What do you know about garnier?

INDEX

SR.NO. TOPIC

1 Definition of marketing research

2 Value of marketing research

3 Need for marketing research

4 Types of marketing research

5 Marketing research process

6 Sources of marketing research

7 Research design

8 Tools of marketing research

9 Over coming barriers

10 Case study – Garnier hair colour

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives us a great pleasure while submitting this project on the topic

“Marketing Research.”

We thank Prof. Mrs. Gagandeep nagra for guiding us throughout this project work and also for motivating us in different ways. She has been the tremendous helping hand in completing this difficult task, had an easy or any time access to such knowledgeable and guiding spirit.

We feel there is ample scope of improvement upon the work of this nature and shall be thankful if any suggestion is offered for its improvement.

We express our deep gratitude towards family members, who helped us in giving a final shape and structure to this project work.

We are also thankful to all those seen and unseen hands, which have been of direct or indirect help in completion of this project work

DEFINITION OF MARKETING RESEARCH

Ø Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its shareholders. - American Marketing Association.

Ø Marketing is a societal process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others. - Marketing Management by Philip Kotler.

{13^th Edition}

Ø ‘Marketing Research’ is defined as the systematic design, analysis and reporting of data and findings relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company.

- Marketing Management by Philip Kotler. {11^th Edition}

Ø Marketing is an ongoing process of planning and executing the marketing mix (Product, Price, Place, Promotion often referred to as the 4 Ps) for products, services or ideas to create exchange between individuals and organizations.

- Wikipedia.

VALUE OF MARKETING RESEARCH

Marketing research can help a company achieve the goal of creating valuable experiences for customers.

When the company does marketing research the company comes to know the following factors:

1. What should we sell…..?

Marketing research actually gives the company an idea about what should they sell. As for example, if a company is in to a particular product line, then marketing research will help them know what exactly the company should do, to attract more and more customers. As there is a lot of competition nowadays, a company has to come out with different marketing strategies, to reach out to maximum customers. By following market research a company will get a better idea about the new and specific needs of the customers.

2. What does the company / Product mean?

Marketing research actually helps the company to give the consumers a better idea and good knowledge about their product. Thus when the awareness increases people would eventually buy more of their product thus increasing the company’s brand value.

3. How do consumers view our product?

Marketing research helps a company to know, what exactly is the perspective of the company’s profile in the minds of the people. This actually helps the company to know what people think about the brand and its existing products. This helps the company in improving the product in a positive manner.

NEED OF MARKETING RESEARCH

Marketing research is the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing.

Ø Why Do You Need Marketing Research?

Below are some prime situations where marketing research can be of value:

· Determining the viability of a new market for the company to enter.

· Estimating market size/share/adoption rate for investment or business planning.

· Identifying new product/service opportunities and value-added offerings.

· Risk management - identifying what risks pose the greatest threat to your business.

· Understanding what customers expect of you and how well you are delivering.

· Root cause analysis for lost business or customer defections.

· Identifying your most profitable customer segments and how to protect them.

· Developing the right price points/identifying bundling opportunities.

· SWOT intelligence on competitors to plan business strategies/identify M&A scenarios.

· Understanding how customers perceive your market positioning relative to competitors.

· Determining the most effective marketing/advertising channels to support your business.

Ø When Do You Need to Do Marketing Research?

Here are some scenarios and trigger points that tell you the time is right for marketing research:

· You have zero, limited, conflicting, or even suspect information about a business issue that needs to be addressed now.

· You know or sense that all is not right with your customers - or distributors - or suppliers – or partners – or investors

· You are losing ground to competitors, but are not sure why.

· You need to perform due diligence for M&A or divestiture planning.

· Groups or individuals within your company do not recognize the existence of a problem or its magnitude, and you need independent validation.

Ø INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE :

a) Less time for decision making:

When a proper method of research process is followed and implemented after conducting marketing research, the final decision making process becomes easier and less time consuming.

b) Complex Systems of marketing research:

Marketing activities involves many complex procedures which make the marketing activities lengthy and time consuming. So by following marketing research all the marketing activities can be made simpler.

c) Consumer insight:

As we know that the taste and preferences of customer change every now and then so the company has to be updated by the current scenario which is possible through market research.

Example: Demand for certain costumes decline if they go out of style and may increase if they are currently in style or fashion.

d) Broader scope of marketing research:

By conducing marketing research the company can get a very broad view about the competitors and the market in which the product is launched.

e) Up-to date technologies:

Market research will also provide a very good idea about the latest technologies that can be used for product development and new product launch.

f) Consumer reaction:

Market research is even done to check the reaction of the customers as the demand for the good depends upon what consumers expect about future changes. These may include change in price, taste, etc.

