SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT

REPORT ON

A STUDY ON ONLINE TRAVEL PORTALS FOCUSING ON

GLOBAL ARCUS
In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of MBA degree

By

Upkar singh

Roll No: 160251210

MBA (2016-2018)

Under the guidance of

Prof. Daleep parimoo

SBS, Sharda University

School of Business Studies

Sharda University

Plot no: 32, 34, Knowledge Park 3

Greater Noida 201306

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my pleasure to be indebted to various people, who directly or indirectly

contributed in the development of this work and who influenced my thinking,

behavior, and acts during the course of study.

I am thankful to Mr. Sachin Shekhar for his support, cooperation, and motivation

provided to me during the training for constant inspiration, presence and blessings.

I also extend my sincere appreciation to Prof. Daleep Parimoo who provided his

valuable suggestions and precious time in accomplishing my project report.

Lastly, I would like to thank the almighty and my parents for their moral support

and my friends with whom I shared my day-to-day experience and received lots of

suggestions that improved my quality of work.

(Upkar Singh)
PREFACE

The successful completion of this project was a unique experience for me become
by Visiting may place and interacting various person, I achieved a better
knowledge about ONLINE TRAVEL PORTALS. The experience which I gained by doing
this projects is being submitted which content detailed analysis of the research
under taken by me.

The research provides as opportunity to the student to devote his/her skill

knowledge and competencies required during the technical session. The research
is on the topic

A STUDY ON ONLINE PORTALS, FOCUSING ON GLOBAL ARCUS

Table of Contents Page no.

CHAPTER- 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION..6

CHAPTER -2

2.1 OBJECTIVE.8

CHAPTER -3- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .9

CHAPTER- 4-LITERATURE REVIEW.10

4.1 CURRENT SCENARIO

4.2 ADVERTISEMENT

4.3 CLIENT & SERVICING

4.4 ONLINE ADVERTSIEMENT

CHAPTER 5 DATA COLLECTION.21

5.1 OVERVEIW ON TRAVEL INDUSTRY

5.2 DEVELOPMENT & MOMENT IN TRAVEL INDUSTRY

5.3 TRAVEL & HOLIDAYS

5.4 PARAMETRES FOR EVALUATION

5.5 PERCEPTION OF TRAVEL PORTAL

5.6 TRIGGERS TO USE TRAVEL PORTALS

5.7 BARRIERS TO USE TRAVEL PORTALS

5.8 BRAND AWARNESS

5.9 DOMINANT ASSOCIATION FOR EACH BRAND

5.10 BRAND PERCEPTION

5.11 BRAND IMAGINARY

5.12 WHERE DOES YATRA.COM THE BRAND STAND CURRENTL

CHAPTER 6- DATA ANALYSIS ..52

CHAPTER- 7 FINDINGS..70

7.1 FINDINGS

7.2 KEY LEARNING

7.3 CONCLUSION

CHAPTER- 8 RECOMMENDATIONS..73

ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

REFRENCES
CHAPTER- 1

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The advertising is a service industry which plays a very important role in this competitive world by
building brands through effective communication. It is the soul of marketing involving the promotion of
goods and services in order to optimize the sales and the levels of awareness. It is an art which builds
relationship between the product and the customer. The Advertising serves three basic purposes such
as the sales promotion which involves persuading people to buy a particular product or service, the
public relations which involves creating a positive image of a company, and the education which
involves influencing the social attitude on the matters of general concern. The main working areas of
advertising involves the client servicing, the creative department, the media department, the media
production, the television and the film, the photography, the market research, the exhibition and the
event management, the promotion and the direct marketing.

Advertisement are of different types like e-banners, flyers, drop downs, coupons, pamphlets hoardings
and TVCs.In advertising you will come across different strategies of marketing. Mainly an advertising is
consumer based .the advertisement is an idea which is been generated keeping customer as there main
focus. Advertisement is a creative aspect of marketing and maintaining relationship with the customer.

There are various departments involved in an advertisement agency.

There are many strategies followed by an advertisement to make an advertisement more effective and
communicative. There are many brains working under one shelter to write a tremendous and
sensational copy for an advertisement which helps in making advertisement more effective and impact
able.

Advertisement is everywhere and for the same I am carrying a research on online travel portals where
advertising is also important. The study on online travel portals are been carried with the help of an
questionnaire to figure out which online travel portal is having better advertising strategies and a study
is been brand imaginary , brand perception and brand awareness.
CHAPTER- 2

2.1 OBJECTIVES

Aim of the project was to:

1. Study the competitive trends in advertisement.

2. Find out the new communicative strategies used by various existing online brands.
3. Analyzing the overall online travel industry to gain better understanding of the brands position.
4. A comparative study of strategies in order to analyze and assess the current position of
globalarcus.in as compared to the competitors.
CHAPTER -3

3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

PRIMARY DATA

Questionnaire method was used to collect the primary data. The questionnaire was structured and non-
disguised. .

