ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Acknowledgement is not only formality but also an expression of deep sense

of gratitude. This project report is the product of inspiration and
perspirations, no doubt, some transpiration as well. At this juncture, my
heart is filled with the feeling to them whose effort has made this task a
reality.

I express my deep sense of gratitude to all the VEL RS CMS-faculty

members for conducting the training project. I am extremely grateful to
respected Mr. A.K.SUBRAMANI Sir under the guidance of whom I have
executed the project.

I also extend my heartiest gratitude to all of respondents and all those who
directly or indirectly helped me in this project without whom the project
would not have been otherwise.

R.NAVEENDRAN
(MBA-1STYEAR)
 CONTENTS

CHAPTE TITLE PAGE NO

R NO

1 Introduction of the study

Industry profile
Company profile

2 Objectives
Scope of the study
Limitations

3 Review of Literature

4 Research methodology

5 Data analysis & Interpretation

a)
 6 Findings
Suggestions
conclusion

7 Bibliography

Annexure
PREFACE

Research is the feedback, which any organization sought for the purpose of
effective policy making. It is the systematic problem Analysis, model
building and fact finding for the purpose of important decision -making and
control in the marketing of goods and services. Practical aspect gives more
knowledge and experience than the theory and no learning can be completed
without practical aspect.

This is a project on “CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS

HARPIC-TOILET CLEANER” in the region of CHENNAI.
INTRODUCTION

FMCG Company has been playing a pivotal role in the national economy in
both rural and urban sector.

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) goods are popularly named as

consumer packaged goods. Items in this category include all consumables
(other than groceries/pulses) people buy at regular intervals. The most
common in the list are toilet soaps, detergents, shampoos, toothpaste,
shaving products, shoe polish, packaged foodstuff, household accessories
and extends to certain electronic goods. These items are meant for daily of
frequent consumption and have a high return.

A major portion of the monthly budget of each household is reserved for

FMCG products. The volume of money circulated in the economy against
FMCG products is very high, as the number of products the consumer use is
very high. Competition in the FMCG sector is very high resulting in high
pressure on margins.

-1-
INDUSTRY PROFILE
Cleaning the closet in the bathroom/washroom could be a demanding task. Thanks
to some sophisticated products, it is no longer a cumbersome task. Some actually find it
intriguing enough to indulge in it.

Our focus today is on one such product which makes cleaning toilets very easy. We
would have seen some advertisements on the television about this from time to time, but
here we are covering some different aspects of this wonder cleaning liquid – HARPIC.

For starters, Harpic is a brand owned by a British company called Reckitt Benckiser who
is a strong player in the Indian Market along with many other interesting products. We
will cover them one after another in the coming days. Interestingly enough, Reckitt
Benckiser was previously known as Reckitt & Colman India. Harpic was originally
invented by Mr. Harry Pickup (hence the name!).

Launched in England in the 1920s, Harpic toilet bowl cleaner has been successfully
extended to 47 countries on a platform of powerful cleaning. Harpic provides a full range
of liquid toilet bowl cleaners, tablets, wipes, toilet bowl blocks, cistern blocks and brush
systems. (taken from Reckitt Benckiser’s website)

One of the features on the product is that it has a “child-proof” cap which has to be
pressed and opened, making it safe against kids at home.The primary claims of the
product enhanced by its ”Opti-Thick” formula are:

1. Kills germs post 60 minutes of contact with undiluted product.

2. Removes tough stains and keeps your closet sparkling clean.
3. Removes bad odour from the closets and keeps your bathrooms fresh.

The product is available in 500 ml, 200 ml and 35 ml quantities. The first two are bottles
whereas the last one is a sachet.

The competing products for Harpic are primarily “Sanifresh” and other local players such
as phenyl and powder based cleaning agents.
COMPANY PROFILE

Company Overview

Reckitt Benckiser is a global force in household, health and personal care,

delivering ever better solution of consumers.

The company has the sales of over 6 billion pounds consistently going ahead
of the industry due to its leading brands, its operation in over 60 countries
and sales in 180, and its highly motivated multinational management.

Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc. (Reckitt Benckiser) is principally engaged in

the manufacturing and marketing of household, cleaning, health and
personal care products. The company manufactures products related to
several categories which include dishwashing, fabric care, surface care,
health, home care and personal care products and food. The company
operates through 60 operating companies across 180 countries. The
company has 13 directly held subsidiaries which include Propack, Reckitt
Benckiser (Australia) Pty Limited, Reckitt Benckiser (Brazil) Limited,
Reckitt Benckiser (Canada) Inc. Reckitt Benckiser Deutschland GmbH,
Reckitt Benckiser Health care (UK) Limited, Reckitt Benckiser Inc., Reckitt
Benckiser (India) Limited,Reckitt Benckiser Italia and Reckitt Benckiser
(UK) Limited.

The company is headquartered in the UK.The company reported revenues of

(British Pounds) GBP 6,563.00 million during the fiscal year ended 2008, an
increase of 24.56% over 2007.

The operating profit of the company was GBP 1,505.00 million during the
fiscal year 2008, an increase of 22.06% over 2007. The net profit of the
company was GBP 1,120.00 million during the fiscal year 2008, an increase
of 19.40% over 2007. In 2008, the BBC broadcast an investigaton into the
methods Reckitt Benckiser used to maintain the market share of the
Gaviscon powerbrand.

The company held Platinum status in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 in the
Business.

History

RECKITT COLMAN
Colman's was founded in 1814 when Jeremiah Colman began milling flour
and mustard in Norwich, England. Reckitt & Sons started in 1840 when
Isaac Reckitt rented a starch mill in Hull, England. He diversified into other
household products and in due course passed on his business to his four
sons. Reckitt & Sons was first listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1888.
In 1938 Reckitt & Sons merged with J&J Colman to become Reckitt &
Colman Ltd. Reckitt & Colman sold the Colman's food business in 1995 but
still has some food brands.

Benckiser
Johann A. Benckiser founded a business in Germany in 1823. Its main
products were industrial chemicals. Benckiser went public in 1997.

Merger and subsequent developments

The company was formed by a merger between Britain's Reckitt & Colman
and the Dutch company Benckiser NV in December of 1999. Bart Becht
became CEO of this new company and has been credited for its
transformation, focusing on core brands and improving efficiency in the
supply chain. The new management team’s strategy of “innovation
marketing”. A combination of increased marketing spend and product
innovation, focusing on consumer needs – has been linked to the company’s
ongoing success. For example, in 2008, the company’s “rapid succession of
well publicised new product variants” were credited for helping them “to
capture shoppers' imagination” Business Week has also noted that “40% of
Reckitt Benckiser's $10.5 billion in 2007 revenues came from products
launched within the previous three years.”

In October 2005, Reckitt Benckiser agreed to purchase the over-the-counter

drugs manufacturing business of Boots Group, Boots Healthcare
International, for £1.926 billion. The three main brands acquired were
Nurofen in analgesics; Strepsils sore throat lozenges; and Clearasil antiacne
treatments.

In January 2008, the Company acquired Adams Respiratory Therapeutics

Inc., a pharmaceutical company, for $2.3bn: one of the major brands
acquired with this purchase was Mucinex.

Brief Profile of the Business

Reckitt & Benckiser Plc, UK, promote Reckitt & Benckiser of India Ltd
(Reckitt & Benckiser).The company has business interests in household
products, personal care and pharmaceuticals.Key brands include Dettol,
Cherry Blossom, Harpic, Robin liquid blue and Mortein. Around 40% of the
company´s sales come from its flagship product Dettol. Dettol`s market
share hovers around 85% and its product portfolio comprises toilet soaps,
anti germ liquids and talcum powder. The remaining divisions, namely
fabric care, shoe care and floor care contribute approximately 15% to the
total turnover.

