMPANY MARKETING MIX 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Introduction Core Competency Four Ps Region-Wise Sales Break up
24-37
CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS & ANALYSIS
38-52
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
53-56
Annexure Bibliography
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction to consumer buying behavior in rural market

The ultimate objective of all production is consumption for the satisfaction of varied needs of man. A free market economy provides freedom to the consumers to buy and consume goods of their choice. Buying preferences of the consumers send signals to the producers to produce various commodities in required quantities. Producers, therefore, produces only those commodities which are desired by the consumers. Consumer behavior is related to likes and dislikes and expectations of the consumers. Consumer behavior has changed in recent years owing to enhanced awareness, information technology and more importantly governmental intervention through legislations. Thus, the manufacturers are more cautious in dealing with consumers of their respective products. The rural consumers in India account for about 73 percent of the total consumers. In recent years, the lifestyle of a large number of rural consumers in India has changed dramatically and the process of change is on. The buying behavior of the rural consumers is influenced by several factors such as socio-economic conditions, cultural environment, literacy level, occupation, geographical location, efforts on the part of sellers, exposure to media etc. The consumer movement in India till now has been confined to the middle class citizens in urban areas. It has yet to spread among the masses in rural areas. Consumer behavior in the rural market is even more perplexing because of a singular lack of consistency in groups which are homogeneous in parameters of demographics-Age, occupation, education and income. It is an old saying that customer is the king because he is the person whose decision have affect on the demand of any product or service. The attitude of consumer or buyer decides how demand will emerge for a new product & service & how existing goods and services would survive in future and in which manner. The study of consumer behavior implies how & why a particular consumer reacts to the decisions of producers. The study of consumer behavior is the study of how individual make decision to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on consumption related items. It includes the study of why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it & how often they use it.
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Introduction to Study
My topic for the study was on consumers buying behavior of pens at retail outlets in rural areas. Pen is a product which is used by each and every person. There are various brands of pens in the market of difference types Price, Color, Design, Grip etc. so the pen market is full of competition where the consumer possesses vast variety of choice to select his brand which depend on his buying behavior. Of course it is very difficult to describe consumer buying behavior about pen; even though I have tried to find how the consumer purchases a particular brand. How much they search for his brand? What factors influence they too buy the preferred brand. It also includes the study of why they buy it, when they buy it, where they buy it, how often they buy it & how often they use it. This study focused on understanding the consumer buying behavior of pens at rural retail outlets. It also focused on the issue that whether the marketing strategies are properly implemented in rural areas or not. The study would be beneficial for the Hamilton Company to formulate the strategy for future.
Methodology of the Research Work:

Population: Hamilton has a very commendable reputation in the market. I have collected data from both primary as well as secondary sources. For primary sources I have collected data from Customers. The same has been done in the case of secondary data as well. Sample: It is a very difficult work to conduct the survey in the every nook and corner of India and its not feasible at all. Hereby I have taken the data from rural people in 3 districts of Orissa. Orissa consists of people who are from different background and different cultures so I have basically focused on the various Customers who buy pens. Extent: This study has been done in 3 district of Orissa (Balasore,Cuttack,Khurda) Data Collection: Data for the study has been collected both from the primary and secondary sources. While for the primary data I have directly approached to the potential customers, for secondary data all published literature on the subject available and other magazines, journals research reports published, resources available on Internet has been consulted. Questionnaire: Keeping in mind the objectives of the study, Questionnaires / Schedules has been developed by me. Data Analysis: The data collected through the above tools has been analyzed with the help of appropriate Statistical techniques such as Bar graph, Pie chart.
Limitation
The study is limited to the variables under consideration and the results are based upon the responses of the respondents. The results are strictly relative and not obsolete. In the end, I would like to conclude that rural peoples behaviors are changing day by day. They are now becoming brand conscious and purchasing power of people are increasing, so there are many opportunities for Claro to enter in to the rural areas.
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CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION TO STUDY
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1.1: OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Research objective:

"Identifying Consumer Buying Behavior regarding Pens at Retail outlets in Rural Areas The main objective behind the project is to identify consumer buying Behavior regarding the Pen at rural retail outlets, which will ultimately help the company management to study the analysis and understand the behavior.
Sub objectives:
To know about the pen industry. To study purchases and consumption pattern of the rural consumers. To know the rural consumer buying behavior about pens. To know what factor mostly influences the rural consumer to buy pens. To know the satisfaction level of the rural consumers with various brands. To know which price range of pens are mostly preferred by the rural people. To study the impact advertisement on consumers in different Age Group, Income Group & by profession. To help the company marketing managers to design an effective marketing mix for its target customers.
1.2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Methods of data collection: The data has been collected in two ways. Primary Data: Primary data are those, which are collected for the first time, and they are original in character. A suitable combination of Questionnaire techniques, & discussion with the respondents was used to collect the required primary data. Primary data gives higher accuracy and facts, which is very helpful for any research and its findings. I have collected primary data from questionnaire (i.e.) PERSONAL INTERVIEW. Secondary Data: - The secondary data are those, which are already collected by someone for some purpose and are available for the present study. Secondary data was collected from the magazines, websites and other such sources.
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Tools and techniques of data collection:

