INTRODUCTION:

Promotion- pushes and pulls strategies

"Push or Pull"?

Marketing theory distinguishes between two main kinds of promotional strategy - "push" and "pull".

Push A push promotional strategy makes use of a company's sales force and trade promotion activities to create consumer demand for a product.

The producer promotes the product to wholesalers, the wholesalers promote it to retailers, and the retailers promote it to consumers.

A good example of "push" selling is mobile phones, where the major handset manufacturers such as Nokia promote their products via retailers such as Carphone Warehouse. Personal selling and trade promotions are often the most effective promotional tools for companies such as Nokia for example offering subsidies on the handsets to encourage retailers to sell higher volumes.

A "push" strategy tries to sell directly to the consumer, bypassing other distribution channels (e.g. selling insurance or holidays directly). With this type of strategy, consumer promotions and advertising are the most likely promotional tools.

Pull A pull selling strategy is one that requires high spending on advertising and consumer promotion to build up consumer demand for a product.

If the strategy is successful, consumers will ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and the wholesalers will ask the producers. A good example of a pull is the heavy advertising and promotion of children's toys mainly on television. Consider the recent BBC promotional campaign for its new pre-school programmer the Fumbles. Aimed at two to four-year-olds, 130 episodes of Fumbles have been made and are featured everyday on digital children's channel CBeebies and BBC2.

As part of the promotional campaign, the BBC has agreed a deal with toy maker Fisher-Price to market products based on the show, which it hopes will emulate the popularity of the Tweenies. Under the terms of the deal, Fisher-Price will develop, manufacture and distribute a range of Fumbles products including soft, plastic and electronic learning toys for the UK and Ireland.

In 2001, BBC Worldwide (the commercial division of the BBC) achieved sales of 90m from its children's brands and properties last year. The demand created from broadcasting of the Fumbles and a major advertising campaign is likely to pull demand from children and encourage retailers to stock Fumbles toys in the stores for Christmas 2002.

NEED OF THE STUDY:

The business world today is a world of competition. A business cannot survive if its products do not sell in the market. People cannot buy what they do not know about. Not only is promotion an important tool of marketing, its a vital element to an y organization. Thus, all marketing activities are undertaken to increase sales. Its important to get your name out there, and allow people a sample of your work.

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY:
To study what promotional Strategies adopted by SUDHAKAR PLASTICS PVT LTD. To study the level of awareness among the consumers pertaining to sales promotional Strategies of SUDHAKAR PLASTICS PVT LTD To assess the consumer satisfaction pertaining to sales promotional Strategies of SUDHAKAR PLASTICS PVT LTD.

To know the perception of customers regarding SUDHAKAR PLASTICS PVT LTD.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

The term Sales Promotional Strategies are its broader sense includes various aspects of advertising and promotion. The present study will aim at studying various elements which influence the consumers towards purchasing the product. Although the elements of promotional mix are comprehensively discussed, the study is dependent on the opinions expressed by the respondents.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

Since the survey was done only in Nalgonda.So the result obtained may not be taken as universal suggestion.

Due to time constraints and busy schedules of the people it was difficult to interact with them completely

The sample size was limited.

The existing customers did not have enough time to spare for the survey. Feedback from the respondents may be biased.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:
Research methodology describes how the research study was undertaken. This includes the specifications of source of data, research design, and method of data collection, the sampling method and the tools used.

SAMPLE DESIGN: Geographical area: The study is conducted in Nalgonda District. Duration of project: The duration of project work is about 45 days Sample units: The sampling units used by the researcher for this research, are those who are using PVC pipes. SAMPLE SIZE The number of samples collected by the researcher is 100 customers Sampling procedure / Sampling method: The sampling method used for this study is Simple average sampling, which is selected according to the easy and convenience of the researcher.

SOURCE OF DATA: Primary data: The researcher collected both by direct survey from the Customers through questionnaire. The researcher used structured questionnaire. Secondary data: Here the researcher collected secondary data from the company profile, industry profile and official web sites. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT: Research instrument used for data collecting is questionnaire and interview schedule.

Questionnaire The questionnaire is prepared in a well-structured and non disguised form so that it is easily understandable and answerable by everyone. The type of questions include in the questionnaire are open-ended questions, multiple choice questions and dichotomous questions. Interview Schedule The interview method of collecting data involves presentation of oral-verbal stimuli and reply in terms of oral-verbal responses. Then the responses are filled up in the questionnaire, for further analysis.

FRAME WORK OF ANALYSIS:

STASTICAL TOOLS USED FOR ANALYSIS: The researcher carries out analysis through various statistical tools. The statistical analysis is useful for drawing inference from the collected information.

Simple percentage analysis Bar diagrams Pie charts

INDUSTRY PROFILE:
INDIAN PIPE INDUSTRY:
The Indian pipe industry....Reaping the benefits of good time

with the growing consensus that the worst of the financial crisis behind us and demand for oil & gas products on an upward trend especially from the developing world, the need for new exploration and production (E&P) has reinvigorated. In addition, the recent political turmoil in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region has critically pushed the crude oil price above US$100 per barrel benchmark leading to further interest in high cost offshore drilling activities which is back on full scale. In North America and other parts of the world including India, shale gas discoveries and extraction is creating a whole new market for pipes that needs to be connected with existing network. The replacement demand market for pipes from the matured markets has remained consistent throughout the volatile period on the back of higher infrastructure spending. In India, the government is focused on developing pipeline network by increasing the availability of city-based gas distribution (CGD) and is aiming to cover approximately 200 cities by 2015. Also, with the pipeline network of India for oil & gas transport being lower at 19,103 kms as on April 2010, (32% penetration level) it represents a huge scope for growth for the pipe industry. As most of the Indian pipe manufacturers are converters, the industry is highly Raw Material (RM) intensive with the RM cost accounting for more than 70-80% of the total cost for steel and PVC pipe companies. These companies rely heavily on imports and hence many steel pipe companies have backward integration facilities to reduce dependency on imports and price volatility. Freight cost is another key cost component due to higher imports and exports.