Ø CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE:

1) To maximize customer satisfaction i.e. customer should be satisfied with respect to price, quality, taste, etc.

2) To identify after sales service. For example, when we install aquaguard they give after sales service for one year.

3) To identify optimal pricing to maximize profitability i.e. Company should maximize profits with reasonable pricing strategies.

4) To increase sales efficiency through effective use of market data.

TYPES OF MARKTING RESEARCH

Ø PROBLEM FINDING RESEARCH:

• ADVERTISING RESEARCH:

Advertising research used to predict copy testing or track the efficacy of advertisements for any medium, measured by the ad’s ability to get attention, communicate the message, build the brand’s image, and motivate the consumer to purchase the product or service.

• CONCEPT TESTING:

Concept testing to test the acceptance of a concept by target consumers.Concept testing research evaluates advertising concepts, ad theme concepts and appeals, new product concepts, pricing, brand concepts, brand names, and positioning strategy concepts. In our concept testing approach, we collaborate with you in identifying the product, advertising, or branding concepts consistent with your marketing strategy and your market opportunity. We employ advanced concept testing research measurement and research methods to assess concept marketing strength. We combine both qualitative and quantitative market research methods to get the best read so you can make profitable advertising and product decisions.

• INTERNET STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE:

Internet strategic intelligence searching for customer opinions in the Internet: chats, forums, web pages, blogs... where people express freely about their experiences with products, becoming strong "opinion formers"

• MYSTERY CONSUMER OR MYSTERY SHOPPING:

An employee or representative of the market research firm anonymously contacts a salesperson and indicates he or she is shopping for a product. The shopper then records the entire experience. This method is often used for quality control or for researching competitors' products.

• SEGMENTATION RESEARCH:

Segmentation research to determine the demographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics of potential buyers. Market segmentation research maintains focus and delivers needed marketing information in today's moving economy where new markets and new product categories emerge and traditional market segments fade away. Our market segmentation research is a way to keep 'your eye on the ball.' With an on target market research design concept, staged design, and astute market research questionnaire design, market segmentation research provides a window to your marketing opportunities and a path to effective marketing strategy. Often we start the market segmentation process with qualitative research to define ways customers view the product category, and the differences in those views. Perceive competing product categories, and brands within those categories. Comprehensive market segmentation research examines a broad range of demographic and psychographic determinants. Implied in the notion of segmentation research is identifying the 'ideal brand' for each identified segment.

• POSITIONING RESEARCH:

Positioning research is a how does the target market see the brand relative to competitors? - What does the brand stand for...? Brand positioning research -- when carefully designed and integrated with creative branding -- can uncover highly differentiated brand and market positions. Effective brand positioning research requires understanding the positioning concept, the marketplace, and the process needed to generate brand impact. We conduct brand equity and positioning studies in B2B, channel, and consumer market environments. Positioning Research Process

Ø PROBLEM SOLVING RESEARCH:

• BRAND EQUITY RESEARCH:

Brand equity research is a how favorably do consumers view the brand? Brand equity research is an attempt to put a value on the strength of a brand in the market, in the same way that the shares/stocks put a value on the strength of the corporation in the eyes of the investors. Indeed, brand equity research has shown that the two are related - the growth in brand equity correlates with the growth in stock values, and also sales, profits, price premiums and employee satisfaction. Given that brand value often accounts for a very significant proportion of the value of the total company (75% for Ford, 51% for the Coca-Cola Corporation), and strong brands drive profitability in several ways (additional sales, reduced costs, referrals to new customers), this does make sense.

Brand equity research has two elements:

Brand profiling - where your brand and its competitors are profiled against a set of indicators and attributes. The indicators are usually fixed within the model, but attributes may be specific to the brand or its category.

Conversion model - where the model assesses the degree of strength or vulnerability you have in your customer base in relation to competition. Credit card companies use this to identify which competitive customers they should approach as they are open to alternative offers, and which they should not waste their time on because they are loyal to their existing suppliers.

• COMMERCIAL EYE TRACKING RESEARCH:

Commercial eye tracking research is a examine advertisements, package designs, websites, etc by analyzing visual behavior of the consumer.

• CUSTOMER SATISFACTION RESEARCH:

Customer satisfaction research is a quantitative or qualitative study that yields an understanding of a customer's of satisfaction with a transaction. Customer satisfaction research is a path to building customer loyalty in both consumer and B2B business markets. Our customer satisfaction research measurement studies -- with two core components -- are focused on building customer loyalty. An actionable and action oriented approach, our customer satisfaction research engagements help build customer loyalty, market share and competitive advantage

Ø BASIC RESEARCH:

Basic research is driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest in a scientific question. The main motivation is to expand man's knowledge , not to create or invent something. There is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries that result from basic research.

