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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

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1.1 The Topic

A study on customers perception and future potential for Tata cars
Market Potential: Market potential is the limit approached by market demand as industry marketing expenditure approach infinity for a given market environment.

Total market potential:

Total market potential is the maximum amount of sales that might be available to all the firms in an industry during a given period, under a given level of industry marketing effort and environmental conditions. A common way to estimate total market potential is to multiply the potential number of buyers by the average quantity each purchases, times the price.

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Consumer perception:
Consumer perception is any attempt to understand how a consumer's perception of a product or service influences their behavior. Those who study consumer perception try to understand why consumers make the decisions they do, and how to influence these decisions. Usually, consumer perception theory is used by marketers when designing a campaign for a product or brand. However, some people study consumer perception in order to understand psychology in a much more general sense.

Perception
In general psychological terms, perception is our ability to make some kind of sense of reality from the external sensory stimuli to which we are exposed. Several factors can influence our perception, causing it to change in certain ways. For example, repeated exposure to one kind of stimuli can either make us oversensitive or desensitized to it. Additionally, the amount of attention we focus on something can cause a change in our perception of it.

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1.2 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY:

This project is conducted to identify Potential customers for new launch Tata products and consumer perception about the product and about the Tata Motors exclusive showroom. The main objective of this project was to understand the customer perception and determine the potential customers for new cars in solapur region. It also has some other objectives like to find out Product awareness, to analyze & evaluate satisfaction of customers towards products of Tata. The sample size was fixed considering the time available for the research.

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1.2 TATA COMPANY PROFILE:

Tata Motors Limited is Indias largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs.1,23,133 crores (USD 27 billion) in 2010-11. It is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top three in passenger vehicles with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle segments. The Company is the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer, and the world's third largest bus manufacturer. The Company's over 25,000 employees are guided by the vision to be "best in the manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver, and best in our value system and ethics." More than 5.9 billion Tata Vehicles ply on Indian roads making Tata a dominant force in India automobile industry. Its product range covers
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University of Pune (2010-12) passenger cars, multi utility vehicles, light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles for goods and passenger transport. 7 out of 10 medium heavy commercial vehicles bear the trusted Tata mark. A Tata motor has the unique distinction of giving India its first and only indigenously built passenger car. The Tata indica and the premium feature sedan-The Tata indigo. The indica, launched in 1998, reached the 2, 50,000 sales mark within 52 months of launch. The Company's commercial and passenger vehicles are already being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia, South Asia and South America. It has franchisee/joint venture assembly operations in Kenya, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Russia, Senegal and South Africa. Tata Motors, the first Company from India's engineering sector to be listed in the New York Stock Exchange (September 2004), has also emerged as an international automobile company. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, a business comprising the two iconic British brands that was acquired in 2008. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company, South Korea's second largest truck maker. The phenomenal success of these vehicles stands testimony of the companys research and engineering expertise. In January 2008, Tata motors unveiled its Peoples car, the Tata Nano, which India and the world have been looking forward. The Tata Nano has been subsequently launched as planned in India in March 2009. A development, Which signifies a first for the global automobile industry, the Nano brings the safety of a car within the reach of thousands of families. The standard

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University of Pune (2010-12) version has been priced at Rs.100,000 (excluding VAT and transportation cost). Designed with a family in mind, it has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. It can comfortably seat four persons. Its mono-volume design will set a new benchmark among small cars. Its safety performance exceeds regulatory requirements in India. In terms of over pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheeler being manufactured in India today. The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps high fuel efficiency. The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint. With the foundation of its rich heritage, Tata Motors today is etching a refulgent future.