Questionnaire method: - Primary data is collected by surveying the respondent personally. I have used both the Close & Open Ended Question where the researcher is free to answer in their own words too.
Research design
1. Purpose of study: - Descriptive Study The objective of the study is to identify the Consumer Buying Behavior on different Variables like Price, Product Performance, and many other variables which play a key role in impacting the Buying Decision. 2) Degree of research question crystallization: Exploratory study 3) Time Dimension: Cross Sectional (As the Study is done only once in the pre specified period of 8 weeks, longitudinal study was not possible). 4) Method Of Data Collection : Personal Interview 5) Research Instrument: Questionnaire. 6) Research Environment : Field Study 7) Sampling Area: Balasore(khantapada,soro), Khordha (jatni,tangi), Cuttack(tangi
choudwar,banki) 8) Sampled Population : Business Person, Service Person, Student, Housewife's Etc 9) Sample Size : 100 Consumers 10) Sampling Technique : Convenience Sampling
Limitations to study
A research study is never perfect. There is always some scope of improvement in the study in the future. Thus, it becomes important to critically evaluate the results and the whole study. The present study has certain limitations that need to be taken into account when considering the study and its contributions: a) There a number of a factor, which affects consumers perception about pens and is not possible to take all of them into account. Thus, this study is limited to variable under consideration. b) The research is based on the responses given by the respondents, which may or may not be biased. c) The results shown are relative in nature and are not absolute. In other words, it is the perception of an average customer. The area of survey was Balasore(khantapada,soro), Khordha (jatni,tangi), Cuttack (Tangi Choudwar, Banki) in Odisha and it was on rural areas only.
CHAPTER-2 COMPANY PROFILE
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2.1: INTRODUCTION TO HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PVT. LTV NAME OF THE UNIT HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PRIVATE LIMITED YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT IN THE YEAR 2008 ON JANUARY 1 PRODUCTS BRANDS NO. OF EMPLOYEES ADDRESS REGISTERED OFFICE HI TECH, ACE, A-ONE, TOPPER,GENIUS CLARO ABOVE 1000 PEOPLE
PLOT NO.49/50,DHANUDYOG INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ,PIPARIA Silvassa Dadra and Nagar Haveli, India Phone No- 91-260-2632618/9 Contact Person- Mr. Ramesh P Rathod (ENGINEER) Mobile- +919824776227 ADDRESS MUMBAI OFFICE HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PRIVATE LIMITED CURRIMBHOY ROAD, BALLARD ESTATE,KAISER-I-HING BLDG,3RD FLOOR 400001,MUMBAI INDIA EMAIL ID [email protected] WEBSITE FORM OF THE ORGANISATION BANKERS MANAGING DIRECTOR www.hamiltonindia.in PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY STATE BANK OF INDIA, HDFC ETC. Mr. Ajay Vaghani
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INTRODUCTION
Hamilton writing instruments Pvt .Ltd. (HWIPL) is promoted by Hamilton Group of Companies who are one of the leading manufactures, wholesale suppliers, distributers and exporters of house ware products across the globe with the flagship brands MILTON & TRIO,HWIPL forayed in to the manufacture of writing instruments in September 2008. The products are launched under the brand name CLARO and in the process set up a fully integrated plant for the manufacturing of Ball pens & Gel pens, since inception, company have introduced 10 products and all have been well received in the market. In May 2009, HWIPL took over the brand CORPORATE from Kalpataru group, as the company felt there is a lot of synergy between pens and stationary. Corporate is an already well established brand in the stationary segment. Over a period of time it has carved out a niche in the stationary retail market as well as in office supplies, with many of its quality products. What company foresees is substantial growth in opportunities, both in writing instruments, as well as in office and school stationary segments in the coming years. Company is fully gearing of infrastructure to become one of the leading players in market. To cater to the demands of the Indian and as well as global consumers, company is in the process of adding many more products in his portfolio. Hamilton offer complete manufacturing solution right from tip manufacturing to the end assembly of Pens which is carried on fully automatic assembly lines. Not to forget the only one in India manufacturing 1. 6 mm tip size apart from 0. 7 mm, 1. 0 mm, 1. 2 mm presently. Factory is completely automated with latest technology and high Class German & Swiss machines. The brand CLARO was introduced in January 2008 by Hamilton house wares pvt.ltd. ,who diversified in to the manufacturing and distribution of writing instruments, targeted especially at todays youth and young students, Claro has its manufacturing base in Pipariya, Silvassa (Dadra & Nagar Haveli), India. Company firstly, introduced 10 products and all have been well received in the market. Get ready to write..clear, Smooth & Fast!
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Mission
To be the unassailable leader by providing branded (best in class) products redefining value, convenience and style.
Core values
Customer first Customer delight is how we best describe our aspiration as a company. Through all engagement we aim to exceed expectation with this most important stakeholder. We value this sentiment not just for external but internal customers as well. Collaboration Collaboration signifies the spirit of partnership that we share with all our stakeholders. Going that extra mile to ensure desired outcomes in our circle of influence and leveraging mutual expertise is how we bring this value to life. Innovation Innovation to us extends beyond designing path-breaking products which become the new benchmark for competition. It also represents our quest for constant process engineering for superlative optimization of assets. Evolve Evolution for us transcends the compulsive adaptation in response to environment. It underlines our resolve to be the change we want to see.
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PLANT OF WRITING INSTRUMENT

Pipariya (plant 50): writing instrument unit The Pipariya plant is located near Silvasa. It was set up in 2007 mainly for the production of writing instruments that are marketed under the brand name CLARO. The plant is fully automated and encompasses total integrated manufacturing facilities. The unit is well equipped to produce all parts of writing instruments under one roof. Besides, the quality control department at this unit is modeled in a way to provide the finest products and services to our clientele globally. The Pipariya (50) is also in close proximity of the west end docks and acts ideal hub for our export business. Fig-1:
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Super Brand (consumer validated) PLEX Award Year: 1983-1987, 1991, 1993-2001, 2003, 2008
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MARKET PLAYERS
The following are the major player in writing instrument industry of India.
Cello
It is the biggest player in the industry with 33% of market share and turnover of Rs. 400 Crores. As the present scenario Cello is consider to be Market leader in the industry.
Linc
Linc pen-one of Indias leading manufacturers and exporters of ball pens, gel pens and all other stationary suppliers. Linc accounts for less than 5 % of the Rs 504 Crore western India market for writing instruments. Pen-India, the company has an 14 per cent market share with Cello and Reynolds being the major competitors.
Reynolds
G.M pens offer the widest range of writing instruments and accessories in the Indian market. A Varity of writing instruments including ball pens, gel pens, fountain pens, mechanical pencils, markers, handy boards etc, that cater to consumers from the age group of six to sixty are marketed under the brand name Reynolds. The companys turnover is Rs 175 Crore with 12% of market share.
Todays
Todays Pens are an internationally acclaimed Manufacturer & Exporter of High Quality Plastic Ball Pens, Plastic Gel Pens and Refills SINCE 1986. The company has a 17% market share with Cello being the major competitors.
Claro
Claro is a new player in the writing industry still it has occupied larger market. The company is growing 15-20 % per year and has a 5% market share. Pen as a product is close to people of all walks of life at different age and of different gender and the association of it is a lifelong one. For some with a good quality pen at finger tips actually elevates their confidence level and make them feel good. According to the 2006 ACNielsen Retail Audit, ball pens forms the biggest chunk of the pen market in India and accounts for 72 percent of the total pen market and followed by gel pen at 28 percent (Refer Table 1). The brand leaders in this market are Cello, Linc, Claro and other players.
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Chart1: Ball and Gel pen-Market Break-up (value)
Market Break-up
28%
Gel pens 72% Ball pens
ACNielsen Retail Audit Report, April 2006
Chart2: Market share of pen market
Market share
20%
Un organised Organised 80%
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Chart13: Market share of different companies in organized sector

33%
35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
17% 14% 12% 5%
19%
Cello
Linc
Reynolds
Todays
Claro
Others
Market Share
LOCATION ADVANTAGE 1. Tax free zone

The biggest advantage and motivation of locating plant in Dadra; Silvassa (U.T) is that it is recognized as zero tax industrial zones. Here sales tax is free up to 15 years. This zone also enjoys income tax benefits.
2. Closeness to financial hub(Mumbai)