For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions such as:

• How did the universe begin?
• What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
• How do slime molds reproduce?
• What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?

Most scientists believe that a basic, fundamental understanding of all branches of science is needed in order for progress to take place. In other words, basic research lays down the foundation for the applied science that follows. If basic work is done first, then applied spin-offs often eventually result from this research. As Dr. George Smoot of LBNL says, "People cannot foresee the future well enough to predict what's going to develop from basic research. If we only did applied research, we would still be making better spears."

There have been many historical examples in which basic research has played a vital role in the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Here are just a few important examples:

Our understanding of genetics and heredity is largely due to the studies of Gregor Mendel, who studied pea plants in the 1860's, and the experiments with fruit flies by T.H. Morgan in the early 20th century. These organisms were used because it was easier to design experiments using pea plants and fruit flies than using higher forms of life. (Fruit flies are still being used today in the Human Genome Project!)

DNA has been called the "ladder of life". Today, the double-helix structure of DNA is routinely introduced in middle school life science classes, but in the early 1950's, the structure of DNA was still being determined. Using data gathered from the previous basic research of other scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structural design of the DNA molecule in 1953. Determining DNA's structure was vital to our understanding of how DNA worked.

Many of today's electrical devices (e.g., radios, generators and alternators) can trace their roots to the basic research conducted by Michael Faraday in 1831. He discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction, that is, the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

At LBNL's Advanced Light Source, x-rays are used to help us to probe into very tiny samples of materials. But our understanding of the properties of x-rays began with the fundamental experiments of Wilhelm Rontgen in 1895.

Each of these scientists was trying to learn about the basic nature of the phenomena that they were studying. Only today can we see the vast implications of their research!

Ø APPLIED RESEARCH:

Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One might say that the goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human condition.

For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:

• improve agricultural crop production
• treat or cure a specific disease
• improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of transportation

Some scientists feel that the time has come for a shift in emphasis away from purely basic research and toward applied science. This trend, they feel, is necessitated by the problems resulting from global overpopulation, pollution, and the overuse of the earth's natural resources.

There have been many historical examples in which applied research has had a major impact on our daily lives. In many cases, the application was derived long before scientists had a good, basic understanding of them underlying science.
Here are just a few examples:

Prior to the 1950's, vacuum tubes were used as triodes in electrical devices such as radios. In 1948, 3 researchers at AT & T's Bell Laboratories (John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley) invented the transistor, a solid state triode that would revolutionize the electronics industry. Indeed, the transistor made possible the invention of the integrated circuit (the key component in microprocessors) by Jack Kilby ten years later.

Vaccinations against various diseases save countless lives each year. The first use of a vaccine occurred in the late 1790's. Edward Jenner developed a technique for vaccinating people against smallpox, a disease that once killed millions of people. In 1885, Louis Pasteur successfully inoculated a patient with a rabies vaccine. More recently, Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for polio in 1953; an oral form of the vaccine was produced by Albert Sabin in 1961.

THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROCESS

Effective market research involves six steps which are explained as follows:

Step 1: DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES:

The most important step in marketing research is to define the problem. Problems should not be defined too broadly or too narrowly. A very broad definition leads to excessive wastage of resources. Too narrow definition leads to inadequate data or information that is to help take an effective decision. To define the problem appropriately, the following things has to be clear:

1] What is to be researched (the content, scope) and

2] Why it is to be researched

Step 2: DEVELOP THE RESEARCH PLAN:

This stage requires developing the most efficient plan for gathering the needed information. This includes decisions on the data sources, research approaches, research instruments, sampling plan and contact methods.

DATA SOURCES:

The researcher can gather primary data, secondary data or both. Primary data are data freshly gathered for a specific purpose or for a specific research project. Secondary are data that were collected for another purpose and already exist somewhere. Researchers usually start their investigation by examining secondary data to see whether, the problem can be partly or wholly solved without collecting costly primary data.

RESEARCH APPROACHES:

Observational research is the gathering of primary data by observing relevant people, actions, and situations. Observational research can be used to obtain information that people are unwilling or unable to provide. In some cases, observation may be the only way to obtain the needed information.

Survey research is the approach best suited for gathering descriptive information. A company that wants to know about people's knowledge, attitudes, preferences, or buying behavior can often find out by asking them directly. Survey research is the most widely used method for primary data collection, and it is often the only method used in a research study. The major advantage of survey research is its flexibility. It can be used to obtain many different kinds of information in many different marketing situations. In the early and mid-1980s, some cola companies created a taste test against their competitors. This is an example of survey research. Participants were allowed to taste different cola brands without knowing which was which. The participant then decided which brand was preferred.