TATA MOTORS FLASH FIGURES FOR AUGUST 2011 PRODUCTION Category M&HCV LCV Aug-11 19143 32255 Aug-10 14493 24212 Aug-9 11548 15176 2011-12 89315 144169 2010-11 75641 106486 2009-10 49555 79122 Page 7

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Utility Cars TOTAL SALES For the month Category M&HCV LCV Utility Cars TOTAL Aug-11 17683 29270 3418 13707 64078 Aug-10 23022 2993 23207 65938 Aug-09 19596 2662 15286 49810 3372 13854 68624 3333 23321 65359 2545 12751 42020 18233 92568 344285 14748 114366 311241 13643 52181 194501

REVIEW OF
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LITERATURE

Overview of Indian Automobile Industry

The industry turnover is estimated to reach US$ 145 billion by 2016.Automobile production increased from 8.5 million units in 200405 to 14.1 million units in 20092010 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.7 per cent. Domestic vehicle sales increased at 26.8 per cent y-o-y, from 9.7 million units in 200809 to 12.3 million units in 20092010. Between April 2000 and August 2010, cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to the automotive sector, including both automobile and auto components, totaled US$ 4,710 million. FDI inflow in 20092010 for the auto components sector was recorded at US$ 1.2 billion, which was 4 per cent of the total FDI inflow in the country in the same period.

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University of Pune (2010-12) Tata Motors acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover and the launch of the worlds most inexpensive car, the Tata Nano, has placed the Indian automobile market on the global automotive map. The growing availability of small and affordable cars has helped expand the PV market in India. The Indian automotive industry is expected to be the worlds seventh-largest automobile market by 2016 and the third largest by 2030, only behind China and the US.

The industry has a strong multiplier effect on the economy due to its deep forward and backward linkages with several key segments of the economy, a finance ministry statement said. Indian automobile industry has come a long way to from the era of the Ambassador car to Maruti 800 to latest TATA nano. Indian Automobile industry can be divided into three segments i.e. two wheeler, three wheeler & four wheeler segment. The domestic two-wheeler market is dominated by Indian as well as foreign players such as Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto, Honda Motors, TVS Motors, and Suzuki etc. Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors are the leading passenger car manufacturers in the country. And India is considered as strategic market by Suzuki, Yamaha, etc. Commercial Vehicle market is catered by players like Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Volvo, Force Motors, Eicher Motors etc.

Market segments Automobiles

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Two- Wheelers

PVS

CVS

ThreeWheelers

Mopeds

Passenger cars

Light Commercial vehicles

Passenger carriers

Scooters

Utility vehicles

Medium & Heavy Commercial

Goods carrier

Motorcycles

Multi-purpose vehicles

vehicles (MCVs &

Electric twowheelers

Products of TATA Motors:

[1] Passenger cars and utility vehicles

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TATA SAFARI DICOR

TATA SUMO GRANDE

Indica Vista

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Tata Indigo Manza.

Tata Nano

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INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE PLAYERS: OVERVIEW OF THE PLAYERS IN THE INDIAN INDUSTRY

The Indian auto industry is highly competitive with a number of global and Indian auto companies present. Hence, we have conducted an Inter company analysis of Tata with Mahindra and Mahindra and Maruti Udyog, to get an idea of the companys position (operation and profitability) vis a vis its competitors.

Key Players in the Indian auto industry Passenger Cars And CVs
Tata Motors launch of the Tata Nano revolutionised the industry by creating a new ultra low-cost car (ULCC) segment.

There are plans to set up a plant to produce

Toyota-branded compact cars for Indian

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University of Pune (2010-12) market. The plant will have an annual capacity of 100000 cars at an investment of US$ 32 Billion.

Hyundais management plans to make the companys Indian R & D Centre a hub for the development of small cars such as the i10 & i20 for global markets at an investment of US$50 million.

Maruti Suzukis JV in India and the largest passenger car manufacturer in India.

Honda has set up a power train facility project in rajasthan at an investment of US $ 115 million. The company also plans to set up injectionmoulding plants to manufacture a range of plastic parts used in instrument panels and bumpers.

One of the largest players in the UV/ MUV segment.

General motors has set up an R & D centre in bengaluru, the companys first outside the US, at an

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University of Pune (2010-12) investment of more than US$ 21 million. This is expected to cater to the needs of countries in the Asia-pasific region.

Marketing-Mix by Tata motors:

Marketing is the process by which a product or service originates and is then priced, promoted, and distributed to consumers. The principal marketing functions involve market research and product development, design, and testing. It is the business activity of presenting products or services in such a way as to make them desirable. One has to consider promotion that is balanced with a suitable product available at a reasonable price, provided at all places to maximize the sale of ones product.