After the information collection process, the collected data was analyzed with the help of Microsoft
Excel.

The analyzed data is presented for any further analysis or study in the form of pie charts;
Recommendations & Conclusions are drawn based on the above study.

Many of the questions are open ended and over based on the recommendation of the customer.

Sample size taken 50 (random)

Area Mayur vihar,Delhi

SECONDARY DATA

The secondary data was obtained from various Magazines, Newspapers, and Internet etc regarding the
current advertisements. The ADs are been analyzed from the popular newspaper like Times of India,
Hindustan times and metro.

Magazine referred for the information is USP age. This is for marketing communication.
 LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER- 4 LITERATURE REVIEW

4.1 Current scenario

The advertising industry is going through rapid changes due to consolidation and globalization.
Meanwhile, advertisers, more than ever before, want to create a seamless global brandthey
need the services of multinational agencies and consultants who can help them in dozen of
countries worldwide. Campaigns and branding, regardless of scale, must be consistent and cost-
effective.

Online advertising is booming. Search engines such as Yahoo! and Google are seeing revenues
soar thanks to paid search inclusion. Also, more and more of advertising budgets are being
directed to online ads. Advertisers of all types have learned that targeted ads online are now
highly productive. Newspapers, magazines, radio and television are trying to adapt and evolve to
changes in audiences and technology.

Vital to businesses of all types, the fields of advertising, marketing and branding and public
relations are covered in-depth in this important volume, from television advertising to direct
mail, from online advertising to branding and image, from agencies to consultants.

India's online travel booking engines are expected to contribute up to $1 billion to the industry by 2009,
which has been estimated to have a $20 billion turnover. "The fact that booking online itself is a young
medium the young find it easy to adapt to a new medium."
Over the last year, the Indian online travel portal market has seen a lot of action - New players have
emerged, Venture capital investments have been made, aggressive online marketing campaigns and
now even several international players are considering entering into the market - an all out race to get
the biggest market share. In the last few years, there has been a perceptible boom in the travel industry.
One of the direct beneficiaries of the boom in the travel industry have been the online travel industry.

In order to broaden its consumer base and top the list in consumer servicing & satisfaction, it
becomes imperative for the Client to understand the consumer; his attitudes, perception,
comfort zone and degree of familiarity with online transactions.

To this end the client undertakes a qualitative research to understand

Consumers attitudes and usage behavior towards online travel vis--vis the options
currently employed to travel and holiday.
Consumers comfort zone & perceptions towards travel portals; the associated brand
perceptions & connect with special emphasis on factors hindering the growth of online
hotel and holiday bookings.

4.2 ADVERTISEMENT

The advertising industry plays a very important role in this competitive world by building brands
through effective communication. It is the soul of marketing involving the promotion of goods and
services in order to optimize the sales and the levels of awareness. It is an art which builds relationship
between the product and the customer. Advertising serves three basic purposes such as the sales
promotion which involves persuading people to buy a particular product or service, the public relations
which involves creating a positive image of a company, and the education which involves influencing the
social attitude on the matters of general concern. The main working areas of advertising involves the
client servicing, the creative department, the media department, the media production, the television
and the film, the photography, the market research, the exhibition and the event management, the
promotion and the direct marketing.
Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to
purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. Many advertisements are
designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and
reinforcement of "brand image" and "brand loyalty". For these purposes, advertisements sometimes
embed their persuasive message with factual information. Every major medium is used to deliver these
messages, including television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the internet and
billboards. Advertising is often placed by an advertising agency on behalf of company or other
organization. Advertising techniques used to promote commercial goods and services can be used to
inform, educate and motivate the public about non-commercial issues, such as AIDS, political ideology,
energy conservation, religious recruitment, and deforestation.

Advertising, in its non-commercial guise, is a powerful educational tool capable of reaching and
motivating large audiences. "Advertising justifies its existence when used in the public interest - it is
much too powerful a tool to use solely for commercial purposes." - Attributed to Howard Gossage by
Ogilvy. Public service advertising, non-commercial advertising, public interest advertising, cause
marketing, and social marketing are different terms for the use of sophisticated advertising and
marketing communications techniques (generally associated with commercial enterprise) on behalf of
non-commercial, public interest issues and initiatives.

Types of advertising

Media

Commercial advertising media can include wall paintings, billboards, street furniture components,
printed flyers and rack cards, radio, cinema and television ads, web banners, mobile telephone screens,
shopping carts, web popup, skywriting, bus stop benches, human directional, magazines, newspapers,
town criers, sides of buses or airplanes , taxicab doors, roof mounts and passenger screens, musical
stage shows, subway platforms and trains, elastic bands on disposable diapers, stickers on apples in
supermarkets, shopping cart handles, the opening section of streaming audio and video, posters, and
the backs of event tickets and supermarket receipts. Any place an "identified" sponsor pays to deliver
their message through a medium is advertising.

