ZEST (MARKET RESEARCH)

(HATCHBACK CLINIC)

A pre launch survey at HONDA

A Project report submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of

Post Graduate Program in Business Management

BY:

SURAJ KUMAR BOXI

PGDM(2011-13)

Roll No.: FT-11-1044

Submitted to:

IILM GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Greater Noida

(May 01 to June 30)

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DECLARATION FORM

I hereby declare that the Project work entitled (write the title

in Block Letters) submitted by me for the Summer Internship during the Post Graduate

Program to IILM Graduate School of Management, Greater Noida is my original work

and has not been submitted earlier either to IILM or to any other Institution for the fulfillment

of the requirements for any other course of study. I also declare that no chapter of this

manuscript, either in whole or in part, is copied from any other document.

Signature of Student: _______________ Signature of Company Mentor: ______________

Name of Student: __________________ Name of Company Mentor: _________________

Designation: _____________________________

Date: Date:

Place: Place:

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Acknowledgement

Training is a real experience. Training for MBA student, two months of summer training is

practically more resourceful than all the management classes he had in the classroom. It is an

experience, which sees one through his management career. This is mainly attributed to the

fact that during these two months of summer training every student comes to know about the

real business world. Herein he learns how to put the lessons and the theories that he has learnt

from numerous books at work. He learns business management in all ways.

Firstly I would like to acknowledge our institute “IILM-GSM” for providing me an

opportunity to work on the field of Marketing.

I take immense pleasure to express my gratitude to MR. RAKESH SINGH, for

providing me with this opportunity to work with the esteemed organization, Nielsen ORG-

MARG and guiding me throughout the course of this project.

I also like to thank to the Management of Nielsen ORG-MARG, for allowing me to

work in one of the most exciting sectors in India, and all my supervisors and colleagues for

making it an enlightening and fun experience.

I am grateful to Prof. TRIPTI GHOSH for guiding, inspiring and motivating me to work in

this area. Without their line of action, invaluable guidance and time, it would not have been

possible for me to complete this project work.

I would also like to thank all those who directly or indirectly helped me in my training. On

personal note, I would like to express thanks to all my friends who helped me in time and

again in whatever possible way during completion of the project as well as those persons

from whom I have learned much more in past that help me in applying my ideas in the project

report.

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Table of Contents: Page No:EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6

PART 1:1.1 Introduction: 7

Introduction to the market research

Types of market research Role of market research Marketing research by methodological approach Marketing research companies AC Nielsen Org Marg. Pvt. Ltd

1.2 Objective of the project 211.3 Limitation of the project: 221.4 Scope of the report 221.5 Research Methodology 221.6 Pre Interview preparation 241.7 Data Collection techniques 26

PART 2:2.1 Data Presentation and Interpretation 282.2 Data Analysis 37

PART 3:3.1 Finding of the study 383.2 Learning from the study 383.3 Recommendation 39

References

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List of Tables and Figures:

Tables:

1. List of Market Research Companies:2. Sampling table for the Interview3. Table showing number of respondents owning different car models.4. Table showing the test vehicles and their respective prices.

Figures:

1. Maruti 8002. Car clinic3. Test Vehicle P4. Test vehicle Q5. Test vehicle R6. Interview flow7. Customers preferring cars on the basis of exterior

8. Customers preferring cars on the basis of interiors 9. Customers rating of likeability of cars on the basis of interiors and exteriors.

10. Customers preference of cars when overall specifications and prices were given 11. Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Honda 12. Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

13. Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Volkswagen

14. Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Market research is imperative for a company to know what type of products or services

would be profitable to introduce in the market. Also with respect to its existing products in

the market, good market research enables a company to know if it has been able to satisfy

customer needs and whether any changes need to be made in design or performance. This

enables a company to formulate a viable marketing plan or measure the success of its existing

plan.

This project is mainly focusing upcoming Hatchback cars by Honda.

The main aim of conducting ZEST car clinic to carry out this research was to get feedback of

test vehicle related to performance and both exterior and interior styling. 150 respondents

were personally interviewed from different segments of hatchback car users.

A structured questionnaire was used to interview respondents. Both open and close ended

questions were used. Prior appointments were fixed for the process.

Depending on the information collected, analysis was done with the help of graphs like pie

charts and bar diagrams. Analysis showed that car strength and weakness and feedback by the

respondents so that when they launch this car in market it will successful and capture and

more market.