PRODUCT Brand

MARKETING MIX PRICE PROMOTION Pricing Strategy Personal

PLACE Channels of
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Packaging Innovations

Pricing & Quality Price &

Selling Advertising Public

Distributions Physical Distribution Wholesaler &

Alterations Relations Retailers Quality Discounts 1. PRODUCT (Brand, Packaging, Innovations, Quality) :
a. Brand: Advertising is often used to make consumers aware of a products special low price or its benefits. But an even more important function of advertising is to create an image that consumers associate with a product, known as the brand image. The brand image goes far beyond the functional characteristics of the product. The products of Tata Motors have many special characteristics to them, but when consumers think of it, they not only think of its features, but they may also associate it with quality, performance, class. All of these meanings have been added to the product by advertising. Consumers frequently buy the product not only for its functional characteristics but also because they want to be identified with the image associated with the brand. Tata Motors have been successful in creating and maintaining a professional brand image. b. Packaging: A vehicle cannot have a material packaging. Here, packaging refers to and effective assembly of features. Tata Motors provide many innovative features to suit the target customers and the product. E.g. Tata Safari Dicor has Reverse Guide System which includes a weather-proof camera to help the driver while reversing the vehicle. c. Innovations: The various motives behind buying an automobile are Need, Prestige, Comfort, Fashion, Jealousy and Novelty. The R & D Department continuously strives to bring new innovations in their product. Tatas have an industrial experience of over 100 years and they are well known with the Psychology of Indian customers, who desire more at less
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University of Pune (2010-12) price. This experience has helped them to develop products which fulfill the expectations of Indian consumers. d. Quality Control: Tata Motors have their Quality Control standards and the QC Dept. ensures that the customer does not face any inconveniences of a defective product. 2. PRICE (Pricing Strategy, Alterations, Discounts) a. Pricing Strategy: The prices are fixed keeping in mind a number of factors. As told by Mr. Desai, prices have to be at par with the prices of the competitors. Tata Motors give a relative price advantage as compares to its competitors. The various determinants of price are i. Market Condition ii. Costs incurred iii. Profit percentage desired by the Co. iv. Dealer Profit b. Alterations: The Company does not allow any alterations to any of the features of the product. If there is an alteration which affects the performance of the engine, then the warranty becomes void. However, there may be alterations in the accessories, if desired by the customer. c. Discounts: Discounts are decided by the Co. every month. Any further discounts made from the profits of the dealer. However, the Co. may compensate the dealer for the discounts allowed to a certain extent. 3. PROMOTION (Personal Selling, Advertising, Sales Promotion, Public Relations) a. Personal Selling: There is minimal personal selling involved. The Sales Officers at the dealerships collect prospective customer databases and perform cold calling to attract customers. b. Advertising: Advertising is a form of commercial mass communication designed to promote the sale of a product or service. Tata Motors is
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University of Pune (2010-12) responsible for the advertising of its products. The dealer does play any role in the advertising. The various media used for advertising are T.V., Newspapers, Magazines, Hoardings, and Internet etc. The dealer conducts point-of-purchase displays to advertise the products. The advertisements done by the Co. help the dealer to capitalize on the market. c. Sales Promotion: The purpose of sales promotion is to supplement and coordinate advertising and personal selling; Sales promotions are designed to persuade consumers to purchase immediately by providing special incentives such as cash rebates, prizes, extra product, or gifts. The Co. conducts intensive sales promotion during festivals such as festive discounts during Diwali. d. Public Relations : Public Relations is a management function that creates, develops, and carries out policies and programs to influence public opinion or public reaction about an idea, a product, or an organization. The Co. takes serious measures to maintain good public relations. The Co. follows business ethics to ensure that the customer is satisfied and receives good service whenever and wherever he desires

4. PLACE (Channels of Distribution, Physical Distribution) a. Channels of Distribution: In case of vehicles, dealership method
of distribution and sales is generally adopted. Tata Motors have also adopted dealership method of distribution of its products. The dealers purchase products from the Co. at a negotiated price. The MRP is fixed by the Co. and the dealer gets a profit within these prices. As the Co. deals in commercial and passenger vehicles, there may be a single or distinct dealerships to market its commercial and passenger vehicles in a town. However, if there is a single dealership appointed, then the commercial and passenger vehicles are managed under Commercial Vehicles Dept. and Passenger Vehicles Dept. respectively.

