An Analysis On The Consumer

Buying Behavior
Submitted By

Under the Guidance of:

Dr. Nitin Gupta
Professor - Marketing
IMT Hyderabad

Rakesh S K (15A3HP611)
Mahesh Bumandala (15A3HP639)
D Dinesh Kumar Reddy (15A2HP460)
Abhishek Suryapeta (15A3HP617)

Interim Report - submitted as a part of Project in Consumer Behavior Course

09-August-2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
2. The TV Commercials and Print Ad used for the analysis.......................................................... 2
2.1. TV Commercials .............................................................................................................................. 2
2.2. Print Ad ............................................................................................................................................ 3
3. The Model of Motivation Process ................................................................................................. 4
3.1. Analysis of the advertisements based on the above model .............................................................. 4
4. CAD Personality groups ................................................................................................................ 5
5. Personality Traits ........................................................................................................................... 5
6. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 6
7. References ....................................................................................................................................... 7

1. Introduction
Surf excel was launched in India in 1959 as a detergent powder that washes whitest. Later many
players entered the market, surf excel was facing a stiff competition. The biggest competition was
from Ariel the product of P&G. Surf Excel bounced back and gained the market leadership
through its revolutionary promotions, they said DIRT IS GOOD and made an emotional and
rational appeal to consumers. It soon emerged as the dominant detergent of the country. The
product is deciding its advertisements and promotional activities by matching the market insight
with local insights. The TV commercials match the regions attitude so that the product can fulfill
and satisfy the customer/s need and expectation. The packaging is also designed in such a manner
that it should be able to create a recall value among the consumers.
Promotion was the most important ingredient in the revival of surf excel. Relaunch of the surf with
the tag line the Dirt is Good helped it in differentiating the product, because all other brands were
still focusing on just the removal of dirt or stain. The target market of surf excel is mainly
housewives as deciders whereas children as influencers. Surf Excel is available in four different
packages. Surf excel regeneration in the market is a mood of exemplary marketing strategies.
In this project, three of Surf excels Television Commercials and one Print ad has been used to
study and analyze the consumer buying behavior. The model of the Motivation Process is used to
analyze how these ads motivate consumers in purchasing the product. CAD and Trait theories
have been applied to identify which all personality types are these ads catering to.
2. The TV commercials and Print Ad used for the analysis
2.1 TV commercials
1. Surf Excel #ReadyForLife

2. Surf Excel Liquid

3. Surf Excel Cute Indian Ads

2.2 Print Ad

3. The Model of Motivational Process

Personality,
Perception, Learning
& Attitudes

Unfulfilled
Needs,
Wants and
Desires

Tension

Drive

Behavior

Goal or
Need
Fulfillment

Tension Reduction

3.1 Analysis of the advertisements based on the above model

Process
Unfulfilled Needs, Wants
and Desires
Tension

Drive
Personality, Perception,
Learning and Attitudes

Motivation
1. To remove the Stain or Dirt.
2. Wants to be respected in their social environment
1. High chances of a bad impression if your clothes are not neat
and bright.
2. Getting embarrassed in the society due to dirt on clothes.
1. To purchase the product which gives you ultimate wash i.e.,
Surf Excel
1. When the drive is triggered to purchase the product, the
consumers behavior the next step in the process is influenced
by the personality of the consumer. The Surf Excel Liquid ad will
be receptive for an Innovative consumer.
2. Most of the consumers whom these are ads are targeted to, are
Compliant individuals who wish to be loved and appreciated.
3. Surf Excel have been maintaining JND (just noticeable
difference) in their different ads. This is done to update their
existing packaging and promotions without losing the recognition
of loyal consumers.
4. Surf Excel has evolved as a strong brand by effectively using
the Elements of Consumer Learning to showcase their products.
5. The ads feature the need of removal of tough stains which create
the Motives.