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PART 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION:

Introduction to the Market Research:

Market research is the process of collecting and analyzing information about the customers you want to reach, called your target market. This information provides you with the business intelligence you need to make informed decisions. Market research can help you create a business plan, launch a new product or service, fine tune your existing products and services, expand into new markets, develop an advertising campaign, set prices, and/or select a business location.

Marketing research may also be described as 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. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior.

Market research methods fall into two basic categories: primary and secondary. Your research might involve one or both, depending on your company’s needs. Primary research involves collecting original data about the preferences, buying habits, opinions, and attitudes of current or prospective customers. This data can be gathered in focus groups, surveys, and field tests. Secondary research is based on existing data from reference books, magazines and newspapers, industry publications, chambers of commerce, government agencies, or trade associations. It yields information about industry sales trends and growth rates, demographic profiles, and regional business statistics. The bulk of your secondary research now is available on the Internet thanks to the proliferation of sites that provide or sell data about individuals and companies and because most publications now are available online. Using Market Research Market research allows you to pinpoint a host of key business factors about your market. It can help you identify:

Growth trends in your business sector Size of your target market Best location for your business How your business stacks up against the competition Factors that influence buying decisions Degree of demand for your product or service

Types of Market Research

Marketing research is often partitioned into two sets of categorical pairs, either by target market:

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Consumer marketing research, and Business-to-business (B2B) marketing research

Consumer market research

Consumer market research surveys give you the data you need to enhance relationships with your current customers, increase retention and cultivate sales. Once you analyze the opinions of your customers you can funnel your data into winning marketing and customer service strategies.

Find out what your audience feels, behaves and expects with consumer market research surveys. By ascertaining this type of important information, you can improve employee performance and profitability. Our cost-effective and user-friendly consumer market research surveys can help you discover:

Customers' perceptions of your brand, product and service The probability of current customers becoming repeat purchasers What your customers think of your competition Your customers' future needs and wants

Business-to-Business (B2B)

Business to business (B2B) research is inevitably more complicated than consumer research. The researchers need to know what type of multi-faceted approach will answer the objectives, since seldom is it possible to find the answers using just one method. Finding the right respondents is crucial in B2B research since they are often busy, and may not want to participate. Encouraging them to “open up” is yet another skill required of the B2B researcher. Last, but not least, most business research leads to strategic decisions and this means that the business researcher must have expertise in developing strategies that are strongly rooted in the research findings and acceptable to the client.

There are four key factors that make B2B market research special and different to consumer markets:

The decision making unit is far more complex in B2B markets than in consumer markets

B2B products and their applications are more complex than consumer products B2B marketers address a much smaller number of customers who are very much

larger in their consumption of products than is the case in consumer markets Personal relationships are of critical importance in B2B markets.

Role of marketing research

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The task of marketing research is to provide management with relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information. Competitive marketing environment and the ever-increasing costs attributed to poor decision making require that marketing research provide sound information. Sound decisions are not based on gut feeling, intuition, or even pure judgment.

Marketing managers make numerous strategic and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. These decisions are complicated by interactions between the controllable marketing variables of product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. Further complications are added by uncontrollable environmental factors such as general economic conditions, technology, public policies and laws, political environment, competition, and social and cultural changes. Another factor in this mix is the complexity of consumers. Marketing research helps the marketing manager link the marketing variables with the environment and the consumers. It helps remove some of the uncertainty by providing relevant information about the marketing variables, environment, and consumers. In the absence of relevant information, consumers' response to marketing programs cannot be predicted reliably or accurately. Ongoing marketing research programs provide information on controllable and non-controllable factors and consumers; this information enhances the effectiveness of decisions made by marketing managers.

Traditionally, marketing researchers were responsible for providing the relevant information and marketing decisions were made by the managers. However, the roles are changing and marketing researchers are becoming more involved in decision making, where

as marketing managers are becoming more involved with research.

The role of marketing research in managerial decision making is explained further using the framework of the DECIDE model:

D - Define the marketing problem

E - Enumerate the controllable and uncontrollable decision factors

C - Collect relevant information

I - Identify the best alternative

D - Develop and implement a marketing plan

E - Evaluate the decision and the decision process

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The DECIDE model conceptualizes managerial decision making as a series of six steps. The decision process begins by precisely defining the problem or opportunity, along with the objectives and constraints.

