PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE IN MARKETING

MARKETING INFORMATION & RESEARCH

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Candidate No: 11051359

Candidate No: 11051359 No: of pages: 10 Word Count: 2046

RESEARCH PROPOSAL FOR TESTING CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVENESS

COMMUNICATION TESTING

PREPARED BY

FAYRN RESEARCH AGENCY (FOR ALL YOUR RESEARCH NEEDS) HEMAS HOLDINGS PLC BABY CHERAMY ALOE VERA RANGE ALOE VERA CREAM AND SOAP 11TH JUNE 2010

PREPARED FOR

DATE

CONTENTS
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 Background Rational for Research Research Objectives Research Methodology Target Groups & Sample Sizes Data Collection Data Analysis Limitations of the Research Reporting Procedures Time lines Investments Team-CVs of the personnel Terms & Conditions of Contract References

10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 -

1.0 Background
Hemas is considered to be one of Sri Lankas top diversified conglomerates, with a focus on five key sectors - FMCG, Healthcare, Transportation, Leisure and Power. We understand it is a publicly listed company with over 2000 employees. Its products and services touch the lives of millions of people from new-born babies to large international businesses. PERSONAL CARE / BABY CARE Baby Care | Hair Care | Skin Care | Oral Care | Male Toiletries | Female Fragrances | Feminine Hygiene In personal care, consumers are loyal to products they trust. Over the years, Hemas has built a strong following for its personal care range, with each of its brands ranking No. 1 or No. 2 in terms of market position. The brands encompass the entire spectrum of grooming products for both babies and adults in hair care, skin care, toiletries, fragrances and oral care.

In its life span of over 40 years Baby Cheramy has grown into a complete range of toiletries and accessories for babies. Renowned for simple purity of product, using ingredients carefully tested for mildness and suitability for use on babies. The brand's main equity is in the trust mothers have in it. A majority share of the baby toiletries market is clear evidence of this faith.

Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Cream and soap are made up of special extra moisturising, extra soothing formulations, which protect babies' tender skin from excessive dryness & irritation. Since highest sales volume is accomplished in Colombo, Negombo & Galle, higher concentration will be given to those areas when it comes to doing the research.

2.0 Rationale for Research

We need to identify the oversights and accomplishments of the 2009 campaign in order to make certain that the same errors are not made in the 2010 campaign. We also need to identify the improvements and adjustments that need to be done for future campaigns. Before the creative development of the 2010 campaign and it commences, research can help with identifying, positioning and creating ideas for execution. Since the 2009 campaign commercials are being aired, research can evaluate the awareness, reach and effectiveness of the campaign to measure the impact created amongst the audience. Research also needs to be made in order to check the appeal, relevance and brand association of the commercials amongst the decision makers and influences. Research at this stage can provide direction to the client on the suitability of the adverts in meeting the objectives of communication.

3.0 Research Objectives

An initial objective of carrying out this research is to discover the effectiveness of the 2009 campaign in order to make the necessary adjustments to construct a successful campaign for 2010. 3.1 - Measure the effectives of the 2009 campaign. 3.1.1 Message Recall 3.1.2 Effectiveness of mediums / measure media reach Press Television Radio 3.1.3 Understand assess the overall opinion towards the brand or the organization. 3.1.4 Measuring message credibility (Believability of the message) 3.1.5 Understand the uniqueness of the message. 3.1.6 Assessing the key imagery attributes

As a result of the above, we would be able to understand the total effectiveness of the 2009 campaign. Thereafter the keys learnings we gather from the research can be taken into consideration when planning the campaign for 2010. The errors that were made in the 2009 campaign can be avoided and the necessary adjustment & improvements can be done to make the 2010 campaign a successful as it can possibly be. 3.2 Testing the attractiveness of the messages developed for the 2010 campaign. 3.2.1 Identifying the most suitable message. 3.2.2 Assessing the relevance of the message to the target groups. 3.2.3 Assessing Imagery. 3.2.4 Recommending the most suitable media/s for the 2010 campaign.