The location of the plant and company is at Dadra and other plants are also nearby which are very well logistically connected to financial hub Mumbai, which forms companies major banking as well as raw material sources and activities are smoothly undertaken.
3. Infrastructure facilities
The national highway no.8 is just 15 km away from the plant as well as railway station of vapi is just 17 km away from the plant. This facility helps the company to regularly procure raw material from distances paces as well as to bring the most efficient manpower at work.
4. Availability of power
The cost of electricity available in this area is almost half in comparison to other industrial areas.
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5. Availability of cheap labor

As pen manufacturing does not require a technical expertise except (mould and dye), company is able to procure local workforce and cheaper rates and the supply is abundant.
6. Availability of water facility

Water is very essential requirement for the process of pen manufacturing, as it is used for the coolant purposes but company has an advantage in this area as it has its own bore wells and water supply is regular.
PRODUCT DETAILS Types of products

The company solely manufacturers the following mentioned products 1. Ball pens: The bodies of the Claro pens are made by toxic materials, imported from Switzerland, which keep people free from infection. The body consists of different several components depending on the complexity of the product and its design. The price of the product depends on the number of parts that make up the body of the pens, also the design and the materials used. The principle of the ball point pen is that within the writing tip a metal ball housed in the socket rotates freely and rolls quickly drying out the writing surface. The writing ball being continuously fed by ink from the reservoir, which is generally the pen barrel or a tube within. These pens dole out equal ink on the paper, which provides absolutely flawless thus provide beautiful writing. 2. Gel pens: They are similar to Ball pen except, they use ink that is water based and in the form of a gel. It is vibrant color wise and considered smoother to write, however it has a short writing length and poor shelf life as compared to ball pens. 3. Refills: company also manufacturers Refills which is most technology intensive part of the pen. The Tip and Ink are carefully balanced with each other to achieve the optimal mix of writing smoothness and ink letdown. The different brands of Ball and Gel pens of the company as under Hi Tech Ace A-one Topper Genius And many other brands
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The picture of different brands are demonstrated as below
Claro: C-101, Ball Pen. Point-0.6, Color-Blue, Black, Red
Claro: Ace, Ball Pen, Color-Blue, Black, and Red
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Claro: Sigma, Gel Pen, Point-0.6, Color-Blue, Black, Red
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Claro: IRIS Ball pen, Point-0.7, Color-Blue, Black, Red
Claro: Sensation ball Pen, Point-0.7, Color-Blue,Black
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Claro: Duro Ball Pen, Point-0.6, Color-Blue, Black, Red
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COMPANY SWOT ANALYSIS Strength of the company

The following are the strength of the company: 1. Designing and Mould making: The Company is one of its kinds in the country having its own exclusive designing and mould making facilities. This enables the company to introduce new products at cheaper rate than its competitors at high frequency and much lower risk. As cost of mould making is reduced be 15-20%. 2. Mass manufacturing: companies current production at Hamilton writing instrument Pvt. Ltd. Plant is 10 lakhs pen per day contributing to economies of scale advantage to company. 3. High quality and low cost: Due to mass manufacturing and in house mould making company is able to produce quality products at less cost adding to increased profit margins. 4. Distribution network: Company is dealing with around 320000 retail outlets across India.
Weakness of the company

1. Its a new company
Opportunity for the company

1. As rural people are becoming more brands conscious it can have an opportunity for company to capture the larger market share in rural areas then it existing shares. 2. Rising raw material prices of plastic granules and other will force the unorganized and smaller players out of the market giving an opportunity to company to encase on those customers. 3. Effective anti dumping laws in India and other will provide to counter the competition with Chinese companies.
Threats for the company

1. Increased no of domestic players enhancing competition leading to probable price and advertisement war reducing per piece realization. 2. Increasing influx of Chinese products, threatening the domestic market as well as international markets. 3. Duplicity of the product and designed by the unorganized players is also a threat to company and its profit margins.
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RAW MATERIALS DETAILS

The following are the raw materials used in manufacturing of ball pen and gel pen: 1. Plastic Granules: This primary raw material is used in the preparation of the body, caps of the pen and refill. The company uses Polypropionate Carbonated Plastic. 2. Inks: Company uses free flow korean inks which are imported from Korea. 3. Tips and points: Tips are imported from Switzerland and the size, shape of the tip determines the price of the tips. 4. Packing materials: Company uses various grades of plastic, craft paper and cardboards and corrugated boxes purchased from local markets. Company also uses other packing materials like packaging jars, acetate bottles, blisters, tumblers etc.
PRODUCTION PROCESS OR MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF PEN

The complete manufacturing of pen is dividing in the five main parts they are as mentioned below 1. Injection moulding process The different components of pen (i.e.) body, cap, Nozzle, grip etc are processed and prepared on the injection molding machine. Plastic granules are heated from 200 to 240 degree Celsius depending upon the product requirement. At this heat level the mixture melts and get converted in to liquid form. The liquid form is then moved to moulds and dyes in the injection molding machine where it is cooled by the water which further gives it shapes and get inject from the machine. If different shades and colored are required then the plastic granules are mixed with color granules in the specified quantity. 2. Refilling process This is the manufacturing process where already purchased or procured ink from outside markets are filled in to refills used for the pen for writing purposes. 3. Labeling process(on cap and body of ball pen) At this stage the already made pen and refills are to be labeled (i.e. printed with company logo Claro and with the respective brand of the pen (i.e.) sigma, accent, century, expert, croma etc. Different machines are used for the process as mentioned below: Foiling machines It is used to print the label on body manufactured as well as on the refill manufactured.
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Plotting machine It is used to print the label of the company on caps.
4. Assembling process Once all the Ball pens and Refills of a particular Batch of Production is labeled this the final stage of Pen Manufacturing here all the labeled and inspects part and lots are Assembled. Finally the Packaged pen is inspected and made ready for Dispatch to stores Department.
QUALITY CONTROL & INSPECTION