Within the household products and the personal care segments, Reckitt &
Benckiser is mainly into insecticides, lavatory care, surface care, shoe care
and air fresheners. Insecticides contribute over 50% to Reckitt &
Benckiser’s household business and 26% to its total sales. The company has
a strong brand Mortein in the insect repellent market with a total market
share of 45% (coil 12% and mats 33%). In the relatively small lavatory care
market (Rs320m), Reckitt & Benckiser’s Harpic enjoys a 79.6% market
share. Its brand Cherry enjoys a 79% market share in the Indian shoe care
industry. The Indian air freshener market is estimated at Rs120m with
Balsara Hygiene’s Odonil leading the market with an 80% share. Reckitt &
Benckiser has positioned its Haze brand at the premium end of the market.
Regarding the wash-segment, Reckitt & Benckiser is currently present only
in the post-wash segment with its flagship brand Robin Blue, which is in
existence since 1984. Robin Blue powder market share is around 20%.

The company has entered into a joint venture, operational from March 1998,
with pharmaceutical major Nicholas Piramal; a company having a strong
distribution reach with chemists. The UK parent and Nicholas Piramal hold
40% stake each while the balance is with Reckitt & Benckiser. The joint
venture, Reckitt Piramal, is the largest over the counter (OTC)
pharmaceutical company in the country. The JV, besides improving sales of
its flagship product Dettol, which currently contributes to over 80% of the
JV´s sales, would also help in pushing other products like Dispirin and
Gelora.

Recent Development
Reckitt Benckiser Plc and Lancaster Square Holdings SL, have made a
voluntary offer to the equity shareholders of Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd to
acquire 41,91,339 equity shares of Rs 10each, representing 12.73 per cent of
the paid up equity share capital of Reckitt Benckiser India,at Rs 250 per
share, payable in cash. The specified date is August 16, 2002. The date of
the opening of the offer is September 2, 2002. The date of the closing of the
offer is October 1, 2002.
In aggregate, Reckitt Benckiser Plc and Lancaster Square at present hold
28,721,849 fully paid up equity shares of Rs 10 each, representing 87.27 per
cent of the paid up equity share capital of Reckitt Benckiser India. After the
open offer the company plans to delist its shares.

Reckitt Benckiser Plc has received approval from the Foreign Investment
Promotion Board (FIPB) for infusion of funds of Rs 403.19 crore for the
open offer of its subsidiary, Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd. The parent has
made an open offer to acquire the public shareholding of Reckitt Benckiser
(India) at Rs 250 per share.

The company is making serious efforts to improve penetration of the

specialised toilet cleaner and to upgrade the habits of Indian consumer.
For this purpose, Reckitt & Benckiser has recently tied up with sanitaryware
major EID Parry’s premium brand Parryware for a co-branding initiative in
Delhi. The company has recently relaunched Cherry Blossom Shine in a
handy and compact case. The company also launched the Mortein Xtra
Power range of mosquito coils and mats. It extended the range of offerings
of the Dettol brand further by recently introducing Dettol Extra Care soap
and Dettol talcum powder.

As part of its strategy, Reckitt & Benckiser has decided to pull out of its
food products business. Its factory at Chetla, which manufactures the
Robinson brand of barley, is proposed to be sold as a going concern.
Negotiations in this regard are currently underway.

The merged overseas parent, christened Reckitt Benckiser Plc, which holds
51 per cent of the company`s equity stake, was firming up its strategy to
garner a higher share of the market for dish wash, home care, fabric care and
health care products. Reckitt & Benckiser would draw up its strategy some
time later in line with the parent company`s strategy. A decision on change
in the name of Reckitt & Benckiser would also be taken after the legal
formalities are completed in the UK.

The merged parent is also working on a global e-commerce initiative

strategy. Initially, however, this strategy will more likely to focus on B2B
rather than B2C transactions. Reckitt’s Indian operations would, for the time
being, continue to be channeled through the existing distributors` network.
Future Plans
The company will relaunch several products with new packaging,
introducing new delivery systems and offering better value to the customers.
The pest control business will come under greater focus as Reckitt &
Benckiser sees a lot of potential in this segment in the future. Products
are also to be introduced under umbrella brands Mortein, Lizol and Dettol.