THE EARLY HISTORY OF PVC PIPE

Many of you have expressed a curiosity about the historical development of PVC pipe. In response to your requests, we provide you with this brief early history of PVC pipe and fittings. PVC was discovered as early as 1835, but the first definite report of the polymerization of vinyl chloride did not come until about 35 years later. At that time, the material was reported to be an off-white solid that could be heated to 130 degrees C without degradation. PVC remained a laboratory curiosity for many years, probably because of its intractable nature. The polymer was inert to most chemicals and very tough (strong). These properties eventually led scientists to consider PVC for applications where durability and toughness were desirable. In 1912 the first industrial developments were initiated in Germany. Throughout the 1920s, attempts were made to use PVC copolymers that easier to process than PVC. These early attempts were only marginally successful. By 1932, the first tubes made from a PVC copolymer were produced. Nearly three years later the first PVC pipes were produced using a roll mill and hydraulic extruder. This two step process involved melting the PVC powder on a roll mill and rolling the sheet produced up to a billet. The PVC could then be processed in a discontinuously working ram extruder to make pipe. This process was adapted from that used for celluloid and was really ill-fitted for PVC. As a result, the products were often of dubious quality. Never-the-less, these early PVC pipes were deemed suitable for drinking water supply piping and waste water piping because of their chemical resistance, lack of taste or odor and smooth interior surface. From 1936 to 1939 over 400 residences were installed with PVC drinking water and waste pipelines in central Germany.

PVC PIPE MANUFACTURING AND TESTING

PVC pipe and its many applications can be better evaluated and appreciated with an understanding of the technology behind the product. Through research, development, and experience, the technology in the PVC pipe industry has advanced and matured. PVC pipe manufacturers must exert a continuing effort to insure that engineers, contractors, operators, and users possess a complete understanding of advantages and limitations of the product. In this interest, manufacturing processes, standard specifications, quality control and test requirements, packaging, and shipping are reviewed.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
The technology of PVC pipe manufacturing processes is extensive and involved. It can be traced from oil or gas wells through petrochemical plants to the PVC compounding operations and finally to the automated extrusion, molding, and fabrication operations before a finished PVC product is ready for testing, inspection, and delivery. As defined in Chapter II, PVC pipe is produced from a blend of materials whose major ingredient is polyvinyl chloride. Other ingredients, which may be compounded with the PVC resin, include stabilizers, pigments, lubricants, processing aids, and functional additives. Each ingredient is used to impart specific processing characteristics or enhance specific finished product properties. For instance, functional additives maybe used to increase the modulus of elasticity of the PVC material. The proportions of these minor ingredients will vary from compound to compound. The formulations, which stipulate the proportions and actual ingredients used in given PVC pipe compounds, are developed to provide specific properties. dictated by application. As described in Chapter II, properties for PVC compounds are established in ASTM D 1784, D 3915, or D 4396.

BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT PVC PIPES Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) piping is the most widely used plastic piping material PVC piping systems are: Cost Effective. Easy to install and Handle. Provide long service life. Environmentally sound. PVC pipes are manufactured by extrusion in a variety of sizes and dimensions they generally sold in 10 and 20 length. PVC pipes are available in both solid boll and cellular core construction. Cellular core construction involves the simultaneous extrusion of at least three layers of material into the pipe wall, a solid outer layer, a cellular core intermediate layer and a solid inner layer level. PVC pipe is made to confirm to various ASTM standards for both pressure and non pressure applications. HOW TO MAKE PVC PIPE? A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is made from a plastic and vinyl combination material. The pipes are durable, hard to damage and long lasting. A PVC pipe dose not rust, Rot or rare over time. For that reason PVC piping is mostly used in water system, underground wiring and Sewer lines. HISTORY OF PVC Polyvinyl Chloride commonly abbreviated as PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polmer constructed of repeating vinyl groups (ethenyls) having one of their hydrogens replaced with a chloride group.

Polyvinyl chloride is third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in construction because it is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. PVC Production is expected to exceed 40 million tons by 2016. It can be made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers the most widely used being phthalates. In this form, it is used in clothing and upholstery, and to make flexible hoses and tubing, flooring, to roofing membranes, and electrical cable insulation. It is also commonly used in figurines and in inflatable products such as waterbeds, pool toys, and inflatable structures. INVENTION OF PVC PIPES?

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was first developed in 1925 by B.F. Good Rice, Dr. Waldo; these two people invented a method for bounding metal and rubber. After blending materials together we able to create strong and flexible material in the late 1930s PVC were found to have great shock absorbing abilities. This discovery lead to the creation of long lasting PVC pipes. In the early 1936s PVC pipes were installed for drinking water. Because of the durable nature of the PVC pipes.PVC pipes were put in general use in the mid 1950s. Over the next few decades improvements in the composition and manufacturing process of PVC pipes made it a common choice for new residential buildings. The manufacturing of PVC pipes had a greater impact on its use. The original methods of making PVC pipe was to melt a powdered form of PVC and they role it this method was cumbersome and expensive it gave rise to the ram extruder method in which the melted PVC is pushed through a mole to give it a uniform shape. New types flexible plastics were developed in the 1960s that increase flexibility.

COMPANY PROFILE:
SUDHAKAR Group of Industries situated at Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA, playing a significant role in PVC & HDPE pipe sector. SUDHAKAR Group established in 1971 with a product range to manufacture Electrical Conduits. Over the years the group emerged as a potential leader in Rigid PVC Pipes & HDPE pipes and fittings and also made its foray into different piping system solutions. Promoted by a visionary entrepreneur, this group has played a pioneer role in the field of PVC & HDPE piping products.

By being innovative and quality conscious, SUDHAKAR Group distinguished itself from other organizations as a company having an inbuilt culture of High Customer Care.