Next, the possible decision factors that make up the alternative courses of action (controllable factors) and uncertainties (uncontrollable factors) are enumerated. Then, relevant information on the alternatives and possible outcomes is collected. The next step is to select the best alternative based on chosen criteria or measures of success. Then a detailed plan to implement the alternative selected is developed and put into effect. Last, the outcome of the decision and the decision process itself are evaluated

Marketing research, by methodological approach:

Qualitative marketing research Quantitative marketing research

Qualitative marketing research

Qualitative market research is best as an exploratory and developmental market research

method.  Qualitative marketing research is a set of research techniques, used in marketing and the social sciences, in which data is obtained from a relatively small group of respondents and not analyzed with inferential statistics. This differentiates it from quantitative analyzed for statistical significance. One-on-one interviews and related qualitative market research projects for consumer products, business to business-B2B- clients. We're a marketing research firm that knows qualitative research. We know when and where to use qualitative research for marketing decision-making.  As with all marketing research, the design of qualitative research, if it is to have value, must be primarily driven by marketing strategy decision-making issues.

Qualitative market research means "quality."  Conversely, and importantly, it does not mean "quantity."  Qualitative research methods are designed to talk to a relatively few people in the target audience of interest.  The purpose of qualitative research is to plumb the depths and range of buyer attitudes and beliefs, not to measure incidence, project, or forecast quantity.

Qualitative research is a group of marketing research methods that play an important market research role in conducting customer value analysis, customer satisfaction research, market segmentation research, branding and naming research , brand equity research, and new product research.

.

There are four main qualitative methods they are as follow

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Depth interviews Focus groups Projective Techniques Random Probability Sampling

Depth interviews:

Depth interviews are the main form of qualitative research in most business markets. Here an interviewer spends time in a one-on-one interview finding out about the customer's particular circumstances and their individual opinions.

The majority of business depth interviews take place in person, which has the added benefit that the researcher visits the respondent's place of work and gains a sense of the culture of the business. However, for multi-national studies, telephone depth interviews, or even on-line depth interviews may be more appropriate.

Feedback is through a presentation that draws together findings across a number of depth interviews. In some circumstances, such as segmentation studies, identifying differences between respondents may be as important as the views that customers share.

The main alternative to depth interviews - focus group discussions - are typically too difficult or expensive to arrange with busy executives. However, on-line techniques increasing get over this problem.

Focus groups

Focus groups are the mainstay of consumer research. Here several customers are brought together to take part in a discussion led by a researcher (or "moderator"). These groups are a good way of exploring a topic in some depth or to encourage creative ideas from participants.

Group discussions are rare in business markets, unless the customers are small businesses. In technology markets where the end user may be a consumer, or part of a team evaluating technology, group discussions can be an effective way of understanding what customers are looking for, particularly at more creative stages of research.

Projective Techniques

These are unstructured prompts or stimulus that encourages the respondent to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings onto an ambiguous situation. They are all indirect techniques that attempt to disguise the purpose of the research

Examples of projective techniques include:

Word association - say the first word that comes to mind after hearing a word - only some of the words in the list are test words that the researcher is

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interested in, the rest are fillers - is useful in testing brand names - variants include chain word association and controlled word association.

Sentence completion - respondents are given incomplete sentences and asked to complete them.

Story completion - respondents are given part of a story and are asked to complete it.

Cartoon tests - pictures of cartoon characters are shown in a specific situation and with dialogue balloons - one of the dialogue balloons is empty and the respondent is asked to fill it in

Thematic apperception tests - respondents are shown a picture (or series of pictures) and asked to make up a story about the picture(s)

Role playing - respondents are asked to play the role of someone else - researchers assume that subjects will project their own feelings or behaviors into the role.

Third-person technique - a verbal or visual representation of an individual and his/her situation is presented to the respondent - the respondent is asked to relate the attitudes or feelings of that person - researchers assume that talking in the third person will minimize the social pressure to give standard or politically correct responses.

Random Probability Sampling

This type of qualitative research conducts random interviews within a defined universe, e.g. a city- to understand consumer behavior beyond basic age-gender variables.

Examples of random sample interviewing include telephone interviewing, mailing-questionnaire's/booklets, personal interviewing,

Consumer response for this type of qualitative research could be product usage, personal opinion, events and activities consumers participate in.

One key benefit of the random probability sampling technique is the ability to project your results as they are reflected back to or representative of your universe. For example how many consumers in a city are republican, democrat, independent, or indifferent.