Covert advertising

Covert advertising is when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. For example, in
a film, the main character can use an item or other of a definite brand, as in the movie Minority Report,
where Tom Cruise's character John Anderton owns a phone with the Nokia logo clearly written in the
top corner, or his watch engraved with the Buvlgari logo

Television commercials

The TV commercial is generally considered the most effective mass-market advertising format, as is
reflected by the high prices TV networks charge for commercial airtime during popular TV events. The
majority of television commercials features a song or jingle that listeners soon relate to the product. See
advertising. Virtual advertisements may be inserted into regular television programming through
computer graphics. It is typically inserted into otherwise blank backdrops or used to replace local
billboards that are not relevant to the remote broadcast audience. More controversially, virtual
billboards may be inserted into the background where none existing in real-life. Virtual product
placement is also possible.

Infomercial

There two types of infomercials which are long form infomercials and short form infomercials. Long
form infomercials have a time length of 30 minutes. Short form infomercials are 30 seconds to 2 minutes
long. Infomercials are also known as direct response television commercials or DRTV commercials. The
main objective in an infomercial is to create an "impulse buy". In other words, the consumer sees the
presentation and then immediately calls the toll free phone number to buy the product or purchases it
online.

Newer media and advertising approaches

Increasingly, other media are overtaking television because of a shift towards consumer's usage of the
internet as well as devices such as TiVo. Advertising on the World Wide Web is a recent phenomenon.
Prices of Web-based advertising space are dependent on the "relevance" of the surrounding web
content and the traffic that the website receives advertising is another recent phenomenon. Unsolicited
bulk E-mail advertising is known as "spam. A new form of advertising that is growing rapidly is Social
network advertising. It is Online Advertising with a focus on social networking sites. This is a relatively
immature market, but it has shown a lot of promise as advertisers is able to take advantage of the
demographic information the user has provided to the social networking site.

4.3 CLIENT AGENCY RELATIONSHIP

Advertisements chief contribution is that accelerates the process of selling .it does this in four main
ways. Advertising delivers a persuasive message to mass audience more quickly and at a lower cost than
any other form of marketing communication. Advertising favorably affects and helps shape the
consumers perception of the brand , its uses and competitive advantages.

Advertisement helps the consumer

To buy more intelligently.

To receive greater psychological satisfaction by generating associations between products, moods and
lifestyle to minimize the occurrence of post-purchase doubts.

Who is a client?

Product to sell (consistent satisfaction commensurate with price)

Distribution to make it happen (no sale without distribution; distribution alone cannot sell products)

Appreciation of the role of advertising in marketing and selling (what is can and cannot do)

Resource to make use of advertising monetary and managerial (size, direction and timing of effort)

Acceptance of the advertising agency system (including methods of remuneration) and recognition of
the agencys role and status.

What is an advertisement agency?

An independent business organization composed of creative and business people who plan, prepare and
place advertising on behalf of selling organizations seeking customers for their products and services.

Independent to guarantee an outside/objective viewpoint . Independent of clients so as to be always

an advocate of effective, economical advertising .independent of media/suppliers as to be unbiased in
serving in clients.

Creative & business people writers ,artist , media analyst , production/print buyers ,research &
marketing people but always business people applying creative skills tempered by business judgment.

Plan, prepare and place advertising the core function of an agency.

The agency does all this not for itself but on behalf of selling organizations (clients).this is essential
services function stems from directly the role of advertising as a handmaiden of marketing/selling.

Who is the client?

Who makes decisions? Individual or committee?
Does the agency have access to the decision-maker?

The chief executive chairman or managing director

The marketing director

The general sales manager

The product/ brand director

The advertising manager

Who is the agency?

Who are the members of the agency team?

The manager

The account department

The account supervisor

The account representative

The traffic assistant

And the team?

The writer

The art director

The media planner

The print buyer

The research man/department

The functions of the advertiser or his advertising department : conventional

functions.
Assessment of market, its growth and composition.

Definition f\of marketing objectives.

Determination of brand strategy.

Briefing the agency.

Evaluate and approve advertisements.

The functions of the advertiser or his advertising department: review functions.

Research

b) Measurement of result

c) Innovation

The functions of the advertising agency: creative functions

Acquire and continually add to knowledge about the product, market, consumer, media and
measurement.

Analysis all information not merely to confirm what is known but to discover what is not. to seek
opportunities and to create openings.

Practice objectively see the product as the consumer see it, rank the product as the market rank it.

Sharpen techniques and the skills to enable more persuasive advertising to be directed at the prime
target consumer for the next economical expenditure.