Whereas observation is best suited for exploratory research and surveys for descriptive research, experimental research is best suited for gathering causal information. Experiments involve selecting matched groups of subjects, giving them different treatments, controlling unrelated factors, and checking for differences in group responses. Thus, experimental research tries to explain cause-and-effect relationships.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS:

In collecting primary data, marketing researchers have a choice of two main research instruments—the questionnaire and mechanical devices. The questionnaire is by far the most common instrument. A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to a respondent for his or her answers. In preparing a questionnaire, the marketing researcher must decide what questions to ask, the form of the questions, the wording of the questions, and the ordering of the questions. Each question should be checked to see that it contributes to the research objectives. Although questionnaires are the most common research instrument, mechanical instruments are also used. Two examples of mechanical instruments are people meters and supermarket scanners. These techniques are not widely used because they tend to be expensive, require unrealistic advertising exposure conditions, and are hard to interpret.

SAMPLING PLAN:

Marketing researchers usually draw conclusions about large groups of consumers by studying a relatively small sample of the total consumer population. A sample is a segment of the population selected to represent the population as a whole. Ideally, the sample should be representative so that the researcher can make accurate estimates of the thoughts and behaviors of the larger population. If the sample is not representative, it may lead the company to draw the wrong conclusions and misuse its resources.

The marketing researcher must design a sampling plan, which calls for three decisions:

1. Sampling unit—determining who is to be surveyed. The marketing researcher must define the target population that will be sampled. If a company wants feedback on a new basketball shoe, it would be wise to target active players and even professional players.
2. Sample size—determining the number of people to be surveyed. Large samples give more reliable results than small samples. Samples of less than 1 percent of a population can often provide good reliability, given a credible sampling procedure. Most commercial samples consist of between several hundred and several thousand respondents.
3. Sampling procedure—determining how the respondents should be chosen. To obtain a representative sample, a probability (random) sampling of the population should be drawn. This is a means of determining who is reached by the survey to ensure they are indeed a valid cross-section of the sampling unit. Choosing passersby on a street corner, for example, would not produce a random sample, whereas allowing a computer to pick names randomly from a relevant calling list probably would (depending on how the list was compiled). Probability sampling allows the calculation of confidence limits for sampling error.

CONTACT METHODS:

Research may be collected by mail, telephone, e-mail, fax, or personal interview. Mail questionnaires can be used to collect large amounts of information at a low cost per respondent. Respondents may give more honest answers to more personal questions on a mail questionnaire than to an unknown interviewer in person or over the phone. However, mail questionnaires lack flexibility in that they require simply worded questions. They can also take a long time to complete, and the response rate —the number of people returning completed questionnaires—is often very low.

Telephone interviewing is the best method for gathering information quickly, and it provides greater flexibility than mail questionnaires. Interviewers can explain questions that are not understood. Telephone interviewing also allows greater sample control. Response rates tend to be higher than with mail questionnaires. But telephone interviewing also has its drawbacks. The cost per respondent is higher than with mail questionnaires, people may regard a phone call as more of an inconvenience or an intrusion, and they may not want to discuss personal questions with an interviewer. In the latter part of the 1990s, laws were also passed to guard against the invasion of privacy. If a person wishes to be taken off a solicitation or interview list, companies can be sued if they persist in calling.

Personal interviewing consists of inviting several people to talk with a trained interviewer about a company's products or services. The interviewer needs objectivity, knowledge of the subject and industry, and some understanding of group and consumer behavior. Personal interviewing is quite flexible and can be used to collect large amounts of information. Trained interviewers can hold a respondent's attention for a long time and can explain difficult questions. They can guide interviews, explore issues, and probe as the situation requires. The main drawbacks of personal interviewing are costs and sampling problems. Personal interviews may cost three to four times as much as telephone interviews.

Once the sampling plan has been determined, the marketing researcher must decide how the subject should be contacted: mail, telephone, personal, or online interview.

1. Mail Questionnaire: The mail questionnaire is the best way to reach people who would not give personal interviews or whose responses might be biased or distorted by the interviewers. Mail questionnaires require simple and clearly worded questions. The response rate is usually low or slow. A questionnaire consists of limited number of questions and it is very flexible method used to collect primary data. As consumer actions do not always match their answers to survey questions qualitative measures are used. Mechanical devices are rarely used in marketing research. For example galvanometers can measure the interest or emotions aroused by exposure to a specific ad or picture.

2. Telephone interview: It is the best method for gathering information quickly, the interviewer is also able to clarify questions if respondents do not understand them. The response rate is typically higher than in the case of mailed questionnaires. The main drawback is that the interviews have to be short and not too personal.