Quantitative Market Research

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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.

There are five major and important steps involved in the research process:

1. Defining the Problem

2. Research Design

3. Data Collection

4. Analysis

5. Report Writing & presentation

MARKET RESEARCH COMPANIES

There are many Market Research companies in India they are as follow:

Table 1: List of Market Research Companies.

NCAER Hansa research group Mc Kinsey IMRBKSA Technopak Ernst and Young AC Nielson

SynovateORG MARG Sarwate and associatese bay :Hammer tap Working media group

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The company where I did my summer internship project is AC Nielsen Org Marg PVT. LTD. It has its Indian headquarter in Mumbai and regional office in New Delhi also. It have its field office at South Ex-1, New Delhi where I did my project.

AC NIELSEN ORG MARG PVT. LTD.

COMPANY PROFILE :

HISTORY:

ACNielsen was established in the United States in 1923 by Arthur C. Nielsen, Sr., one of the founders of the modern marketing research industry. Among many innovations in consumer-focused marketing and media research, Mr. Nielsen was responsible for creating a unique retail-measurement technique that gave clients the first reliable, objective information about competitive performance and the impact of their marketing and sales programs on revenues and profits. Nielsen information gave practical meaning to the concept of market share and made it one of the critical measures of corporate performance. Mr. Nielsen also founded the business known today as Nielsen Media Research, the global leader in television audience measurement ACNielsen opened its first international office in the UK in 1939 and, after World War II, progressively expanded its operations in Western Europe, Australia and Japan. The company increased its presence in Asia Pacific in 1994 by acquiring Survey Research Group and in the Middle East and Africa in the late 1990s through the acquisition of AMER World Research.

In 2001, ACNielsen became part of VNU, a world leader in marketing information, media

measurement and information and business media.

In 2003, VNU announced a new organizational structure for VNU Marketing Information

(MI), its largest business group, to address evolving client needs and to create an enhanced

platform for accelerated growth. The new structure includes the creation of VNU Advisory

Services (which includes sister MI companies BASES, Spectra, Claritas, and HCI), a

dedicated unit that will draw on the resources of the entire MI group and other VNU

businesses, along with third-party capabilities, to develop new, integrated services and a new

approach to client service.

In 2005, VNU attempted to expand into healthcare and pharmaceutical information by

acquiring IMS Health.

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In 2006, VNU was acquired and taken private by a consortium of six private equity firms.

In 2007, VNU changed its name to The Nielsen Company.  This new identity emphasizes its

best known brand name and underscores its commitment to create an integrated, streamlined

global organization.

Under the Nielsen umbrella:

Operations:

Nielsen’s operations span more than 100 countries. Headquartered in New York, its major

regional business centers are located in Schaumburg, Illinois; Wavre, Belgium; Hong Kong;

Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Nicosia, Cyprus.

To succeed in today's complex, fast changing markets, it is not enough to simply know what

products and services people are buying. One must know why. And that's where Nielsen

comes in. Around the world...in stores...at home...on the street...it focuses on consumers to

help clients answer their most pressing questions. And Nielsen answers those questions with

the richest, most comprehensive media and market information, professional service and

analytical tools in the industry. 

Clients look to Nielsen to help them identify business opportunities and create the best

possible framework for successful decision-making.

Ultimately, clients rely on Nielsen to help them win in the marketplace. They place their trust

in the information - unique in the market research industry for its speed, accuracy, quality and

coverage. They depend on its highly developed software tools and analytical skills. And they

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count on its highly trained people to provide market knowledge, professional expertise and

marketing insight.

The Value of Market Research

Market research is a cost-effective way of finding out what people think, want, need or do.

Normally it is information unavailable elsewhere. Businesses use market research to help

them produce goods and services in line with their customer’s needs, and to evaluate the

success of marketing strategies. Most successful organizations recognize that inadequate

research significantly increases the risk of failure in the marketplace.

Social and government bodies also use market research to gauge public opinion, as an input

to policy generation or to measure the success of government communication campaigns.

Market research is effective because by talking to or measuring a relatively small number of

people you can find out about a much larger group. However, it only works if the people are

representative of the total group of interest, if the right questions are asked, and if the answers

are interpreted correctly. For this reason, research needs to be conducted by skilled and

experienced practitioners who can design, conduct and deliver information and insight to

their customers.