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University of Pune (2010-12) Tata Motors have contracts with the Government of India and it supplies buses and passenger vehicles, in some cases, to the Govt. Sometimes, bulk quantities of vehicles are ordered by a Govt. Dept. or a private company. The sales, distribution and billing of these are looked after by the Co. itself.

b. Physical Distribution: The commercial vehicles are manufactured

at Jamshedpur, Lucknow and Pantnagar whereas the passenger vehicles are manufactured at Pune plant. From the plant, the finished product is transported to the dealerships. The nation-wide dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprises over 2,000 touch points. The dealerships are strategically located in the target and potential markets to ensure efficient and timely availability of its products in the market.

Tata Motors concern is manifested by a dual approach

1. Reduction of environmental pollution and regular pollution control drives 2. Restoration of ecological balance. Our endeavours towards environment protection are soil and water conservation programmes and extensive tree plantation drives. Tata Motors is committed to restoring and preserving environmental balance, by reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources and recycling materials. Reducing Pollution: Tata Motors has been at the forefront of the Indian automobile industry's antipollution efforts by introducing cleaner engines. It is the first Indian Company to introduce vehicles with Euro norms well ahead of
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Restoring Ecological Balance: Tata Motors has set up effluent treatment facilities in its plants, to avoid release of polluted water into the ecosystem. In Pune, the treated water is conserved in lakes attracting various species of birds from around the world thus turning the space into a green belt. Tree plantation programmes involving villagers and Tata Motors employees, have
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University of Pune (2010-12) the mandated dates. Tata Motors' joint venture with Cummins Engine Company, USA, in 1992, was a pioneering effort to introduce emission control technology for India. Over the years, Tata Motors has also made investments in setting up of an advanced emission-testing laboratory. With the intention of protecting the environment, Tata Motors has upgraded the performance of its entire range of four and six cylinder engines to meet international emission standards. This has been accomplished with the help of world-renowned engine consultants like Ricardo and AVL. These engines are used in Tata Motors vehicles in the Indian market, as well as in over 70 export markets. Tata Motors is constantly
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turned acres of barren village green. Tata Motors has planted as many as 80,000 trees in the works and the township and more than 2.4 million trees have been planted in Jamshedpur region. Over half a million trees have been planted in the Pune region. Tata Motors has directed all its suppliers to package their products in alternate material instead of wood.

University of Pune (2010-12) working towards developing alternative fuel engine technologies. It has manufactured CNG version of buses and followed it up with a CNG version of its passenger car, the Indica.

Passenger car market service as an apt illustration of segmentation: The passenger car players went about the segmentation task methodically and dissected the market comprehensively and deeply. The following three realities had contributed towards phenomenon: 1) Car buyers had come to form a diverse group 2) Competition necessitated deep segmentation 3) Deep segmentation had also become feasible

Segmentation based on preferred price slot: The passenger car players segmented the car market of the country into five broad segments A/entry level/budget segment B/compact segment C/family/Mid segment D/premium/executive sedan segment E/super luxury segment

Evaluation of A segment:
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University of Pune (2010-12) The preferred price slot here was below RS. 2 lacs. A sizable segment currently: Around 50% of the total car market comprised first time car buyers- largely the two wheeler upgraders. A majority of them went for an A segment cars. The segment had been accounting for the largest share of the Indian car market for many years. Re-evaluation of the segment in more recent times: The Nano redefines the A segment and gives it a new lease of life. The unveiling of the Nano the Rs. 1 lac car revolutionise the A segment and alter its structure completely. It would stay as the uniquely Indian A segment. Evaluation of B segment: Buyers in this segment looked for cars in the price slot of Rs. 2.5 lacs 4.5 lacs. Largest segment: It commanded over 30% share of total car market and was expected to grow at a healthy pace in volume as well as share of total market. The upgraders from the entry level car to the compact car. Competition was intense and the segment was already crowded.