At Hamilton, a strict quality control is observed which is translated into world Class Quality, and is reflected in the companys growth. During the entire Production Process efforts are made to maintain the quality. The Hamilton Group is processing ahead with a clear vision with the 3 essentials encompassing Quality Control Quality Assurance Quality Optimization It is this streamlined approach of the promoters & the company that has enabled the company carves a niche amongst their esteemed consumers today. At the plants, Quality Control requirements are monitored and followed through all major the operations. Their experts ensure that only the finest products are delivered to the clients through every consignment. Their primary aim is to be engaged in optimum quality solutions, where customers requirements are approached with great detail and dynamism. It is the sheer persistence to provide perfection that fulfils each of the companys endeavors with far sighted commitment. At the manufacturing plants, Quality laboratories are set up for each area of production where stringent Quality Assurance checks are undertaken. There are four major Quality Control check points are laid out as follows: a) Raw Material Acquiring: All raw materials are inspected against standard specifications before use. b) Esthetics Check: To assure finish, accurate colors & designs of the products. c) Product Performance: Testing of its performance against standard claims. d) Reliability Test: This is the final test done to assure long life, durability and sustainability of the product and its functionality. State of the Art Quality Laboratories ensures Quality Optimization. All products go through rigorous testing for quality before they are introduced. Moreover, the quality of each product is also
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reviewed periodically to ensure its consistency in performance, so that the brand lives up to customer expectations. The Inspection is done as mentioned below 1. Preliminary Inspection: This is done to check out whether the raw materials used are as per required standards. Heating of raw material (i.e.) Plastic Granules at certain degree and the melted mixture is observed if the mixture appears to be reddish it shows that raw material is not of desired quality and cannot be used for manufacturing process as it can result into defective pieces. Thus, the lot is returned back to the suppliers. 2. Daily Production Process Inspection: A Quality Control Inspector is appointed with the team members to continue the inspection process. Inspection of the manufactured Ball pen parts is done at every 2 hours manually to check out shape, Durability, Texture, Color etc. and at the end of the day report is to be submitted to QC Production. 3. Post Production Inspection: Once the required batch is manufactured, out of that total batch some random samples of 50 are taken and if defective pieces exceeds size of 5, then the entire lot is rejected and sent for reprocessing. 4. Final Inspection: Here the same procedure of Inspection for quality is undertaken as followed during production process, But here the assembled Ball pen are inspected for the fitting, Cap, Grip Holding etc. Random samples are taken from the batch to be dispatched.
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2.2: OVERVIEW OF PEN INDUSTRY IN INDIA

There has been a need to document through the use of writing instrument since the dawn of mankind. Pen and pencils continue to be the staples of everyday life and indispensable items for everyday use. Writing instruments continue to play integral part in the life of particularly every business, school and household. The advent of computers and related technology has yet to make writing industry and instruments slow placed and obsolete. In fact the writing instrument embraces the evolution of technology by incorporating it into new products and using it to enhance business aspects and client services. India is the only country after China to have fully fledged writing instruments industry built purely on the platform of its own domestic market demand. The size of the writing instrument industry in India is estimated about Rs.1800 Crores of which organized player account for 80% of the market share and the unorganized player for the rest. The industry grew by about 15% in 2004-05 and by 13.5% in 2005-06, largely driven by the growth of organized sector, indicating that consumer are responding favorably to quality and branding. It is expected that promotion, easy availability and affordability, branded off make will accelerate and helped the organized sector eat into unorganized presence. The Indian writing instruments market today is still on the path of discovering new niches with ergonomic designed products, promotional marketing items and luxury items but in the coming years it is bound to grow tremendously not only domestically but also in its exports emerging as world leaders in Writing Instruments. Indias writing instrument industry is reserved for the small sector with a statutory limit on the maximum investment in plant and machinery at Rs 50 crores. As a result critical pen component like refills are manufactured in house, while all non critical components are outsourced. Most Indian companies cater to the Value for Money (i.e. high volume low value strategy) while international player caters to premiums segment operating through exclusive distributers. Globally writing instruments industry is estimated at Rs 50000 crores (p.a). China controls approximately 10% of the global markets while the Indian share had so far been mini scale. But given the superior quality perception that Made in India pens have over the Chinese; the buying preference of major retailers has been shifting to Indian products and brands. There are over 50 brands In Indias organized and unorganized sectors. With economic liberalization many premium international brands entered India either independently or in collaboration with Indian manufacturers and distributors. These includes Reynolds, Parker, Cross, Mont Blanc, Cartier, Pierre Cardin and other designer pens from Episode, Frazer and Haws, Christian Dior and waterman.
Over the years, the market share flowed from the unbranded to the branded sector. The market is segmented according to the following target audience: Students(many of whom depend only on pencils and ball point pens) Frequent users(in offices across commercial and public establishments) Occasional users(housewives and literate manual workers)
While Indias literacy rate is a high 74%, all literates occasionally use ball or fountain pens. While pen demand among the employed is relatively stagnant, demand among students is experiencing a healthy growth as this segment is more brands conscious. The writing instrument market is dominated by ball point pens accounting for 70% of Indias total pen demand, followed by gel pens at 20% and fountain pens at 4%. 85% of users use blue, black and red ink. Category Students Commercial Multi-level % user share 55-60 20-25 15-20
The above information regarding the writing instrument industry has been obtained from the public sources like: Business line, Economic Times, Financial Express, some companies catalog are used along with internet support.
GLOBAL WRITING INSTRUMENT INDUSTRY

Globally, writing instrument industry is rising at a healthy rate despite growing computerization. The global writing instrument industry is estimated at Rs 65000 crores. (p.a) where USA markets grew by 5% last year (2005-06) and is expected to grow by the same proportionate at this time too. China controls approximately 10% of the global market, due to its manufacturing process. India is becoming most preferred manufacturing destination after china. Indian product quality is among best in the world, Compared to china mass market products. Indian market is growing healthily at 15 to 20% and is expected to grow with same rate for upcoming 2 to3 years (acc CAGR), where the organize sector now controls 70% market share in 2011 as compared to 54% up to 2000.
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MARKET AND MARKET INFORMATION (IN DETAILS)

The worldwide market size for writing industry is Rs 100000 Crores (p.a),where USAs market alone is $4.68 Billion Dollars (App Rs 21000 Crores). China exports of pens are over Rs 5000 Crores (p.a). India exports of pens are over Rs 200 Crores (p.a). The annual turnover of the industry in India is now estimated at Rs 2000 Crores per annum and is expected to increase at an annual growth rate by 15-20% per annum. About 80% of Indias pen industry revenue comes from pens with a price range of up to Rs. 15. A small percentage of pens are priced in the range of Rs. 100-300. The market for lower price range pens (up to Rs.15) is growing at 7-8% annually; the midrange pen market is growing faster at 8-10%. India is viewed as a quality supplier, where as china as a cheaper and lower quality products supplier. Germany, Japan, Taiwan & Korea were hubs for the writing instrument industry, but due to cast factor manufactured have started shifting to China and India. Previously Switzerland was the manufacturing center for ball point tips, but now India is emerging as a major Tip manufacturer satisfying not only Domestic demand but Global demand also.
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
In India as per law, the manufacturing of writing instruments is reserved or falls under the category of SSI (Small Scale Industry Sector). Thus there is ceiling on investment in plant and machinery manufacturing process (Max Rs. 50 Crores), excluding mould making as it is highly capital intensive pert of manufacturing. Of course any EOU (Export Oriented Unit) does not fall under this purview of SSI.
CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