6. Getting dirt for a good cause is the Cue that tells the consumer
to be ready to get stained and Surf Excel is there to remove any of
that tough stains.
7. As there are many ways to Respond to the cue or drive to
remove the stains, it is the information and previous learning of
the consumers that make them to purchase your product, here surf
excel provides the product related information and also depicts
various visuals of getting dirt and removing it easily.
8. Surf Excel has been successful in Reinforcing the usage of the
product by the consumers by constant communication and
innovations.
Purchase the product
Behavior
Goals or Need Fulfillment Getting a neat and bright wash for your clothes
Thus the tension of being embarrassed and bearing bad impression
Tension Reduction
in the society is reduced.
4. CAD Personality Groups
The consumers who purchase Surf Excel are being influenced by the need of being well respected
and social belongingness through their attire. Here the ads are basically designed in this framework
where a child is getting stains on his clothes so that he does something good that is well accepted
and appreciated by the society. As per the ads taken for analysis Surf Excel is catering to the
Compliant Individuals who move towards others and wish to be loved, wanted and appreciated.
5. Personality Traits

Innovators: Surf Excel has evolved accordingly with the changing time and changing
technology. The evolution from Bar to liquid is evident for their innovation. The ad on the
Surf Excel Liquid shows how easy it is to use and remove different tough stains. This ad
is directed towards the Innovators who are willing to adopt the new product.
The consumers are motivated by the Functional factor - The ad creates interest in the
consumers mind by emphasizing the performance of the product in removing different
stains.

Dogmatism: The Ads of Surf Excel specifies the product benefits and other product usage
information, without using any celebrities. A Low-Dogmatic person is more receptive to
the ads that put across the factual differences and Product usage information, so, these ads
are catering to the low dogmatic consumers.

Social Character: An inner-directed consumer prefers ads that stress product features and
personal benefits. In all the above TV Ads and the Print Ad, Surf Excel has put in the
product features, ease of use, getting appreciated for getting stained for a good reason, this

is all about making a person feel and move towards purchasing the product without looking
for any external guidance or suggestions. So, these Ads are catering to the Inner- Directed
Consumers.

OSL: In the above Ads Surf Excel has portrayed the children as getting dirt for a good
cause which is an unusual experience and it is a complex situation for the parent to wash
the stained clothes, but still the mother is happy to allow the kid to get dirt and uses Surf
Excel to wash those tough stains, thus accepting to face the complex situations. So, through
these Ads it is appealing the consumers to use their products, and it is targeting the high
OSL consumers.

Variety and Novelty: Surf Excel, through their Ads are also catering to the variety seeking
consumers, who focus on use innovativeness. In their Ads they show the consumers that
various types of stains can be removed with the same product.

NFC: The Ads mainly shows the product features and other product related information
like ease of usage, easy removal of stains, removal of tough stains, without any celebrity.
These Ads are catering to the high NFC consumers, who are attracted to the Ads that show
more product related information and descriptions.

Visualizers vs Verbalizers: Surf Excel in their Ads has mostly focused on visual based
explanation of the product features rather than the verbal-based explanation. They have
put in various visuals which appeal the consumers, like getting dirt by fighting with the
mud or a kid getting his t-shirt dirt in order to help his friend. In the print Ad they have
shown kids playing in the mud and then express it by saying Daag Acche Hain (Stains
are good). Thus these Ads cater to the Visualizers who are more receptive to pictorial
images.
6. Conclusion

Surf Excel has been very dynamic in their promotional strategies. They primarily started their
promotion with a rational message which was focusing on whitest wash, then they slowly shifted
their focus on to the emotional appeal to their consumers which said Stains are good. This
brought in many changes to consumer perception about the product and created a positive
influence. The ads have been well designed to attract the housewives who are the decision makers
in this purchase, they also used kids who can also easily influence the parent. The above stated
personality traits are well present in the women whom these are directed to. These ads also make
the parents motivated to allow their kids to do certain activities, in which they get dirt but not to
worry about the dirt or stains as they have the best detergent or liquid detergent to remove those
stains.

References
1. Surf Excel, 2016, Accessed from - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surf_Excel.
Accessed on 07-August-2016.
2. Leon G. Schiffman, Joseph Wisenblit, S. Ramesh Kumar. Pearson India
Education Services Pvt. Ltd., 2016, 11th Edition. Pg No: 61-161