Nielsen’s principal clients are manufacturers and retailers of fast-moving consumer packaged

goods. In global markets, it also serves clients in automotive, financial services,

telecommunications, and many other consumer-focused industries.  

OFFERINGS:

Nielsen offers an integrated suite of market information gathered from a wide range of

sources, advanced information management tools, sophisticated analytical systems and

methodologies, and dedicated professional client service to help its clients find the best paths

to growth.

Clients work with its services to:

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Measure their market performance

Analyze market dynamics

Diagnose and solve marketing and sales problems, and

Identify and capture growth opportunities

Market Measurement

Nielsen major market-measurement services provide comprehensive coverage of:

a. Sales to consumers of fast-moving consumer packaged goods, gathered at the

point of sale in retail stores of all types and sizes. These retail measurement

services provide clients with essential facts on how their products are performing

compared with their competitors, and on trends and changes in market conditions

and sales results. They also provide critical information on the use of promotional

activities at the retail level, such as special displays or pricing, and on distribution

and stock conditions in retail stores.

b. Purchases by consumers of packaged goods and other products, gathered through

participating panels of consumer households and through customized studies.

These consumer panel and consumer research services provide a foundation for

understanding and analyzing consumers’ motivations, attitudes, behavior,

shopping patterns and demographic characteristics.

Analytical Tools and Services

Nielsen offer a wide range of software and professional services that enable clients to receive,

select and evaluate the market-measurement information, integrate it with their own data and

third-party information, and apply it to specific business issues and situations.

Clients can view and analyses information from many perspectives, such as by specific

product categories, by geographic area or by retail channel. Nielsen also organize and present

information to suit the specific needs of many individuals in manufacturing, service and retail

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organizations, including general managers, marketing professionals, sales professionals,

purchases, merchandisers and category managers.

Diagnostic Services

Nielsen consumer panel and consumer research services provide clients with many

opportunities and techniques to examine trends and understand the impact of the market

forces that influence consumers’ purchasing decisions. Consumer panels link purchasing

information to demographics and provide a controlled environment for examining

motivational factors.

Nielsen analytical and modeling services provide clients with a range of options to evaluate

and understand why marketing campaigns succeed or fail, and to address specific future

marketing opportunities and issues, such as promotion optimization, pricing, consumer

targeting and marketing mix optimization. In many markets, Nielsen offers a suite of

consumer-focused consumer research techniques and services that address clients’ unique and

specific marketing and sales issues.

Opportunity Identification

While Nielsen all major clients share a common focus on consumers, each individual client

has its own distinct set of business characteristics and marketing and sales concerns. Nielsen

information and services are designed to help each client identify and act upon unique growth

opportunities.

Using a structured and disciplined approach to building and managing long-term

relationships, their people work in close partnership with their clients to understand their

strategies and business objectives, to design the right suite of Nielsen services that fits their

needs and to agree on clear and measurable business objectives and to measure the results

and clients’ return on their investment.

Industry Expertise:

Advertising. Automotive. Consumer Package Goods. Financial Services. Government & Social.

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Media. Online. Pharmaceuticals. Retailing. Telecommunications. Travel and Tourism.

Main Competitors

Main competitors for Nielson India are as follows:

TNS India

IMRB International

Hansa research group

Mc Kinsey

IMRB

KSA Technopak

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Product Profile of Hatchback cars

Hatchbacks may be described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars—and may range in size from city cars and super minis to small family cars, mid-size cars (e.g., the Toyota Camry hatchback (1982–1986). When a model range includes multiple configurations, as with the 2001–2007 Ford Focus which offered sedan (ZX4), wagon (ZXW) and three and five-door hatchback (ZX3 and ZX5) models, the models typically share a platform, drivetrain and bodywork forward of the A-pillar. Hatchbacks may have a removable rigid parcel shelf, lift able with the tailgate, or flexible roll-up to near cover to cover the cargo space behind the rear seats.

Hatchback cars are those cars that have an access to the interiors once the rear door is open and also the luggage space is integrated with the passenger cabin and the rear seat can be folded or removed to increase the luggage space. The two row sweater small compact cars are categorized as Hatchback cars. Due to its low pricing, better mileage, low maintenance and most importantly perfect for drive in city's heavy-traffic, it has become the most selling car segment.

