A PROJECT REPORT ON “MARKET SURVEY OF RETAIL MARKET & SALES PROMOTION IN AREA OF

BHUBANESWAR REGION” FOR LAFARGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

SUBMITTED TO
ICFAI
SUBMITTED BY PANKAJ KUMAR KARN MBA (2006-2008)
ICFAI - BHUBANESWAR
1
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Project Report title “MARKET SURVEY OF RETAIL MARKET & S
ALES PROMOTION IN AREA OF BHUBANESWAR REGION” FORLAFARGE INDIA PVT. LTD. is a bo
nafide work carried out by Pankaj Kumar Karn of MBA of ICFAI Bhubaneswar for ful
fillment of MBA degree of university of ICFAI. He has worked under our guidance
and direction.
(Dr George Judah)
Signature of Guide Prof. Milind Marathe
Date: Place :
Date: Place:
2
Acknowledgement
“Interdependence is a higher value than independence” Knowledge in itself is a c
ontinuous process. Nevertheless, a day getting a practical knowledge is an impor
tant thing & most important thing is the support, guidance, motivation and inspi
ration provided by the different persons of different sections. At this moment o
f our substantial enhancement, I find no words to express my gratitude towards t
hose who helped me directly or indirectly in making this report successful. I am
indebted & thankful for the assistance received from various individuals So I t
hink all those people who contributed to this project from the very beginning ti
ll its successful completion.
This project report could not have been completed without guidance of our Prof.
Milind Marathe.
I extended to my sincere gratitude to Mr. Rajiv Kumar Area sales manager of the
Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. in Bhubaneshwar warehouse. For his constant and able of
guidance has been instrumental in large measure on the success of project. He su
ggest this study ,and it has been great opportunity to learn about a subject of
which had no previous knowledge for this, I am very grateful to him.
I also extend my warmest thanks to Mr. Hari Shankar Choudhary whose constant enc
ouragement and guidance was immense help for being on track through the project.
Last but not least I would like to thanks my faculties & colleagues who guided m
e for project completion.
Pankaj Kumar Karn
3
QUESTIONNAIRE
4
1. Which brand do you prefer most? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultra
tech Duncan Grasim
2. Which brand do you store?
Lafarge Konark Ambuja
Century
Ramco Acc Ultratech
Duncan Grasim
3. Give reasons for your preference? ___________________________________________
____________________________________
4. Which brand does your customer prefer? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Ac
c Ultratech Duncan Grasim
5. What is the Avg. monthly sale of different brands of cement? Co. Lafarge Kona
rk Ambuja Century Tones/bags Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Rasim
6. Give names of the stockiest for your preference?
7. Rank the companies stockiest on the basis frequency of making personal visits
& ph calls. Co. Ranks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan
rasim
8. Which Companies stockiest inform you about the change in the market price fas
ter? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
9. How much credit in days do you enjoy from the stockiest of following companie
s?
5
Co. Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim No. of bags/d
ays 10. Maximum profit you get out of selling various brands rank them? Co. Rank
s Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim
11. Rank sales promotion activities according to their effectiveness? Activities
Shop Naka & Manson Meet Gifts Incentives Hoardings Others Rank
12. Give your preference for the following type of Gifts/incentives. Share Tour
Gold White gold Cheque Others
13. Give your raking to the cement companies in their Sales promotion activities
Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank
14. What is the general price gap (BP-RP) between the following companies? Lafar
ge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
15. Rank the companies on the basis of their transportation facilities? Company
Rank
6
Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 16. Rank the companies
on the basis of their cement delivery time? Company Rank Lafarge Konark Ultrate
ch Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 17. Rank the companies which are the best de
livery time? Company Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Dun
can 18. What kind of problem you generally face with the transport?
19. Rank the companies on the basis of the response to customer complaints. Comp
any Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan
7
20. Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s frequency
of visit. Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank
21. Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s accessibil
ity. Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank
22. Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s art of mak
ing and maintaining the relationship. Co. Ranks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ra
mco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim
23. Any suggestion you would like to make for the company?
8
INDEX
Chapter No
Name Of the Chapter
Executive summary Introduction to the title, Objective, scope of the Project Com
pany Profile Theoretical Background Research Methodology Data Analysis Findings
Limitation of the Project Conclusion Recommendations Bibliography Annexure
Page no
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2-3 5-6 8-16 18-19 21-24 26-44 45-47 48-48 49-49 50-50 51-51 52-52
9
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
10
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The project was carried out at Lafarge Cement Pvt. Ltd. at Bhubnashowar region
OBJECTIVE
The objective was carried out for two mail objective. The first objective was ca
rried out the market survey for knowing prevailing market condition of Lafarge C
ement in Bhubneswar market. The second objective of project was to study the sal
es promotion activities undertaken by Lafarge and other competitors.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The descriptive nature of the research necessitated collection of primary data f
rom retailers of cement through market survey. Both the methods, personal interv
iew technique and telephonic interview technique were used with the measure emph
asis on personal interview method. Interviews were conducted through the “struct
ure questionnaire”.
Sampling Technique
Random Sampling technique was used to select the retailers. Out of nearly 400 re
tailers of cement, randomly 50% of population was considered as a sample size. 1
89 retailers were visited to collect the information about the cement market. Th
e project was carried out for a period of 60 days. After collecting the detailed
information from the market, analysis of the data was made. The market research
has reveled many facts and figures about cement market.
11
RESEARCH AND DESIGN: • INTRODUCTION • OBJECTIVES • SCOPE AND LIMITATIMITATION
12
INTRODUCTION TO THE TITLE Today it is fashionable to talk about the new economy.
We hear that the business are operating in globalize economy; things are moving
at a nanosecond pace our market are characterized by hyper competition and disr
uptive technologies are challenging every business and so business must adopt to
empower consumer
To become successful in such a competitive environment the business organization
s have to be customer oriented. Customers need and want must be taken care of.”
Built customer and not only products”. Customer must be delighted. This informat
ion about the market could be collected by the way of proper market survey. Rom
the market survey we get the feed about the good or services of the organization
.For this purpose the said project work is undertaken.
The project was carried out for knowing prevailing market condition of Lafarge C
ement in Bhubaneshawar Region .The second objective of the project was to study
the sales promotion activities undertaken by Lafarge and its other competitors.