The purchase of a single pen used to be a considered decision until not too long ago. Today, most consumers buy multiple pens in a single purchase. Because the consumer would go out specifically to buy a pen earlier, today most buy along with a number of other things as part of their monthly provisions. Earlier there was one pen to write, now interestingly even as communication getting increasing psychological, there is different pen, ink, size of different moods, needs and situation. Gone are the days where pen were just considered as merely an item of writing. But now it is a quasi fashion statement something thats aligns with your personality, of course still the pen purchase decision is considered as low involvement decision.
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CHAPTER-3 OVERVIEW OF COMPANIES MARKETING MIX
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3.1: INTRODUCTION
Marketing is so basic that it cannot be considered as a separate function. Marketing has been defined in various ways. The definition that serves our purpose best is as follows: marketing is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and exchanging products of value with others. This definition of marketing rests on the following core concepts, needs, wants& demands, products, value, cost & satisfaction, exchange and transactions, relationship and networks, markets and marketers and prospects. Marketing management is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion & distribution of ideas, good and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational goals. This definition recognizes that marketing management is a process involving analysis, planning, implementation and control; that it covers goods, services and ideas; that it rests on the notion of exchange, and that he goal is to produce satisfaction of the parties involved. Marketing management takes place when at least one party to a potential exchange thinks about the means of achieving the desired responses from the other parties. Marketing management has the task of influencing the level; timing and composition of demand in a way that will the organization achieve its objectives. Marketing management is essentially demand management. India is definitely on its way to becoming am international hub for the manufacture of writing instruments. And the Companies are among the premier manufacturers in the Country. The company reaffirmed its focus on high volume low value category of writing instruments. It has achieved a remarkable success in the Industry.
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3.2: CORE COMPETENCY

The biggest strength of the company which its competitor is not able to capitalize is Its Own R&D, In-house Manufacturing of Mould & Dyes this enables the company to launch Newer and Newer Design and varieties faster than its competitors. It also reduces it production cost giving a competitive price advantage over its competitions in organized sector. Other Things Contributing to Success of the Company are as under: Extensive Distribution Network, reaching 320000 Retail outlets. Huge Production Capacities 10 Lakhs Pieces Per day. Large Varieties of Pen (Ball & Gel) in Different Price Range. Stationary Items. Foreign Collaboration & Exportable Product Varieties.
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3.3: FOUR PS OF THE COMPANY

Marketing mix is a set of controllable marketing variables that the firm plans to produce the response it wants in the target market. Marketing mix is an optimum combination of all marketing components which facilitates realization of companys objectives. Marketing mix is a set of marketing tools that the firm uses to achieve its marketing objectives in the target market. Marketing mix is the blending of 4 inputs or sub-mixes, which form the core of marketing system. They are: Product Price Promotion & Place
The Marketing Mix of "HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PRIVATE LIMITED" is as mentioned below:
PRODUCTS
A Product is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy a want or need. A product means the bundle, which satisfy human needs. HRIPL is major manufacturer of following products 1. Ball Pen 2. Gel Pen 3. Refills 4. Office Stationary. All the above mentioned products are in different varieties, features, Packaging and Labeling which are as under:
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PRODUCT VARIETIES
HRIPL is having large varieties of Ball pen And Gel Pen which is contributing to success of the firm since years. On an Average the Company Launches 15 New Products & Design Every Year out of which majority of them are successful. There are certain office stationary which presently the company is outsourcings from other manufactures. The list of product varieties is as under: Table-1
Name of the Product Ball Pen/ Gel Pen. Point/Tip Of the pen(mm) 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 Price Per Piece MRP. 1. CROMA 2. NOVA 3. SWIFT 4. GENIUS 5. BRIO 6. COOL 7. LUCKY 8. X CEL 9. SONIC 10. C-999 11. CG-109 12. HONEY 13. SUPER HERO 14. FUN(NEW) 15. FUNK(NEW) 16. LUCKY 7(NEW) 17. CG-110 18. ELITE Ball pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball pen Gel Pen Gel pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel pen Gel Pen 3.00 3.00 3.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 6.00 6.00 6.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 15.00 20.00
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19. ROCK 200 20. SMOOTHFLOW(NEW) 21. ANGEL 22. ARIA 23. DURO 24. BOSS 25. CR-45 26. CL-333 27. RICO 28. RIO 29. TEEN 30. MASTER 31. SX-5 32. MACK 33. CHAMP 34. SONIC 35. CG-999 36. MILTON 10X 37. SIGMA 38. EXPERT(NEW) 39. CENTURY(NEW) 40. SOLITAIRE(NEW) 41. ACCENT(NEW) 42. JETTA(NEW) 43. SIGMA 44. ANGEL
Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Gel Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball +Gel Pen Ball +Gel Pen Ball +Gel Pen
0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.6 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7
10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 6.00 6.00 10.00 10.00 90.00 110 130 150 15 25 25
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45. ROCK 200 46. BIG BENN 100 47. C-100 48. ULTIMA(NEW) 49. IVY(NEW) 50. JAZZ(NEW) 51. VISION 52. CR-54 53. CL-108 54. IRIS 55. BOSS 56. IRIS 57. REVA(NEW)
Ball +Gel Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball Pen Ball +Gel Pen Ball +Gel Pen Retractable +Ball Pen
0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
25 7 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 35 25 30
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PRODUCT FEATURES
All the above mentioned products are some of the most premium and profitable products of the company over the years due to its features and characteristics. Different pen had different features in it as a reason it was most popular in its segment either it business person, student, service person and others. Features: Provide smooth writing Attractive designs Fast and smooth writing Comfortable grip Stress free writing Free flowing smudge free writing
PRODUCT PACKAGING
The finished Product that is Pen is packed in very attractive packages made from Plastic and Corrugated Box. HRIPL concentrate more on packaging as in the market full of competition packaging is used as a tool of product differentiation. It has attractive packages for it Ball & Gel Pen Packs the packs are normally packed in size of 10 & 5 (Standard Packaging) and in large Packs.
PRICING DECISION
It is the exchange value of product or services always expressed in monetary terms. Price is matter of Importance both for the buyer and seller. Price is important factor in purchase decision. To the seller price is the source of revenue and to buyer price is the sacrifice of purchasing power. Price is powerful marketing tool. Thus it must be used correctly from the outset. Therefore all marketing planners must plan an accurate Pricing Decision. At HRIPL, Pricing Policy is decided depending upon market condition, demand, Raw material Price, Competitors Price and Products and other factors.
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At" HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PRIVATE LIMITED" Price of the Pen is decided taking into consideration the following Cost. 1. Raw Material Cost 2. Production/manufacturing Cost 3. Transportation Cost. 4. Packaging & Labeling 5. State Wise Price Is Decided 6. Variable & Other Cost is undertaken. 7. Other factors Considered Consumer Demand for the Product. Analyzing the Competitors Price & Product Range.
The Company has specific Price range for the different products for different Zones.
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PLACE (DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMPANY) Distribution channel