VISION
‘Reckitt Benckiser is about passionately delivering better solutions in
household cleaning and health & personal care to customers and consumers,
wherever they may be, for the ultimate purpose of creating shareholder
value.’

This vision defines both our purpose and our values as a Company and
encompasses our commitment to product quality and safety, customer
service, innovation, global reach and corporate social responsibility.

VALUES

Our core values are a set of guiding principles through which we think,
behave and conduct our business in order to deliver on our vision.

OBJECTIVES

Reckitt Benckiser's objective is to generate above industry average

profitable growth by:

• Focusing on building the power brands in high growth categories

• Geographic expansion of the portfolio
• Continuous innovation
• Higher investment in brand building
• Margin expansion and cash conversion to fund reinvestment in core
brands and to grow returns to shareholders.
• Selective add-on acquisitions
Executive Committee/Board of directors

RB’s international management make their mark by pushing boundaries,

being progressive and bold thinkers, and being driven to outperform
wherever they focus.

JA Benckiser circa1823(left),
Isaac Reckitt circa 1860s (right)

 Bart Becht - Chief Executive Officer

 Freddy Caspers - Executive Vice President, Developing Markets
 Colin Day - Chief Financial Officer
 Amedeo Fasano - Executive Vice President, Supply
 Gareth Hill - Senior Vice President, Information Services
 Rakesh Kapoor - Executive Vice President, Category Development
 Simon Nash - Senior Vice President, Human Resources

ACHIEVEMENTS & REWARDS

• 2001 a Highly Commended in the Best Factory Awards, run by

leading business magazine Management Today in conjunction with
Cranfield School of Management.

• Derby site director Andre Croatto said: “We are incredibly proud of
what we have achieved over the past four years. Improvements in
 efficiency and cost savings have more than justified the capital
investment levels and personal commitment that the Group’s senior
management has shown in Derby. It is also a huge credit to the team
here at all levels, and has not been without its problems or pain at
times - but the results have been outstanding. We are confident,
despite fierce competition in all our market sectors, that the future
both for Derby and the company as a whole, is very bright.”

• Qouting an AC Nielsen study, Reckitt Benkiser Chairman and

Managing Director Chander Mohan Sethi said the brand right now is
around Rs 900 crore. "We are very close to achieving our target of Rs
1,000 crore brand. It might have already reached also," he said but
declined to provide further details on it.

According to the industry experts, if the company is able to achieve

Rs 1,000-crore sales from Dettol in the current year, it would become
the second company after Hindustan Uniliver Ltd (HUL) to achieve
the milestone.

COMPETITORS

 Sanifresh
 Others (Domex)

MARKET SIZE

MARKET SIZE 2005 2006 2007

Market Size Value (RS
Crore) 90.1 103.3 120.2
Market Size
volume(Kilometers) 5719 6499 7339
NEED OF THE STUDY

The term consumer behavior refers the behavior that consumers display in
the searching for purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of product and
services that they expect, will satisfy their needs. Consumer is highly
complex individuals, subject to a variety of psychological needs and buying
behavior. Need and priorities of the different consumers segment differ
effectively.

This project has been undertaken to understand the consumer behavior

towards different toilet cleaners which are of different Brands. There is a
wide range of use of toilet cleaners everywhere. How many toilet cleaners
are in the market especially in non urban area and up to what limit popular
product of toilet cleaners has been able to compete to the local product in
terms of QUALITY,QUANTITY…or INSPIRATION FACTOR to accept
buying decision. How the Rural People use a particular toilet cleaners and
how they show their attitude towards different toilet cleaners and why?
 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of understanding this study is to accomplish the following

objective:

 To study the awareness of HARPIC TOILET CLEANER among

the locality where I used to reside CHENNAI.

 To know about the most favorite TOILET CLEANER brand of the

consumer in that particular area.

 To know what are the expectations of the buyer’s towards their

favorite
 Toilet cleaner.

 To know how the several factors like price, quality, brand name,
availability affects the buying decision.