The project was carried out in the marker of Bhubaneshawar of Orrisa state. Ther
e are six market players in cement industry. They are Konark, Century, Ultratech
, ACC, Ambuja, apart from these there are few local brands selling in the market
.
The information about the market was gathered by visiting retailers in the marke
t. Interview of retailers was taken depending upon there accessibility.
While doing the project attempt was made to collect maximum information about th
e marker. To get actual and correct information ,it was not told retailers that
the survey is conducted by Ultratech Cement for the obvious reasons .Number of r
etailers were visited to get the actual picture of the market. Again, the retail
ers of each grade (according to the performance) were visited, to get each and e
very detail about the market.
Most of the time was spent in traveling for one retailer were reluctant to give
the information , as they do not want to disclose their business details. Visits
to such retailers were loss of time, money and energy. 13
After collecting the derailed information about the market analysis is done. In
the analysis, the observations recorded during the project were carefully analyz
ed and the results are prepared. The findings and result of the project work are
given at the later stage in the report.
14
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
This project was undertaken for two main objectives was To carry out market su
rvey for knowing prevailing market condition of Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. In Bhuba
neshawar (Orrisa)
The second objective was To study the sales and promotion activities undertake
n by Lafarge cement and other player in the market.
To attain these two objectives various other sub objective are needed to be achi
eved. These are listed below. To analyze the market share of Lafarge Cement in
Bhubaneshawar market. To know the customers preference for the brands of ceme
nt. To know the preference of retailer for sorting different brands of cement.
To understand the effectiveness of various sales promotion activities of ceme
nt. To know preference of retailers for different gift and incentives. To an
alyze the sales promotion activities of various brands. To analyze the transpo
rtation facilities for Lafarge and other cement companies. To analyze the freq
uency of visits of marketing representative of various companies
Thus it attempt to find ways to increase market share, to increase customer sati
sfaction and thus increase the business prospects.
15
Scope of the study 1. The study has been done for the Cement so more or less it
helps in understanding the consumer preference towards the cement market.
2.
The study can help in analyzing certain weak point, improving on which a company
can overcome the low sales of its cement but only in Bhubaneshwar region
16
COMPANY PROFILE
17
LAFARGE VISION
To be a leading cement company in India by: • • • • • •
Sustained growth that creates value for our shareholders and doubles our turnove
r every 4 years. Building strong brands that meet consumer needs and aspirations
. Embracing safety as a way of life. Being a responsible citizen and ensuring su
stainable development. Being committed to the highest standards of corporate gov
ernance by conducting our business with integrity, honesty and transparency. Fos
tering a performance culture in an environment of learning that encourages mutua
l trust and respect, teamwork, customer orientation and sharing of best practice
s - which makes us a preferred employer.
HISTORY The beginning (1833 to 1914):
In 1833, Léon Pavin, launched an industrial lime production operation, having ta
ken over a business acquired by his family in 1749 with the purchase of the Lafa
rge domain in south-eastern France, an area known for generations for the qualit
y of its limestone deposits. The company signed its first major international co
ntract in 1864, delivering 110,000 tonnes of lime for the construction of the Su
ez Canal. Lafarge opened its first central research laboratory in 1887, the Le T
eil Laboratory, with which highly reputed scientists collaborated. In 1908, the
Central Laboratory filed a patent for Cement Fondue calcium aluminates, obtained
by fusing a mixture of bauxite and limestone. This new high alumina binder grad
ually established a reputation as a rapid-hardening cement resistant to both hig
h temperatures and corrosion. In the years until 1914, favoring a strategy of ho
rizontal integration, the company – now the "Société des Chauxet des Ciments de
Lafarge du Teil" – set about acquiring lime and cement companies in all parts of
France.
18
1914 - 1955 Growth on all fronts
International development began with the opening up of North African markets. La
farge, which had operated in Algeria ever since 1866, now became the leading Por
tland cement producer in Algeria, and set up operations in Morocco and Tunisia.
Lafarge continued to acquire companies in mainland France. With a quarter of the
domestic market, the company became established as France s number one cement p
roducer. In 1926, Lafarge opened its first aluminous cement® plant in the United
Kingdom. It diversified into gypsum in 1931, and developed Superblanc, new ceme
nt, in 1932. By 1939, Lafarge was the leading cement producer in France. After 1
945, Lafarge gained a new lease of life with the arrival of Alfred François at t
he helm, the Marshall Plan and the post-war rebuilding boom: production doubled
over the next ten years.
1955 - 1981 Mergers, acquisitions, developments
In 1956, Lafarge constructed its first North American cement plant, creating Laf
arge Cement of North America with the start-up of the Richmond plant in Canada.
In 1959, Lafarge began operations in Brazil. By the end of the 1960s, Lafarge Ca
nada had become the third largest cement producer in the country, with annual pr
oduction capacity of 900,000 tonnes. In 1980, a merger agreement was signed betw
een Lafarge and Coppée, the newly formed group becoming Lafarge Coppée. Acquisit
ions in the United States and Canada established Lafarge Coppée as the number on
e cement producer in North America. The size of the Group rose from 12,000 to 17
,000 employees.
1982 - 1990 The conquest of Europe
During the 1980s, with the construction of a single market representing more tha
n 300 million inhabitants, the Group chose to expand its business in Europe. Laf
arge first turned to Germany, raising its stake in Portland Zementwerk at Wössin
gen to 83%. Through the purchase of the Swiss company, Cementia in 1989, the Gro
up acquired interests in Asland (Spain), Aslan (Turkey) and Perlmooser (Austria)
. Then followed the investments in Eastern Europe: East Germany, the Czech 19
Republic (1991), then Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. The agreement with th
e East German cement producer, Karsdorf, came even before German reunification h
ad been mooted.
1990 - 2001 Lafarge becomes world leader in building materials
1994 saw Lafarge take a foothold in China. Today, all four of the Group s Divisi
ons operate there, and there have been developments throughout Asia (1998: Indon
esia and the Philippines; 1999: India and South Korea). The Group s expansion in
Poland began in 1995 with the acquisition of a 75% stake in Kujawy. Within six
years (2001), 4 entities representing all four Divisions were active in the coun
try.Lafarge acquired Redland in 1997, positioning itself more strongly in Aggreg
ates and Concrete and gaining entry onto the Roofing market.