Hatchbacks occupy fewer parking spaces and are suitable for the metros where parking space is a major problem and also convenient for women drivers. Series of face lifted hatchback cars in India been launched and many more are yet to be launched. It seems the car manufacturers are aiming to revamp the entire small car or the hatchback segment. Comparing to last year, the new models of small cars has almost doubled this year. Even the car manufacturer of the luxury segment is now entering the hatchback segment.

Lift back

A lift back is a broad marketing term for a hatchback, which incorporates a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged lift gate—especially where the profile aspect of the rear cargo door is more horizontal than vertical, with a sharply raked or fastback profile. Lift back is not used as a term in the UK, fastback or hatchback is used instead.

Imports

In addition to specific models of captive imports mentioned above, a number of import brands have been available in the hatchback body style as a primary model: Acura Integra, Toyota Celica, Fiat Strata, Volkswagen Golf, etc.

BMW's 3-series hatchback was offered from 1995–99.The lift back version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Sport coupe, was sold in North America from 2002 to 2005, lacking many

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amenities of German luxury imports (especially a Mercedes).Audi subsequently marketed the Audi A3 In North America. The New MINI range incorporated a hatchback design.

India

Figure 1: Maruti 800 Most popular of earlier hatchbacks in India

Hatchbacks are very popular in India. Their success is attributed to the fact that they are less expensive to buy, more economical to maintain, easy to drive on crowded Indian roads, and take less parking space

Maruti 800 has been the most successful of hatchbacks in India with over 2.5 million sales since its launch in 1983. Since 2004, Maruti 800 has been overtaken by Maruti Alto as the car with highest annual sales. Entrance of several foreign car makers in the Indian market and growth of Indian companies has also attributed to their success in local market. In March 2009, Tata Motors launched Nano, the cheapest road hatchback (and car) in the world.

Other regions

Hatchbacks have proved to be less popular in South America, Africa, and some parts of Asia than in Europe, and as a result, manufacturers have had to develop sedan versions of their small cars. In Brazil, for example, the Fiat Premix was developed from the Fiat Uno in the 1980s, with Ford and GM subsequently offering sedan versions of the Opel Corse and Ford Fiesta in the 1990s.These models were also sold in South Africa and China.

1.2 Objective of the project:

Objectives of conducting this research are as follow

To gauge the perception regarding interior, exterior and overall styling of the test vehicles.

To explore the preference for the test vehicles (prototypes). To find out the market acceptance of Test vehicle.

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To study about the brand preference about the Hatchback cars. To dig out the deep insights from the respondents ensuring the truthfulness of the

responses.

1.3 Limitation of the project:

The following limitations have been faced in this project in spite of all possible efforts made to make the report accurate.

One interview standard time was 1 hour 30 minutes. Some respondents were not able to give that much of time so they were rushing and giving answers without listening question.

Sample size was only 99 which were very small for this type of car clinic. Test Vehicle was a proto type and it’s condition and performance was not at par

because of it respondents response were not right.

1.4 Scope of the project:

The project was limited to Delhi and NCR. The respondents to be surveyed had to be the one

who have purchased any new car model within the last six months or are planning to

purchase in the next six months

1.5 Research methodology:

Aims to understand the research methodology establishing a framework of evaluation and revaluation of primary research. The techniques and concepts used during primary research in order to arrive at findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical deduction towards the analysis and results.

It was a quantitative research. Sample size was 99 respondents from different car segments, like luxury sedan petrol & diesel version and SUV car owners from mid size SUV & premium SUV segment. Sample size is as follow,

Type of Research: Quantitative research

Sampling Techniques: Convenience Non-probability and Quota sampling.

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Sampling Universe: All new car buyers who have bought a car between within the last six

months or are planning to purchase in the next six months in Delhi and NCR

Sample frame: New car buyers who have bought any B-segment car for personal use (not

for taxi or tourists) in Delhi and NCR.

Sampling unit: Respondents were divided into different quotas:-

Males/ Females aged between 25 to 45 years.

Questionnaire Design

Questionnaire was divided into two parts

Screener Questionnaire Main Questionnaire

Screener Questionnaire

This questionnaire was to check the eligibility of the respondents. Their was some termination points if he or she falls on those termination point interview will be stop at that point only. This procedure was applied so as to make this research unbiased and unanimous so that it will help them to get proper feedback from respondents.

Main Questionnaire

Main questionnaire was divided into 3 parts

Static Stage 1 : In static stage we asked question on exterior and interior styling of test vehicle and respondent vehicle.