 To know about the market share of these toilet cleaner.

 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Although every effort is made to make the result accurate but almost all the
report suffers from certain limitations. The result which I obtained from this
study, also suffers from certain limitations. The limitations of this study are
as follows.

 This study is done in CHENNAI, hence this study is applicable only

in that particular region and not elsewhere.

 Time frame of this study was limited.The result could be different if

the time frame would have long.

 I visited door to door to collect the opinion and perception about

Antiseptic liquid and this may vary because they may be biased as the
perception regarding their favorite brands.

 Sometimes some consumers were not in full mood to give the answers
of my questions so some of the answers may not be exact.
 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 This study helps to find the consumer buying behavior towards

HARPIC TOILET CLEANER.

 This study helps to analyze the confidence and skill level of the
students .
 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points
of current knowledge and or methodological approaches on a particular
topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and as such, do not report
any new or original experimental work. A good literature review is
characterized by: a logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references
with consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of terminology;
and an unbiased and comprehensive view of the previous research on the
topic

According to Serena Jian (senior company analyst),

“Reckitt Benckiser is strong at marketing its brands to consumers.” And
"Combined with good product innovation, that helps increase brand loyalty
and drive up margins."

CONSUMER:-

 Everyday purchaser of a good or service in retail.

 End user, and not necessarily a purchaser, in the distribution chain of
a good or service. See also customer.

BEHAVIOUR:-

The action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under

specified circumstances;
consumer buying behavior

Definition
Process by which individuals search for, select, purchase, use, and dispose
of goods and services, in satisfaction of their needs and wants.

Consumer Buying Behaviour

What influences consumers to purchase products or services? The consumer

buying process is a complex matter as many internal and external factors
have an impact on the buying decisions of the consumer.

When purchasing a product there several processes, which consumers go

through. These will be discussed below.

Need to understand:

• why consumers make the purchases that they make?

• What factors influence consumer purchases?
• The changing factors in our society.

Consumer Buying Behavior refers to the buying behavior of the ultimate

consumer. A firm needs to analyze buying behavior for:

• Buyer’s reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on

the firm’s success.
• The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing
Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to
analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy.
 • Marketers can better predict how consumers will respond to
marketing strategies.

Stages of the Consumer Buying Process

Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex
decisions). Actual purchasing is only one stage of the process. Not
all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer decisions do
not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of
complexity...

The 6 stages are:

1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)--difference between the

desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of product
2. Information search--
o Internal search, memory.
o External search if you need more information. Friends and
relatives (word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources;
comparison shopping; public sources etc.

A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible

alternatives, the evoked set.

3. Evaluation of Alternatives--need to establish criteria for evaluation,

features the buyer wants or does not want
4. If not satisfied with your choice then return to the search phase. Can
you think of another product? Marketers try to influence by "framing"
alternatives.
5. Purchase decision--Choose buying alternative, includes product,
package, store, method of purchase etc.
 6. Purchase--May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5,
product availability.
7. Post-Purchase Evaluation--outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction.
Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be
reduced by warranties, after sales communication etc.

Types of Consumer Buying Behavior

Types of consumer buying behavior are determined by:

• Level of Involvement in purchase decision. Importance and intensity

of interest in a product in a particular situation.
• Buyer’s level of involvement determines why he/she is motivated to
seek information about a certain products and brands but virtually
ignores others.

Types of risk:

• Personal risk
• Social risk
• Economic risk

The four type of consumer buying behavior are:

• Routine Response/Programmed Behavior--buying low involvement

frequently purchased low cost items; need very little search and
decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include
soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc.
• Limited Decision Making--buying product occasionally. When you
need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar
product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of time for
 information gathering. Examples include Clothes--know product class
but not the brand.
• Extensive Decision Making/Complex high involvement, unfamiliar,
expensive and/or infrequently bought products. High degree of
economic/performance/psychological risk. Examples include cars,
homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information
and deciding. Information from the companies MM; friends and
relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the buying
process Impulse buying, no conscious planning.

