Project on Surf Excel

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. PRERNA SHARMA for giving us the opportunity to undergo this project. We further thank him for lending a helping hand when it came to solving our problem related to the project. This project would not have been possible without his valuable time and support. We also thank PILLAIS INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY for an opportunity to undertake a soft skill project at this crucial time in our life in MBA which helped us to understand the topics deeply which were untouched before. Any suggestions to improve are always welcome.

SUBMITTED BY: Sachin S.K. Shehrawat

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This is based on our research work on Detergents, being FMCG, it made us go to households and interact to find out the consumer‘s buying behavior. Our objectives were to find out what are the main features consumers look in detergents while buying, brand loyalty towards a particular brand, major reasons of switching from one brand to the other. To gather the data we used the questionnaires method. This data was fed in a data analysis tool SPSS. With the help of which we analyzed and interpreted the data gathered, pertaining the buying behavior of consumers. Along with questionnaires, we also used Internet to find out about the detergent industry and the various brands available. There are more than 10 brands available in the Indian market, but we have chosen 6 major brands. The Indian laundry market is Rs 5000 crore, with HUL enjoying highest 38% of share, followed by others like P&G, Nirma, Ghari etc. Detergent bar comprises of 43% of market share and powder enjoying the rest 57%. The brands which we tapped are Nirma, Ariel, Surf, Tide, Wheel, Surf Excel and leaving others as option. Competition in this market is really high with HUL, P&G, Nirma etc strategizing and innovating to capture the market .The research design used in our research was descriptive incorporating knowledge from secondary information analysis, qualitative research, methodology selection, question measurement & scale selection, questionnaire design and sample design to be used. And simple random sampling was done. Target customers were mainly housewives, bachelors and others who are using detergents .The age group was not defined. Area where research is done is UP, Delhi & NCR because of the convenience factor. Marjory Quantitative Techniques like frequency distribution and cross tabulation to make interpretations Detergent is a material intended to assist cleaning. The term is sometimes used to differentiate between soap and other surfactants used for

cleaning. As an adjective pertaining to a substance, it (or "detersive") means "cleaning" or "having cleaning properties"; "detergency" indicates presence or degree of cleaning property. The term detergent by itself is sometimes used to refer specifically to clothing detergent, as opposed to hand soap or other types of cleaning agents. Plain water, if used for cleaning, is a detergent. Probably the most widely used detergents other than water are soaps or mixtures composed chiefly of soaps. However, no tall soap have significant detergency and, although the words ―detergent" and "soap" are sometimes used interchangeably, not every detergent is a soap. The term detergent is sometimes used to refer to any surfactant, even when it is not used for cleaning. This terminology should be avoided as long as the term surfactant itself is available. Surf excel has been following the Unilever‘s message i.e. add vitality to life. Similar is with surf excel. In the beginning Surf Excel was facing competition from Ariel, the product of P&G. but very soon with the tagline ―Dirt is Good‖, Surf Excel was successful in regaining its market leadership. It soon emerged back as the dominant detergent of the country. The product is decided by matching the marketing insights with the local insights. The marketing report of the brand should match the region‘s attitude so that the product can fulfill and satisfy the customer‘s need and expectation. The packaging is designed in such a manner that it should it is able to create a Recall value among the prospective customers. It should stand out among its competitors because majority of the purchases are impulsive buying‘s. Price is decided as per the economic situation and spending pattern of the target market. Distribution pricing strategy is determined in such a way so as to suit all forms of trade (GT, LMT, and IMT) along with customer‘s purchasing power. Promotion was the most important ingredient in the revival of Surf Excel. The event Paint Masti created a name of the brand. Relaunch of the Surf with the tagline ―Dirties Good‖ helps in differentiating the product, because all other brands are still focusing on the fact that dirt is bad. The selection of place to communicate

the brand‘s message is a crucial process. The team of Surf Excel chooses the most effective media, be it print or electronic, at the most economic and effective time. The target market of Surf Excel is mainly Housewives as deciders, where as children as influencers. Surf Excel is available in 4 different packages so that every income bracket can purchase it. The product this year showed a robust growth and increased profit. This reflects the strong brand equity of Surf Excel and market acceptance. Surf Excel‘s regeneration in the market is a model of exemplary marketing strategy.

INTRODUCION Hindustan Lever Ltd‘s (HLL) popular detergent brand Surf, which had become a generic name in the detergents market, has migrated into Surf Excel. A hitherto premium brand of detergent in HLL‘s kitty, Surf Excel has now been trifurcated into three specialized brands, which include Surf Excel Blue and Surf Excel Automatic. Industry analysts said Surf Excel will now become the mother brand, with Surf Excel Blue targeted at the lower-end consumer, and Surf Excel Automatic aimed at the high-end market and particularly for use in washing machines. It is a case of repositioning of the brand. It will also facilitate a value-added product for the high-end customer, rather than a generic brand for the general market. The earliest detergent substance was undoubtedly water; after that, oils, abrasives such as wetsand, and wet clay. The oldest known detergent for wool-washing is stale (putrescent)urine.Other detergent surfactants came fromsaponin sand ox bile.