Thanks to the acquisition of Warren in Canada in 2000, Lafarge became one of the
leading aggregates producers in North America. Lafarge focused on its main four
Divisions, and divested its Specialty Products businesses, which became Materis
. Lafarge was the first industrial group to conclude a partnership agreement wit
h WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature).
In 2001, following the acquisition of Blue Circle, Lafarge became the world s le
ading cement producer. Numerous acquisitions and joint ventures in all four Divi
sions, and on every continent, particularly Asia, have continued to consolidate
its world leadership position. In July, 2001, Lafarge was introduced onto the Ne
w York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
2001-2004: A global growth
In 2002, the Gypsum Division acquired the plasterboard businesses of Gyproc (a s
ubsidiary of British PlasterBoard) in Germany, Poland and Central Europe. The Ce
ment Division inaugurated in China the new Dujiangyan cement plant, the first gr
eenfield cement plant for the Group in China, and acquires a 70% interest in the
Chongqing cement plant. The Cement Division acquired two new cement plants in S
lovenia and in Serbia. In 2003, the Cement Division enters Australia and had con
structed a new cement plant in Mexico, near Mexico City. 20
In 2004, the Group:
• •
Acquired in Ecuador Cementos Selva Alegre. Acquired The Concrete Company of Colu
mbus, Georgia, United States with operations in both cement and concrete.
•
Acquired Hupfer Holdings with operations in France and Switzerland in aggregates
activities.
• •
Acquired an additional 10.2% stake in Lafarge Halla Cement, in South Korea. Acqu
ired an additional 14% stake in our gypsum operations in Lafarge Gypsum in Asia,
in a joint venture with Boral.
Lafarge Group s Growth Strategy
To maintain its leadership in construction materials, the Group is aggressively
following a strategy of growth and competitiveness. This includes international
development and expansion in all of its businesses. Lafarge Group has establishe
d its presence or consolidated its position, alone or with local partners, in co
untries as diverse as Egypt, Uganda, Mexico, South Korea, Venezuela, Brazil, Jor
dan, Poland, Germany, Argentina, Turkey, Canada, United States, Australia and Uk
raine. With operations on every continent, Lafarge is committed to a strategy of
international development. It aims to simultaneously, increase its business in
countries with high market growth potential, and further develop products enjoyi
ng growth in mature markets, capitalizing on every opportunity and offering syne
rgies with existing businesses.
21
LAFARGE ORGANIZATION Lafarge Cement - India Lafarge India provides a professiona
l and exciting environment to its employees and is consistently able to attract
the best talent in the industry. Lafarge has always put its employees at the hea
rt of its strategy. Its management style has for many years been termed "partici
pative management", open to the cultures of the companies it has acquired on all
five continents. The keywords are Participation, Efficiency and Example. As par
t of Lafarge s training philosophy, it conducts regular exchange of personnel be
tween its operations in Europe, North America and other parts of Asia with India
to ensure that the Indian operations reach operating efficiencies comparable wi
th the best in the world.
22
CEO PRESIDENT
VP
(Manufactur ing)
VP
(human resource)
VP
(Marketing)
VP
(Control and performance)
VP
(finance and legal)
VP
(Business development
RSM
ASM
Summer trainee
23
PRODUCTS DETAIL
1. Lafarge Concreto Lafarge Concreto has been launched by Lafarge to meet the ne
ed of homebuilders in India for truly premium all-purpose cement. Concreto was d
eveloped in Lafarge’s state-of-the art laboratories, which are extensively netwo
rked with its Central Research Institute in France. The company has leveraged it
s combined know-how of more than 170 years and its experience across 75 countrie
s to develop this unique product. Concreto is a specially engineered, premium qu
ality ‘all purpose cement’. It can be used for varied applications like roofing,
foundations, beams, columns, plastering and brickwork. It is specially formulat
ed to provide a denser concrete mix than normal cements. Concreto is characteriz
ed by:
• • • • • •
High ultimate strength due to the addition of highly reactive silica containing
more than 95% glass content. Enhanced durability due to optimum pore refinement
and consequently denser concrete matrix – this improves the impermeability of th
e concrete. Exceptionally high resistance to chemical attack (sulphates and acid
s). Protects reinforcement from corrosion. Reduction of structural cracks due to
lower heat of hydration than ordinary cements. Low heat of hydration and higher
resistance against alkali-reactive aggregates. Lafarge Cement Lafarge Cement is
the flagship brand of Lafarge. A unique outcome of international expertise, thi
s super performing cement has been developed taking into consideration the weath
er conditions in India and the practices of homebuilding. Lafarge Cement is avai
lable in Portland Slag Cement (PSC) and Portland Pozzalona Cement (PPC) variants
. Lafarge PPC and PSC are very high performance blended cements far exceeding th
e requirement of IS: 455-1989 & IS: 1489. Lafarge PSC is the only PSC in its mar
kets produced by blending high quality pulverised clinker with the most consiste
nt slag of over 95% glass content. This therefore provides very high compressive
strength exceeding 60 MPa at 28 days. Lafarge PSC has a very low heat of hydrat
ion and is hence suitable for mass concreting and concrete cast under “Hot Weath
er Conditions”. Workability retention is also enhanced. Lafarge cement has very
high soundness as reflected through the extremely low values of expansion throug
h the Le-Chatelier test and Autoclave tests.Its C3A content is low, thus making
it more resistant to sulphates compared to other cements.
24
Its other chemical properties contribute to a very low co-efficient of permeabil
ity of the concrete prepared, thus making it an ideal choice for construction of
dams, foundations, tunnels, or other sub-soil constructions and structures that
shall be in contact with water. Being a blended cement with a highly reactive s
lag obtained from the best source in the country so far, it improves the density
of the concrete mix thus increasing the durability factor.