SUDHAKAR has now progressed from strength to strength, and has bagged many prestigious awards, millions of happy and satisfied customers and attained leadership in this field of PVC & HDPE Pipes & Fittings. Nationwide dealership network and service back up facilities, dedicated sales force and timely delivery makes SUDHAKAR more closely to customers.

SUDHAKAR has commitment in manufacturing high quality uPVC pipes & fittings for Potable water supply, SWR pipes & Fittings, uPVC Electrical Conduits & Fittings, uPVC Blue Threaded Casing pipes, uPVC Under Ground Drainage piping systems, Lead free UPVC Plumbing system as per ASTM standards, CPVC piping systems, HDPE pipes, Telecom Ducts, Micro Irrigation Systems, Water Storage Tanks, Soft PVC pipe etc. Our mission is to achieve sustainable and profitable growth through innovation, world class products and services of exceptional value to our customers and to be as a Solution provider for all types of piping systems.

Shri. Meela Satyanarayana Founder

Shri. Meela Satyanarayana, the founder of the group is a freedom fighter, teacher turned businessman and industrialist. His contribution to the plastics industry especially in the Southern India is acclaimed by many organizations. President of Andhra Pradesh Plastic Manufacturers Association in 1984, Joint Secretary of All India PVC Pipes Manufacturers Association, New Delhi in 1985. He is the first entrepreneur to start a PVC pipe manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh. Municipal Chairperson of Suryapet for the Period 1989 92, and present term 20062010, Chairmen and Founder of the Sudha Co-Operative Urban Bank Ltd. Suryapet, Andhra Pradesh. He is recipient of many awards such as

"Bharata Ratna Makshagundam Vishveshwaraiah Memorial Small Scale Entrepreneur Award"

"Vijayaratna", "HMA Small Scale Entreprenuer Award" Best Industrialist Award. Govt of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Shri. Meela Satyanarayana is a self made Industrialist and is a good manager. His valuable suggestions and advices to the boards of all companies will always enhance the managerial capabilities of the Boards.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Founder: SHRI. M. SATYANARAYANA

MANAGING DIRECTOR Mr. Vikas

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mr.K.C. SRIVASATAVA.

MR. RAJASHEKHAR MARKETING MANAGER

Other Members

Mr. S Padmanabham.

Mr.M.Ravi Kumar.

Mr. B. SHIVA.

SudhakarpolymersLtd.

Sudhakar polymers Ltd.closely held public limited company incorporated in the year 1995-96 to manufacture 10000 Metric tons of PVC pipes and 2000 Metric tons of PVC fittings for various applications such as pressure pipes and fittings, non pressure pipes and fittings for Soil and Waste discharges. A major Govt. Supplier to Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Raj department and other bodies. The present capacity of the unit is to manufacture 10000 Metric tons of the Rigid PVC pipes of various dia meters for various applications, 2000 Metric Tons of Rigid PVC fittings for agriculture and sanitary applications. The company manufactures 40mm to 400mm Rigid PVC pipes for Irrigation, water supply, Casing, and Sanitary purpose. Apart from them it manufactures Rigid PVC Blue threaded pipes for Casing application. The company is located near the Industrial Estate of Serape town and the total area of the firm is nearly Ac. 6.20. The firm has full equipped laboratory for testing the Rigid PVC pipes confirming to IS: 4985:2000, IS: 12818 and IS: 13592 and fabricated PVC fittings confirming to IS: 10124.

PRODUCTS: We are manufacturing of -SWR Pipes & Fittings -Rigid PVC Pipes & Fittings -Rigid PVC Plumbing Pipes -UPVC SWR Pipes & Fittings -UPVC Casing Pipes -UPVC Blue Threaded Pipes -PVC Electrical Conduits & Fittings -HDPE Pipes & Fittings -Drip Irrigation Systems -Sprinkler Irrigation Systems -PP- R Piping System -Telecom Ducts Blue Casing Pipes and Drip

Electrical pipes & Fittings Water pipes & Fittings SWR Pipes & Fittings Casing Pipes HDPE Pipes Micro Irrigation PP-Random Piping uPVC Plumbing CPVC Plumbing Water Storage Tanks Soft PVC Pipe Drainage Piping uPVC Ducts & Accessories Pre Lubricated HDPE

PRODUCTS OF SUDHAKAR CASING PIPES:

SUDHAKAR Manufacture PVC casing pipes for shallow and medium wells as per the bureau of Indian standards specification is: 12818 with latest amendments. These pipes are manufactured and supplied in two variants. The pipes have male and female trapezoidal thread ends for jointing. These pipes have high impact and compressive strengths and hence are best suited for all soils. Light weight and thread joints ease the jointing and installation very quickly and effectively. Casing pipes for shallow wells (CS pipes): the casing pipes are suitable for tube wells with depth up to 80 meter. Casing pipes for medium wells (cm pipes): the casing pipes are suitable for tube wells depth from 80 to 250 meter. ELECTRICAL PIPES & FITTINGS Non conductor of electricity and prevent electrical shocks. High mechanical strength for buried and open application. Non corrosive in nature and are immune to chemical and galvanic corrosion. Do not support combustion and are self extinguishing. Light weight to handle, install and transport. Smooth inner surface for easy wiring. Flexibility for long radius bending long lasting life.

HDPE PIPES SUDHAKAR HDPE potable water supply pipes are manufactured in accordance with bureau of India standards specifications is 4984 with latest amendments in the range of 20mm to 315mm in different pressure classes. The pipe is manufactured with virgin pe-63, pe-80 requirements. The smaller diameter pipes are supplied in coils ranging from 25 meters to 500 meters as per customers requirements. The larger diameter pipes are supplied in the standard lengths of 3 / 6 / 12 meter as per customers requirements. SUDHAKAR HDPE TELECOM DUCTS:

SUDHAKAR permanently lubricated HDPE ducts are best suitable for telecom application. These pipes are manufactured as per departments of telecommunication specifications and are supplied in different colors. The sizes are available in 25mm, 32mm, 40mm and 50mm with inner lubrication layer and are supplied with and without rope. These pipes are used for carrying and casing for optical fiber cable.