The detergent effects of certainsynthetic surfactants were noted in 1913 by A. Reychler, a Belgian chemist. The firstcommercially available detergent taking advantage of those observations was Nekal , sold inGermany in 1917, to alleviateWorld War Isoap shortages. Detergents were mainly used inindustry untilWorld War II. By then new developments and the later conversion of USAaviationfuel plants to producetetrapropylene, used inhouseholddetergents, caused a fast growth of household use, in the late 1940s. In the late 1960s biological detergents, containingenzymes, better suited to dissolve proteinstains, such aseggstains, were introduced in the USA byProcter & Gamble.

ABOUT SURF EXCEL •Launched in1959& first in Indian detergent powder mkt. •It was the first Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) for Detergent. •Surf was the first brand of detergent that was advertised on TV.It is advertised on more than,300 channels across the globe . •Introduced the concept of bucket wash to housewives who up till now used to washing clothes with laundry soap bars. •Brand to set up a one-stop shop – called Care line- for people seeking solutions to their varied laundry problems. •Surf Excel, launched in 1954, is one of the oldest detergent powders in India. Initially the brand was positioned on the clear proposition of ―washes whitest‖.

•Surf Excel underwent various changes in its Brand Communication; from ‗Lalitaji' to 'dhoondte reh jaaoge' to 'jaise bhi daag ho, surf excel hai na', and is today communicated on the platform of 'Dhaag achcha hai'. •2006 saw a unique marketing move from HLL. •Rin Supreme bar is being migrated to Surf Excel. •Right from ‗Lalitaji‘, representative of the true-blue cost-conscious Indian woman, till the inspiring storyboards of today, Surf Excel has done it all and in style!

MISSION Our mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs fornutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.

COMPANY STRUCTURE Unilever's new organization provides single point accountability and has fewer management layers to deliver faster decisions and faster execution.

COMPANY PROFILE – HUL TA 52% OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF ANGLO DUTCH GIANTA 52% OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF ANGLO DUTCH GIANTUNILEVER.UNILEVER.INDIA 1888TLARGEST FMCG COMPANY WITH 100 FACTORIESLARGEST FMCG COMPANY WITH 100 FACTORIESTOUCHING 2 OUT OF 3 CONSUMER .20 DISTINCT CATEGORIESHOME AND PERSONALCARE PRODUCTS, FOOD AND BEVERAGES.

Research methodology. Secondary data. Primary data

1) Qualitative Research. A. Observation method . B. Interview. 2) Quantitative Research. A. Questionnaire design . B. Pilot Testing. C. Questionnaire correction. D. Sample Size 30). E. Analysis.

Method of data collection: This next step in questionnaire design involves developing the methods of data collection. This is important step because you need to consider the costs, physical resources, and time required to conduct the survey. First, select the best method for gathering the required data. Keep in mind that cost and data quality will be directly impacted by the method you choose. There are several options available: face-toface interviews or computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) are two examples. These methods are administered by a trained interviewer and can have either a structured or unstructured line of questioning. There are also two telephone methods available: telephone interviews or computer assistedtelephone interviewing (CATI). Both of these methods are also administere d by a trainedinterviewer, but the telephone versions are structured with a more formal interview schedule. Finally, there is also the option of a collecting data through a self completed questionnaire. This method allows the respondent to complete the questionnaire without the aid of an interviewer. It is highly structured and can be returned by mail or through a drop-off system.

Size of the survey Since each survey is different, there are no hard and fast rules for determining its size. The deciding factors in the scale of the survey operations are time, cost, operational constraints and thedesired precision of the results. Evaluate and assess each of these issues and you will be in a better position to decide the sample size. Also, consider what should be the acceptable level of error inthe sample. If there is a lot of variability in the population, the sample size will need to be bigger toobtain the specified level of reliability.

Data processing plans: withinvalid or missing data; and, if necessary creating derived variables are the tasks that will becompleted during data processing. In short, the aim in this step is to produce a file of data that is asfree of errors as possible This processes the questionnaire responses into output. Coding; data capture; editing; dealing. Budget Sometimes, questionnaire design is decided upon by the amount of money available to do aspecific survey. Costs are one of the main justifications for choosing to conduct sample surveysinstead of a census. With surveys, it is possible to obtain reasonable results with a relatively smallsample or target population. For example, if you need information on all Canadian citizens over 15years of age, a survey of a small percentage of these (1,000 or 2,000 depending on therequirements) might provide adequate results.•

Time One of the advantages of survey sampling is that it permits investigators to produce theinformation quickly. It is often the case that survey results are required shortly after the need for information has been identified. For example, if an organization wants to conduct a survey tomeasure the public awareness of a media advertisement campaign, the survey should be conductedshortly after the campaign is undertaken. Since sampling requires a smaller scale of operation, it reduces the data collection and processing time, while allowing for greater design time and more complex processing programs.

Questionnaire testing

This is a fundamental step in developing a questionnaire. Testing helps discover poor wording or ordering of questions; identify errors in the questionnaire layout and instructions; determine problems caused by the respondent's inability or unwillingness to answer the questions; suggestadditional response categories that can be precoded on the questionnaire; and provide a preliminary indication of the length of the interview and any refusal problems. Testing can includethe entire questionnaire or only a particular portion of it. A questionnaire will at some point in timehave to be fully tested.