Plants and Operations
Lafarge India s current cement operation comprises a modern split location cemen
t facility located at Sonadih (District Raipur, Chhattisgarh) and at Jojobera (D
istrict Singhbhum, Jharkhand) and an integrated cement facility located at Arasm
eta (District Janjgir-Champa, Chhattisgarh). A brief description of Lafarge Indi
a s existing facilities is as below: Location Facilities Clinkerisation unit Son
adih Cement Grinding unit Cement Grinding unit with separate circuits for clinke
r and slag grinding Clinkerisation unit Arasmeta Cement Grinding unit Rated Capa
cities (as of 2006) 1.4 MTPA of clinker 0.5 MTPA of Ordinary Portland Cement (OP
C) 43 grade 3.4 MTPA of Portland Slag Cement (PSC) & Portland Pozzolana Cement (
PPC) 1.6 MTPA of clinker 1.6 MTPA of Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC)
Jojobera
The plants at Sonadih, Jojobera and Arasmeta are based on the dry process techno
logy and use energy efficient processes. The thermal energy of the kiln is optim
ized by the use of a multistage pre-heater with in-line pre-calciner. Lafarge wo
rldwide places a very high emphasis on protection of the environment. In all its
Indian plants, bag filters and electrostatic precipitators are used to reduce p
ollution and ensure environment friendly plant operations. Lafarge India has ado
pted stringent quality control measures to ensure the highest quality cement .Th
e plants have the benefit of the strong technical and R&D set-up of Lafarge grou
p called DPC which is supported by CTI & CTEO - at Lyon in France, CTS - at Mont
real in Canada, ATC - at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and CTEC - in Austria. Lafarge
Group employs more than 500 scientists and spends more than 100 million euros a
nnually in developing leading technologies in the area of building materials and
construction technology. The regular exchange of knowledge and technological im
provements between the technical centre 25
and the Indian operations has enabled Lafarge India to improve operational effic
iencies on a continuous basis.
26
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
PROMOTION
27
Promotion is persuasive communication. It is a highly visible element in the mar
keting mix. It tells the target customer product, price, and place. It tells als
o known as marketing communication. Promotion consist of activities that facilit
y exchanges with target customers through persuasive communication to stimulate
demand.
According to Professor Philip kotler:“Promotion includes all the activities the
company undertakes to communicate and promote its products to the target market.
”
In modern marketing the question is not whether to promote but rather what to sa
y, to whom and how often. A good product, an attractive price and an accessible
distribution must be supported by an effective promotion to satisfy customer nee
ds. Promotion activity include advertising, sales promotion, public relation, an
d direct marketing. Promotion can also be viewed as the management of the custom
er buying process of pre-purchase, purchase and post purchase.
FUNCTION OF PROMOTION:-
Promotion is a tool to influence target customer and to face competition. It per
forms four functions: Information Persuasion Reminding Reinforcing
PROMOTION MIX The promotion mix is the combination of advertising, public relati
ons, sales promotion, personal selling and direct marketing tools that help achi
eve marketing objective 1. ADVERTISING: - Advertising in any paid form of nonper
sonal communication by an identified sponsor to promote product.
28
2. PUBLIC RELATION: -
It refers to programmes designed to promote or protect a company
image and products. Publicity is any unpaid form of communication through media
about an organization, its policies and products.
3. PERSONAL SELLING: - personal selling is personal communication with customers
to persuade them to buy products. It permits interaction and relationship build
ing. Sales persons provide feedback about the market, competitors and customers.
4. DIRECT MARKETING: - It is persuasion by manufacturer to specific customers. T
he tools of direct marketing are: 1. Face to face selling 2. Mail 3. Catalogue m
arketing 4. Telephone 5. E-mail
5. SALES PROMOTIONS: - Sales promotion has been increasing in popularity as a to
ol. Marketers are using it aggressively. Sales promotion refers to short term in
centives to stimulate demand. It is used to create a stronger and quicker purcha
se response. It can be directed at consumers, middleman and sales personnel. It
supplements advertising and facilitates personal selling.
According to Professor William J. Stanton:- “Sales promotion refers to demand –s
timulating devices designed to supplement advertising and facilitate personal se
lling. According to professor Philip kotler:- “Sales promotion consists of diver
se collection of incentives tools, mostly short term, designed to stimulate quic
ker and or greater purchase of particular product /services by consumer or trade
.
NATURE OF SALES PROMOTION: 1. It is short term 2. It provides incentives 29
3. It aims at quicker response: 4. It is directed at target audience
OBJECTIVE OF SALES PROMOTION 1. Objective for consumer promotion:(a) Encourage g
reater purchase volume (b) Attract new customer (c) Introduce new products 2. Ob
jective for trade promotion:(a) Carry and push new item (b) Increase reseller’s
inventories (c) Attract new channel members (d) Offset competitive promotion (e)
Better store display 3. Objective for sales force promotion (a) Motivate sales
force (b) Support new product
METHOD OF SALES PROMOTION Sales promotion methods differ according to the target
audience. They can be directed at consumer promotion, trade promotion, and sale
s force promotion (a) Consumer promotion method Free sample Coupons Rebates Prem
ium Price off Contests Display/Demonstration (b)Trade promotion methods Free goo
ds 30
Allowance Prices-off Sales contest Gift items Credit facilities Trade show (c) S
ales contests Trade shows and conventions Gift items Promotional kits Bonus and
commissions
.
.
31
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
32
The research methodology is the way systematically solve the systematically solv
e the research problems. The main objective of the product was to know the marke
t condition of Lafarge Cemejnt and to study the sales promotion activities under
taken by various cement companies. For this, right at the beginning the research
plan was prepared. This includes all the detail of how to go about research wor
k of Lafarge Cement.
RESEARCH PLAN Definition

of research problem The research problem can be defined
as follows 1. What are the cement being used by various customer in the region
of Bhubaneshwar and what are their expectation from the cement. 2. What the mar
ket trend is of cement and brand awareness of Lafarge Cement.
DATA COLLECTION
The descriptive nature of research necessitates collection of primary data from
retailers through market survey, personal interview technique was used and inter
view were conducted through structured questionnaire the question were asked in
prearranged manner. The market research was conducted over a period of 60 days.
Data was tabulated, analyzed and suggestion and recommendation were given.
RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATS
The Research instrument chosen for conducting the survey was structured question
naire was pre[pared as show as in the annexure. The questionnaire includes open
ended as well as close ended question, few open ended question were included to
obtain the perception of the retailers. The questionnaire designed and a pilot s
urvey was made with the questionnaire and then changes were made accordingly wit
h the questionnaire.