Dynamic Stage 2: In dynamic stage we asked question on based on performance of the test vehicle and respondent vehicle.

Demographic section 3: In demographic section we asked about their family size, family structure, and current monthly household income.

Table 2: Sampling table for the interview.

First time buyer Additional car buyer

Male Male Female

Owners

Intenders

30

30

30

30

15

15

  60 60 30

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Sample size: 150

Table 3: Table showing number of respondents owning different car models.

Car Models No. Of Respondents

Honda City 15

Hyundai Verna / Ford Fiesta 16

Honda Civic / Toyota Corolla Altis / Chevrolet Cruze / Skoda Octavia

15

Mahindra Scorpio 20

Toyota Innova 15

Toyota Fortuner / Ford Endeavour / Honda CRV/ Chevrolet Captiva

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Total 99

1.6 Pre Interview Preparations:

As Honda was conducting this research they have given some instruction to Nielsen India related to confidentiality of this project.

As Honda was conducting this research they have given some instruction to Nielson India related to confidentiality of this project.

No one should be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the clinic area. This is very important to avoid photography of test vehicle.

Interviewer should not leave the respondent alone at any point of time inside of clinic area.

At all times, clients (officers from Honda Company) who will be visiting will be referred as Nielsen observers, especially while talking in front of respondents.

No one should be allowed inside the clinic area without “Nielsen badge”.

All the respondents should have a valid driving license.

Honda used 1 other B-segment hatchback car i.e. Maruti Suzuki WagonR for comparison test with its prototype cars.

The brand name and logos of all three vehicles were masked and hided by paper and tapes.

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The test vehicles were named as vehicle P, vehicle Q and vehicle R in which car Q was Maruti Suzuki WagonR and the other two were the prototype cars of Honda.

Car Clinic

Figure 2: Car clinic

Test Vehicles

Figure 3 Test Vehicle P

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Figure 4: Test Vehicle Q (Wagon R)

Figure 5: Test Vehicle R

1.7 Data Collection Techniques:

Primary: Questionnaire

Type of interview: Face-to-face

Duration of interview: 30 mins.

Interview flow:

Interview Flow:

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Recruitment form filtration:- to find the eligibility of the respondent

Figure 6: Interview Flow

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Post-clinic:- Overall depth

feedback collection after

displaying the cars

Pre-clinic:- Questionnaire

to know the general usage

purpose of the car by the

respondents

PART 2:

2.1 Data Presentation and Interpretation:

QUES-1. Which car do you prefer the most on the basis of exteriors only?

Figure 7: Customers preferring cars on the basis of exteriors.

It can be inferred from the graph that out of 150 respondents 7.33% preferred the test vehicle P, 32.66% preferred the test vehicle Q, 60% preferred vehicle R on the basis of exteriors only.

Ques2. Which car do you prefer the most on the basis of interiors only?

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Vehicle PVehicle Q

Vehicle R

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

No. of Respondents

No. of Respondents

Figure 8: Customers preferring cars on the basis of interiors

It can be inferred from the graph that out of 150 respondents 38% preferred test vehicle P, 21.33% preferred the test vehicle Q and 40.66% preferred the test vehicle R on the basis of interiors only.

Ques: 3. On an overall basis including interiors as well as exteriors how much do you like or dislike the vehicles on the give scale of 1to 5?

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Vehicle PVehicle Q

Vehicle R

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

5(very attractive)4(somewhat attractive)3(neutral)2(somewhat unattractive)1(very unattractive)

Figure 9: Customers rating of likeability of cars on the basis of interiors and exteriors.

Ques4: Now after knowing the overall specifications and ex-showroom price of all three vehicles, which car did you prefer the most? (Show the specifications and ex-showroom price sheet to the respondents)

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Vehicle P

Vehicle Q

Vehicle R

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

No.of Respondents

No.of Respondents

Figure 10 Customers preference of cars when overall specifications and prices were given

After introducing the overall specifications and ex-showroom prices of the vehicles, out of 150 respondents 25 preferred Vehicle P, 33 respondents preferred vehicle Q and 92 preferred vehicle R.

Ques5. Which brand do you prefer for B-segment cars between Maruti Suzuki and Honda?

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HondaMaruti Suzuki

0102030405060708090

No. of Respondents

No. of Respondents

Figure 11 Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Honda.