Data Quality This step identifies errors and verifies results. No matter how much planning and testing goes intoa survey, something unexpected will often happen. As a result, no survey is ever perfect. Qualityassurance programs such as interview training, information editing, computer program testing,non-respondent follow-ups, and data

collection and output spot-checks are required to minimizenon-sampling errors introduced during various stages of the survey. Statistical quality-control programs ensure that the specified error levels are controlled to minimum.

EVALUATION: Surf excel is a major player in the Pakistani detergent market. today the market isnot declining but shifting towards more perceived value and added brands. So everybrand has to update itself with changes to retain it‘s position in the market.Unilever, Pakistan‘s largest consumer products company, has a problem. It cannotkeep up with demand for some of its products. These include laundry powder also.Demand is so strong that, in the case of foods, despite doubling production capacity,Pakistanis can‘t seem to have enough of them. But this is just the tip of the icebergbecause one can easily ascertain how much demand is there for Surf Excel

as it has 41%market Share.One of the areas where consumer product companies are increasingly focusing iscentral and southern Punjab where two factors are driving demand. One, a string of successful harvests has meant rising disposable income for farmers. The second,interestingly, is 40 or so television channels that broadcast to viewers in this area. ―Theyare the driving force behind building aspirations. This for Unilever is an opportunity forselling its products

Brand philosophy with each other and learn from each other. This helps them get stronger and get ready forthe world outside.Along with dirt being an obstacle towards play = experience = learning,what are the other reasons for kids not playing enough in today‘s world?In 2005 & 2006 Surf launched Paint and Games Masti where children wereinvited to participate in various activities designed to communicate that ― Dirt is Good ‖.This year however, Surf has taken the concept of ―Dirt Is good because Dirt =Play & Play Is Good‖ to a deeper level and addresses the issues surrounding children‘splay: the idea of learning through play, the obstacles towards play, the impact of notenough play for our children. As a socially responsible company and brand, it believesthat they can create a platform on which they can take this message forward to showcasehow playing helps children mentally and physically.

Product management of SURF EXCEL

1. Branding 2. Market Segmentation 3. Positioning and Differentiationsstrategies 4. Distribution Channel Structure Strategy •Advertising planning •Pricing concept and Strategies •Sales Management •Marketing Research

INDIAN DETERGENT MARKET: Indian Detergent market : 5100 crore ($1.2 bn). Detergent bar market makes up for 43% of this market HLL commands 38% of the fabric wash market.

PRODUCT LENGTH: PROD UCT SURF EXCEL: Derived from SURFACTANT´. STARTED 1951Underwent tremendous change BRAND SURF EXCE L CATEGORIZED INTO : Surf Excel quick wash Surf Excel Blue urf excel matic Liquid & Detergent

SURF EXCEL BLUE Surf excel Blue is a color care variant. "Red ko red rakhne ke liye blue". 4000g 3000g 1500g

750g 500g 200g - Carton200g Refill3300g - Bucket

Major Players •HUL ( blue, Quick wash, Automatic). •Nirma. •P&G ( Tide,Aerial). •Henkel India (Mir, persil, porwall,vernel, purex). •Reckitt Benckiser ( Varnish).

SURF EXCEL-M ATIC Surf excel Matic Top Load(LARGE WATER QUANTITY) 2000g 1000g 500g Surf excel Matic Front Load (LOW FOAM PRODUCER) 2000g 1000g 500g

BAR & LIQUID FORM PRICE

The pricing strategy for Surf excel have always been in accordance with its competitors.

PRICING STRATEGY • Primary : 1. Cost-plus pricing: Mark-up to the cost of the product 2. Competitive Pricing : Price dependent upon price of the competitors. • Secondary : 1. Customer-Segment Pricing.

DISTRIBUTION PRICING STRATEGY: FOR EXAMPLE: List price Rs. 100 Add: Distributor price (5%) Rs. 105 Add: Trade price (5%) Rs. 110.25 Final Retail price (10%) Rs. 121

THE PRICE WAR Flash back to the 80‘s. The First Detergent War was fought in the 80‘s when a small manufacturer in Gujarat aggressively marketed a detergent powder called Nirma nationally at one-fifth the price of existing brands. The launch changed the profile of the Indian detergent industry 1st national detergent brand on TV . Different formats of communication. Commercials through NET & SMS. Children festival Sales promotion through aggressive pricing.

