INTRODUCTION

With the opening of the market or the post liberalization period has resulted in many companies
entering the markets with offerings of their goods and services. In the earlier stages of economic
revolution consumer had to accept what the manufacturer has produced. But todays consumers
are much more educated, demanding, expect lot more to suit their ever changing life styles. There
by their quality expectations have been elevated from time to time in order to rebuild it-self around
its customer. The manufacturer should be able to satisfy, with the type of product and services to
match the ever-changing customer requirements.

In developing a marketing strategy for products, the sellers have to confront the branding
decision. Brand is a major issue in product. Customers have strong preference for particular
versions and brands of basic goods and services. The manufactures eventually learn that market
power lies with the brand name companies. Consumers buying decisions are influenced by the
brand.

In this competitive world, the Brand plays an important role and a brand is very prominent
asset owned by an organization. Brand is endowed with awareness, perceived quality, associations
and brand loyalty. Brand is presented as creative idea.

A brand is a promise of the seller to deliver a specific set of benefits or attributes or services to
the buyer. Brand represents a level of quality.

Meaning:-

A Brand is symbol, a mark, a name that acts as a means of communications which brings
about an identity of a given product.
A Brand in short is an identifier of the seller or the maker. A brand name consists of words,
letter or numbers that can be vocalized. Brand mark is the visual representation of the brand
like a symbol, design, distinctive coloring or lettering. Brand creates a bond between the
customer and a product.
 1.1 COMPANY PROFILE

DECATHLON SPORTS INDIA PVT LTD:

Decathlon is a major French sporting goods chain store, with stores located throughout the
world. It started with a shop near Lille, France in 1976. It expanded to Germany in 1986, Spain in
1992 and the United Kingdom in 1999. It entered the American market by purchasing the New
England 20-store MVP Sports chain in 1999, re-branding them as Decathlon USA. In September
2006, Decathlon announced its decision to exit the US Market by year end.The retailer stocks a
wide range of sporting goods, from tennis racquets to advanced scuba diving equipment, usually
in large superstores. Decathlon Group also owns the Toboggan and Decathlon stores, the former
sells sporting goods at discount prices, while the latter is a smaller high street sized version of the
larger Decathlon superstores

DECATHLON IN INDIA:

The local arm of French sports goods retailer Decathlon will add over 60 stores to its
existing 13 in India over the next five years. It will also double its sourcing for local operations in
the country over the next few years, Steve Dykes, the newly appointed chief executive officer of
Decathlon Sports India. Decathlon became the first sports goods retailer to invest in single-brand
retail trading in India last year after it got approval for 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in
the format. It has committed Rs.700 corer to open stores in the next five years at a time when latent
demand for local and international sporting goods is seen to be picking up in the country. Corporate
spending on sports tournaments, such as Indian Premier League, the Hockey India League and the
Indian Badminton League (IBL), have surged over the past five years, creating latent demand
among consumers, which will stimulate these sports at home. India is an exciting time for us and
for sports there is a huge potential. Cricket is a classic sport, but other sports such as precision
sports are also very developed, said Dykes, adding that the younger consumers knowledge and
interest in international sporting events football, for instance is pretty encouraging. Serving goods
to a sports-savvy nation, Decathlon has had to make modifications along the way increasing its
inventory of cricket equipment, for instance. However, for the French retailer, which is present in
20 countries with over 720 stores, demand for non-cricket sporting goods such as cycling, archery,
fishing, tennis, rollerblading and running equipment is significantly high, said Dykes, a former
professional soccer player. We see Indian consumers are willing to try new sports.