4.0 Research Methodology

Desk Research

Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

4.1 - Desk Research If previous campaign research is available we will screen through the research and locate if there were any norms/standards that need to be adapted to the 2010 campaign. 4.2 - Qualitative research is a set of research techniques, used in marketing, in which data is obtained from a comparatively small group of respondents and analyzed in order to get details relevant to the effectiveness of a certain campaign. This differentiates it from quantitative analyzed for statistical significance. The main types of qualitative research are, Depth Interviews, Triads, Paired Depth Interviews, Mini Focus group discussions, Focus Groups, Projective Techniques, and Observational Research. (Source www.wikipedia.org)

Through Qualitative research its possible to identify the attitudes, opinions of our target groups. Qualitative research methods will be used to measure the following objectives; 4.2.1 - Message Recall 4.2.2 Effectiveness of mediums / measure media reach Press Television Radio 4.2.3 Understand or assess the overall opinion towards the brand or the organization. 4.2.4 Measuring message credibility (Believability of the message) 4.2.5 Understand the uniqueness of the message. 4.2.6 Assessing the key imagery attributes For this research we will be using Focus group discussions. All Focus Group Discussions will be constructed using semi structured questionnaires. 4.3 - Quantitative research is the application of quantitative research techniques to the field of marketing. It has roots in both the positivist view of the world, and the modern marketing viewpoint that marketing is an interactive process in which both the buyer and seller reach a satisfying agreement on the "four Ps" of marketing: Product, Price, Place (location) and Promotion. We take the attributes we have gained from the Qualitative research and go into Quantitative research among a bigger group. Based on the rating we have received from the bigger group we would identify the winning concept for the 2010 campaign. As a social research method, it typically involves the construction of questionnaires and scales. People who respond (respondents) are asked to complete the survey. Marketers use the information so obtained to understand the needs of individuals in the marketplace, and to create strategies and marketing plans. (Source www.wikipedia.org) In this case we will be using both research methods, Qualitative research methods & Quantitative Research methods. Attributes gathered from the Qualitative research will be taken into consideration & then the Quantitative questions will be taken among a bigger sample. A Central Location test will be formed in order to gather Quantitative research. The Central location test will consist of semi structured questionnaires. Central location test are ideal at the moment for the reason that the 2010 campaign concepts have not yet been released therefore it is better to bring the customer to a centralized location then visit customers one by one as competitors may get access to the information. Each concept will be shown in rotation in order to avoid biasness.

Thereafter, based on the ratings from the bigger sample, a clear winner (winning concept) can be decided. Quantitative research will be done in order to obtain statistical data & to measure the return on investment.

5.0 Target Groups & Sample Sizes

Our target groups will be as follows; Current Users -Working Mothers / Non working mothers Non Users - Working Mothers / Non working mothers Potential Users - Working Mothers / Non working mothers The above target groups can be classified further; Working Mothers With children below 5 years of age Locations - Colombo, Negombo & Galle Using the Product everyday Non working mothers With children below 5 years of age Locations - Colombo, Negombo & Galle Using the Product everyday Samples from all Target Groups need to be taken in order to discover all groups opinions and interpretation. In this case, we will use Random Sampling methods for the Quantitative Phase, based on the household income of a particular customer. For the Qualitative phase we will use convenient sampling technique & select based on ease of access of respondents.

Sample Sizes Sample Sizes for Qualitative research will be as follows;

Target Group

Method Used

Colombo

Negombo

Galle

Working Parents with Children below the age of 5 years

Focus Group Discussions

04

03

03

Non-Working Parents Focus Group with Children below the Discussions age of 5 years

04

03

03

Each Focus Group Discussion will consist on 6-8 respondents Duration of each focus group discussion would be approx 2 hours. The target group needs to evaluate the advertisements to debate between pros and cons of each advertisement and to get any spontaneous brand associations. Also, give feed back on the ability of the advertisements to stand out and the extent of the message take out. The projective tools use will be, message take outs of each advertisement & advertisement debate to select the most preferred advertisement.