Evaluation of C segment: The preferred price slot here was Rs. 4.5 lacs 7 lacs. As with the B segment, even with the C segment, the competition was intense. There was actually a scramble in the segment. New launches had been eating into the shares of existing offers though there was growth in number due to overall growth in the segment. Evaluation of D segment: The preferred price here was Rs. 7 lacs Rs. 15 lacs. Buyers in the segment had flexibility in the matter of price. They were after a world-class car and
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University of Pune (2010-12) were willing to pay the due price. The segment accounted for only a small share of the total car market. A segment remains a niche one. Many players were finally making-up their mind on entering the Indian car market.

Evaluation of E segment: Buyers in this segment look for a real super luxury car. Mercedes-Benz E series, Rover Montego, Audi 6, BMW were among the offers. These group were however small segment in the Indian context. The SUV segment: The SUV was meant for extensive highway as well as off-road travelling. This was the right machine for those who had the money and carving for the off-road travelling. SUV lovers were not seeking a car but a lifestyle instrument. For India it is a new segment.

Tata Motors selects B for volume and higher segments for Multisegment presence: Tata motors had also, right at the start, taken the decision to be a multisegment player. For being o volume player it had to naturally choose the B segment. ( having found the A segment difficult to enter). Tata motors did not want to stop with B segment. First, it had decided to be a multi-segment player. Second, the C segment was a popular one and was providing the volume advantage. It launch the Indigo which took Tata motors to an area where it had not yet entered. Subsequently, with the Nano, Tata motors selected the A segment.

Offers in A segment: B segment: Maruti 800 (MPFI) A-Star

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Offers in Maruti Swift Hundai i-10

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University of Pune (2010-12) Nano Offers in C segment: D segment: SX4 Accord Honda City Corolla Tata Indigo Volkswagen Passat Indica V2 Offer in Honda Toyota

Offers in E segment: in SUV segment: BMW Endeavour Gallardo Safari Dicor Rolls Royce Land Cruiser

Offers Ford Tata Toyota

Michael Porters five forces analysis:

Potential entrants (Threat of Suppliers (supplier power) mobility) Industry competitors

(segment rivalry)

Buyers (Buyer power ) Page 25

Substitution Sinhgad School of Business Studies (Threat of substitutes)

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Michael porter has identified five forces that determine the intrinsic long-run attractiveness of a market or market segment: industry, potential entrants, substitutes, buyers and suppliers.
1) Threat of intense segment rivalry:- A segment is unattractive if it

already contains numerous, strong or aggressive competitors. It is even more unattractive if its stable or declining, if plant capacity must be added in large increments, if fixed cost or exit barriers are high, or if competitors have high stake in staying in the segment. This conditions will lead to price wars, advertisements battles, and new product introduction and will make it expensive to compete. The passenger cars market has seen fierce competition due to segment rivalry.
2) Threat of new entrants: The most attractive segment is one in

which entry barriers are high and exit barriers are low. Profit potential is high but firm face intense competition. Here firm enter during good times but leave during bad time.
3) Threat of substitute products: A segment is unattractive when

there is actual or potential substitute for product in the market. Substitute place limits on prices and on profits.
4) Threat of buyers growing bargaining power: A segment is

unattractive if buyers possess strong or growing bargaining power. Buyers bargaining power grows when they become more concentrated or organized. To protect themselves, sellers might select buyers who have the least power to negotiate or switch suppliers.
5) Threat of suppliers growing bargaining power: A segment is

unattractive if the companys suppliers are able to raise price or reduce quantities. Suppliers tend to be powerful when they are concentrated or organized, when there are few substitute, when the
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University of Pune (2010-12) supplied product is an important input, when the cost of switching suppliers are high.

Reason to carry this project: The topic of this study was A study on customers perception and future potential for Tata cars. This study is carried out because of the growing Passengers car market in India, Tata is number three in India for passenger car sector after Maruti Suzuki and hyundai. This study will help in knowing the growth potential for newly launched product and perception towards cars of Tata motors. This study will be also helpful in knowing perception of customers towards sterling motors.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Objectives:Primary objectives
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1) To study customers perception about Tata cars.

2) To identify potential customers for newly launched Products (cars).