FEATURES & ADVANTAGES OF HDPE PIPES:

Light weight and easy to handle. Tough and flexible. Inert material and resistant to chemicals. Durable. Smooth finish. PP- RANDOM PIPING New generation hygienic plumbing system made up of polypropylene random copolymer to cater the growing needs of the Indian construction industry. The system is suitable for

higher pressures and higher temperature. The systems are the best alternative for the conventional, non-hygienic metallic piping systems. SUDHAKAR PP-RC pipes are available from 20mm to 110mm in different pressure classes manufactured in accordance with din 8077 and din 8078 specifications. The fittings are manufactured in accordance with din 16962 and are available in all sizes and shapes.

SUDHAKAR Group of Industries are having well equipped quality testing equipment in their labs as per the ISI standards for testing of all pipes. The high quality performance is attained with experienced and qualified staff and skilled workers. SUDHAKAR polymers Itd posses and iso: 9001: 2000 quality systems certifications for manufactures and supply of rigid PVC pipes and fittings for irrigation, agriculture, industrial, domestic and sanitary applications. APPLICATION AREAS:

Hot and Cold water plumbing system in construction industry. Chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Food and beverages industries. WATER PIPES & FITTINGS SUDHAKAR UPVC potable water pipes are manufactured in accordance with bureau of India standard specifications is 4985: 2000 in the range of 16mm to 400mm in different pressure classes. The pipes are manufactured with plain socket (selfit) and grooved socket (ringtite). The selfit pipes are joined with solvent Pipe. The rightite pipes are joind with high quality epdm rubber ring.

SUDHAKAR SELFIT UPVC PIPES: SUDHAKAR Selfit upvc potable water supply pipes are available in the range of 16mm to 400mm. these pipes available in 2.5kgf/sq. Cm., 6kgf/sq. Cm., 8kgf/sq. Cm., 10kgf/sq. Cm., 12kgf/sq. Cm., pressure classes. The pipes are manufactured with plain socket (selfit) and are joined with high quality SUDHAKAR solvent Pipe. The pipes are supplied with socket and spigot ends avoiding the number of joints. The pipes are joined with solvent Pipe resulting in a leak proof welded joint.

SERVICES

SUDHAKAR engaged in Design, Execution and Installation of Micro Irrigation projects, Potable water supply projects, Under Ground Drainage systems. Sudhakar has executed the following projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Micro Irrigation projects under APMIP scheme in various districts of Andhra Pradesh Rural water supply scheme of about 100 kms in Nalgonda Dist., Andhra Pradesh Rural Water supply scheme in Kurnool and Medak Districts Municipal water supply scheme in Suryapet Municipality under Public Health and Engineering

Lift Irrigation Scheme in Miryalguda, Nalgonda Dist., A.P. Lift Irrigation Scheme in Anantapur District

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
Marketing is "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large."

For business to consumer marketing, it is "the process by which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships, in order to capture value from customers in return". For business to business marketing it is creating value, solutions, and relationships either short term or long term with a company or brand. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments. It is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and create value for their customers and for themselves.

Marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer, and keep the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, marketing management is one of the major components of business management. Marketing evolved to meet the stasis in developing new markets caused by mature markets and overcapacities in the last 2-3 centuries. The adoption of marketing

strategies requires businesses to shift their focus from production to the perceived needs and wants of their customers as the means of staying profitable.

The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions. It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors.

The term developed from an original meaning which referred literally to going to a market to buy or sell goods or services. Seen from a systems point of view, sales process engineering marketing is "a set of processes that are interconnected and interdependent with other functions, whose methods can be improved using a variety of relatively new approaches."

Introduction to Marketing
Marketing is an important socio-economic activity with history of many centuries. It is an essential activity for the satisfaction of human wants and for also raising social welfare. Production is the base of marketing. It supplements production activities by distributing goods and services.

Marketing links producers and consumers together for mutual benefits. It facilitates transfer of ownership of goods and services to consumers. Production will be meaningless if goods produced are not supplied to consumers through appropriate marketing mechanism.

Marketing activities are conducted through the medium of money. They are conducted regularly throughout the world. Modern marketing is global in character. Everyone participates in marketing activities for the satisfaction of needs / wants.

Promotion- pushes and pulls strategies

"Push or Pull"?

Marketing theory distinguishes between two main kinds of promotional strategy - "push" and "pull".

Push A push promotional strategy makes use of a company's sales force and trade promotion activities to create consumer demand for a product.

The producer promotes the product to wholesalers, the wholesalers promote it to retailers, and the retailers promote it to consumers.

A good example of "push" selling is mobile phones, where the major handset manufacturers such as Nokia promote their products via retailers such as Carphone Warehouse. Personal selling and trade promotions are often the most effective promotional tools for companies such as Nokia for example offering subsidies on the handsets to encourage retailers to sell higher volumes.

A "push" strategy tries to sell directly to the consumer, bypassing other distribution channels (e.g. selling insurance or holidays directly). With this type of strategy, consumer promotions and advertising are the most likely promotional tools.

Pull A pull selling strategy is one that requires high spending on advertising and consumer promotion to build up consumer demand for a product.

If the strategy is successful, consumers will ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and the wholesalers will ask the producers. A good example of a pull is the heavy advertising and promotion of children's toys mainly on television. Consider the recent BBC promotional campaign for its new pre-school programmer the Fumbles. Aimed at two to four-year-olds, 130 episodes of Fumbles have been made and are featured everyday on digital children's channel CBeebies and BBC2.