The company will open seven stores in the current financial year in cities such as Mohali and
Amritsar, and add another store in Bangalore. Dykes estimate the company will create a total of
60-70 stores across the country over the next five years. As for the companys Rs.700 corer
investment, Dykes said that investments were on track. Consumers are increasingly aspiring for
active and healthy lifestyles, he added, so for a company like this to be present in the top urban
catchments is a good start. The retailer opened its first store in Bangalore in 2009 in the wholesale
cash-and-carry format (where the government allows 100% FDI). After getting approval for a
single-brand entity in 2013, the company has converted its existing cash-and-carry stores to large-
format single-brand stores sprawling across 2,000-4,000 sq. m.
Dykes also indicated that sourcing from India is set to double over the next two years. At
present, the firm sources 21% of goods sold locally, apart from exporting them to other European
markets. We are actually selling a lot outside of India than forecasted. Our sourcing will definitely
go beyond the 30% mark. The way its going, there is no doubt that it will double very quickly,
Dykes said. According to the FDI policy for single-brand retailers, for FDI beyond 51%, at least
30% of the value of goods purchased should be sourced from India, preferably from small and
medium enterprises. With Indian consumers increasingly shopping online, Decathlon has also
sought the governments permission to allow online operations. Currently, the government doesnt
permit single-brand foreign retailers to sell online.

Range of products and services

Workshop: sporting goods customization, maintenance and repair of cycles, skiing /

snowboarding, tennis, fitness, rollerblading, embroidery, marking.

Mountain: hiking, vertical sports, skiing.

Cycle: bike, bicycle accessories, cycle equipment, spare parts.

Roller: roller skates, inline skating, quad, skate and scooter.

Form: fitness equipment, fitness for men and fitness for women, junior fitness, baby,
combat sports, judo karate, gym and dance.
 Nature: hunting, fishing, precision sports.

Team sports: football, rugby, basketball, handball, volleyball.

Running: running, walking.

Water: swimming, slide sports, boating, diving.

Racket sports / golf: tennis equipment, tennis shoes, clothes for racket sports, golf, table
tennis, badminton and squash.

Health / discovery: health, discovery.

LOCATION: Stores are located globally, in the following countries:

Table 1.1

S.NO COUNTRY TOTAL STORES

1. Belgium 014

2. Brazil 014

3. Bulgaria 002

4. Czech Republic 007

5. China 041

6. France 251

7. Germany 015

8. Hungary 016

9. India 015

10. Italy 085

11. Kuwait 001

12. Netherlands 003

13. Poland 025

14. Portugal 022

15. Romania 013

16. Russia 010

17. Spain 098

18. Sweden 002

19. Turkey 005

20. Taiwan 004

21. United Kingdom 014

22. United States (closed 2006)

23. Lebanon 001

24. 1 United Arab Emirates 001

 BRANDING:

The chain develops and sells its own brands. Each group of activities has a separate brand name:
Table 2.1

S.NO BRAND NAME CATEGORY

1. APTONIA Nutrition and health care

2. ARTENGO Racket sports

3. B'TWIN Cycling

4. CAPERLAN Fishing

5. QUECHUA Fitness, dance, martial arts and contact sports

6. FLX Cricket

7. FOUGANZA Horse riding

8. GEOLOGIC Outdoor sports, archery, darts and petanque

9. GEONAUTE Sports & Electronics

10. INESIS Golf

11. KALENJI Running

12. KIPSTA Team sports

13. NABAIJI Swimming

14. NEWFEEL Walking

15. OXELO Roller, skate and ice sports

16. QUECHUA Mountain and outdoor sports

17. ROCKRIDER Mountain biking

18. SIMOND Mountaineering

19. SOLOGNAC Hunting

20. TRIBORD Water sports

21. WED'ZE Skiing, snowboarding

22. MYSPORTEEZY Event organization (birthday, corporate day)

23. EQUAREA Clothing designed for the active removal of sweat

24. ESSENSOLE Shoe soles and insoles

25. NOVADRY waterproof and breathable clothes

26. OUTCHOC Sport protection

27. STRATERMIC Warm and light clothes

28. STRENFIT Light and Robust Synthetic fabrics (non-garment)

27. SUPPORTIV Support and compression

 QUECHUA:

Quechua is a big brand for Decathlon Group, specializing in the sale of Mountain and outdoor
sports. Quechua is the name of a people of the central Andes of South America and their languages.