Distribution is an important function of any organization. Making the product available at right place and at right time with less cost is the key objective of any distribution management personnel.
MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
C & F (CLEANING AND FORWARDING) ZONE WISE SUPER DISTRIBUTORS ZONE WISE DISTRIBUOTRS STATE WISE
WHOLESSELERS
RETAILERS
CONSUMERS
(DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL OF HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PRIVATE LIMITED)
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The below mentioned is the List of Companies Super Distributors throughout India in different Zones: Table-2 ZONES STATE /CITY West Bengal Orissa EASTERN ZONE Assam Bihar Jharkhand Gujarat Rajasthan Maharashtra CITY/DISTRICT Kolkata Cuttack/Bhubaneswar Guwahati Patna Ranchi Ahmedabad Ajmer Mumbai Pune Sangli Nagpur Nasik WESTERN ZONE Nanded Aurangabad Ahmednagar DELHI Uttar Pradesh New Delhi Lucknow Barieily NORTHERN ZONE Kanpur Meerut Agra
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Shamli. Madhya Pradesh Chhatisgarh Andhra Pradesh Indore Raipur Hydrebad Vjaywada Madanpally Karnataka Kerela SOUTHERN ZONE Bangalore Malpuram Ernaculam Calicut Kollam. Tamil Nadu Chennai Madurai
Page 43
3.4: REGION WISE SALES BREAK UP
ZONES
SALES % EAST 24 WEST 28 NORTH 29 SOUTH 19
Chart4: Region wise sales break up
SALES IN %
EAST 24%
NORTH 29%
SOUTH 19% WEST 28%
It could be analyzed that northern and western region is sharing major chunk of the company total sales in different zone. Company should conduct market research, in other regions identify the consumer behavior, taste and preference and also should conduct survey among the western zone to identify their strengths and should capitalize on that and try to increase the sell in other zones as same as in northern and western zones.
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PROMOTION STRATEGIES AND DECISION

Promotion plays a distinct role in marketing. It is a combined effort of salesman, advertisement and marketing channels. Promotion Mix consists of the Following. Advertising Sales Promotion Personnel selling Publicity/Public Relation.
Advertisement: It is any paid form of non personal presentation and promotion of Ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor. Advertisement can be in the form of TV Adz's, Newspaper & Magazines, Banner & Hoardings, Print Media, and Or Internet. Advertisement of HRIPL mainly uses TV Ad's to promote their sales. Sales promotion: Sales Promotion is also one of the elements of promotion mix. It is done to promote the sales of the product. Company uses different Schemes for the Super Distributors, Distributors, Retailers and Wholesalers. Target Selling is the criteria for the Super Distributor if they achieve their target specified they are awarded with commission (Not Disclosed). For Wholesalers & Distributors different Scheme like Scratch Card, Lucky Draw, Discount on Bulk Purchase, different Gifts, Commission etc are used to promote sales. Corporate sales promotion: Promotional or Corporate Sales are now a days plays a big role in marketing because the concept of getting anything extra along with the product is becoming popular among the consumers. Companies Promotional department has seized this opportunity and is selling large chunk of its production to corporate customers which in turn is used by them as sales Promotion tool.
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CHAPTER-4 RESEARCH FINDINGS & ANALYSIS
Page 46
QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS Q1. Which brand of pen do you prefer to write?

Ans: purpose Main purpose behind this question is to know the most preferred brand in the current market situation. Brand Responses Claro 6 Link 15 Reynolds 20 Cello 41 Todays 13 Others 5
Chart5:
Most prefered brand

41
20 15 6 13 5 Respondents
Claro
Link
Reynolds
Cello
Todays
Others
COMPANY
Findings: From the above chart it is analyzed that majority of the rural consumers (i.e.) 41 of them prefer Cello as a brand to be used, which is followed by Reynolds and Link by 20 and 15 responses respectively where as Claro gets 6 responses. It shows there are a lot of opportunities available for Claro to grab the rural consumer market.
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Occupation wise classification

Brand Business Person Service Person Student
Others
Claro
Link 4
Cellos 12
Reynolds 4
Todays 4
Others 2
10
2
1
6
2
15
4
10
1
4
2
1
1
Conclusion: - Thus, analyzing the above table, it clearly signifies that cello is not only preferred by majority of the consumers but also preferred highly by all the consumers in different demographic segments. It also shows that Claro is the less preferred brand among rural consumers.
Q2. Which type of pen do you currently use?

Ans 2. Purpose: - The purpose behind asking this question is to know the consumer preference regarding the type of pen he/she prefers to write and to know the changing trends to their buying behavior. Ball Pen 78 Gel Pen 14 Ink Pen 6 Pilot Pen 2
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Chart6:
78 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Ball Pen
14 6 2 Pilot pen
Gel Pen
Ink Pen No of Respondent
Findings: - From the above chart it is visualized that majority of the consumer prefers and uses ball pen. Almost 80% of the respondent says that they use ball pen. And the next best usage is of gel pen by 14%, ink & Pilot pen are least preferred by the consumers in the modern or present market condition.
Occupation Wise Classification

Types Ball Pen Gel Pen Ink Pen Pilot Pen
Business Person Service Person Student Others
16
--
--
22
32 8
6 1
3 1
1 --
Conclusion: - It is identified that only two categories/type of pen are preferred by the consumers that accounts to nearly 92% of responses. Consumer prefer ink & gel pen less. Thus, company should concentrate more in ball & gel pen segments rather than Pilot or roller or ink pens.
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Q3) Which Color Of Pen Do You Normally Use?

Ans3. Purpose To find out which is the most preferred color by the consumer Blue 62 Red 4 Black 31 Multiple 3
Chart7:
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
62
31
Blue
Red
Black Responses
Multiple
Findings:- Blue is the most preferred color for rural consumers and majority of the rural consumers use blue color as in colleges, schools, corporate and at many other place black is commonly accepted color for writing whereas red is mainly used by the teachers and professors.
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Q4.) Which Point pen do you normally Use?

Ans4. Purpose The question was build to know the technical aspect (i.e) which point of pen the consumer keeps in mind while deciding to purchase a pen and to know which point is more in demand in different segments of consumers.
0.5 61
0.6 24
0.7 13
0.8 2
Chart8:
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 0.5
61
24 13 0.6 2 Points 0.7 3 Responces 0.1 4 2
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Occupation Wise Classification

Point of Pen Occupation Group Business Person Service Person Student Others 0.5 7 9 40 5 0.6 2 1 20 1 0.7 3 2 4 4 0.8 1 1 --
Findings:- Point ranging 0.5 & 0.6 are more in demand and used in the market by almost 85% of the respondents. 13% respondent used 0.7 point pen & 0.8 are least preferred 0.8 results into bold writings according to rural consumers.
Q5) Which Characteristics of Pen Influence your Buying Decision?

Ans 5) PURPOSE The Purpose of asking this question is to know the features/characteristics of pen that influences the buying decision of majority of the consumers in different segments (i.e) Businessman, Service holder & Student. Features Response Point 12 Grip 12 Price 26 Long-Life 7 Ink 8 Performance 35
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Chart9:
Different charecteristics
12% 35% 12% Point Grip Price 8% 26% 7% Longlife Ink Performance
Findings: - From the above chart it is analyzed that the most influencing characteristic is performance by 35 responses, which is followed by the price with 26 responses. Long life and ink are least influencing features of the pen impacting consumer buying decision.
Occupation Wise Analysis

Characteristics of Pen Occupation Group Businessman Service holder Student Others
Point 5 1 5 1
Grip 3 3 5 1
Price 9 5 10 2
Long Life 3 1 1 2
Ink 2 2 3 0
Performance 8 10 12 5
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Q6). Do you stick to Only One Brand?