MARKETING STRATEGIES Surf Excel is considered to be a trusted and premium brand because of itsuniqueassociation.Unilever is positioning their product in the best of their custom er satisfaction which alsodifferentiate from their competitors. They are creating environment for people to have a life easychance. As regarding the image there is message for the peoples to avoid on the occasions torestrict ―when kids are in situation of doing something extra ordinary‖.They are also positioning as

considering the fact of Strong‘s competition .So they are alsofocusing different type of facilities.Management is developed following marketing strategies for upcoming year:

Advertising

If we analyze the commercials aired on TV or Radio or via print media we will notice that most of the communication is done by the help of children through tag line dirt is good. The philosophy behind this is the children are the best influencers for the deciders. The children with this eye catching phrase try to influence the decision of their parents (mainly mother) who are the deciders. Surf Excel will keep continuing its advertising campaign dirt is good and educate parentst hrough new attractive commercials to support the positioning strategy.Media advertisement budget will be approximately Rs30, 000,000 in 2010 which was Rs27,939,217 in 2009 with 1.35% of total advertising expenditures in

Pakistan.Surf Excel quality is very popular among the peoples as Dominating the washing powdersmarkets in Pakistan for four decades; Surf will continued to change according to consumer needs. Since the brand has undergone numerous product quality improvements to offer bestcleaning results.

Size Surf Excel is available in different quantities which are as follows25g, 50sg, 115g, 500g, 1kg and 2kg.Surf Excel is planned to introduce some other quantities in bag in the market.

CAUSES OF CHANGES IN DEMAND Increase in demand. Decrease in demand. Consumers income rises. Consumers income fall. Prices of substitute good rises. Prices of substitute good fall. Prices of complements fall. Prices of complements rise. Taste and preference change . • in favor of the commodity in against of the commodity.

SUPPLY FOR THEPRODUCT •Supply channel : Distributers. wholesalers.

Retailers. •Cheaper price range of Rs.450 to Rs.2 •Very good geographical distribution across whole India. •Both Urban and Rural market segment

Why Surf excel ? The answer can be found out by taking a brief look at Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs. There are two basic needs thatplay along like proponents.

•One is the Social needs (for instance, being clean andacceptable in the society) and •The other need acts like a catalyst which is Egoisticneeds(i.e., customers who thinks that buying or using SurfExcel will give them a higher status compared to using otherdetergents). Functionality and Surf excel

TAG LINES: DIRT IS GOOD : DAAG AACHE HAIN SURF EXCEL HAI NA ! DIRT IS GOOD : DAAG AACHE HAIN SURF EXCEL HAI NA

PLACE & DISTRIBUTION HUL distribution network key strength (Which helps reach out its product across . The length and width of the vast country) Direct coverage in over 1 million retail Outlets 7000 Stockiest 2000+ Suppliers & Associates.

PACKAGING:

Surf Excel, mainly Unilever has a new Phenomena. It consults all 3 trade models(General trade, Local modern trade, and International modern trade) while designingpackaging for Surf Excel. Packaging should be to create impulsive desires, and it shouldstand out among its competitors. It is where Product development team and marketerscome into action in furnishing packaging standards for all its product ranges.

PRODUCT RANGE: Surf excel =30g Surf excel= 2kg Surf excel= 125g Surf excel= 1kg

SWOT FOR SURF EXCEL:

STRENGTH (Business to Business) •It nurture customer relationship to create and maintainour status as preferred supplier Marketing •It is most exciting operation of its kind in the world Supply chain •it takes real strength of intellect and character to take on the planning, making or distribution of our products.

•World class people deliver world class logistic . Brand Equity Information Management and technology •This is often applying breakthrough science on a grand scale, with speed and with tangible results enough complexity and convention, inspiring everyone to improve the way we do business. Research and Development •its products don‘t make empty promises but deliver it. •India‘s largest selling detergent company. •Brand innovation and renovation. •Reach of the product. •Competitive advantage. •Supply chain & distribution.

WEAKNESSES

•No environment friendly as contain sodium and potassiumsalts of fatty acids which are less biodegradable than soap.As compared to NIRMA it is less biodegradable. •Causes biomagnifications of water bodies which then degenerates and depletes the aquatic resources as well as degrades the amount of oxygen which resultsinto loss of aquatic bodies as well as plants . •Price is high due t still not reached to mass of customers. But new marketing and sales innovations have resulted into greater penetration in to rural market. •Labour and input cost. •Finance. •Managing scale. •Raw material.

OPPORTUNITIES •As its new product SUR AUTOMATIC is based on proprietary technology after extensive research. It reduces the time taken for rinsing, reduces the amount of water usThe laundry consumes about 20% of household water so thistechnology will make a great impact. •SURF is coming up with a scholarship scheme like DISHA abhiyan which provides educational benefits to lower strata of the society. This has really helped surf to build corporate social image. It creates brand awareness.

•The detergent market is growing by 9.2% every year so SURF has great chances to increase in market shares. •The market penetration of NIRMA is 77% AND surf is 56% but with repositioning and constant innovation, SURF is emerging as a market leader. •Indian market for FMCG is growing @ 20% •Niche target market. •Market penetration •Geographical export

THREAT •Facing stiff competition with P&G‘S ARIEL & TIDE,as ARIELis coming up with constant innovative technique. •In urban India consumers are now being exposed to and tryingseveral categories such as mobile phones, leisure, durables etc.so downgrading their FMCG products purchases. •Rural demands have been dampened by three unusually poor MANAGEMENT •Cheaper product eat into HUL market share. •Competitor trade strategy. •Urban consumerare shopping less. •Product from it‘s own stable