3. Online interview: There are so many ways to use the net to do research. A company can include a questionnaire on its website and offer an incentive to answer the questionnaire, or it can place a banner on some frequently visited site such as Yahoo! Inviting people to answer some questions and possibly win a prize. The company can even sponsor a bulletin board and introduce questions from time to time.

Step 3: COLLECT THE INFORMATION:

The data collection phase of marketing research is generally the most expensive and the most prone to error. In case of surveys, certain problems arise. Some respondents will not be at home and must be contacted again or replaced. Others respondents will refuse to co – operate. Still others will give biased or dishonest answers. Finally some interviews will be biased or dishonest. Getting the right respondents is critical.

Step 4: IMPLEMENTING THE RESEARCH PLAN:

The next step in the process is to extract findings from the collected data. The research tabulates the data and develops frequency distributions. Averages and measures of dispersion are computed for major variables. The researcher will also apply some advanced statistical techniques and decision models in the hope of discovering additional findings. Before implementing the research plan, the surveyed data is analyzed properly. The best alternative among the given data will be implemented.

Step 5: INTERPRETING AND REPORTING THE FINDINGS:

There should be an attempt to put the information in perspective, e.g., compare results to what you expected, promised results; management or program staff; any common standards for your products or services; original goals; indications or measures of accomplishing outcomes or results; description of the program's experiences, strengths, weaknesses, etc. The market researcher should be sure to record the research plans and activities in a research plan which can be referenced when a similar research effort is needed in the future. As the last step, the researcher presents the findings. The researcher should present findings that are relevant to the major marketing decisions facing management.

SOURCES OF MARKETING RESEARCH

Sources of marketing research plays a very important or efficient role for gathering required information in formulating a research plan. The sources of data collection can be broadly categorized in to two types:

• Primary Data
• Secondary Data

PRIMARY DATA

Some common types of primary data are:

• Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Psychological and lifestyle characteristics.
• Attitudes and opinions.
• Awareness and knowledge - for example, brand awareness.
• Intentions - for example, purchase intentions. While useful, intentions are not a reliable indication of actual future behavior.
• Motivation - a person's motives are more stable than his/her behavior, so motive is a better predictor of future behavior than is past behavior.
• Behaviour.

Primary data can be obtained by communication or by observation. Communication involves questioning respondents either verbally or in writing. This method is versatile, since one needs only to ask for the information; however, the response may not be accurate. Communication usually is quicker and cheaper than observation. Observation involves the recording of actions and is performed by either a person or some mechanical or electronic device. Observation is less versatile than communication since some attributes of a person may not be readily observable, such as attitudes, awareness, knowledge, intentions, and motivation. Observation also might take longer since observers may have to wait for appropriate events to occur, though observation using scanner data might be quicker and more cost effective. Observation typically is more accurate than communication. Personal interviews have an interviewer bias that mail-in questionnaires do not have. For example, in a personal interview the respondent's perception of the interviewer may affect the responses.

SECONDARY DATA

Before going through the time and expense of collecting primary data, one should check for secondary data that previously may have been collected for other purposes but that can be used in the immediate study. Secondary data may be internal to the firm, such as sales invoices and warranty cards, or may be external to the firm such as published data or commercially available data. The government census is a valuable source of secondary data.
Secondary data has the advantage of saving time and reducing data gathering costs. The disadvantages are that the data may not fit the problem perfectly and that the accuracy may be more difficult to verify for secondary data than for primary data.
Some secondary data is republished by organizations other than the original source. Because errors can occur and important explanations may be missing in republished data, one should obtain secondary data directly from its source. One also should consider who the source is and whether the results may be biased.

There are several criteria that one should use to evaluate secondary data.

· Whether the data is useful in the research study.

· How current the data is and whether it applies to time period of interest.

· Errors and accuracy - whether the data is dependable and can be verified.

· Presence of bias in the data.

· Specifications and methodologies used, including data collection method, response rate, quality and analysis of the data, sample size and sampling technique, and questionnaire design.

· Objective of the original data collection.

Nature of the data, including definition of variables, units of measure, categories used, and relationships examined.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Marketing research can be classified in one of three categories:

• Exploratory research
• Descriptive research
• Causal research

These classifications are made according to the objective of the research. In some cases the research will fall into one of these categories, but in other cases different phases of the same research project will fall into different categories.

· Exploratory research:

Exploratory research has the goal of formulating problems more precisely, clarifying concepts, gathering explanations, gaining insight, eliminating impractical ideas, and forming hypotheses. Exploratory research can be performed using a literature search, surveying certain people about their experiences, focus groups, and case studies. When surveying people, exploratory research studies would not try to acquire a representative sample, but rather, seek to interview those who are knowledgeable and who might be able to provide insight concerning the relationship among variables. Case studies can include contrasting situations or benchmarking against an organization known for its excellence. Exploratory research may develop hypotheses, but it does not seek to test them. Exploratory research is characterized by its flexibility.