Sample Sizes for Quantitative research will be as follows;

Target Group

Method Used

Colombo

Negombo

Galle

Working Parents with Children below the age of 5 years

Face to Face Interviews

100

50

50

Non-Working Parents Face to Face with Children below the Interviews age of 5 years

100

50

50

6.0 Data Collection

6.1 - Data collection during the Desk Research phase The FAYRN agency researchers will sit together with companys employees (Marketing personnel) and discuss and understand the previous campaigns pre & post testing to identify the norms (if any) . 6.2 Data Collection during the Qualitative Research phase In this stage, data will be collected by a well trained panel of researchers, using tape recorders & video tapes. Recruitment of all respondents will take place by a specialized qualitative field team. All data gathered will be done according to the ESOMAR/MRS Qualitative data gathering procedures. 6.3 - Data Collection during the Quantitative Research phase This stage would involve, a well trained panel of field team members from the FAYRN research agency will conduct the Quantitative phase. The Quality control measures - 30% of the sample will be back-checked by the supervisors after the recruitment is carried out by the field executives. During this phase, all interviewers will be accompanied by a field executive for the first 15 interviews

7.0 Data Analysis

Qualitative Research Details gathered from the Discussion guides, which were reordered using tape recordings and video tapes will be then looked into and evaluated by transcribers. Transcribers will then transcribe all interviews & the transcripts will be used to construct a content analysis will be done for each interview manually and by using the software. The elements gathered from the Qualitative Research will then be incorporated in to the Quantitative Research questionnaires.

Quantitative Research Once we receive the answered questionnaires, we will then enter the coded data, in which data will be cleaned. Thereafter, data will be analyzed using the SPSS package in order to get the results of the research.

8.0 Limitations of the Research

As we are only carrying out the research in Colombo, Negombo & Galle its impossible to consider the findings as an island-wide measurement of the product. Due to cost concerns the research will be carried out only within a few focus groups & face to face interviews.

9.0 Reporting Procedures

Final proposal will be handed over in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, along with interim reports & one stand up presentation.

10.0 Time Lines

Activity
o Proposal Approval o Study Setup o Tool Development (Questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion Guides) o Secondary Data review o Field work (Qualitative) o Field Work (Quantitative) o Data Analysis o Presentation

Time (Cumulative)
Day 01 Day 04 Day 07

Day 12 Day 15 Day 18 Day 25 Day 30

11.0 Investment
o Excluding Taxes Qualitative Phase (20 Focus Group Discussions) Quantitative Phase (400 Face to face interviews) Total study cost = Rs.350,000.00

Rs.500,000.00

Rs.850,000.00 (Excluding Taxes)

12.0 Team CVs of Personnel

The FAYRN research agency is a well recognized research agency with its head quarters in the United Kingdom. FAYRN research agency is the only ISO certified research agency currently in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan team of researchers comprises the following; Mr. Liam Liyanage Head of research Mr. Ishan Perera Assistant Researcher Ms. Ashan Silva Assistant Researcher In addition, to the names mentioned above we will have field executives & researchers involved in executing the survey.

13.0 Terms & Conditions of Contract

Investment quoted above would be valid for a period of 04 months only, from the proposal date. Investment mentioned above is excluding traveling cost of researchers. On approval of this proposal, the contract will be handed over.

14.0 References Books o MRS Code of Conduct o Handouts from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing MIR Dilini Jayasuriya o Kotler, Philip & Armstrong, Gary (1999): Principles of Marketing, 10th Edition o Kreuger,R.A. (1988) Focus groups : A practical guide for applied research. London: Sage o Morgan,D.L.(1988) Focus Groups as Qualitative research. London: Sage o Annual Reports (2009/2008/2007) Hemas Holdings PLC

Websites Hemas Holding PLC website www.hemas.com

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - www.wikipedia.org Marketing Teacher Homepage www.marketingteacher.com KnowThis.com - www.knowthis.com