DISTRIBUTION PRICING STRATEGY: Unilever distributor GT / LMTUnilever IMT through annual pricing planWhere,GT= General Trade (general stores, Kiryana stores, Medical and Genaral stores)LMT= Local Modern Trade (Super stores such as Aghaz, Naheed, D-Mart)IMT= International Modern Trade (departmental stores/Hyper Market such asMakro) FOR CASE 1: List price Rs. 100Add: Distributor price (5%) Rs. 105Add: Trade price (5%) Rs. 110.25Final Retail price ( 10%) Rs. 121 FOR CASE 2: List price Rs. 100Trade price (add 10.25%) Rs. 110.25Surf Excel also launches Temporary price reductions (TPR) such as 0.25/unit for a week or for a month. They also gives Bonus. Such as Bonus 25 cartons---0.5/case While setting prices or changing prices the team of Surf also looks at the Equity Leve Which is determined by the Price Index. It measures the relative SKUs (Stock KeepingUnits). For example,Product price %Ariel 1 kg 230 115%Surf excel 1 kg 200 100%Brite 1 kg 1 90 95%

MARKET STRUCTURE •Type of market: OLIGOPOLY •Oligopoly =An oligopoly is a market form in which a market or industry is dominated by a small number of sellers (oligopolists) •Because there are few sellers, each oligopoly is likely to be aware of the actions of the others. The decisions of one firm influence, and are influenced by, the decisions of other firms.

•REASONS – FEW PLAYERS LIKE : HUL ( blue,matic) Nirma P&G ( Tide, Aerial) Henkel India (Mir, Persil, porwall, vernal, pure ) Reckitt Benckiser ( Varnish) RESTRICTED MARKET. •AVAILABILITY OF VARITIES. •SELLING COST. •SIMILAR PRODUCTS. •STABLE MARKET. •PRICING

COMPANY STRUCTURE Unilever's new organization provides single point accountability and has fewer management layers to deliver faster decisions and faster execution.

PLC- Product Life Cycle Surf has been in the market for a long time and has effectively managed its product life cycle with the help of product innovations and great marketing strategy. The

recent campaign of surf excels with the base line that says "Dirt is good" comes as a pleasant surprise to the Indian consumers. This campaign has a huge significance. It says:It is OK to soil your clothes It is OK to play in the mud It is OK to enjoy life Surf excel hai na! SURF comes out with a new campaign10/10. The campaign is aimed at raising fund for the educationally challenged poor kids. Every Surf Excel will have a piece of stained cloth. When washed, this cloth will reveal a number out of 10.SMS this number to 455 and that amount goes to a NGO that works in the field of education for poor. The campaign is set to collect Rs 25 lakh for the underprivileged. These type of campaigns is aimed at making the brand more humane. The brand gains from the positive attitude created by such campaigns. The latest Surf campaign also intends to do that. The brand is trying to ladder up to a higher level than just the Cleaning ability

Issues: » Celebrities in Promotional Campaigns. » Educational scholarships as a sales promotional tool.

In March 2004, Procter & Gamble Ltd., (P&G) suddenly slashed the prices of its brands, Ariel and Tide. As a result, Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) was forced to bring down the prices of its premium brand, Surf Excel. HLL responded to this

situation through a spate of promotional offers with the hope that growth in sales volumes would offset the drop in percentage margin of its brands. Promotions are tools to attract customers to the stores. They generate great word of mouth publicity for the product. HLL launched a promotional campaign, 'Win with Stains', targeted at women and school-going children.

SALES VOLUME The company has already increased the price of its 20 gm Surf Excel sachets from Rs 1.50 to Rs 2 last month. Sachets contribute about 35% to Surf Excel total sales. Surf Excel prices have been on a roller coaster since January 2003 when HLL reduced the price of Surf Excel from Rs 150 per kg to Rs 135 per kg, and subsequently to Rs 99 per kg in March 2004. The volume market share of its washing powder portfolio increased from 27.8% in the March ended quarter to 29.5% in the September ended quarter, following the price cuts. However, the value market share in September quarter was only marginally higher at 38% compared to 37.3% in the March quarter.

ACTION PROGRAMMES  There are some actions plans are considered this year to achieve business objectives:

 Expenditures on Media advertisement will be approximately Rs30, 000,000 in 2010 which wasRs27, 939,217 in 2009 with 1.35% of total advertising expenditures in Pakistan

 Kids painting program in Expo-centre Karachi will be held Second quarter of 2010  The company will launch the scheme In which certain points will be given to wholesalers on the highest sales of surf excel on the basis of which certain incentives will be provided to peak wholesalers.

IMPLEMENTATION AND CONTROLS  Company deals only in those products that are profitable. If there is any indication that any product is not profitable company analyzes the reasons and step are taken to overcome the reasons.  For this purpose Unilever concern with marketing research firm Aftaab Associates for marketing research.

SUGGESTIONS  The pricing strategy of Surf Excel is such that it projects itself as a premium brand and thus is priced at a price on the higher side of the market. Thus it is losing some of its market share to the low cost competitive products like Tide from P&G which is actively involved in promoting its product .once, HUL Should revise their pricing strategy. HUL should also look to get a surf variant in to fight Tide on the price front. HUL Has faced very high inventory costs and should try to reduce them by streamlining its distribution network.