The purchase of the same product does not always elicit the same
Buying Behavior. Product can shift from one category to the next.

Categories that Effect the Consumer Buying Decision Process

A consumer, making a purchase decision will be affected by the following

three factors:

1. Personal
2. Psychological
3. Social

The marketer must be aware of these factors in order to develop appropriate

MM for its target market.

Personal

• Unique to a particular person. Demographic Factors. Sex, Race, Age

etc.Who in the family is responsible for the decision making.
Young people purchase things for different reasons than older people.

Psychological factors
Psychological factors include:

Motives--

A motive is an internal energizing force that orients a person's

activities toward satisfying a need or achieving a goal.
Actions are effected by a set of motives, not just one. If marketers can
identify motives then they can better develop a marketing mix.
MASLOW hierarchy of needs!!

o Physiological
o Safety
o Love and Belonging
o Esteem
o Self Actualization

Need to determine what level of the hierarchy the consumers are at to

determine what motivates their purchases.

Perception--

What do you see?? Perception is the process of selecting, organizing

and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning. IE we chose
what info we pay attention to, organize it and interpret it.
Information inputs are the sensations received through sight, taste,
hearing, smell and touch.

Selective Exposure-select inputs to be exposed to our awareness. More

likely if it is linked to an event, satisfies current needs, intensity of
input changes (sharp price drop).

Selective Distortion-Changing/twisting current received information,

inconsistent with beliefs.
 Advertisers that use comparative advertisements (pitching one product
against another), have to be very careful that consumers do not distort
the facts and perceive that the advertisement was for the competitor.

Selective Retention-Remember inputs that support beliefs, forgets

those that don't.

Interpreting information is based on what is already familiar, on

knowledge that is stored in the memory.

Ability and Knowledge--

Need to understand individual’s capacity to learn. Learning, changes

in a person's behavior caused by information and experience.
Therefore to change consumers' behavior about your product, need to
give them new information re: product...free sample etc.

When making buying decisions, buyers must process information.

Knowledge is the familiarity with the product and expertise.

Inexperience buyers often use prices as an indicator of quality more

than those who have knowledge of a product..

Learning is the process through which a relatively permanent change

in behavior results from the consequences of past behavior.

Attitudes—

Knowledge and positive and negative feelings about an

object or activity-maybe tangible or intangible, living or
non- living.....Drive perceptions
 Individual learns attitudes through experience and interaction with
other people.

Consumer attitudes toward a firm and its products greatly influence

the success or failure of the firm's marketing strategy.

Consumers screen information that conflicts with their attitudes.

Distort information to make it consistent and selectively retain
information that reinforces our attitudes. IE brand loyalty.

There is a difference between attitude and intention to buy (ability to

buy).

Personality--

All the internal traits and behaviors that make a person unique,
uniqueness arrives from a person's heredity and personal experience.
Examples include:

o Workaholism
o Compulsiveness
o Self confidence
o Friendliness
o Adaptability
o Ambitiousness
o Dogmatism
o Authoritarianism
o Introversion
o Extroversion
o Aggressiveness
o Competitiveness.

Traits effect the way people behave. Marketers try to match the store
image to the perceived image of their customers.
 There is a weak association between personality and Buying
Behavior, this may be due to unreliable measures..

Lifestyle--

Recent US trends in lifestyles are a shift towards personal

independence and individualism and a preference for a healthy,
natural lifestyle.

Lifestyles are the consistent patterns people follow in their lives.

Social Factors

Consumer wants, learning, motives etc. are influenced by opinion

leaders, person's family, reference groups, social class and culture.

Opinion leaders--

Spokes people etc. Marketers try to attract opinion leaders...they

actually use (pay) spokespeople to market their products.

Roles and Family Influences--

Role...things you should do based on the expectations of you from

your position within a group. People have many roles. Husband,
father, employer/ee. Individuals role are continuing to change
therefore marketers must continue to update information.