APPENDIX02
OVERVIEW Hemasstrivestoenrichpeople'slivesbydeliveringexcellentandinnovativeproducts andservices TheGroupwasfoundedbySheikhHasannallyEsufally(MBE)asapharmaceuticalsand tradingenterprise.Overtheensuingdecadestheorganizationhastransformeditself intooneofSriLanka'slargestandmostrespectedfirms.TheGrouphasseveral recognizablebrandsincludingBabyCheramy,Clogard,andProSport. Sectors: FMCGThisisthelargestsectoratHemas.FMCGisinvolvedinthedevelopment, manufacture,marketinganddistributionofavastrangeofconsumerproducts,mostof whicharehouseholdnames. HealthcareHemashasbeeninvolvedinthehealthcaresectorforover60yearsand currentlyrepresentsover30multinationalcompaniesfromaroundtheworld. LeisureDiethelmTravelSriLanka(formallyknownasHemtours),Hemas'destination managementcompanyisoneofSriLanka'sleadingtouroperators,withlongterm relationshipswithmanyleadingtravelcompaniesinEuropeandAsia.Hemas'three hotelsarepopularwithtourists,andarelocatedatstrategictouristdestinations. TransportationThetransportationsectoroffersadiverserangeofservices.Ithasthe largestmarketshareinSriLankaforairlinerepresentation,andisalsoinvolvedintravel retailing,freightmanagement,andcourierservices. StrategicInvestmentsHemasforayintothepowergenerationsectorthroughits investmentinHeladhanavi,apowerplanthasprovedtobesuccessful.TheGroupis nowexploringopportunitiesintheareaofminihydropowergeneration. Source:HemasHoldingPLCwebsite(http://www.hemas.com/)

APPENDIX03

SHARE INFORMATION

Candidate No: 11051359 Number of Pages: 04

Discussion Guide

PROJECT GET FRESH, GET NATURAL FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

05 Minutes Introduction Welcome/Introduce Market Research o Explain briefly purpose of group discussion / Assure There is no right or wrong answers o Moderator establishes ground rules; o Free flowing discussion o Invite & encourage personal and different opinions o Explain audio taping if obvious (just for reporting purpose) Talk loud and one at a time. ( If an respondent does not want to be

05 Minutes Warm up Tell me a little about yourself and your family What are your aspirations in life as a woman and a family? What are your concerns in life, for yourself and your family?

20 Minutes Category Understanding Personal Care Today we are going to talk on a topic which is common to all of you as dealers of Baby soaps & Creams. 1. What are the advertisements/campaigns you have seen for the personal care sector in the last three (03) months? 2. Can you kindly describe these advertisements briefly to me? (Note to moderator get the descriptions of three (03) advertisements only) 3. Could you mention for which brands were these advertisement formed (Note to moderator - Check whether your brand is mentioned spontaneously if not ask what are other brands that you have seen advertisements for)

20 Minutes Relationship between health care and Baby Soaps and Creams (Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range) o If we were to talk about Baby soaps & creams, what are the brands that you have heard of? o From where have you learnt this? (Probe; Media etc) o Have you heard of any particular brands of Baby Soaps & Creams which helps protect babies' tender skin from excessive dryness & irritation? (Probe on Baby Cheramy) o What experience do you have with this brand in terms of usage?

20 Minutes Show the Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range advertisements o What do you feel about the Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Ranges brand claim, why do you say so? Credibility Relevance to the Target Audience Uniqueness o Is there anything else that the brand speaks of? Why do you say so? o If we talk to 2 parents, one who regularly uses Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range & one who does not, can you tell me a little about each of them? Life style Levels of Education

30 Minutes Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range as a brand (Ask the user group) You mentioned that you use Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range. How long have you been using brand for? What made you use the brand & continue the usage?

Note to moderator: Get the respondents to personify the brand. (Close your eyes and imagine Baby cheramy becoming a person.) If Baby Cheramy was a person, what would it look like? What kind of qualities will baby cheramy have?

Use the Brand World technique to understand the brand imagery. (Close your eyes and imagine your entering into a world of Baby Cheramy) What are the things you see in this world? What is it that you feel about this world? What color is this world? What are the positive elements of this world? What are the negative elements of this world? What are the positive elements of the brand? What are the negative elements of the brand? Probe; Product (Size, Color etc) Price Place Packaging Communications If you were to recommend any improvements with regards to the brand, what will they be? If Baby Cheramy Aloe Vera Range was to get closer to the customer what are your suggestions? Why do you recommend this?

20 Minutes Perception about the use of Aloe Vera What are the benefits of using Aloe Vera? How important is Aloe Vera & Aloe Vera products? What is you perception of the use of Aloe Vera? What do you think are the positives and the negative?