SAMPLE PLAN 33
A sampling technique was chosen for the study was Random Sampling Technique. Thi
s is the most common method of selecting the sample. This is because the retaile
rs are localized in different part of the marker a group of retailers are chosen
are random from large group. It gives all retailers in a group and equal chance
of being selected for the purpose of the survey.
SAMPLE SIZE
Out of nearly 400 retailers in cement market of Bhubaneshwar and its region arou
nd randomly 50% of total population was considered as the sample size.
CONTACT METHOD
Both personal and telephonic interview methods were used for conducting the mark
et survey. Personal interview had the benefit one to one communication between t
he researcher and the respondent. If the respondent is having any doubt or queri
es in their mind, they can get heir doubts clarified from the researcher on the
spot and so superior of data was collected from the survey was collected from th
e survey.
Tele – interview was conducted with the structured questionnaire. Tele-interview
was less costly and less time consuming but the data could not be collected in
detail from the respondents. Also any doubt or queries of respondent could not b
e clarified.
ANALYSIS AND INFORMATION
Detailed information was collected for the project marker survey for retail mark
eting and sales promotion activities of Lafarge Cement for the area of Bhubanesh
awar market. The information was collected by visiting the retailers of cement p
resent in Bhubaneshawar market. The interview of retailer taken in a friendly at
mosphere so as to encourage them to give right information, without any hesitati
on. Because of some inherent limitation of telephonic interview, the method of p
ersonal interview was mostly used. ANALYSIS 34
The analysis of the collection information was made in scientific manner. Differ
ent manner rank was given to each alternative of particular questions, in the qu
estionnaire. A particular rank was given in the following manner,
Rank-
1
For the most favorable alternative
Rank-
2
For the moderately favorable alternative
Rank-
3
For unfavorable alternative
Rank-
4
For most unfavorable alternative
Rank-
5
Unfavorable
To come at the conclusion, total of each alternative of all the sample size reta
ilers was made. Thus the “sum of an alternative” having least score considered t
o be most favorable. In this manner, result is prepared for various important pa
rameters of the survey. With the help of results so obtained, the findings are r
ecorded in the form of graphs.
The market of cement Changes as the area changes. The demand for particular ceme
nt for particular cement is much less. This is because of the crazier Trend of p
articular market.
Thus the demand for the cement is not that price sensitive. Price is not the cri
terion for selection of rejection of particular brand is adapted on the type of
application of cement and the brand name in market. Thus the awareness among the
customers about the particular cement plays a vital role.
The major types of customers are the builders and masons. The individual custome
rs are there, but their demand is not more. The customers are ready to give slig
htly high price, but he wants quality cement, thus he is quality conscious. The
customer perceives quality of cement as good quality because of effective market
ing. So effective marketing is necessary.
35
The retailer in the marker plays an important role in the sale of the cement. Th
ey have some expectation from the cement companies; they expected credit facilit
y, good sales promotion schemes, and timely delivery of cement, etc
Among the plastic bag and paper bag of cement, Customer prefer bag. This is beca
use the paper bag prevents it from moisture and quantity remains intact.
In brief cement market is sensitive to marketing. The better & more the marketin
g the more is possibility of sales. The observations and findings of the market
survey about market share and sales promotion activities are given at the next s
tage, in the report.
36
DATA ANALYSIS
PRESENTATION
INTERPRETATION
37
Q. Which brand do you prefer most? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultra
tech Duncan Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 1:-
Dealers brand preference:Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Gr
asim Duncan Total No of Dealers 24 60 36 36 14 12 8 10 200 percentage 12% 30% 18
% 18% 7% 6% 4% 5% 100%
Dealers preference towards the cements brand
5% 4% 6% 7% 30% 18% 18% 12% Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim
Duncan
Analysis and Interpretation:Obviously, maximum dealer, which are about 78 percen
t, come with Konark, Acc, Ultratech or Lafarge, And 22 percent either confused o
r dependent on seasonally available brand for the Cement.
38
Q. Which brand do you store?
Lafarge Konark Ambuja
Century
Ramco Acc Ultratech
Duncan Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 2:Dealer’s preference for the storage
of cements brand:Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Dun
can Total No ofDealers 40 50 22 24 18 24 12 10 200 percentage 20% 25% 11% 12% 9%
12% 6% 5% 100%
Dealer preference towards the storage of brand
6% 12%
5% 20% Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja 25% Century Grasim Duncan 11%
9%
12%
Analysis and Interpretation:Most of the dealers prefer to store either Lafarge o
r Konark. 20% of the dealer choice is Lafarge where as 25% of the dealers choice
is Konark. Remaining 35% of the dealers inclined towards the Acc, Ultratech and
Century. Remaining 20% of the dealer gives equally importance to the Ambuja, Du
ncan and Grasim.
39
Q. Which brand does your customer prefer? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Ac
c Ultratech Duncan Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 3:-
Customer inclination towards the cement brand:Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech
Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Total No of Dealers 24 60 36 36 14 12 8 10 200
percentage 12% 30% 18% 18% 7% 6% 4% 5% 100%
Cusrtomer preference towards cement Brand
6% 7%
4%
5%
12%
Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja 30% Century Grasim Duncan
18% 18%
Analysis and Interpretation:78% of the customers are brand loyal. And 22% of the
customers are price sensitive they go with that brand which has fewer prices. I
n case of brand equity Lafarge lies in No. four.
40
Q . What is the Avg. monthly sale of different brands of cement? Co. Lafarge Kon
ark Ambuja Century Tones/bags Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Rasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 4:Average Monthly sale of cement:-
Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Total
Consumption 1365 2651 1548 1890 640 750 625 685 10154
percentage 13% 26% 15% 19% 6% 7% 6% 7% 100%
Average monthly Consumption
7% 6% 7% 6%
13% Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc 27% Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 15%
19%
Analysis and Interpretation:This data show that the maximum consumption of cemen
t brand in the region of Bhubaneshwar is Konark cement which is about 26% of the
total sales of the cement. Lafarge is on the no. fourth position which is about
13% of the total sale of cement.