Family is the most basic group a person belongs to. Marketers must
understand:

o that many family decisions are made by the family unit

o consumer behavior starts in the family unit
 o family roles and preferences are the model for children's future
family (can reject/alter/etc)
o family buying decisions are a mixture of family interactions and
individual decision making
o family acts an interpreter of social and cultural values for the
individual.

The Family life cycle: families go through stages, each stage creates
different consumer demands:

o bachelor stage...
o newly married, young, no children...me
o full nest I, youngest child under 6
o full nest II, youngest child 6 or over
o full nest III, older married couples with dependant children
o empty nest I, older married couples with no children living with
them, head in labor force
o empty nest II, older married couples, no children living at
home, head retired
o solitary survivor, in labor force
o solitary survivor, retired
o Modernized life cycle includes divorced and no children.

Because 2 income families are becoming more common, the decision

maker within the family unit is changing...also, family has less time
for children, and therefore tends to let them influence purchase
decisions in order to alleviate some of the guilt. (Children influence
about $130 billion of goods in a year) Children also have more money
to spend themselves.
Reference Groups--

Individual identifies with the group to the extent that he takes on

many of the values, attitudes or behaviors of the group members.

Families, friends, sororities, civic and professional organizations.

Any group that has a positive or negative influence on a persons
attitude and behavior. Membership groups (belong to) Affinity
marketing is focused on the desires of consumers that belong to
reference groups. Marketers get the groups to approve the product and
communicate that approval to its members. Credit Cards etc.!!

Aspiration groups (want to belong to)

Disassociate groups (do not want to belong to)

The degree to which a reference group will affect a purchase decision

depends on an individuals susceptibility to reference group influence
and the strength of his/her involvement with the group.

Social Class--

An open group of individuals who have similar social rank. US is not

a classless society. US criteria; occupation, education, income, wealth,
race, ethnic groups and possessions.

Social class influences many aspects of our lives. IE upper middle

class Americans prefer luxury cars Mercedes.

o Upper Americans-upper-upper class, .3%, inherited wealth,

aristocratic names.
o Lower-upper class, 1.2%, newer social elite, from current
professionals and corporate elite
o Upper-middle class, 12.5%, college graduates, managers and
professionals
 o Middle Americans-middle class, 32%, average pay white collar
workers and blue collar friends
o Working class, 38%, average pay blue collar workers
o Lower Americans-lower class, 9%, working, not on welfare
o Lower-lower class, 7%, on welfare

Social class determines to some extent, the types, quality, quantity of

products that a person buys or uses.

Lower class people tend to stay close to home when shopping, do not
engage in much prepurchase information gathering.
Stores project definite class images.

Family, reference groups and social classes are all social influences on
consumer behavior. All operate within a larger culture.

Culture and Sub-culture--

Culture refers to the set of values, ideas, and attitudes that are
accepted by a homogenous group of people and transmitted to the
next generation.

Culture also determines what is acceptable with product advertising.

Culture determines what people wear, eat, reside and travel. Cultural
values in the US are good health, education, individualism and
freedom. In American culture time scarcity is a growing problem. Big
impact on international marketing.

Different society, different levels of needs, different cultural values.

Culture can be divided into subcultures:

o geographic regions
o human characteristics such as age and ethnic background.
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology is a very organized and systematic way through

which a particular case or problem can be solved efficiently. It is a step-by-
step logical process, which involves:
 Defining a problem
 Laying the objectives of the research
 Sources of data
 Methods of data collection
 Tabulation of data
 Data analysis & processing
 Conclusions & Recommendations

Sources of Data

Data refers to a collection of natural phenomena, descriptors, including the

results of experience, observation or a set of premises. This may consist of
nos., words or images particularly as measurements or observations of a set
of variables.

There are two sources of data:

• Primary Source
• Secondary Source
Primary Sources

This data is that the researcher collects himself. It is reliable way to collect
data as it requires the learner to interact with the source and extract
information. It allows the learner to access original & unedited information.
Its methods are –
• Surveys
• Observations
• Questionnaire
• Experiments

I collected data using the primary method.