· Descriptive research:

Descriptive research is more rigid than exploratory research and seeks to describe users of a product, determine the proportion of the population that uses a product, or predict future demand for a product. As opposed to exploratory research, descriptive research should define questions, people surveyed, and the method of analysis prior to beginning data collection. In other words, the who, what, where, when, why, and how aspects of the research should be defined. Such preparation allows one the opportunity to make any required changes before the costly process of data collection has begun.

· Causal research:

Causal research seeks to find cause and effect relationships between variables. It accomplishes this goal through laboratory and field experiments.

TOOLS OF MARKETING RESEARCH

Marketing researchers have a choice of three main research instruments in collecting primary data: questionnaires, qualitative measures, and technological devices.

Ø Questionnaires: A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to respondents. Because of its flexibility, it is by far the most common instrument used to collect primary data. Researchers need to carefully develop, test, and debug questionnaires before administering them on a large scale. The form, wording, and sequence of the question can all influence the response. There are two types of questionnaires, i.e. closed-ended questions and open-end questions either of them can be used.

* Closed-end question specify all the possible answers and provide answers that are easier to analyze. Every answer can be given a number or value so that a statistical interpretation can be assessed. In large-scale surveys, closed-ended questions take less time from the interviewer, the participant and the researcher, and so is a less expensive survey method. The response rate is higher with surveys that use closed-ended question than with those that use open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions can be more specific, thus more likely to communicate similar meanings

* Open-end question allow respondents to useful in exploratory research, where the researcher is looking for insight in to how people think rather than measuring how many people think a certain way. Open-ended questions allow respondents to include more information, including feelings, attitudes and understanding of the subject. Open-ended questions cut down on two types of response error; respondents are not likely to forget the answers they have to choose from if they are given the chance to respond freely, and open-ended questions simply do not allow respondents to disregard reading the questions and just "fill in" the survey with all the same answers (such as filling in the "no" box on every question).

Ø Qualitative Measures: Some marketers prefer more qualitative methods for gauging consumer opinion, because consumer actions don’t always match their answer to survey questions. They focus on consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, expectations and values. This type of research does not aim to count responses Qualitative research techniques are relatively unstructured measurement approaches that permit a range of possible responses. Their variety is limited only by the creativity of the marketing researchers. . Qualitative research often involves recognizing and interpreting body language and paying attention not only to what is said and how, but what is not said and why.

Because of the freedom afforded both researchers in their probes and consumers in their responses, perceptions, but it has its drawbacks. Marketers must temper the in-depth insights that emerge with the facts that the samples are often very small and may not necessarily generalized to broader populations. And different researchers examining the same qualitative measures may draw very different conclusions.” Marketing Insight; Getting in to consumers Heads with Qualitative Research describes some popular approaches.

Ø Quantitative Measures: Quantitative marketing research is the application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four Ps" of marketing: Product, Price, Place (location) and Promotion.

As a social research method, it typically involves the construction of questionnaires and scales. People who respond (respondents) are asked to complete the survey. Marketers use the information so obtained to understand the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and marketing plans.

Ø Technological devices: Technological devices are occasionally useful in marketing research. Galvanometers can measure the interest or emotions aroused by exposure to a specific ad or picture. Tachistoscope flashes an ad to a subject with an exposure interval that may range from less than one hundredth of a second to several second. After each exposure, the respondent describes everything he recalls. Eye cameras study respondent eye movements to see where their eyes land first how long they linger on a given item and so on.

Technology has now advanced to such a degree that marketers can use devices such as skin censors, brain wave scanners, and full body scanners to get consumer responses. TACODA, an advertising technology company, is studying the eye movements and brain activity of web surfers to see which ads grab their attention.” Marketing Insight; Understanding Brain Science”: provides a glimpse in to some new marketing research frontiers studying the brain.

Technology has replaced the diaries that participants in media surveys used to keep. AUDIOMETERS attached to television sets in participating homes now record when the set is on and to which channel it is tuned. Electronic devices can record the number of radio programs a person is exposed to during the day, or, using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, how many billboards a person may walk by or drive by during a day. Technology is also used to capture consumer reactions to programming content.