 The zero inventory initiative by HUL is in this direction but is still in its nascent stages and needs to be implemented across the country to become cost effective.

OBJECTIVES: The following project has been given to us in order to make us understand the real environment of the market in which research is conducted. Marketing research, being a very important field of study in management can only be learned through practically working in the markets. The subject of our study being an FMCG product made us go and interact with the households and know their buying behaviour, preferences and expectations from the detergents they use. In our study we defined our research objectives as follows:•To study the consumer buying behavior. •To study the impact of advertising of surf excels on consumer buying behavior. •Analysis of customer awareness OF PRODUCT •To find the customer preference in the forms of detergents •To find the customer frequency of use of detergents/ number of times they purchase a product in a month •To find the various ways by which the customers wash their clothes/ dishes •To find the brand loyalty of the customers •To find the qualities they look for while buying a detergent •To study the reasons that made the customer switch from their previous brands

•To find the mode of communication through which they came to know about the qualities/features of their present brand •To find the number of times the customer switches from one brand to another. •To find the role of packaging in the purchase behavior of a product- quantity. •Consumers‘ awareness about the harmful effects of the detergents. The objectives hence set paved the way for the exhaustive research that we conducted in the field to elaborate and analyze separately in order to get a complete and a dynamic overview. However, such standardized answers may frustrate users. Questionnaires are also sharply limited by the fact that respondents must be able to read the questions and respond to them. Thus, for some demographic groups conducting a survey by questionnaire may not be practical.

Question types Usually, a questionnaire consists of a number of questions that the respondent has to answer in a set format. A distinction is made between open-ended and closedended questions. An open-ended question asks the respondent to formulate his own answer, whereas a closed-ended question has the respondent pick an answer from a given number of options. The response options for a closed-ended question should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Four types of response scales for closedended questions are distinguished: _ Dichotomous, where the respondent has two options _ Nominal-polychromous, where the respondent has more than two unordered options _ Ordinal-polychromous, where the respondent has more than two ordered options _ (Bounded) Continuous, where the respondent is presented with a continuous scale A respondent's answer to an open-ended question is coded into a response scale afterwards. An example of an open-ended question is a question where the tested has to complete a sentence (sentence completion item) Question sequence. In general, questions should flow logically from one to the

next. To achieve the best response rates, questions should flow from the least sensitive to the most sensitive, from the factual and behavioral to the attitudinal, and from the more general to the more specific. Before designing the questionnaire, many decisions have to be made. These decisions affect the questionnaire, and should be part of the draft plan for a survey. The draft plan should address the following issues:

Survey objectives and data requirements In order to address the survey's objectives, you should prepare a document that provides a clear and comprehensive statement of the survey's goals, data requirements, and the analysis plan. This document will determine the variables to be measured, and ultimately, the survey questions and response alternatives. When formulating the questions, consult with subject-matter experts and if possible, members of the target audience. Also, examine questions from other surveys on the same or similar topics. This research will provide you with a useful starting point and will help you create appropriate and informative questions. Make certain that the questions are relevant to the survey objectives and information requirements and ensure that there is an established rationale behind each question. Also, you should explain how the information gathered from these questions will be used and whether they will be good measures of the required data.

Analysis plan The next step in designing a questionnaire is to create an analysis plan. First, outline thequestionnaire's objectives and data requirements. Describe the target audience as clearly as possible. Then, identify the reference period (the time period under construction—in the last year, in the last month etc.). Develop a list of the units to be sampled (e.g., students, houses, teachers, etc.). Decide on the method of data

collection to be used (e.g., face-to-face interview, telephone interview, mailed questionnaire, etc.). Explain how the questionnaire content, wording, format and pre-testing process will be developed; as well as the procedures put in place to deal with the interviewer training and non-response results. Also, choose the methods to be used during the data processing (e.g., coding, editing etc.). Some of the other issues that can be analyzed during this step include estimation methods, result output tabulations, result reports and the analysis. Finally, the last two important issues to be considered are the time required to complete the entire process and the budget that has been allotted to it.

Survey target population Often the target population (the population for which information is required) and the survey population (the population actually covered) differ for practical reasons, even though they should, in actuality, be the same. Sometimes, it is necessary to impose geographical limitations excluding certain parts of the target population because they are inaccessible due to difficulty or cost. It is also possible that some of the survey concepts and methods that are used can be considered inappropriate for certain parts of the population. For example, consider a survey of postsecondary graduates where the objective is to determine if the graduates found jobs and, if so, what types of jobs. In this case, you might exclude graduates who specialized in religious seminaries or military schools, as these types of graduates would be reasonably assured of securing employment in their respective fields. Thus, the target population might contain only those graduates who graduated from universities, colleges and trade schools. •

INDIAN DETERGENT MARKET

The first companies to manufacture detergents in India were HLL and Swastikas. HLL test marketed Surf between 1956 and 1958 and began manufacturing it from 1959. Swastika launched Det, a white detergent powder, in 1957.By 1960; Det had made rapid inroads in eastern India. Surf, a blue detergent powder, became thenational market leader with dominant positions in the west; north and south.In the early 1960s, the total volume of detergents manufactured in India grew from around 1600tonnes to 8000 tones. HLL dominated the market with a share of almost 70 % compared to Det's 25%. In 1966, another player entered the fray. Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO) launched its detergent powder 'Magic‘. In 1973,

TOMCO introduced 'Tata's Tej' in the low-priced segment. TOMCO unveiled another economy detergent powder called OK in 1977.