Ans6: Purpose The purpose here is to know the consumer Behaviour (i.e.) is the consumer Behaviour steady to one brand or varying regularly.
Chart10:
Consumer Behaviour on brand
45% 55% Yes No
Findings: - From the above chart it is analyzed that majority of the respondent does not stick or are loyal to a particular brand. 55% of responses are not loyal to any brand where as 45% of respondents are loyal and stick to only 1 brand.
Q7) Do you refill Your Pen Regularly?

Ans7: Purpose The purpose of asking this question to know whether consumer refill their Pen or not and if, no ,what is the reason why they do not refill. Response- Here the respondent are required to answer on two options Yes or No Yes-56
No-34
Pen cost is negligible-9 Replacement results in poor performance-18 Refills are unavailable-5 Others-2 JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA Page 54
Findings: - From the above table it is analyzed that majority of the respondents (i.e.) 56% out of 100 refill their pens because in rural area peoples are more price conscious. 34% of the respondents do not refill their pens. The reasons for not refilling is that 2nd time the refill does not give the original performance in writing, thus this reason accounts for more than 30% consumers who do not refill their pen.
Q8). Which Advertising Media Influence You the Most?

Ans8. Purpose The purpose is to know the most effective media affecting consumer buying decision .It also aims to find the media which is mostly preferred and can be used as for the promotion scheme. TV Advertisements Banners & hoarding Newspapers & Magazines 19 Internet
53
19
Chart11:
60 50 40 30 20 10 0
54
18
19 9
Television
Banners and Newspapers Hoarding and Magazines Respondents
Internet
Page 55
Findings: - From the above chart it could be concluded that TV Ads is the most influencing Ad impacting the buying decision of different rural consumer segments having 54% of the responses. The next most influencing media is Newspaper impacting the buying decision. Internet is the least influencing among all media.
Q9). What is the price range in which you generally used to buy a pen?
Ans9. PURPOSE The Main Purpose Is to Know How Much the Consumer Can Spend to Buy the Preferred Brand of Ball Pen which can help the company to take appropriate pricing decision for the target market.
15 40 6 - 10 24 11 20 14 21 30 8 31 - 50 8 50-above 6
Chart 12:
40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 1 to 5 6 t0 10 11 to 20 21 t0 30 31 to 50 above 50 Price Range 40 24 14 8 8 6
Findings: - It could be analyzed from the above graph that out of the total responses, rural consumer mostly favors and prefer pen (Either Ball or Gel) in the price range of Rs 1 5. Whereas the next most proffered price range is Rs 6 -10 according to 24 respondents. The high price range ranging from Rs 21 50 & above that is least preferred by the consumers.
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Occupation Wise Analysis

Occupation Groups Business Person Price Range 15 7 6 - 10 9 11 20 1 21 30 1 31 - 50 2 50-above 3
Service Person Student Others
11 17 5
7 8 --
4 8 1
4 2 1
3 2 1
1 1 1
Interpretation:- Businessman are ready to Pay up to Rs 6 -10 for their preferred type and brand of pen, whereas service person also uses pen in the same range but in students category they are not willing to spend more and are use Pen mainly in the Price range of Rs 1 5 .
Q10).Which Type of Scheme affects your buying Decision?

Ans10. Purpose The purpose of this question is to know whether the scheme provided by the retailer or the companies motivate the consumer to buy more or not. If no, then which are the other scheme that influences the consumer to buy. It can help the company to select the right promotion mix for selling the product.
Extra Refill 27 Discount On Bulk 40 Free Pen 27 Others 6
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Chart13:
40 30 20 10 0
40 27 27
6 Extra Refill Discount on bulk purchase
Free Pens
Others
Responses
Findings: - It can be visualized from the above chart that different promotional activities undertaken by the companies is definitely impacting the buying decision of consumers. But among the promotional schemes the most influencing promotional schemes that affect the decision is Discount on Purchase of Pens (In Bulk more than 1 or 2). The next most influencing scheme is of free Pen given by the companies on purchase of 1 pen (1 per 1 free) impacts the decision. For some 10% of the responses they believe that no scheme impacts their buying decision as pen is a low price product where consumer involvement is less.
Q11) According to You, Which pen Brand Enjoy the Leadership Position in the Market?
Ans11: Purpose The main purpose of this question is to find the market leader and also to find which brand enjoys the market leader position.
Claro 6 Link 13 Reynolds 20 Cello 48 Todays 13 Others --
Page 58
Chart14:
48 50 40 30 20 10 0 Claro Linc Reynolds Responses cello Todays 6 13
20 13
Findings: - From the above chart it is clear that cello enjoys market leader position in the market as almost 50% of responses have revealed that they recognized cello as the leader among all the companies. At 2nd position it is Reynolds. Link and Todays are at 3rd position but for Claro it shows that it is a recognized Market Leader by least number of responses in spite the Toughest competitor of Cello in organized Sector as compared to any other players. Interpretation: - Cello is No 1 Position, followed by Reynolds and Link respectively. But the gap between Claro and cello is huge thus company need to identify the reason and try to remove the weakness in that and strive to be the best in the industrys. Other players are not in the same segment as Cello, but Claro is serving almost all the same consumer and market segments that cello also does and also has huge varieties of Pen.
Page 59
Q12) Do you think that brand endorsement by celebrities is really helpful to attract you for buying a pen?
Ans12: Purpose The main purpose of this question is to find the effect of brand endorsement on rural consumer and their buying decision.
Chart15:
Responses
Yes No
29%
71%
Findings: - It can be visualized from the above chart that majority of rural consumers i.e. 71% are influenced by the endorsement of celebrities and 29% do not change their buying decision because of the endorsement of celebrities.
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CHAPTER-5
CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Page 61
CONCLUSIONS
Cello Brand enjoys the market leader position and it is also preferred by the majority of the rural consumers for writing among the different brands of Pen available in the market.
Amongst different types of Pen, Ball pen is preferred by most of the rural consumers and they
have ranked Ball-Pen as No 1 amongst different Types of pen. Blue Color is preferred by the rural consumer among the various Colors. Majority of the rural Consumer prefer Ball Point of 0.5 & 0.6 mm as this point size gives the desired writing to consumers. Most of the rural consumers Buying Decision is not only influenced by any specific single characteristic but it is influenced by the combination of more than one. Thus majority buying decision is influenced by Performance of Pen in Total. Of course, in different consumer segments there are different characteristics impacting buying Decision. Occupation Wise Classification o For Business Person: The most influencing characteristic impacting buying decision is Price. o For Service Person: Price & Performance have impact influence on buying decision. It signifies that Service holders purchase pen not only considering price but along with it some additional features such as Grip, Long Life, etc. which also impact the Decision. But still Price & Performance are dominating features for this Consumer Segment. o For Students: - In this consumer segment it cannot be predicted or analyzed that if any one characteristic is impacting their decision or not. But student wants everything in a Pen i.e. Affordable Price, proper Grip, Long Life and even the performance of the pen. Thus student buying decision regarding pen is influenced equally by almost all features of a pen.
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In the Pen Market the consumers are not loyal to a particular Brand, majority of them do not stick or purchase the same brand. Repeated Purchase is very less. The major reason for this is Pen is a Low Involvement Product, as well as low price but in huge product varieties and Price range. Consumers do not purchase the same brand mainly due to Influx of Newer and Newer Products in the Market by different players and in different Price range ultimately changing the consumer buying Decision. In the Present market condition where Pen is available even in the Price Range of Rs 3 5, majority of rural consumers believe in refilling their Pen. But as consumer buying behaviors are changing, there are also consumers who do not refill their pen and the number of consumers are less in comparison to consumer (who refill their pen). They do not refill their pen as they Believe that New Pen Cost is Negligible as compared to purchasing a refill For e.g. Claro Genius ball pen is of Rs 5 and refill of the same is of Rs 4.Even the refilling does not give the same writing performance as of the original refill. So consumer refrain from refilling the Pen. TV Advertisement is having a significant impact on majority of the Consumer. Influence of different Advertising Media is not differing by Profession. Thus, almost all media is having the impact on buying decision of different consumer Segments.
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RECOMMENDATIONS OR SUGGESTION
The Suggestions given are based on the consumer survey and its analysis and studying the Companies Own Marketing Mix at HWIPL and as per my knowledge regarding the concerned subject. Rural consumers prefer the point size of 0.5 more and the Claro has very less product of different varieties of this category. So, the Company (Claro) should come up with the products in Effective Price range of Rs 5 20, with point size of 0.5 targeted to different consumer segments, which can satisfy the consumer needs. As Claro is new to the market and rural consumers are not aware about the product, company should focus more on BTL (Below the line) promotional activities and company needs to provide banners or stands for display on the shops due to which the attention and focus of the customers could not be tapped.
Rural retailers are unsatisfied with the margin and scheme provided by the company and the
visit made by the company representatives is very less i.e. once in a 2-3 months. So the company should pay more attention to such activities in rural areas.
Company should take care of availability of pens at rural retail outlets. According to the retailers, consumers are not willing to buy Claro pens because in most of
the cases they face refill problems. So company need to rectify this problem and should come up with high quality refills which would build customer trust.
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ANNEXURE Questionnaire for consumer on survey of consumer buying behavior