Out of 150 respondents 90 preferred Maruti Suzuki brand and 60 preferred Honda brand for a B-segment car.

Ques6. Which brand do you prefer for B-segment cars between Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai?

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Maruti SuzukiHyundai

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

No.of Respondents

No.of Respondents

Figure 12 Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

Out of 150 respondents 62 preferred Hyundai brand and 88 preferred Maruti Suzuki Brand for a B-segment car.

Ques7. Which brand do you prefer for B-segment cars between Maruti Suzuki and Volkswagen?

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Maruti SuzukiVolkswagen

0102030405060708090

100

No. of Respondents

No. of Respondents

Figure 13 Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Volkswagen.

Out of 150 respondents 95 preferred Maruti Suzuki brand and 55 preferred Volkswagen brand for a B-segment car.

Ques8. Which brand do you prefer for B-segment cars between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota?

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Maruti SuzukiToyota

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

No. of respondents

No. of respondents

Figure14: Customers preference of B-segment car between Maruti Suzuki and Toyota

Out of 150 respondents 120 preferred ti Suzuki brand and 30 preferred Toyota brand for a B-segment car.

2.2 Data Analysis:

On the basis of exteriors only, the preference and acceptance for Car R was on higher scale for being the most innovative and unique out of the three prototypes.

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Car P and Car Q were left behind in the chase of exterior styling for being less innovative and already existing in the market respectively.

The same points were observed when respondents were allowed to sit in the cars to pose their views regarding the interiors.

Car R was most liked by the respondents as it had several new features than Car P which was an existing car and preference for Car P got a favourable rise in terms of interiors styling as it was also designed in a modern way.

Respondents were also exposed to a specs sheet that mentioned the on road price, fuel type, dimensions, torque, engine size and power of the vehicle on the basis of which gathered the views on the market acceptance of the test vehicles.

It was found that 92 people out of 150 liked the car R and car P and Q were liked by rest of the respondents as at the price of INR 4.2 car R is available to them with the same features and engine size etc. but they are getting a new and unique looking car that most of them were thinking that its manufacturers must be Mitsubishi, Ford or Honda. They were calling it as a Royal and Bold Car.

Car Q was lacking at one thing that it already existed in the market and the people didn’t find any innovation in that.

Respondents were also studied on the ground of brand preference comparing Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen and it was found that large set of people still have faith in Maruti Suzuki for hatchback cars. Reasons were as follows:

Safety features are reliable. Reliable brand. Large chain of service stations. Easy availability of loose parts.

PART 3

3.1 Finding of the study:

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Zest Clinic was conducted by the Nielsen India on behalf of Honda Company to know the exterior and interior styling and market acceptance of the vehicle in comparison to other competitive B-segment cars and brands. During the research we found out certain findings they are as follow:

Car R was majorly preferred by the respondents.

Bonnet design, windshield, rear view mirrors and boot space was liked by most of them.

As far as interiors are concerned Car P was liked by most of them.

Some had problems with the car R’s overall boxy design and front look.

If correlated with the age criteria, youngsters preferred car R whereas adults went for P and Q.

Women liked car P and most of the men liked car R as the former was shaped like a normal car but car R was designed as bulky.

People in Delhi were innovators. They were risk takers for the newest models available.

3.2 Learning from the study:

Understanding the task ensures the parameter of success.

Understanding the respondents reduces the parameter of failure and lacunas.

Being flexible in approaches and language according to the respondents enhances the understanding of the market and future scope simultaneously.

A questionnaire may contain 80-90 questions unlike our college assignments, so one must not panic rather understand the worth of each question as well as the ways how it can be asked to the respondents.

Analytical approach is a vital organ of the research tasks.

We worked on ground level. Now we are able to direct and supervise our team regarding the lacunas in data collection and related areas.

Sincere efforts and sleepless working schedules of our seniors encouraged and motivated us for the better and honest performance and dedication for the work.

3.3 Recommendations:

In Delhi, people are more extrovert and innovators.

They like to adapt with the changes and make decisions on their views.

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Delhi people were more concerned for the features and innovations in the car and they rated R as highest among the three cars.

Car R will be more successful on the roads of Delhi.

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Reference:

www.acnielsen.com Marketing Research by Naresh K. Malhotra Marketing Research by Rajendra Nargundkar www.tutorsindia.com Marketing Management by Philips Kotler ( A South Indian perspective)

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