As part of the promotional campaign, the BBC has agreed a deal with toy maker Fisher-Price to market products based on the show, which it hopes will emulate the popularity of the Tweenies. Under the terms of the deal, Fisher-Price will develop, manufacture and distribute a range of Fumbles products including soft, plastic and electronic learning toys for the UK and Ireland.

In 2001, BBC Worldwide (the commercial division of the BBC) achieved sales of 90m from its children's brands and properties last year. The demand created from broadcasting of the Fumbles and a major advertising campaign is likely to pull demand from children and encourage retailers to stock Fumbles toys in the stores for Christmas 2002.

Customer is the most important person in the whole marketing process. He is the cause and purpose of all marketing activities. According to Prof. Drucker, the first function of marketing is to create a customer or market. All marketing activities are for meeting the needs of customers and for raising social welfare. Marketing itself is a "need-satisfying process". It facilitates physical distribution and creates four types of utilities viz., Form Place, Time and Possession.

Types of promotion

Explanation

Advertising: Any non personal paid form of communication using any form of mass media. Public relations Sales promotion: Personal selling: Involves developing positive relationships with the organization media public. The art of good public relations is not only to obtain favorable publicity within the media, but it is also involves being able to handle successfully negative attention. Commonly used to obtain an increase in sales short term. Could involve using money off coupons or special offers. Selling a product service one to one Is the sending of publicity material to a named person within an organization Direct mail allows an organization to use their resources more effectively by Direct Mail allowing them to send publicity material to a named person within their target segment. By personalizing advertising, response rates increase thus increasing the chance of improving sales. Listed below are links to organization whose business involves direct mail. Internet Marketing Promoting and selling your services online using various forms of online marketing techniques such as banner advertisements, videos or social media. Where you pay an organization to use your brand or logo. This organization usually has a high profile so that you know that your brand will be seen by a large Sponsorship audience. Most common use of sponsorship is with sporting events. The 2012 Olympics being held in London is being sponsored by a number of organizations such as McDonalds and Coca-Cola as the event will attract a worldwide audience that will run into hundreds of millions.

STAGES AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES EMPLOYED.

Introduction

When a product is new the organizations objective will be to inform the target audience of its entry. Television, radio, magazine, coupons etc may be used to push the product through the introduction stage of the lifecycle. Push and Pull Strategies will be used at this crucial stage.

Growth

As the product becomes accepted by the target market the organisation at this stage of the lifecycle the organization works on the strategy of further increasing brand awareness to encourage loyalty.

Maturity

At this stage with increased competition the organization take persuasive tactics to encourage the consumers to purchase their product over their rivals. Any differential advantage will be clearly communicated to the target audience to inform of their benefit over their competitors.

Decline

As the product reaches the decline stage the organization will use the strategy of reminding people of the product to slow the inevitable

Internet Promotion
The development of the World Wide Web has changed the business environment forever. Dot com fever has taken the industry and stock markets by storm. The e-commerce revolution promises to deliver a more efficient way of conducting business. Shoppers can now purchase from the comfort of their home 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Owning a website is a now a crucial ingredient to the marketing mix strategy of an organization. Consumers can now obtain instant information on products or services to aid them in their crucial purchase decision. Sony Japan took pre-orders of their popular Playstaion 2 console over the net, which topped a 1 million after a few days, European football stars are now issuing press releases over the web with the sites registered under their own names. Hit rates are phenomenal.

Promotion & advertising strategy

Promotion is one of the key elements of the marketing mix, and deals with any one or two-way communication that takes place with the consumer. This article concentrates is a high level introduction to developing a promotional strategy for your business focusing on advertising and other 'pull' tactics.

Developing a promotional strategy

Deciding on a marketing communications strategy is one of the primary roles of the marketing manager and this process involves some key decisions about how who the customer is, how to contact the consumer them, and what the message should be. These questions can be answered using a three stage process, which is equally relevant for all elements of the marketing mix:

Segmentation dividing the marketing into distinct groups Targeting deciding which of these groups to communicate with, and how to talk to them

Positioning how the product or brand should be perceived by the target groups Messaging - delivering a specific message in order to influence the target groups

1. Segmentation

Dividing potential customers into discrete groups is vital if you want to increase the success rate of any communications message. If you don't know who you are talking to, it's unlikely you will get much of a response. Who are the potential customers? How many sub-groups should you

divide them into? How do these groups differ? Hopefully, most of this information will be readily available from your market research.

Once you have an idea of the customer, you should further drill down to explore them in more detail. What are their media consumption habits? What are their expectations and aspirations? What are their priorities? How much disposable income do they have? What are their buying habits? Are they likely to have children? How many holidays to they take a year? How much money do they give to charity? How can you help them?

This information can be obtained in a variety of ways, from commissioning a specialist market research agency, to examining sales patterns or social media interactions.

Commonly used market research methods include:

Sales analysis and buying patterns Questionnaires Desk research Website statistics, especially social media Focus groups Face-to-face interviews Specialist market research companies

Once you have built up an accurate picture of your customer, it's time to get their attention

2. Targeting

For the purposes of advertising, targeting is the process of communicating with the right segment(s) and ensuring the best possible response rate. The methods you use to target your audience must relate to your marketing plan objectives - are you trying to generate awareness of a new product, or attract business away from a competitor?