You are required to fill this questionnaire with best of your own will. Information obtained through this survey is for general purpose only and will not be disclosed to anybody else. Q1. Which Brand of Pen do you prefer to write? a. b. c. d. e. f. Claro Link Reynolds Cello Todays Others specify
Q2.Which type of Pen do you currently use? a. b. c. d. Ball pen Gel pen Ink pen Pilot pen
Q3. Which color of pen do you normally use? a. b. c. d. Blue Red Black Multiple colors
Q4. Which point pen do you normally use? a. b. c. d. 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Q5. Which Characteristics of Pen Influence your Buying Decision? a. b. c. d. e. f. Point Grip Price Long life Ink Performance
Page 65
Q6. Do you stick to Only One Brand? a. Yes b. No Q7. Do you refill your pen regularly? a. Yes b. No If No, why a. b. c. d. Pen cost is negligible Replacement result in poor performance Refill is unavailable Specify if others
Q8. Which Advertising Media Influences You The Most? a. b. c. d. TV advertisement Banners and hoarding Newspapers and magazines Internet
Q09. What is the price range in which you generally used to buy a pen? a. b. c. d. e. f. 1-5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-50 50-above
Q10. Which type of scheme affect your buying decision? a. b. c. d. Extra refill Discount on bulk purchase Free pens Others..
Q11. According to you, which pen brand enjoy the leadership position in the market? a. b. c. d. e. Claro Link Reynolds Cello Todays
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f. Others specify Q12. Do you think that Brand endorsement by celebrities is really helpful to attract you for buying a pen? a. Yes b. No
Personal Details Name: .. Age: 18 to 25 Gender: Male 25-30 30-40 Female more than 40
Occupation:
Page 67
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Books
Kotler Philip, Armstrong Gary, Agnihotri Prafulla and Haque Ehsan. Principles of Marketing. India: Dorling Kindersley, 2011 Leon G. Schiffman, Leslie Lazar Kanuk, Joseph Wisenblit. Consumer Behaviour. India: Pearson Education, 2010 Solomon Michael.Consumer Behavior . India: Pearson Education, 2011
Web Resources
www.hamiltonindia.in Company's Draft Prospectus.
www.orissa.gov.in Milton brand maker scripts writing instruments foray Economic Times. August 25, 2008.
www.economictimes.com AcNielsen retail Audit Report, April 2006. www.nielson.com
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PROJECT REPORT

A Study of Consumers Buying Behavior of Pens at Retail Outlets in Rural Areas

HAMILTON WRITING INSTRUMENT PVT. LTD.

Under the supervision of:

A-32 A, Sector 62 JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT Noida 201309

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Date: 29th April, 2012 Place: Bhubaneswar (Orissa)

Gadadhara Rath Roll # PGSF1138

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

PAGE NUMBER I II III IV 1-3

CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH FINDINGS & ANALYSIS

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Introduction to consumer buying behavior in rural market

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Methodology of the Research Work:

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION TO STUDY

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

1.1: OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Research objective:

1.2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Tools and techniques of data collection:

CHAPTER-2 COMPANY PROFILE

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

PLANT OF WRITING INSTRUMENT

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Chart1: Ball and Gel pen-Market Break-up (value)

Gel pens 72% Ball pens

ACNielsen Retail Audit Report, April 2006

Chart2: Market share of pen market

Un organised Organised 80%

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Chart13: Market share of different companies in organized sector

35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

17% 14% 12% 5%

LOCATION ADVANTAGE 1. Tax free zone

2. Closeness to financial hub(Mumbai)

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

5. Availability of cheap labor

6. Availability of water facility

PRODUCT DETAILS Types of products

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

The picture of different brands are demonstrated as below

Claro: C-101, Ball Pen. Point-0.6, Color-Blue, Black, Red

Claro: Ace, Ball Pen, Color-Blue, Black, and Red

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Claro: Sigma, Gel Pen, Point-0.6, Color-Blue, Black, Red

JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, NOIDA

Claro: IRIS Ball pen, Point-0.7, Color-Blue, Black, Red