ECONOMIC REVIEW:

Its success has greatly contributed to the decline in selling prices in France and the concentration
of the sector, while its own brands more innovative start sometimes great difficulties of traditional
manufacturers. As for WalMart in food distribution, some manufacturers and not others are
referenced in global supply distributor. In 2008, the brand Decathlon beat all its competitors on
three points: margin, market share, highest turnover per square meter of retail space. It is up to
the third at a world level. A 2008 survey ofgo 774 catchment areas at the request of the Ministry
of Economy and Finance shows that "for sporting goods, Decathlon is dominant in 92.8% of
zones".

COMPETITION:

October 30, 2009, the eternal and historic rivals Go Sport and Sport 2000 combine themselves to
create outside Europe and therefore in Switzerland a common central purchasing. Weapon of war
anti-Decathlon, "this Swiss entity is intended to pressurize the most of our major international
suppliers", says Franois Neukirsh DG GO Sport newspaper in Les Echos. Like the other groups
of supermarkets, Decathlon sells in its stores a large number of products manufactured in Asian
countries with low salaries. The store staff is not spared by the profitability race.

PARENT COMPANY: OXYLANE:

VALUES

All over the world, we share a strong and unique company culture reinforced by our four values:
Vitality, Sincerity, Responsibility and Generosity.

VITALITY:

Vitality is Life, intense activity, energy, drive and vigor. Our employees are full of vitality as they
are first and foremost positive and full of energy. They are enthusiastic, they love creating and
innovating, and relentlessly strive to improve and make things around them change.
SINCERITY:

Sincerity is transparency in our actions, amongst ourselves, with our customers and with
our suppliers. We want there to be a great deal of coherence between what we say and what we
do.

RESPONSIBILITY:

Being responsible is about making decisions and making sure they are acted upon. Our
employees assume the consequences of their decisions, both in terms of their team and their
customers. Responsibility is also about anticipating the challenges facing society and orienting our
actions towards sustainable development. And it is also our responsibility to guarantee the safety
of our customers and employees all over the world.

GENEROSITY:

Generosity is closely related to Responsibility. Within a group, supporting, helping and

listening to each other, without necessarily expecting anything in return, is fundamental. This
mindset leads us to be demanding and make the best choices when designing our produc

MISSION:

Decathlon is a French sports equipment and sportswear company founded in 1976. We sell
sports products in more than 700+ stores in 18 countries around the world and develop our own
products under the flagship brand Oxylane, with one goal in mind: make the pleasure and
benefits of sports accessible to all.
Figure 2.2
 The way Decathlon makes the pleasure and benefits of sports accessible to all is to produce
ourselves and sell under one roof high quality sporting products, with prices so low that a
maximum number of people can afford them.

VISION:
We are a team of 650 members who share the same dream and we plan to be 2,700 people
at the end of 2017.Globally we have over 700+ stores in 18 countries and counting. In India, we
currently have 15 stores across different states and our dream is to open 1,000 stores.

EVERYDAY LOW PRICE

Customers will always find low prices in Decathlon stores, not just during sales season. It
finds simple solutions and saves on non-essential costs, from production facilities to their retail
points, in order to provide the best technology at the lowest price.
PROMISES TO CUSTOMERS:
Decathlon provides products for more than 40 sports, an extensive range of more than
4,000 products to address the needs of beginners, intermediate and professionals. Globally, the
range of products is close to 10,000, so the availability of products in India will increase over time.

A UNIQUE SPORTS EXPERIENCE:

They believe the joy of sport should be experienced without any delay. Customers can try
bikes, skates, apparel products, etc. in the store and on the playground located next to each store.
Customers can also participate in events and workshops we organize.
Decathlon became the first sports goods retailer to invest in single-brand retail trading in India last
year after it got approval for 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the format. It has committed
Rs.700 crore to open stores in the next five yearsthis at a time when latent demand for local and
international sporting goods is seen to be picking up in the country.
Corporate spending on sports tournaments, such as Indian Premier League, the Hockey India
League and the Indian Badminton League (IBL), have surged over the past five years, creating
latent demand among consumers, which will stimulate these sports at home. India is an exciting
time for us and for sports there is a huge potential. Cricket is a classic sport, but other sports such
as precision sports are also very developed, said Dykes, adding that the younger consumers
knowledge and interest in international sporting eventsfootball, for instanceis pretty
encouraging.
Serving goods to a sports-savvy nation, Decathlon has had to make modifications along the way
increasing its inventory of cricket equipment, for instance. However, for the French retailer, which
is present in 20 countries with over 720 stores, demand for non-cricket sporting goods such as
cycling, archery, fishing, tennis, rollerblading and running equipment is significantly high, said
Dykes, a former professional soccer player.
We see Indian consumers are willing to try new sports. The company will open seven stores in
the current financial year in cities such as Mohali and Amritsar, and add another store in Bangalore.
Dykes estimates the company will create a total of 60-70 stores across the country over the next
five years. In North India alone, he anticipates 20 stores over the same period. As for the
companys Rs.700 crore investment, Dykes said that investments were on track.