Methods of marketing communications

Advertising is just one element of the marketing communication arsenal, which can be divided into the following areas:

Advertising a mass media approach to promotion

Outdoor Business directories Magazines / newspapers TV / cinema Radio Newsagent windows

Sales promotion - price / money related communications

Coupons Discounts Competitions Loyalty incentives

Public relations - using the press to your advantage

Press launches PR events Press releases

Personal selling one to one communication with a potential buyer

Salesmen Experiential marketing Dealer or showroom sales activities Exhibitions Trade shows

Direct marketing - taking the message directly to the consumer

Mail order catalogues Bulk mail Personalised letters Email Telemarketing Point of sale displays Packaging design

Digital marketing new channels are emerging constantly

Company websites Social media applications such as Facebook or Twitter Blogging Mobile phone promotions using technology such as Bluetooth YouTube E-commerce

Deciding which media channel to use

In nature, evolution occurs most rapidly when competition for resources is intense. The same process is now occurring with promotional media. All traditional media channels are now saturated, and competition for consumer attention is intense. At the same time, the impact of any one medium is becoming diluted. There are many more TV and radio channels, consumer have the ability to skip adverts and free information is now much more accessible. As a result, companies are becoming increasingly innovative in their approach to communications and a host of new media channels have emerged. As a result, media choice is becoming a tricky task, which is why detailed segmentation is so important - it's no use starting a Twitter campaign if none of your target market is regular users of the site.

Highly targeted communications often lead to better results. You can usually expect a response rate of less than 1% for a relatively generic mass mailing. However, personal letters to a handful of your most loyal customers would lead to a dramatically increased rate of return. When deciding which media to use consider the reach, frequency, media impact and what you can

expect for your budget but most of all, ensure your target customer will see the message in the first place. Media choice is a matter of compromise between volumes of people versus the personalization of the message.

Ensuring your message reflects the stages of the purchasing funnel

Once you have made the audience aware of your brand, work doesn't stop there. The customer needs to be guided through the purchasing process. This means identifying the key stages in the customer journey and ensuring communications messages are personalized and relevant.

Integrated marketing communications

Once you have decided which media channel to concentrate on, the next step is to ensure an integrated approach is taken. Regardless of whether you are promoting a new product or raising awareness, it's important that all ads across all media work together towards a common goal by using similar messaging and 'look and feel'. An integrated approach can dramatically increase the effectiveness of any campaign and will help create your brand image.

Getting the best response

To get the best response from your target market, you need ensuring the message is relevant and clear once you've managed to gain the valuable attention of your customer the last thing you want is for them to be confused about what you're saying. Determine the objectives of the advert and ensure these aims are addressed clearly. Think about the next steps you would like the audience to take, whether this is visiting a website, ringing a number, or being able to recall your brand when they are next in the shops.

3. Positioning
Positioning is the process of developing an image for your company or product. This can be achieved partially through branding, but it's important to realise that all elements of the marketing mix combine to provide the full picture. You must ensure that all areas of your business live up to expectations in order to successfully position yourself in the way you hope. Positioning also considers the competition, and you need to explain why you are unique in the marketplace and better than the other products on the shelf.

Branding and messaging

Branding is a powerful tool for positioning your product. Branding is used on almost all customer facing elements of a product, from the packaging design to the style of writing used on posters. Every communication a customer received adds up to form a mental picture of your brand and can influence the price they are willing to pay for your products. This ability to charge more due to the positioning of your product is known as 'brand equity'. Your branding also needs to consider your unique selling points (USPs) and ensure these are easily recognized through your messaging is your product the best value, longest lasting, sweetest smelling or fastest?

Corporate identity
A corporate identity is a useful tool to ensure that your branding is used in a consistent way throughout the company. This detailed document runs through almost every conceivable customer touch point and provides guidance on the presentation and style which should be used. This could include use of logos, colors, tag lines, uniform and the type of coffee to serve guests.

A CI guide is particularly useful if any creative work it outsourced to agencies or freelancers or if you have many offices worldwide. The most powerful brands can be identified by many elements of their communications material, not just a by their logo or slogan and this is due to successful implementation of a recognizable corporate identity. Recognition is a key part of any purchase decision so a corporate identity should for a core element of your advertising strategy.

4. Development of the advertising message

Once you have determined the positioning for your brand, it's time to develop the message in order to influence your target groups. Advertising objectives should be directly linked to your marketing plan, and tend to fit into the following generic categories:

Inform - raising awareness of your brand & products, establishing a competitive advantage

Persuade - generating an instant response (usually driving sales) Remind - to maintain interest and enthusiasm for a product or service

It's a documented fact that creative, well branded, distinctive advertising generates the best results so ensure you use the best possible creative team you can get your hands on, and give them a detailed brief. Remember that a message will only be successful if it appeals to the target audience, so constantly refer back to the customer and tailor the ads to them.

Occupation:

) Employee

Business

) Student

Others

TABLE:

Occupation Employees Business Students Others Total

No. Of respondents 30 50 10 10 100

Customer response% 30% 50% 10% 10% 100%

CHART:
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% 10% 30% 50% employees business student others

INTERPRETATION:

The above table represent that the employee respondents are in the study having 30%, the business respondents are having 50%, the others are 10%, Remaing are Students 05%.

1. Which brand do you prefer for PVC Pipes? a) Sudhakar PVC c) Nandi PVC b) Sadguru PVC d) others (specify)

TABLE: S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. Criteria Sudhakar PVC Sadguru PVC Nandi PVC others (specify) Total No. of respondents % of respondents 70 15 10 05 100 70% 15% 15% 05% 100%

CHART:

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 15% 10% 5% Sadguru PVC Nandi PVC others 70% Sudhakar PVC

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the number of respondents are given preference to Sudhakar PVC is 70%, next preference given to Sadguru PVC is 15%, next preference to Nandi PVC is 10% remaining are followed by others a is 5%.

2. How do you come to know about Sudhakar PVC? a) Friends and relatives b) c) e-media TABLE: About Sudhakar Friends and relatives Outdoor advertisements E-media advertisements Total No. Of respondents 25 10 25 40 100 Customer response% 25% 10% 25% 40% 100% b) outdoor advertisements d) advertisements

CHART:

Response
45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 40%

25%

25% % of respondents

10%

Friends and relatives

Outdoor advertisements

E-media ads

advertisements

INTERPRETATION:

The above chart indicates, customers knew Sudhakar PVC from friends and relatives and emedia and ads. Outdoor advertisements are less. Company should focus on outdoor ads.