41
Q. Rank the companies stockiest on the basis frequency of making personal visits
& ph calls. Co. Ranks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan
Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 5:-
Dealers rank the companies stockiest on the basis of frequency of making persona
l visits & ph calls
Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Total Total o
f Rank 562 656 430 450 515 380 420 470 3883
Rank of the Company stokist
Lafarge 12% 11% 17% 10% 13% 12% 11% 14% Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Gra
sim Duncan
Analysis and Interpretation:From this data we can conclude that only the weak br
ands stockiest are preferred by the retailers. Strong brands stockiest are not g
iven the proper consideration towards the retailers. All the giant brands are ra
nked as 3 or 4 where as all the loose brands retailers are ranked as1or2.
42
Q. Which Companies stockiest inform you about the change in the market price fas
ter? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 6:-
Company that provides information to the retailer about the price change in the
near future:Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan T
otal No of Dealer 15 10 21 22 26 38 36 32 200
Information provided to the retailer about future change in price
8% 16% 18% 18% 5% 11% 11% 13% Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasi
m Duncan
Analysis and Interpretation:More than 100 of retailers said that Century or Gras
im or Duncan provide the preinformation about the future price change. This help
s them to take precautionary action against the future happenings.
43
Q How much credit in days do you enjoy from the stockiest of following companies
? Company Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim No. of
bags/days ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 7. :Credit period facilitate
by the companies stockiest to the retailer
Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Total
No of days 15 10 21 22 26 38 36 32 200
Credit period facilitate by the Companies stockiest to the retailers
Lafarge Century Konark Ulteratech Grasim Acc Ambuja Century Konark Duncan Lafarg
e Grasim Duncan
Ambuja Acc
Ulteratech
Analysis and Interpretation:The entire market leaders (Lafarge, Konark, ACC, Ult
ratech) of cement industries provides relatively less credit period (i.e. less t
han 50 days) to their stockiest due to which the stockiest are not able to provi
de the sufficient credit in days to their retailers. Where as the newly entered
cement brand provides sufficient credit in terms of quantity as well as in days
to their retailers. That’s why their growth rate is relatively high.
44
Q Maximum profit you get out of selling various brands rank them? Co. Ranks Lafa
rge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 8:Maximum share of profit of retailers
comes through the selling of the cement:Company Lafarge Konark Ulteratech Acc A
mbuja Century Grasim Duncan Total Profit 35 45 38 37 14 17 8 6 200
Maximum profit earned by
selling the brands
17 14
8
6
35
37 38
45
Analysis and Interpretation:Only 35 retailers said that their maximum profit com
es through Lafarge. Similarly 45, 38, and 37 retailers said that their maximum p
rofit comes through Konark, ACC, and Ultratech respectively.
45
Q. Rank sales promotion activities according to their effectiveness? Activities
Shop Naka & Manson Meet Gifts Incentives Hoardings Others Rank
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 9:Retailer’s belief towards the activi
ty that influences sales of the cement:Activities Shops naka and mason Gift Ince
ntive Hoardings Others Total Ranks 14 37 49 66 34 200
Retailers believe on the activities that influence sales of the cement
17%
7% 19% Shops naka and mason Gift Incentive Hoardings
32% 25%
Others
Analysis and Interpretation:Sixty six retailers out of two hundred which is 33%,
beliefs that Hoardings influence the sales of the cement. Incentives also play
vital role in the promotion of the goods.
46
Q Rank sales promotion activities according to their effectiveness? Activities S
hop Naka & Manson Meet Gifts Incentives Hoardings Others Rank
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 10:Retailers’ preference towards the g
ift:Gifts Share Tour Gold White Gold Cheque others Totals No of dealers 14 40 39
12 29 66 200
Retailers preference towards the gift
14 66 40
Share Tour Gold W hite Gold Cheque 39 others
29
12
Analysis and Interpretation:Most of the retailers do not want to say about the g
ift. But after asking again and again their preference are out of the available
optioned e.g.:-TV, Camera, cycle, trophy, etc. Out of two hundred 40 preferred t
our, 39 preferred gold, 29 preferred cheque, 14 preferred share and 12 preferred
white gold.
47
Q Give your raking to the cement companies in their sales promotion activities C
ompany Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 11:Retailers rank the cement company o
n the basis of the sales promotional activities:-
Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan
Rank 1 20 60 20 20 12 13 50 30
Rank 2 40 55 25 71 14 45 68 62
Rank 3 80 47 32 57 45 68 58 82
Rank 4 25 38 78 27 68 52 24 26
Rank 5 35 0 45 25 61 22
Total (Retailers) 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200
Retailers rank the cement co on the basis of the their sales promotional activit
y
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5
fa rg e
on ar k
bu ja
U lt r at ec h
nt ur y
si m
cc
G ra
m
Analysis and Interpretation:From the interpretation of the data, we come to know
that Konark and ACC are on no.1 and no.2 respectively. Lafarge cement is on no.
3. Because 30% of the retailers believe that Lafarge is on no
48
C e
A
D u
La
K
nc a
A
n
three. Century, Grasim, and Duncan are making extra effort to penetrate the mark
et. Every retailer mentioned their name and mentioned their considerable effort.
Q What is the general price gap (BP-RP) between the following companies? Lafarg
e Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 12:The profit on per bag of cement:Com
pany Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan price gap on per
bag 6 5 6 6 7.5 8 10 10
The difference between the billing price and retailing price on one bag of cemen
t
12 10 8 6 4 2 0
fa rg e
on ar k
bu ja
U lt r at ec h
nt ur y
si m
cc
G ra
m
Analysis and Interpretation:Lafarge charges competitive price to the customer. S
ome of the company charges premium price like OCL where as some of the brand has
very less price like Grasim, Cemtury and Duncan. Price of Lafarge is always equ
al to the price of Ultratech, ACC. 49
C e
D u
La
K
A
nc a
A
n
. Q Rank the companies on the basis of their transportation facilities? Company
Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan ANALYSIS, PRESENT
STION AND INTERPRETATION 13:Companies are ranked on the basis of the transportat
ion facility provided by them:Total (Retailers) 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200
Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan
Rank 1 70 23 40 20 15 85 80 95
Rank 2 65 25 70 67 14 78 75 62
Rank 3 28 15 65 90 45 37 38 43
Rank 4 25 72 25 20 90 0 7 0
Rank 5 12 65 0 3 36 0 0 0
Companies ranks on the basis of the transportation facilities
100 80 60 40 20 0 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5
fa rg e
on ar k
bu ja
U lt r at ec h
nt ur y
si m
cc
G ra
m
C e
50
D u
La
K
A
nc a
A
n
Analysis and Interpretation: - Transportation facility is a very vital factor fo
r a brand to be
successful in the market; Lafarge cement has proved itself in this area as they
are having the best reach in the urban area not in the rural area.