Ø Psychological tools: Psychological tools can be implemented by gathering a focus group of six to ten people who are invited to spend a few hours with a skilled moderator in order to discuss a product, service, organization, or any other marketing entity. The moderator needs to be objective, knowledgeable, and skilled in group dynamics. Participants are normally offered same gifts or incentives for attending the meeting. The meeting is typically held in pleasant surroundings, and refreshments are served. The moderator usually starts with a broad question and then helps the group move through various aspects of the entity being discussed, encouraging free and easy discussion. The key role of the moderator is to keep the discussion “focused” on the relevant theme while allowing deep feelings and thoughts to emerge through the group dynamics. The discussion is typically recorded by the moderator. Sometimes, one – way mirrors are also used for observing and recording the proceedings. Transcripts prepared from the recordings are subsequently analyzed to understand consumer beliefs, attitudes and behaviour.

OVER COMING BARRIERS

We have seen the various marketing research process. In spite of the companies knowing the process correctly many companied still fail to use it sufficiently of correctly.

The various reasons the company lack are the following:-

Ø A NARROW CONCEPTION OF RESEARCH

Many managers see marketing research as fact finding operation. They expect the researchers to design a questionnaire, choose a sample, and conduct an interview, and report results, often without their providing a careful definition of the problem. When fact findings fail to be useful, management’s idea of the limited usefulness of marketing research is reinforced

Ø UNEVEN CALIBER OF RESEARCHERS

Some managers view marketing research as a little more than a clerical activity and treat it as such. They hire less-competent marketing researchers whose weak training and low creativity leads to unimpressive results. The disappointing result reinforces management’s prejudice against marketing research, and low salaries perpetuate the basic problem.

Ø POOR FRAMING OF THE PROBLEM

The famous failure of the NEW COKE was largely due to a failure to set up the research problem correctly, from a marketing perspective. The real issue was how consumers felt about coca – cola as a brand, not how they felt about its taste in isolation.

Ø LATE AND OCCASIONALLY ERRONEOUS FINDINGS

Managers want results that are accurate and conclusive. They many want the result tomorrow. Yet good marketing research takes time and money. Managers are disappointed when marketing research costs too much or takes too much time.

Ø PERSONALATITY AND PRESENTATIONAL DIFFERENCES

Differences between the styles of line managers and marketing researchers often get in the way of productive relationships. To a manger who wants concreteness, simplicity, and certainty, a marketing researcher’s report may seem abstract, complicated, and tentative. Yes in the more progressive companies, marketing researchers are being included as members of the product management teams and their influence on marketing strategy is growing.

Failure to use that has benefited from research driven insight is IDEO. “Breakthrough marketing:-IDEO” shows how that company has used clever marketing research to come up with innovative product and service design.

CASE STUDY: GARNIER HAIR COLOUR

For garnier, beauty is within all of us. So take care of yourself. Take care of your health. Give your body the best to optimize your beauty today and hold onto it for tomorrow.

In 1907, Eugène Schueller, a young French chemist, developed an innovative hair-color formula. He called his improved hair dye Auréole. With that, the history of L’Oréal began. Eugène Schueller formulated and manufactured his own products, which he then sold to Parisian hairdressers. L’Oréal got its start in the hair-color business, but the company soon branched out into other cleansing and beauty products. L’Oréal now markets over 500 brands and many thousands of individual products in all sectors of the beauty business: hair color, permanents, styling aids, body and skin care, cleansers and fragrances. They are found in all distribution channels, from hair salons and perfumeries to hyper - and supermarkets, health/beauty outlets, pharmacies and direct mail.

Garnier is a division of L'Oréal that produces hair care products, including the Fructis line, and most recently, skin care products under the name, Nutritioniste, that are sold around the world. Each Garnier Fructis product is enriched with active natural ingredients, specially selected to give your hair the nourishing care it needs to look healthy every day. One of their key ingredients is a fruit concentrate used in all their products. It is a combination of fruit acids, vitamin B3 and B6, fructose and glucose.

Natural contents in Garnier Hair Products:

Fruit ahas, green tea extract, caffeine, anti storage gingko, fructose and glucose, omega 3+6, roship oil, grape seed oil, vitamins b3 and b6, fruit oils, avocado oil, magnesium, from kiwi water, lip peptides, from hazelnuts.

We have conducted a small survey of 50 people to understand in detail as to how many people prefer hair colour, the reasons why people prefer hair colour and why against hair colour, most preferred brand, etc. And finally we are launching a new product of Garnier Colour Naturals with Aloe Vera in it. Aloe Vera has been used for centuries by Indian tribes in South America. They claim that aloe vera makes their hair thick and healthy. Rub some aloe vera gel into your hair and scalp every night. Aloe vera has an enzyme called super oxide dismutane. That, plus its ability to trigger the formation of nitric oxide, will stimulate hair growth in people who have male pattern baldness. So coming out with a hair colour which will also take care of hair conditioning will only increase the sales of Garnier.