Secondary objectives
1) To study brand repositioning strategy of Tata motors. 2) To bring awareness among customers regarding newly launched products of Tata motors. 3) To generate data-base of the potential customers for newly launched cars. 4) To bring awareness regarding allied services provided by Tata motors. 5) To find out satisfaction level of the customers. 6) To determine acceptable prices of the products. 7) To find out satisfaction level of the customers regarding after sales services. 8) To study impact of advertisements on customers.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
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University of Pune (2010-12) Research methodology may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. To plan research project, it is necessary to anticipate all the steps that must be undertaken if the project is to be completed successfully. These steps are often collectively referred collectively as research process.

RESEARCH DESIGN
A research design is the arrangement of condition for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine the relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure. Research design is the important because it facilitates the smooth sailing of various research operations, thereby making research as efficient as possible yielding maximum information with minimal expenditure of minimum time, effort, money. There may not be single, standard and correct method of research. There may be different types of research design to suit different purpose of research.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROCESS:

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the problem. It includes various steps that are generally adopted by the researcher in studying problem along with logic behind them.

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STEPS IN RESEARCH DESIGN

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TYPES OF RESEARCH DESIGN

There are various types of research design. They are: o Exploratory Research o Descriptive Research o Experimental Design
1.

Exploratory Design: - An Exploratory Marketing data has to be

obtained with regard to an predetermined objective or a hypothesis or an assumption and to test the hypothesis to arrive at conclusion of it holds or not.

2.

Descriptive Design: - in a descriptive marketing research data

pertaining to the ongoing state of market affairs is obtained and to study the market situation in a SWOT from work.

3.

Experimental Design: - This research is a design in which a

cause and effect study is carried out by conducting an experiment in the market to understand as what happen because of marketing experiment. An exploratory research focuses on the discovery of ideas with respect

to the secondary data available. It is a preliminary investigation which does not have a rigid design. A descriptive study is taken when the researcher wants to know characteristics of a certain group such as age, sex, occupation level, occupation etc. In contrast to Explanatory study, descriptive studies are well structured. A casual research is undertaken when the researcher is interested in knowing the cause and effect relationship between two or more variables. Such studies are based on reasoning along well tested lines.
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University of Pune (2010-12) Further the researcher should select the research design which is appropriate in achieving the objective of study.

SAMPLING DESIGN:A sample design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample from a given population. It refers to the technique or the procedure the researcher would adopt in selecting items for the sample. Sample design may as well lay down the number of items to be included in the sample i.e. the size of the sample. Sample design is determined before data are collected. In this project researcher studied market in solapur city. As it was impossible to approach all respondents of city, a sample was selected which represent whole city. Sample in small group of 150 people were taken under consideration. This small group represents the total population.
i.

Sample Universecan be finite or infinite.

Universe refers to the total

number of items or units in any field of inquiry. Universe

Universe for the study was concerned with customers from solapur region
ii.

Sampling Unit- Sampling Unit indicates the people or

subject that is selected for particular research. The Customers of Tata cars and people who made the inquiry in the city were selected.

iii.

Sample Size- Sample size indicates the number of

respondents that are selected for particular research. A

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University of Pune (2010-12) sample size of 100 representatives for the product and 50 for the showroom were selected.
iv.

Sampling Procedure- Sampling Procedure indicates

the manner in which particular respondents were selected. The ratio is maintained such that sample represents the whole sectors response.

DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES

The next step is to gather information. There are two types of data. They are: PRIMARY DATA SECONDARY DATA

PRIMARY DATA
The data which I have collected from different respondents through questionnaires and observations. The steps taken for collection of primary data were as follows: Appointments were taken and then the questionnaire was filled by personally visiting them, as per their convenience. Many a times on field interview were conducted as convenient.

There are two methods by which primary data can be collected. They are:
Observation method Communication method
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a) Observation method:Observation is one of the methods of collecting data. It is used to get both past and current information. For example, instead of asking responder about their current behavior, we may observe the result of such behavior. The observational method is not used frequently. All the same it is used especially in marketing experimentation.

b) Communication method:This method is very popular. The method is used for the project study.

Advantages:
It helped in correcting not only factual data in terms of demographics but also attitude and opinions. The recorded data is more reliable and valid. It is less time consuming and less expensive than observation method.