Q Rank the companies on the basis of their cement delivery time? Company Rank La
farge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION A
ND INTERPRETATION 14:Companies are ranked on the basis of the cement delivery ti
me:Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank 1 114
91 0 82 14 42 11 21 Rank 2 53 82 82 78 25 12 24 37 Rank 3 33 27 91 39 97 83 45 4
9 Rank 4 0 0 12 1 61 42 21 68 Rank 5 0 0 15 0 3 21 99 25 Total 200 200 200 200 2
00 200 200 200
Companies rank on the basis of the cement delivery time
120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5
fa rg e
on ar k
bu ja
U lt r at ec h
nt ur y
si m
cc
G ra
m
Analysis and Interpretation:51
C e
D u
La
K
A
nc a
A
n
Lafarge is quite ahead in the race in regards to the delivery option, as many re
tailers says that a small quantity of cement bags are not delivered by most of t
he company on time, they say that ar least you need carry 200 bags and so on, bu
t Lafarge are willing to accept and delivery any amount of bag at any time. .Q R
ank the companies on the basis of the response to customer complaints. Company R
ank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATIO
N 15:Companies responses towards the customer complain:Company Lafarge Konark Ul
tratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank 1 102 78 41 82 41 42 31 26 Rank 2
71 45 65 78 78 52 51 56 Rank 3 27 36 52 35 44 41 47 45 41 41 5 35 37 37 68 0 1 0
2 28 34 5 Rank 4 Rank 5 Total no of the retailers 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 2
00
Companies rank on the basis of the response to the customer complail
120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5
La fa rg e
U lt r at ec h
C en tu ry
Analysis and Interpretation:-
52
D un ca n
on ar k
bu ja
A
G ra si m
A
cc
K
m
Almost most all the companies’ stockiest response towards the customer’s complai
ned but Lafarge is far ahead to the other companies. Most of the retailers said
that Lafarge Marketing representative are so much attentive towards the customer
s responses. Q Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s
frequency of visit. Company Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Gr
asim Duncan ANALYSIS, PRESENTSTION AND INTERPRETATION 16:Companies’ are ranked o
n the basis of the visit of the marketing representative:Company Lafarge Konark
Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank 1 85 78 45 47 23 62 23 65 Rank 2
75 65 66 52 45 68 42 74 Rank 3 40 42 74 41 65 47 37 54 Rank 4 0 15 15 51 25 23
47 0 Rank 5 0 0 0 9 42 0 51 7 Total no of the retailers 200 200 200 200 200 200
200 200
Companies are ranked on the basis of the visit of marketing representative
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5
fa rg e
on ar k
bu ja
U lt r at ec h
nt ur y
si m
cc
G ra
m
Analysis and Interpretation:-
53
C e
D u
La
K
A
nc a
A
n
Lafarge’s marketing representatives are too much concern towards the customer’s
welfare. So they visit almost retailers ones in a week. Where as other companies
’ marketing representative visit the counter only twice in a month.
WHOLESALE PRICE / RETAIL PRICE ANALYSIS
BRANDS Lafarge Konark Ultratech ACC Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan
WHOLESALE PRICE (Billing price) 112-114 114-116 112-114 112-114 110-112 106-108
102-104 100-102
RETAIL PRICE 118-120 119-120 118-120 118-120 117-119 114-116 112-114 112-114
PRICE GAP 6 5 6 6 7.5 8 10 10
By comparing the wholesale price and retailing price of the various Brands in th
e market, we can infer that the retailers get a good margin in case of GRASIM &
DUNCAN. Above that it is the cheapest brand among the major brands in the market
. Hence the analysis carried earlier part of the project i.e. profit selling bra
nd is justified at both the levels.
54
SWOT –Analysis
SWOT-analysis is done to understand the external and internal environment of the
organization. SWOT, which is acronym for strength, weakness, opportunity and th
reats is also known by TOWS-analysis. Though such an analysis, is strength and w
eakness exist within an organization can be matched with the opportunity and thr
eats operating in environment , so that an effective strategy can be formulated.
An effective organizational strategy, therefore, is one that capitalizes on the
opportunity through the use of strength and neutralizes the threats by minimizi
ng the impact of weakness.
Below is the SWOT- analysis of Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. in cement market.
Strength People ask for bleakness in cement and Lafarge has this. Cement gra
de is good and people are satisfied.
55
 Customer choice. Lafarge being an MNC has a global leverage. It has a good
brand image in Cement.
Weakness Great need of strategic way for promotion and advertisement for both
dealers and customers. Not an easy task to overtake Konark, Ultratech and ACC.
Price and margins is not match with dealers and retailers expectation respect
ively. Guaranty given by company is from the date of manufacturing which is no
t acceptable for the dealers and retailers. Take large time in the replacement
of Cement. Opportunity
Strong infrastructure requirement for the development of the country and the c
ountry is
developing in the utter pace.
No of the medium class people is growing. Institutional market like corporat
e and government offices, school society complexes are
growing in large scale, which will increase the requirement.
Threats
Cheep priced brand are grabbing rapidly a large chunk of lower income customer
base. Other brands like Duncan and Grasim provide maximum profit to the both
customer as well as to the retailers. It was found from my survey that Konark
maximum market share is due to brand loyalty. Dealers expect more margin and g
ift to sell of the Lafarge cement.
56
FINDING
OTHER REASONS STATED BY RETAILER FOR BRAND PREFERENCE:LAFARGE Better quality
Good name in the market Timely available Immediately respond on the competi
tors strategy. Relatively less price. Better packaging
ULTRATECH Sells easily in the market the customer demand for them. Customer
choice. Good name in the market as it carries the goodwill of L&T. 57
 High market awareness. Sells more
CENTURY Good relationship with the company people. Price is low and affordab
le for people Low price helps to sell easily. Quality is good. More profit
selling the brand. Good service and relationship
ACC People ask for ACC. Service is good. “Dhalai karne ke liye” people ask
for ACC. Very superior quality cement as compared to others Selling form th
e very first day the shop came in to being & sells easily (shree ganesh traders,
bhatagaon) They have same price prevailing for wholesale at dealers/stockiest
retailers end. AMBUJA Customers preference Good cement, plastering work is
good GRASIM (Birla plus) Customers choice. Price is suitable as per customer
s pocket Rate & profit Good relationship with the people at Grasim. Birla
is a very renowned name so people trust it.