Important inventions over the years of the history of detergents 1950s Liquid laundry, hand dishwashing and all-purpose cleaning products •Automatic dishwasher powders •Detergent with oxygen bleach •Fabric softeners (rinse-cycle added) 1960s •Laundry powders with enzymes •Prewash soil and stain removers •Enzyme presoaks1970s •Fabric softeners (sheets and wash-cycle added) •Multifunctional products (e.g., detergent with fabric softener) •Liquid hand soaps1980s •Automatic dishwasher liquids •Detergents for cooler water washing •Concentrated laundry powders 1990 Ultra (super concentrated) powder and liquid detergents •Automatic dishwasher gels •Ultra fabric softeners •Laundry and cleaning product refills Indian Market •The Indian laundry market is estimated to be Rs 5,000 crore in size

•Making India world‘s third largest detergents market. •Detergent bars comprise 43 per cent of the total market and detergent powders comprise the balance 57 per cent .However, the detergent bar market is shrinking in India

COMPONENTS Detergents, especially those made for use with water, often include different components such as: •Surfactants to 'cut' (Emulsify) grease and to wet surfaces •Abrasive to scour •Substances to modify pH or to affect performance or stability of other ingredients, acids for descaling or caustics to break down organic compounds •Water softeners to counteract the effect of "hardness" ions on other ingredients •oxidants (oxidizers) for bleaching, disinfection, and breaking down organic compounds • Non-surfactant materials that keep dirt in suspension •Enzymes to digest proteins, fats, or carbohydrates in stains or to modify fabric fee

•Ingredients that modify the foaming properties of the cleaning surfactants, to either stabilize or counteract foam •Ingredients to increase or decrease the viscosity of the solution, or to keep other ingredients in solution, in a detergent supplied as a water solution or gel

•that affect aesthetic properties of the item to be cleaned, or of the detergent itself before or during use, such as optical brighteners, fabric softeners, colors, perfumes, etc. •Ingredients such as corrosion inhibitors to counteract damage to equipment with which the detergent is used •Ingredients to reduce harm or produce benefits to skin, when the detergent is used by bare hand on inanimate objects or used to clean skin •Preservatives to prevent spoilage of other ingredients sometimes materials more complicated than mere mixtures of compounds are said to be detergent. For instance, certain foods such as celery are said to be detergent or detersive to teeth.

Types There are several factors that dictate what compositions of detergent should be used, including the material to be cleaned, the apparatus to be used, and tolerance for and type of dirt. For instance, all of the following are used to clean glass. The sheer range of different detergents that can be used demonstrates the importance of context in the selection of an appropriate glass-cleaning agent: •a chromic acid solution—to get glass very clean for certain precision demanding purposes such as analytical chemistry •a high-foaming mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation—for hand washing of dishware in a sink or dishpan •any of various non-foaming compositions—for dishware in a dishwashing machine •other surfactant-based compositions—for washing windows with a squeegee, followed by rinsing

•an ammonia-containing solution—for cleaning windows with no additional dilution and no rinsing ethno lor methanol in windshield washer fluid —used for a vehicle in motion, with no additional dilution •glass contact lens cleaning solutions, which must clean and disinfect without leaving any eye-harming material that would not be easily rinsed.

SURF EXEL pricing A change in the pricing strategy for HLL Surf Excel brand, which dominates the Rs 5,000 crore detergent powder markets, seems to be on the cards. •HLL is now reworking the Surf Excel strategy by moving away from positioning the brand On functional benefits, to building an emotional connect

Philosophy of SURF EXEL Surf Excel believes that stains are good. This is because when children go out and play and get dirty, they don't just collect stains .They experience life, make friends, share with each other and learn from each other .This helps them get stronger and get ready for the world outside.³ Stains make our world better. Stains are good´

MACRO-ENVIEOMENT Detergent Market is growing by 16% intensively. At present Consumer prefer detergent on the base of quality. Pakistani Peoples are moving from rural areas to urban areas as life style is changing

.

•Demographics In the case of ―SURF EXCEL‖ the demographics that we have found out are , that any housewife who is both price sensitive as well as quality conscious , belongs to any class, any occupation , if can afford SURF EXCEL will buy it.

•Psychographics People who are ambitious, hygiene conscious, those who want to be authorities are Surf Excel buyers, because when it comes to personality values than no compromise

INTENSITY OF COMPETITIVE RIVALRY  Surf Excel faces intense competition from Ariel in Premium Market Segment. ‡ While Surf Excel is preferred in the Northern and Eastern states, Arielis preferred in Western and Southern part of the country. ‡Ariel is also available in various variants and thereby gives intense competition to Surf Excel.  95% of Indian consumer‘s use a combination of detergent powder and detergent bar. Detergent Bars occupy 43% of the total detergent markets.  Nirma occupies 55-60% of rural market share whereas, Surf Excel has10-15% of market share (rural).