Use Brand personification to understand the Brand imagery (Close your eyes and imagine that Aloe Vera Products have turned into a person.) What kind of physical appearance would that person have? What characteristics will that person have? What color would it be? Who would it be associating

Thank the participants and terminate

References:

Books o MRS Code of Conduct o Handouts from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing MIR Dilini Jayasuriya o Kreuger,R.A. (1988) Focus groups : A practical guide for applied research. London: Sage o Morgan,D.L.(1988) Focus Groups as Qualitative research. London: Sage

Websites Hemas Holding PLC website www.hemas.com

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - www.wikipedia.org Marketing Teacher Homepage www.marketingteacher.com KnowThis.com - www.knowthis.com

Candidate No: 11051359 Word Count: 992

Moderator Instructions

o Participant selection The moderator must get involved in the process of selecting respondents, in order to ensure that the appropriate respondents are selected to take part in the research as well as to ensure that the more suitable respondents i.e. the ones who are most coherent are taking part in the research. The moderator must give a clear set of instructions to the field personnel or to those in charge of recruitment, in order to clearly identify the most appropriate respondents. Each participant will have to be picked up and brought to the venue, thereafter the agency must check if every participant has a way of getting back. o Willingness to take part on the survey It is important to recognize that taking part in a survey of such nature is purely on a voluntary basis. Therefore, no field interviewer should force a respondent to be part of the survey. However, it is duty of every field personnel to convince the community and the potential respondents to see the long term benefits/incentives of taking part in such surveys. o Size of the group Each group will comprise of, 8 10 respondents are the maximum number a moderator can manage for a focus group discussion. However, the moderator should instruct the recruiters to recruit at least 20% - 50% more in order to make sure that drop out respondents wont hamper the succession of the group discussion. o Articulate and expressive Given the method in which the information is collected it is important that respondents with the ability to express their opinions are selected. The interviewer should be able to gauge the verbal ability of the respondents at the time of recruitment and the casual chat that takes place before and after the screening process. Creativity is another area to determine that suitability of a respondent. The recruitment screener has few questions to determine the creativity of the respondents. Whilst these questions serve as more indicators of the articulateness and creativity, the field interviewer would be the best person to judge after meeting the respondents face to face and holding a discussion.

o Timelines Furthermore, as the discussion guide provides indicative timelines for each main section of the discussion so that the moderator gets the feeling on how much time is allocated for each section.

o Willingness to spend the required duration at a discussion It is important that all respondents are informed at the time of recruitment /selection the estimated duration of the interview/discussion. Only those respondents who are willing to dedicate this time period should be recruited. o Venue The location as to where the discussion will take place. In this case it will take place at a conference hotel. o Types of Questions The type of questions that you will ask mainly depends on your research objectives, particularly your qualitative research objectives. These objectives will be translated into questions & thereafter will be further expanded into open ended research questions. Questions that include words such as how, why, under conditions and similar probes suggest to respondents that the researcher is interested in complexity and facilitating discussion. Some Examples of Open-ended questions include; What did you think about the product? How did you think about the advertisement?

o Appearance The moderator should dress depending on the target audience. Since our target group if working & non-working woman, the moderator could be dressed professionally. o Beginning the Discussion The moderator must attempt to build rapport in the Group. A good idea is to have group members introduce themselves and tell a little about themselves. This method can help break the ice. The recommended pattern for introducing the group discussion includes the welcome, general idea of the people, ground rules and the first question. Moderators should to be polite & professional when conducting the discussion.

o Attributes Before any discussion takes place the moderator needs to make the respondents comfortable & give them confidence to be open & honest when answering. Moderator needs to make eye contact with the participants & explore ideas put out by the participant in detail. o Collecting data Tape recorders Tape recorders are invaluable for focus group discussion however they are prone to pick up background noises. The microphones & recorders should be set up prior to the interview and should be visible to participants. The moderator must encourage participants to speak one at a time to avoid distorting the tape. If the participants desire not to be recorded, a note taking method will have to be adopted.