DUNCAN Rate & profit Price is suitable as per customers pocket 58
 Service is good.
PROBLEM FACED BY STOCKIEST None of the stockiest had any complains about any b
rands, in regards to the price, transport, service etc Dispatch being closed a
t the start of the month is a ”trump card “for them to play in the market to pus
h the sale. Stockiest are satisfied with the companies service.
RETAILERS REGRETS (Lafarge) The stockiest occasionally inform about the price
change in the market. They do not make personal visits to the counters frequen
tly. Price should be stabilized in the market. Price stability in regard to
the price set by the company as well as wholesalers (i.e. all the wholesalers sh
ould have the same price offered in the market). The management should not int
erfere in the price offered by the counterperson to the customers. They need p
rice flexibility to shoot up the sale. Dispatch being closed every start of th
e month is a problem is a problem for them to stick to the commitments made by t
hem to the customers. Small quantity ordered is not furnished on time. Press
urize them for taking more quantity for more quantity for transportation facilit
y. Lafarge now does not give any gifts at the counters.
59
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
1. Lack of cooperation from the retailers in regard to giving interview 2. It wa
s found in some cases dealers showed inclination towards certain brands which ga
ve them more margins when compared to others. 3. It was experienced during the s
urvey that it was difficult to convince or make the retailers and dealers unders
tand the important of the project
4. As the retailers and dealers thought that it was unwise for the to give their
details of
business as they feared competitors would take advantage.
60
SUGGESTIONS A very exhaustive study has been made, keeping in the essence of the
objective of the project. With the efforts put on the project a detailed analys
is was conducted and result were derived, based on the results and market respon
se few suggestions are discussed below
A Price fluctuation creates problems for retailers as the cannot keep the commit
ments of price to customers…… The reach to the rural market need to be strengthe
ned Transportation to rural areas need to be strengthened, a significant amount
of business is lost because of this. At time it has been seen that the delivery
commitments an the side of the company is not prompt, this creates a bad name an
d again business is lost On interviewing Dealers/Retailers the most important th
ing they said was about the price flexibility, they want that the company should
give them the price flexibility to play in the market. (As the company has outl
ined that the price offered by the company should only be offered to the custome
r, it should not increased to the customer, it should not be increased or decrea
sed).
61
The Brand Name Lafarge is quite difficult to be pronounced and remember, so it s
hould be made short and easy for the rural masses to remember like (L&T).
CONCLUSION To attain the objective of the project detailed information was colle
cted from the market of Bhubaneshwar. The market research has revealed many fact
s and figures about the cement scenario in the market prevailing.
In the market, Lafarge cement is well known brand of cement. This is the result
of the good quality of the Lafarge cement along with their effective marketing e
fforts, which covers the whole market customers of Lafarge cement are highly sat
isfied with the use of it, as they do not face any problem after using it.
There are seven major players in the market but the major completion is between
the two brands of cement. But because of good marketing efforts, Lafarge cement
is able to grasp some share of various other brands The market survey undertaken
shows that effective marketing efforts play a vital role in creating the goodwi
ll for the brand. The distribution channel of cement industry must be well desig
ned and made effective this ensures timely availability of cement to customers.
62
Good marketing creates good image i.e. brand building. Even through often Lafarg
e take over the Tata cement and place its brand as Lafarge cement in the market
, but still it has not shown any decline in its status. Lafarge still cherishes
the good will created by Tata cement in the market.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. Research Methodology: C.K. Kothari Wishwa Prakashan Darayaganj New Delhi 2nd
Edition-1995
2. Marketing Management: Philip Kotler Prentice- hall of India Pvt. Ltd. New Del
hi-110001 8th Edition -1995
63
WEBSITE
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
www.lafarge-cement.co.in www.google.com www.ibef.org www.msn.com www.indianexpre
ss.com
ANNEXTURE
64
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Which brand do you prefer most? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultra
tech Duncan Grasim
2. Which brand do you store?
Lafarge Konark Ambuja
Century
Ramco Acc Ultratech
Duncan Grasim
3. Give reasons for your preference? ___________________________________________
____________________________________
4. Which brand does your customer prefer? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Ac
c Ultratech Duncan Grasim
5. What is the Avg. monthly sale of different brands of cement?
65
Co. Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Tones/bags
Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Rasim
6. Give names of the stockiest for your preference?
7. Rank the companies stockiest on the basis frequency of making personal visits
& ph calls. Co. Ranks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan
rasim
8. Which Companies stockiest inform you about the change in the market price fas
ter? Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
9. How much credit in days do you enjoy from the stockiest of following companie
s? Co. Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim No. of bag
s/days 10. Maximum profit you get out of selling various brands rank them? Co. R
anks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim
11. Rank sales promotion activities according to their effectiveness? Activities
Shop Naka & Manson Meet Gifts Incentives Hoardings Others Rank
12. Give your preference for the following type of Gifts/incentives. Share Tour
Gold White gold Cheque Others
13. Give your raking to the cement companies in their Sales promotion activities
66
Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan
Rank
14. What is the general price gap (BP-RP) between the following companies? Lafar
ge Konark Ambuja Century Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan Grasim
15. Rank the companies on the basis of their transportation facilities? Company
Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 16. Rank the comp
anies on the basis of their cement delivery time? Company Rank Lafarge Konark Ul
tratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 17. Rank the companies which are the be
st delivery time? Company Lafarge Konark Rank
67
Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 18. What kind of problem you generall
y face with the transport?
19. Rank the companies on the basis of the response to customer complaints. Comp
any Rank Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan 20. Rank the
company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s frequency of visit. Com
pany Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Duncan Rank
21. Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s accessibil
ity. Company Lafarge Konark Ultratech Acc Ambuja Century Grasim Rank
68
Duncan 22. Rank the company on the basis of their Marketing Representative’s art
of making and maintaining the relationship. Co. Ranks Lafarge Konark Ambuja Cen
tury Ramco Acc Ultratech Duncan rasim
23. Any suggestion you would like to make for the company?
69