Research Brief

Research Brief

From: Rashmi Varma To:

Team: Sutapa Saha/ Mrinal S Sharma Project: PCO
th
Date: 10 April ‘08 Proposal date: 14th April ‘08

Background:
The PCO industry today is undifferentiated in terms of product offerings and solely driven by distribution
reach leading to acquisitions. Reliance PCO has the biggest distribution network which has led to
increased acquisitions but so has churn increased over time. Also with mobile prepaid rates being
reduced to Re1/min the PCO business has taken a hit. This has resulted in decline in revenues for the
STD/ISD business and stagnancy in CCB (Coin Collection Box) business.
In order to address the above issues Reliance has taken a step further to use technology as an enabler
to differentiate its product offering in the CCB segment. Consumers can make both local and STD calls
from a CCB under different plans and schemes.
However before doing so it is important that we have an understanding of the end user so as to design
better products & services from our stable for the end consumer.

Business Objective:
• To identify & understand who is using the PCO
• Why is he / she using the PCO
• Any preferences & reasons for the same
• Consumption habit & pattern & experiences
• Key benefits in the concept that will increase the propensity to prefer Reliance over others.
Research Objective:
Quantitative

• Profiling of end users of PCO at category level (PCO booth users and CCB users separately)
• To measure the usage and attitude towards PCO as a category (both PCO booth users and
CCB users)
o Brand perceptions and loyalties if any
o Need gaps and required improvements
• Evaluate the new concept for appeal, relevance and persuasiveness.
• Identify key benefit hooks that can be potential differentiators for Reliance.

Qualitative
• To understand usage and attitude and the factors impacting them with respect to the category
• Basis for choice of PCO/CCB

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o Brand Impact and perceptions and basis for the perceptions

o Need gaps and required improvements, and expected benefits from these
• To understand reactions to the benefit concept and the trade-offs the consumer is willing to
make.
TG
• Profile and Usage patterns : among regular Users of PCO
• Concept evaluation : among regular Users, Lapsed Users and Non-Users

Action to be taken basis this research

• Target the appropriate TG for launching the products
• Design communication directed to the appropriate TG highlighting points of relevance and
advantages of the two offerings.

TG
Demographics:
Gender: Males and Females
SEC: B, C, D
Age: 15- 50 yrs
User ship criteria:
Users
 Those using the facility of a PCO phone for making a phone call (local call, STD/ISD or both)
regularly
 People who do not have fixed landlines / mobile phones
 Mobile owners who make outgoing calls from PCO due to the arbitrage in rates
Non Users
 Users of mobile phones who don’t use PCOs
Lapsed Users
 Used PCOs (regularly) previously, but have now lapsed out of it
Profile:
 People across life stages

Locations: All 4 zones

 Metros
 1 town in each zone with a population of 1-5 lacs
 1 town in each zone with a population of 10 thousand – 1 lacs

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Methodology
Quantitative: Face to Face listing interviews followed by mains to further delve into usage, attitude etc.
Qualitative: Focus Group Discussions

Expected Timelines
Proposal by 14th April

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