Note taking The moderator can attempt to make notes or an assistant moderator can try to capture exact phrases and statements made by participants. It is recommended that note taking should be done by another individual and not the moderator. The consideration here is that the note taking should not interfere with the discussion. Notes should be complete and useable in the event the tape recorder stops working. In addition it is recommended by that regardless of the method of data collection, the moderator should make field notes after each session to facilitate data analysis. o Confidentiality The Agency must ensure that the names of the participants or the names of their employers are not given out to any outside parties, as it would be a breach of the codes of conduct. If the Company wishes to view the Discussion, the agency must make the necessary arrangements for the viewing of the discussion. If the company requires viewing the discussion the participant need to be informed that a third party is also involved. o Refreshments Refreshments will be given to the participant after the discussion has concluded.

Conclusion It can be concluded that focus group interviews can be used in a variety of settings. A review of the literature revealed that for successful data collection, focus group methodology must be employed in manner to promote validity. The issues outlined about are essential elements for credible qualitative research.

References: Books o Kreuger,R.A. (1988) Focus groups : A practical guide for applied research. London: Sage o Morgan,D.L.(1988) Focus Groups as Qualitative research. London: Sage o MRS Code of Conduct o ESOMAR codes o Handouts from the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing - MIR Dilini Jayasuriya

Candidate No: 11051359 Word Count: 1483

Information for Marketing Decisions Customer Database

What is a Customer Database? A database can be defined As a manual or a computerized source of data relevant to marketing decision making about an organizations customers (Allen Wilson 2006) A database consists of an organized collection of data for one or more multiple uses. One way of classifying databases involves the type of content, for example: bibliographic, full-text, numeric, and image. Other classification methods start from examining database models or database architectures: see below. Software organizes the data in a database according to a database model. As of 2010 the relational model occurs most commonly. Other models such as the hierarchical model and the network model use a more explicit representation of relationships. The "database" is usually name, address, and transaction history details from internal sales or delivery systems, or a bought-in compiled "list" from another organization, which has captured that information from its customers. Typical sources of compiled lists are charity donation forms, application forms for any free product or contest, product warranty cards, subscription forms, and credit application forms. (Source: www.wikipedia.org) Importance of having a Customer Database Capturing data on customers is essential to capitalize on your knowledge of their purchasing habits, and may lead to further business. Important information about the customer & the customer purchasing habits can be effectively stored & recalled whenever necessary with a database which is regularly updated. But a database is only as effective as the last time the information was checked and updated, and good database management is essential. Everyone knows how irritating it is to receive a wrongly addressed letter. This can imply that if your business cannot get an address right, how good can it be at providing a service or selling a product? Information about the organizations customers are held centrally & are used by the organization on an on going basis for their marketing activities as well as to get responses from customers on the organizations on going marketing activities. As database marketing is increasingly being used & successful it is extremely important to an organization, to carefully understand the following; What data would be captured?

Who will have access to the database? Who will regularly update it as well as maintain the database? Who will profile customer?

Various types of information will be captured in a Database, which are mentioned below; Behavioral Data Volunteered Data Profile Data Attributed Data When using a database it will assist in retaining existing customers and help build loyalty by providing personalized services & communication. This will therefore be a cost cutting method as well. Another, important factor of having a customer database is that the organization will be able to expand its sales with existing customers through cross selling. Customer Databases also generate referrals from satisfied customers; therefore, itll be possible to gather new customers. By using a customer database the organization will be able to follow up with existing customers & track potential customer easily. Steps involved in setting up & maintaining a Customer Database 1. Business Review - In this stage Hemas will have to current Business trades. 2. Data Audit This refers to the information or data the organization currently has and the information one wishes to have in the future. 3. The Strategy of capturing data How the Organization is prepared to capture data of the customer. 4. What kind of specific data The type of data the organization wishes to obtain from the customers. It is important that you create a customer database that serves as many areas of your business as possible. (E.g.: Usage, personal details) 5. Software & hardware for the Customer database The organization has to decide on to maintain the database, if its a computerized database or a manual database. If it is a computerized database if the organization has the software/hardware required for it. You have a number of choices when developing a customer database. These include: designed in-house, designed and built by an outside agency or software that can be stored on your computer or via the web.