Hair coloring products manufactured by Garnier contain natural olive oil; this conditions your hair, making it smooth and shiny. Anyone, be it male or female, who is interested in changing their hair color can look to Garnier for their coloring needs; Garnier produces seven natural color shades for both men and women.

There have been mixed reviews about Garnier hair color products; however most of the reviews are generally positive. Some advantages stated about Garnier hair color are:

§ No harmful effects have been found on the hair and scalp after using Garnier hair coloring products.

§ The color lasts for about a month, about average for any hair coloring kit

§ The resulting hair color looks natural and is similar to that shown on the box.

§ One hair coloring kit is enough for use on long hair.

§ The product is very easy to use and quite effective provided the instructions are followed exactly as stated

§ Hair looks healthy and shiny; using Garnier hair coloring products also conditions hair, making it fuller and giving it more body.

§ The product spreads on the hair easily and does not smell; the crème does not drip and will not cause any unnecessary mess.

The conditioner that comes with the hair coloring kit works well.

When using Garnier hair coloring products, the effect will not be immediately noticeable especially when your hair is still wet; however, the color usually becomes more obvious once your hair dries.

SURVEY REPORT

HOW MANY PEOPLE USE HAIR COLOUR:

With the survey we had conducted of 50 people, we came to a conclusion that only 26% of the people use hair colour i.e. around 22 people and the remaining 74% do not prefer using hair colour i.e. around 28 people.

REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE AGAINST THE HAIR COLOUR:

A – Don’t feel the need - 76.3%

B – Bad experience - 10.8%

C – Costly - 5%

D – Close ones don’t allow - 10.8%

Now as per the survey conducted we have seen that maximum people i.e. 76.3% people don’t prefer hair colour because they don’t feel the need for it. Around 10.8% people have already used hair colour and have had a bad experience and 10.8% people are the ones whose close ones don’t allow them to colour their hair. Also there are another 5% people saying that the products available for hair colouring is costly.

WHY DO PEOPLE USE HAIR COLOUR:

We can conclude from the above chart that 65% of people prefer hair colour for better appearance, 23% of people prefer it for fun, 8% people prefer it due to grey hair and finally 4% people do hair colour to impress others.

BRANDS COMMONLY PREFERRED :

A - GARNIER – 55%

B - STREAKS – 12%

C - GODREJ – 25%

D – OTHERS – 8%

From the survey it is evident that around 55% of people prefer Garnier Hair Colour, 12% of the people prefer Streax and 25% of the people prefer Godrej. Thus we can conclude that Garnier is most preferred brand. Also the local market has a very big competitor as henna which is included in others.

AWARENESS OF ALOE VERA:

About 51% of people are aware of the advantages of aloe vera and 49% are not even aware of it.

So we first informed them the advantages of aloe vera.

Benefit of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has many benefits to the overall health of hair. Aloe vera is very good herbal conditioner for hair. It is very good conditioner especially for coloured hair which becomes dry after hair colouring. It nourishes your sclap and solves the problem of dandruff. It is very good solution for hair fall and loss which usually occurs after colouring your hair. It gives shine to your hair and makes it smooth, silky and healthy. It protects your hair from sun rays.

PEOPLE PREFERRING ALOE VERA IN THEIR HAIR COLOR:

About 70 % of the people would like to prefer hair colour with aloe vera content in it as it would be very good hair care also. And around 30% of the people still don’t prefer hair colour even after a natural ingredient of aloe vera is used.

COMPARISON OF THE ANALYSIS:

WITHOUT ALOE VERA WITH ALOE VERA

Earlier when the product Garnier colour naturals hair colour does not have aloe vera in it, only 26% people prefer using it. And 74% people don’t prefer using it. And when our new product is launched with aloe vera content in it, it is expected that 70 % people would prefer using it and only 30% would still not prefer using it.

QUESTIONNAIRE: MARKETING RESEARCH

Name:

Contact No.:

1. Do you use hair colour?

A] Yes B] No

- If No then

* Why are you against hair colour?

A] You don’t feel the need. B] Used it, but had a bad experience.

C] Costly D] Your close ones don’t allow you.

2. Why do you use hair colour?

A] Appearance B] Fun C] Disguise D] Impress others

3. Which colur brand do you use?

A] Garnier B] Streaks C] Godrej D] Others

4. How many shades of garnier are you aware of?

A] 1-2 B] 2-5 C] 5-8

5. How many shades have you tried?

A] 1-2 B] 2-5 C] 5-8

6. Are you satisfied?

A] Yes B] No

7. Are you aware of aloe vera?

A] Yes B] No

8. Would you prefer hair colour if aloe vera is one of the garnier’s ingredients?

A] Yes B] No