Secondary Sources
Data sources are edited primary sources, second hand versions. It represent
thinking of someone else. Secondary sources take the role of analysing,
explaining & combining the information from the primary source with
additional information.
• Internet
• Magazines
• Management books

DATA SOURCE

Consumers – Residents of chennai

No. of sample respondents – 50
Types of sampling – Probability sampling including simple random
sampling.
Time frame – 4th January-27th january

Questionnaire:-
To a self-administered process whereby the respondent himself reads the
questions and answer his questions without the assistance of an interviewer.
Structured Questionnaire:-
A structured questionnaire is one in which every aspect of the questionnaire
is determined and there is no scope of any modification or alteration after the
final draft is adopted. For example, a question with four alternative possible
answers may be given and the respondents has to select the closest answer
within the four alternative given.

SAMPLE SIZE:-
Sample size denotes the number of elements selected for the study. For the
present study, 50 respondents were selected at random.

SAMPLING METHOD:-
A sample is a representative part of the population. In sampling technique,
information is collected only from a representative part of the universe and
the conclusions are drawn on that basis for the entire universe.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION

To know the response, the researcher used questionnaire method. It has been
designed as a primary research instrument. Questionnaires were distributed
to respondents and they were asked to answer the questions given in the
questionnaire.

The questionnaires were used as an instrumentation technique, because it is

an important method of data collection. The success of the questionnaire
method in collecting the information depends largely on proper drafting. So
in the present study questions were arranged and interconnected logically.
The structured questionnaire will reduce both interviewers and interpreters
bias.

Further, coding and analysis was done for each question’s response to reach
into finding .
 QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondent,
I am Doing MBA program “VEL RANGARAJAN SAKUNTHALA
COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT & SCIENCE”,CHENNAI.

Where I have been given a project .The title of my research is “To study the
consumer buying behavior towards HARPIC TOILET CLEANER.

Disclaimer
This is to acknowledge that the following survey is purely for educational
purposes. The identity of the respondent will be kept confidential.
Name -
Age
a) 18 to 25years b) 25 to 35years c) 35 to 45years d) above 45years
Sex
a) male b) female
Income Level
a) Less than 5000 b) 5000 – 10000 c) 10000 – 15000 d) above 15000

Please answer the below-mentioned questions as applicable

1.What type of product do you use for cleaning toilets ?
a) Acid b) bleaching powder c)liquid cleaner d) flushmatic e) other

2. Which brand do you use ?

a) Harpic b) domex c) sanifresh d) glaze e) teepol
3. How satisfied are you with the product ?
a) Highly satisfied b) satisfied c) moderate d) dissatisfied e) highly dissatisfied

4. How do you know about this product ?

a) Family members b) friends c) relatives d) media e) others

5. Have you tried out any other product ?

a) Yes b) no

6. If yes mention the product ?

a) Harpic b) domex c) sanifresh d) glaze e) teepol

7. If yes what were the reason for using the product ?

a) Better cleaning b) fragnance c) cheaper price d) availability e) size

8. Are you satisfied with harpic ?

a) Highly satisfied b) satisfied c) moderate d) dissatisfied e) highly dissatisfied

9. How long you are using harpic ?

a) 0-1yrs b) 1-2yrs c) 2-4yrs d) 4-6yrs e) more than 6 yrs

10. Do you typically read the back and side panel of the product’s package ?
a) Yes b) no

11. Over all, how do you rate the quality of the product ?
a) Excellent b) good c) moderate d) poor e) very poor

12. Would you recommend harpic to others ?

a) Yes b) no

13. How often do you buy Harpic ?

a) weekly b) montly c) 2 months once d) quarterly e) annualy

14. Are you satisfied with the price of Harpic ?

a) Yes b) no

15. Are you satisfied with the packing of Harpic ?

a) Yes b) no
16. Are you satisfied with the availability of Harpic in market ?
a) Yes b) no
17. Are you satisfied with available quantity of Harpic ?
 a) Yes b) no
18. what recommendation would you suggest for improving Harpic ?