6. Data Capture The more information you can capture about your existing customers and potential customers, the more effective your database. Data capture can be done through supermarkets or retailers in this case. 7. Who will maintain the customer database? The marketing department usually has access to the customer database. The marketing department head will be the main custodian of the customer database. 8. Who will update the database regularly? As the custodian, the marketing department will have to update the customer database on a regularly basis. 9. Who will have access to the customer database? Whist having the marketing department as the custodians of the customer database, all other departments will have limited access to the database. Other departments will be able to view information & not adjust or add any information. 10. How will the customers be profiled? For example customers can be segmented according their Income or by their Usage. In this case, customer will be profiled according to their shopping habits & Income. 11. How the back-ups will be kept? Whether the back-ups will be on cds or written documents 12. Review 13. Update and De-Clutter Regularly Despite your best efforts, information contained in your customer contact database will get out of date over time and clutter will accumulate. You should therefore introduce a process to systematically verify- or update each contacts details at least once a year. More frequent updates may annoy the customer, while less frequent contact increases the likelihood of your customer data being inaccurate

Ethical & data protection issues The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. The DPA specifies the following;

Data may only be used for the specific purposes for which it was collected. Data must not be disclosed to other parties without the consent of the individual whom it is about, unless there is legislation or other overriding legitimate reason to share the information (for example, the prevention or detection of crime). It is an offence for Other Parties to obtain this personal data without authorization. Individuals have a right of access to the information held about them, subject to certain exceptions (for example, information held for the prevention or detection of crime). Personal information may be kept for no longer than is necessary and must be kept up to date. Personal information may not be sent outside the European Economic Area unless the individual whom it is about has consented or adequate protection is in place, for example by the use of a prescribed form of contract to govern the transmission of the data. Subject to some exceptions for organizations that only do very simple processing, and for domestic use, all entities that process personal information must register with the Information Commissioner's Office. Entities holding personal information are required to have adequate security measures in place. Those include technical measures (such as firewalls) and organizational measures (such as staff training). Subjects have the right to have factually incorrect information corrected (note: this does not extend to matters of opinion)

(Source: www.wikipedia.org) All details/transactions must be transparent according to the DPA act. All customers should be able to opt themselves out of customer surveys/database once a year or whenever required. However, since data protection has just come into play in Sri Lanka the organizations have limited legal guideline as to what information can be captured or used. The legal team of the organization need to inform the marketing department as to what exactly can be done & what can not be done.

In general, organizations must not disclose the identity of clients or any confidential information about the clients/customers without permission unless there is legal obligation to do so. According to the MRS code of conduct the anonymity of a respondent must be preserved unless they have given their informed consent for their details to be revealed or for attributable comments to be passed on. If respondents have given consent for data to be passed on in a form which allows them to be personally identified, the organization must demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the data will only be used for the purpose for which the data were collected; and fully inform the respondents as to what will be revealed, to whom and for what purpose. Nowadays, the cornerstone to privacy has become privacy and customer permission. Most importantly, trust has become the cornerstone to a continuing relationship. The customer relationship is built on more than the pieces of data and collected history. Merely collecting data & storing data can be a tremendous waste of corporate resources. Personalized and database marketing, conducted correctly can serve both the organizations & the customers.

References:

Websites o m4bmarketing - http://www.m4bmarketing.com o Mybusiness - http://www.mybusiness.co.uk/ o Interfaceonline - http://www.interfaceonline.co.za o Wikipedia - www.wikipedia.org

Books o Housden Matthew PCM 2008-2009 IM Course book Market Information And Research o Kasanoff, Bruce. Making it Personal: How to Profit from personalization without invading privacy. Cambridge ,MA : Perseus Books,2001 o Recicheld, Fred. The Loyalty Effect. Cambridge ,MA : Harvard Business School Press, 1996 o DAC Enterprises o MRS/ESOMAR code of conduct o Handouts given by Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing - MIR Dilini Jayasuriya

APPENDIX 01
I confirm that in forwarding this Assessment for Marking, I Understand and have applied the CIM policies relating to word count, plagiarism and collusion for all tasks. This Assignment/Project is the result of my own independent work/investigation except where otherwise stated. Other sources are acknowledged in the body of the text and/or a bibliography is appended. The work that I have submitted has not previously been accepted in substance for any other award and is not concurrently submitted in candidature for any other award.

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Date