3. What is your opinion about the advertisements of Sudhakar PVC? a) Excellent b) Very good c) Good d) Average ( )

TABLE: Advertisements Excellent Very Good Good Average TOTAL CHART: No. Of respondents 10 25 45 20 100 Customer response% 10% 25% 45% 20% 100%

50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

45%

excellent very good good

25% 20% 10%

average

INTERPRETATION:

The following table shows that the numbers of respondents are feeling the advertisement of Sudhakar PVC average is 20%, very good is 25%, good is 45%, and excellence is 10%.

4. Which is the most effective medium for promoting the product? a) Advertisement b) Sales promotion d) Personal selling TABLE: S.No Criteria 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Advertisement Sales promotion public relation & publicity Personal selling Internet Total No. of respondents % of respondents 25 45 15 10 5 100 25% 45% 15% 10% 5% 100 e) Internet. c) public relation & publicity

CHART:
50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 25% 15% 10% 5% 45% Advertisement Sales promotion public relation & publicity Personal selling Internet

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are given preference to Sales promotion is 45%, next preference given to Advertisement is 25%, next preference to public relation & Publicity is 15% remaining are followed by Personal selling and Internet is 10%, 5%.respectively.

5. Are you aware of the offers/schemes conducted by Sudhakar PVC pipes? a. Yes TABLE: S.No Criteria 1. 2. 3. Yes No Not Right Now Total No. of respondents % of respondents 55 30 15 100 55% 30% 15% 100% b. No c. Not Right Now

CHART:

Response
Not Right Now 15%

Yes No No 30% Yes 55% Not Right Now

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are aware of offers/schemes conducted by forever soap yes is 55%, no is 30% and not right now is 15%.

6. Did Sudhakar PVC pipes conduct any Road shows? a. yes TABLE: S.No Criteria No. of respondents % of respondents 1. 2. Yes No Total 62 38 100 62% 38% 100% b. no

CHART:

Response

NO 38% YES 62%

YES NO

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are said that 62% is yes and 38% is no.

7. How would you choose your preference on the following promotional schemes? a) Price off c) Cash refund TABLE: S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Criteria Price off Discount coupons Contents scratch card Cash refund Prizes Total CHART: No. of respondents % of respondents 20 30 10 10 20 10 100 20% 30% 10% 10% 20% 10% 100% b) Discount coupons d) Prizes

Preference
35% 30% 30% 25% 20% 20% 20% 15% 10% 10% 10% 5% 0% Price off Discount Contents scratch Cash coupons card refund

10%

Preference

Prizes

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the number of respondents are given preference to Discount coupons is 30%, next preference given to Price off, Cash refund is 20%, next preference to Contents, scratch card, Prizes are10% respectively.

8. Do you think that Sales Promotional Strategies that are adopted by sudhakar PVC pipes are according To the Consumer Perceptions? a. yes TABLE: S.No Criteria 1. 2. 3. Yes No Not Right Now Total No. of respondents % of respondents 50 30 20 100 50% 30% 20% 100% b. no c. cant say

CHART:

50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 50% 30% 20%
Yes No Not Right Now

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are think that Sales Promotional Activities that are adopted by forever soap are according To the Consumer Perceptions is 50%, no is 30% and not right now is 20%.

9. Do you think that Sales Promotional Activities has power to influence Sales happening? a. yes TABLE: S.No Criteria 1. 2. 3. Yes No No. of respondents % of respondents 65 25 65% 25% 10% 100% b. no c. cant say

Not Right Now 10 Total 100

CHART:
70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 25% 10% 65% Yes No Not Right Now

INTERPRETAION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are think that Sales Promotional Activities has power to influence Sales happening is 65%, no is 25% and not right now is 10%.

10. Does Sales Promotion Activities of Sudhakar PVC pipes are better than others? a. yes TABLE: S.No Criteria No. of respondents % of respondents 1. 2. YES NO Total 64 36 100 64% 36% 100% b. no

GRAPH:

Response

NO 36% YES NO YES 64%

INTERPRETATION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are think that Sales Promotional Activities of Forever are better than others yes is 64%, no is 36%.

11. How is the sales promotion scheme communicated to you? a) Through sales representative c) Through e-media TABLE: S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. Criteria Through sales representative Through print media Through e-media Through company stall Total No. of respondents % of respondents 20 20 45 15 100 20% 20% 45% 15% 100 b) Through print media d) Through company stall

CHART:

Chart Title
60% 40% 20% 0% Through company stall 45% 20% 20% Through sales representative Through print media Through e-media

15%

INTERPRETATION: The above table shows that the numbers of respondents are think that the sales promotion scheme communicated by through sales representative is 20 %, through print media is 20%, Through e-media is 45%, Through company stall is 15%.

12) How do you rate the sales promotional offers given by Sudhakar PVC? ( a) Average TABLE: b) good c) excellent d) poor e) bad )

Sales promotional offers Average Good Excellent Poor Bad Total

No of respondents 32 34 16 10 8 100

Customer response% 32% 34% 16% 10% 8% 100%

GRAPH:

35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 16% 10% 8% 32% 34% average good excellent poor bad

INTERPRETATION:

The following table shows the number of respondents are feeling the sales promotional offers given by of Sudhakar PVC good is 34%, average is 32%, excellent is 16%, poor is 10%, bad is 8%.

13. How do you rate forever on following parameters? Satisfied, a) Price----b) Distribution Network----c) Quality------d) Advertising-----e) Promotional schemes------TABLE: S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 Dissatisfied

Criteria Price Distribution Network Quality Advertising Promotional schemes

Satisfied 70 65 80 75 70

% of respondents 70% 65% 80% 75% 70%

Dissatisfied 30 35 20 25 30

% of respondents 30% 35% 20% 25% 30%

Total 100 100 100 100 100

CHART:
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Price Distribution Network Quality Advertising Promotional schemes 30% 35% 20% 25% 30% Satisfied DisSatisfied 70% 65% 80% 75% 70%

INTERPRETATION: The above table shows that the most number of respondents are satisfied with factors like Price, Distribution Network, Quality , Advertising , Promotional schemes,. Some respondents are Dissatisfied with factors.