The sports goods market is highly underserviced by organized retailers and brands, said
AnandRamanathan, an associate director at consulting firm KPMG. Consumers are increasingly
aspiring for active and healthy lifestyles, he added, so for a company like this to be present in the
top urban catchments is a good start. The retailer opened its first store in Bangalore in 2009 in the
wholesale cash-and-carry format (where the government allows 100% FDI).

After getting approval for a single-brand entity in 2013, the company has converted its existing
cash-and-carry stores to large-format single-brand stores sprawling across 2,000-4,000 sq. m.
Dykes also indicated that sourcing from India is set to double over the next two years. At present,
the firm sources 21% of goods sold locally, apart from exporting them to other European markets.
We are actually selling a lot outside of India than forecasted.

Our sourcing will definitely go beyond the 30% mark. The way its going, there is no doubt that it
will double very quickly, Dykes said. According to the FDI policy for single-brand retailers, for
FDI beyond 51%, at least 30% of the value of goods purchased should be sourced from India,
preferably from small and medium enterprises. With Indian consumers increasingly shopping
online, Decathlon has also sought the governments permission to allow online operations.
Currently, the government doesnt permit single-brand foreign retailers to sell online.

Services provided in Decathlon

Home delivery the sport goods

Cycle servicing and repairs of B-Twin sub labelled cycles(no other cycles).

Stringing of tennis,squash &badminton Artengo sub labelled rackets(no other rackets).

 Play ground rental(Rs 800/h on week days and RS 1000/h on weekends and national
holidays).

Conduct events and tournament

1.4 NEED AND SCOPE OF STUDY

Today costumers are facing a growing range of choice in the different brands of products and
services. They are making their choice on the basis of their perceptions of brand, quality service
and value.

The company has to adopt strategies to keep brand in consumers memory. A strong brand
awareness means easy acceptance of new products. An organization has to measure the level of
awareness of the potential customers and has to adopt different strategies to enhance the awareness
level and to identify the appropriate promotional tool.

Brand awareness is asset which brand managers create and enhance to build brand equity. It is
related to the nature and features of product. It leads to brand strength which is constituted by
measuring the variable like leadership, stability, Market, geographic, trend, support and protection
etc
Creating brand awareness with the use of advertising, promotion event management etc a
different brand has different kind of awareness which retains recognition.

Brand awareness satisfies a need of the consumer. A consumer as aims, ambitions, motivation
drives and desire. Consumer feels more powerful when he uses the brand. Satisfactions or
preference for a brand shows how loyal the consumer is likely to be brand.

In todays competitive business scenario where every companies product is competing with each
other retaining loyal customer is an essence for which increasing the level of brand awarness is
very vital.

This study is not concerned only with brand awareness but deals also with other facts. It includes
a wide preview of

From where did the potential customers come to know about the product?
Which media is effective in communicating the message to the potential customers?
Did the potential customers feel that the brand is important to purchase?
Which attribute of the product drive the potential customer to prefer the particular product.?
Did the potential customers felt that the branded product matches their expectations?
How the brands influence the market?
What is the effect of the competitors product?
Are the potential customers satisfied with the brand, price, quality etc?

1.5 OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the brand reorganisation.

2. To understand the brand recall.
3. To understand the brand knowledge.
4. To understand the attitude of customers towards the brand.
5. To understand the perception of brand.
6. To study the mountain sport merchandising.