COMPETITION: Ariel Enzymax (P&G), Brite Total (Colgate Palmolive), Bonus Active, Bonus Tristar, Express Power, Express Ultra, Tide Super plus, Wheel lemon power and most of all WASHING SOAPS.

MARKET POSITIONING: As the best detergent in the detergent’s category.

TARGET MARKET: Mainly housewives but the things have to be seen in context. Pakistan‘s middle income group comprises about35million consumers. They have a combined spending power of Poland. But Surf Excel is not just targeting the middle income category. With the broadest socio-economic footprint amongst consumer goods competitors, Surf Excel is also looking at lower income market as well as the higher income bracket with different sets of products. That was the income bracket but if we analyse the commercials aired on TV or Radio or via print media we will

notice that most of the communication is done by the help of children through tagline

Dirt is good. The philosophy behind this is the children are the best influencers for the deciders. The children with this eye catching phrase try to influence the decision of their parents (mainly mother) who are the deciders.

SEGMENTATION: Segmentation is done on the basis of Living standard measure (LSM), which ranges from 1 to 15. 1 denotes those people who are living from hand to mouth; whereas15 denotes extremely rich and elite class. LSM is measure by a number of variables such http://www.final-yearprojects.co.cc/ http://troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more. NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.

ABSTRACT With the increase in per capita income and wide range of choices being available, consumers are main focus for many detergent producing organizations. With competition at its all time peak and with changing trends in demand the companies are finding it hard to survive or to retain their market share. In order to lure the consumers, companies study the quantity being purchased by consumers and at what price. We here try to find out how these factors, confining ourselves to

detergent market of India, and many other factors effect the demand of consumers for detergents

BACKGROUND HISTORY 1959 – HUL Introduced SURF.SURFEXCEL: Derived from ―SURFACTANT‖ 1990 – Emergence of concentrate & mid price segment powers. Ad Campaign ―Daag Doonthe rah jaoge‖ was launched. 1996 – Surf Excel launched. Ad Campaign ―Jaise bhi Daag ho, Surf Excel hai Na‖ 2003 – Surf Excel Quick wash launched ―Ad campaigns on Shortage of water across country‖ 2005 – Ad Campaign ―Daag Acche hai Na―

RECOMMENDATIONS THE POSSIBILITIE Silities are endless. For example, shampoo penetration is one of the lowest in Asia. Similarly fifty per cent of the population still uses laundry soap to wash their clothes which comprises mainly the low income group. Unilever has 40pc of the market for detergent powder (Surf Excel). A switch from laundry soap to detergent powder will be hugely beneficial to Surf Excel andultimately for Unilever. Profitable growth will be sustained throughfocused brand building, innovation and superior management of thesupply chain to achieve cost competitiveness. Some consumer feel that price of Surf Excel is too high.

Survey reveals that most of the customers are not aware of the Surf-excel automatic, surf-excel quick wash. And the normal tendencies of the customer are to consider all the variety of product as same.So for this HUL should create an awareness of what exactly are thevarieties of surf-excel and what are the functional benefits of those product.

CONCLUSION: A stream of innovation and successful relaunch of Surf Excel increased value of Unilever‘s propositions for consumers. The latest campaign of Surf as ―Dirt is good‖ has created a good ground for the success of marketing strategies of Surf Excel. Moreover, surf as being the product of Unilever has a plus point within itself, but still with an aggressive campaigning of ―Dirt is Good‖ has bear increased profits along with marketexpansion status of the product as well as the company.

QUESTIONARIE 1. When you think of detergents which brand comes to your mind? Options given to respondents No. of respondents Choosing the Option. A. Ariel = 7 B. Surf Excel =16 C. Others = 29

2. Are you thinking to change the brand in the future? Options given to respondents No. of respondents choosing the Option.  Yes = 14  No = 9

3. Since when have you been using it? Options given to respondents. No. of respondents choosing the option less than a year  2 = 15  1-5 years = 8

4. Please give the reasons surf excel. Respondents who said YES. Response No. of respondents  If better brand available = 2  Will try a new brand but switchback to Ariel = 2  Costly = 1 Respondents who said NO. Response No. of respondents  Satisfied = 3

SOURCE: URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=100155 http://www.pakistaneconomist.com/issue2001/issue41/f&m5.htm http://www.travel-culture.com/pakistan/media/hum_tv_advertisers.shtml http://www.dirtisgood.com.pk/ http://www.unileverpakistan.com.pk/ourbrands/homecare/surfexcel.asp http://www.paksearch.com/Annual/Annual00/LEVER00.htm http://www.scribd.com/doc/3701110/Pricing-Strategy-andPrograms?autodown=doc http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:Xk23Qs3XF-gJ http://www.unilever.com/Images/ir_q108_announcements_tcm131248 23.pdf+Surf+Excel+Branding+strategy.doc&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=

BOOKS: Principles of marketing (Gary Armstrong and Philip Kotler 10 thedition) Marketing Management (Philip Kotler 11 thedition)