14. Do you recommend Sudhakar PVC to others?

a)

Yes

b)

No

TABLE: Recommend Yes No TOTAL No. Of respondents Customer response% 96 4 100 96% 4% 100%

GRAPH;

No 4%

Yes No

Yes 96%

INTERPRETATION:
The above graph indicates that majority of people happy to recommend Sudhakar PVC to others.

15. Which brand do you think is the market leader in PVC Pipes? a) Sudhakar PVC c) Nandi PVC TABLE: S.No 1. 2. 3. 4. Criteria Sudhakar PVC Sadguru PVC Nandi PVC others (specify) Total GRAPH: No. of respondents % of respondents 65 15 15 05 100 65% 15% 15% 05% 100% b) Sadguru PVC d) others

50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 5% others 20% 25% Nandi PVC Sadguru PVC 50% Sudhakar PVC

INTERPRETAION:

The above table shows that the number of respondents are given preference to Sudhakar PVC is 50%, next preference given to Nandi PVC is 25%, next preference to Sadguru PVC is 15% remaining are followed by others a is 05%.

16. What is the overall rating you give to Sudhakar PVC Pipes? a) Best brand b) good brand c) average brand d) poor brand

TABLE: Overall As Brand Best brand Good brand Average brand Poor brand TOTAL GRAPH:
45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

No. Of respondents 45 30 20 05 100

Customer response% 45% 30% 20% 05% 100%

45% best brand 30% 20% 5% good brand average brand poor brand

INTERPRETATION:

The following table shows the numbers of respondents are feeling Sudhakar PVC as a overall brand good brand is 33, best brand is 45, average brand is 20, poor brand is 2.

FINDINGS:

70% of respondents is given preference to Sudhakar PVC is Best

40% of respondents are given preference to Brand value is best influenced factors.

45% of respondents are given preference to Sales promotion in effective medium.

62% of customers say Sudhakar PVC conducting road shows.

55% customers to aware of the offers/schemes.

The major promotional factor which influenced the customers to choose Discount coupons.

64% customers say best Sales Promotion Activities conducting Sudhakar PVC better than others.

According to customers electronic media are consider to be more effective to promote forever soap.

At overall, most of the dealers rated Sudhakar PVC pipes as Good.

SUGGETIONS:

Promotional activities should be improved like discounts, gifts, prizes etc. To create awareness among the customers. The company needs to improve advertisements.

The company should give advertisements through Telugu media, posters, televisions, hoardings etc.

The company have to directly consultant the painters and retailers and also need to motivate painters through incentives.

It is advised to stability the Brand name and increase the Quality of the pipes to attract the middle and lower middle class people.

Change in the perception of the Customers towards Sudhakar PVC. It is advised to increase promotional schemes to attract more number of people free contests of the Soap should be carried out effectively.

CONCLUSIONS:
Sales Promotional strategies are an important function of any Organization in todays Market. Sales Promotion deals with various promotion techniques for improving the Sales and Brand awareness of Sudhakar PVC. Knowing the importance of the Sales Promotions in to-days Market, I want to conclude by saying that the Sudhakar PVC should carry out the various programs for increasing the Sales of Sudhakar PVC in the Market.

QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Occupation:

1. Which brand do you prefer for PVC Pipes? a) Sudhakar PVC c) Nandi PVC b) Sadguru PVC d) others (specify)

2. How do you come to know about Sudhakar PVC?

a) Friends and relatives advertisements

b)outdoor advertisements

c) e-media

3. What is your opinion about the advertisements of Sudhakar PVC?

a) Excellent c) Good

b) Very good d) Average

4. Which is the most effective medium for promoting the product? a) Advertisement c) public relation & publicity e) Internet. 5. Are you aware of the offers/schemes conducted by Sudhakar PVC pipes? a. yes b. no c. not right now b) Sales promotion d) Personal selling

6. Did Sudhakar PVC pipes conduct any Road shows? a. yes b. no

7. How would you choose your preference on the following promotional schemes? a) Price off c) Cash refund b) Discount coupons d) Prizes PVC pipes

8. Do you think that Sales Promotional Strategies that are adopted by sudhakar are according To the Consumer Perceptions? a. yes b. no c. cant say

9 .Do you think that Sales Promotional Activities has power to influence Sales happening? a. yes b. no c. cant say

10. Does Sales Promotion Activities of Sudhakar PVC pipes are better than others? a. yes b. no

11. How is the sales promotion scheme communicated to you? a) Through sales representative b) Through print media c) Through e-media d) Through company stall 12. How do you rate the sales promotional offers given by Sudhakar PVC? a) Average c) excellent d) poor b) good e) bad

13. How do you rate Sudhakar pvc pipes on following parameters? Satisfied, a) Price----b) Distribution Network----c) Quality------d) Advertising-----e) Promotional schemes------Dissatisfied

14. Do you recommend Sudhakar PVC to others?

a)

Yes

b) No

15. Which brand do you think is the market leader in PVC Pipes?

a) Sudhakar PVC c) Nandi PVC

b) Sadguru PVC d) others

16. What is the overall rating you give to Sudhakar PVC Pipes?

a) Best brand c) average brand

b) good brand d) poor brand

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

SEARCH ENGINES: www.google.co.in www.learnmarketing.net www.altavista.com

WEBSITES:

www.Sudhakar pvc group.com

BOOKS:

PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING

:-

Philip Kotler

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

: - Donald S Tull & Hawkins

ADVERTISING COMMUNICATIONS AND PROMOTION MANAGEMENT :Mc. Graw Hill