6.5.2) SECONDARY DATA

The data which was given by the company. The data is all about regarding the address and contact numbers of the customers. Secondary data is acquired by various analysis techniques.

Advantages
The major advantage in the use of secondary data is that it is more economical, as the cost of collecting original data is saved.
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University of Pune (2010-12) It saves much of the time of the researcher. This leads to prompt completion of the project. Search for secondary data is helpful, not only because secondary data may be useful but because familiarity with such data indicates the deficiencies and gaps. As a result the primary data can be collected more specifically and more relevant to the study. Finally the secondary data can be used as basis for comparison with primary data.

6.5.3) QUESTIONNAIRE:
This is the most popular tool for data collection. A questionnaire contains questions that a researcher wishes to ask his respondents. It is important that these questions be put in a language the customer understands and find easy to answer. It is important that questions are unloaded to avoid any research bias. It is also important that the information collected must be believable and unbiased. Just as researcher bias has to be avoided. Respondent bias must also be avoided.

6.6) DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES:

The next stage is that of data analysis. It is important to understand that raw data has no usage in marketing research. hence appropriate analytical tools must be used. The most elementary is the arithmetic analysis using

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University of Pune (2010-12) percentile and ratios. The information available is analyzed in the form of tables, graphs and pie chart.

REPORT PREPRATION: Organizing and conducting a field survey:

Initially, after collecting all the required data and selecting the sample design, the next step was to conduct a field survey. The two important aspects of a field survey are Interviewing and Supervision of fieldwork. The task of interviewing seems to be simple but in reality it is one of the most difficult tasks in marketing research, this is because the respondents are generally hesitant in giving information unless approached with tact, initiative and intelligence. Supervision of the fieldwork is equally important to ensure timely and proper completion of the field survey.

Processing and Collecting Data:

Once the field survey was over and the questionnaires were received, the next important task was to analyze and process the data collected in a meaningful manner, exactly like conversion of raw material into finished product. The format of the Questionnaire used by us for the survey is given below.

Preparing a Research Report:

Once the data has been tabulated, interpreted and analyzed, I was required to prepare a Report embodying the finding of the research study
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University of Pune (2010-12) and the recommendations. Preparing a effective report is very essential. A good research but a poor report would not be very effective, and considerably undermine its utility. It is necessary that the report should consist of adequate and enough information, and should be carefully designed.

Conclusion:
A Marketing research process, as described above involves various steps, though strict adherence to each of these steps may not always be possible or required. Researchers have deviated from the above steps sometimes as per the needs and requirements. Another point worth emphasizing is that how much ever elaborate a research design maybe, its successful. Management of research in marketing or in any other field is of great importance. Depending upon the objective of research, marketing research design is selected. According to the research objective Researcher plan to choose Descriptive research. This research will help to know some facts about other people preferences and choice.

It helped me in knowing the following information:

o What are the perceptions of consumers regarding Tata cars? o How they rate for performance of Tata cars? o How they rate for features and prices of the Tata cars? o How is the demand of Tata cars?
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University of Pune (2010-12) o What is the customer feedback? o What is the source of information regarding existing products? o What is the future requirement of the Tata cars in solapur region. o What is the customer satisfaction level? o What is the criterion for purchase?

Branding
A brand, or a brand name, is the attempt to impose some kind of identifying feature on a product or service so that it is easily recognized by the general public. A brand is oftentimes associated with an image, a set of expectations or recognizable logo. The goal of a brand is to set a product or service apart from others of its kind, and influence the consumers to choose the product over similar products simply because of its associations.

Positioning, Repositioning or Depositioning

Positioning is the process whereby marketers attempt to build a brand. Marketers actively try to create an image which is both recognizable and appeals to a certain group of people or target market. Repositioning is the process of altering this image, usually in order to influence a larger target market and thereby influence the behavior of a greater number of consumers. Depositioning is the practice of trying to devalue alternative, competing brands in the perceptions of a shared target market.

Book Reference: Marketing Management by Philip Kotler.

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Marketing management by V S Ramaswamy.

Kothari C.R. Research Methodology.

WEBSITES:

www.ibef.com www.Tatamotors.com www.google.com

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