The right to clients:-

Competent key men on the account contact men and creative people.

Clear, unequivocal recommendations with reason: effective advertising is in essence invariably logical,
although in expression emotional.
Professional conduct: Agency executive should spend time worrying about their clients problem, not
their own.

Resilience under pressure. A sufficiency of resource. An enthusiastic attitude.

The responsibilities of the advertisement department-

To continuously study and analysis the communication job.

To fully integrate the activities of the department with marketing as a whole.

To communicate comprehensively and continuingly to the advertising agency.

To set the agency tasks and duties towards the formulation and implementation of advertising and sales
promotion programmes.

The rights of the advertising agency-

Freedom of access: executive echelons, information.

Freedom of involvement: stages of association.

Freedom to experiment: innovation/freshness/adventure.

Freedom to persuade: offer an honest argument, get a fair hearing.

How to serve your client well?

Youre hired to provide good advertising concentrate on it.

Know what advertising can do and what it cant

Beware the unforgiving deadlines.

Pursue excellence, not approvals.

Make sense now not excuse later.

Be objective till it hurts then concede.

Keep the dialogue open dont try to win the debate.

Ideas are nobodys monopoly never resent the clients

Be a miser treat your clients money as your own

Rejoice in teamwork a one-man band is a one night stand.

The specific responsibilities of the advertising manager-

To be equipped to take decision on advertising on behalf of this company.

To have direct access to and confidence of management,

To provide leadership within his department and maintain efficient liaison between the company and
the agency.

To be a judge and not a creator of advertising.

How to get the best out of your agency-

Feed facts , not ideas : define ends , not means.

Grant freedom, not indiscipline.

Demand imagination, not imitation.

Inspire service, not servility.

Always be strict without forever issuing strictures.

Judge work by advertisement goals, not by marketing objectives.

Encourage experiment, not formulae.

Create a climate, not a cushion.

Be candid, dont petrify.

Pay well on the nail

4.4 ONLINE ADVERTISING

Online advertising is a form of advertising that uses the Internet and World Wide Web in order to
deliver marketing messages and attract customers. Examples of online advertising include contextual
ads on search engine results pages, banner ads, Social network advertising, advertising networks and e-
mail marketing, including e-mail spam.

Purchasing variations

The three most common ways in which online advertising is purchased are CPM, CPC, and CPA.

CPM (Cost Per Impression) is where advertisers pay for exposure of their message to a specific
audience. CPM costs are priced per thousand impressions.

CPV (Cost per Visitor) or (Cost per View in the case of Pop Ups and Under) is where advertisers pay for
the delivery of a Targeted Visitor to the advertisers website.

1) CPC (Cost per Click) is also known as Pay per click (PPC). Advertisers pay every time a user clicks on
their listing and is redirected to their website. They do not actually pay for the listing, but only when the
listing is clicked on. This system allows advertising specialists to refine searches and gain information
about their market. Under the Pay per click pricing system, advertisers pay for the right to be listed
under a series of target rich words that direct relevant traffic to their website, and pay only when
someone clicks on their listing which links directly to their website. CPC differs from CPV in that each
click is paid for regardless of whether the user makes it to the target site.

2) CPA (Cost Per Action) or (Cost per Acquisition) advertising is performance based and is common in
the affiliate marketing sector of the business. In this payment scheme, the publisher takes all the risk of
running the ad, and the advertiser pays only for the amount of users who complete a transaction, such
as a purchase or sign-up. This is the best type of rate to pay for banner advertisements and the worst
type of rate to charge. Similarly, CPL (Cost per Lead) advertising is identical to CPA advertising and is
based on the user completing a form, registering for a newsletter or some other action that the
merchant feels will lead to a sale. Also common, CPO (Cost per Order) advertising is based on each time
an order is transacted. \

3) Cost per conversion Describes the cost of acquiring a customer, typically calculated by dividing the
total cost of an ad campaign by the number of conversions. The definition of "Conversion" varies
depending on the situation: it is sometimes considered to be a lead, a sale, or a purchase. Though, as
seen above, the large majority of online advertising has a cost that is brought about by usage or
interaction of an ad, there are a few other methods of advertising online that only require a one time
payment. The Million Dollar Homepage is a very successful example of this. Visitors were able to pay $1
per pixel of advertising space and their advert would remain on the homepage for as long as the website
exists with no extra costs.

-Floating ad: An ad which moves across the user's screen or floats above the content.

-Expanding ad: An ad which changes size and which may alter the contents of the webpage.

-Polite ad: A method by which a large ad will be downloaded in smaller pieces to minimize the
disruption of the content being viewed

-Wallpaper ad: An ad which changes the background of the page being viewed.

-Trick banner: A banner ad that looks like a dialog box with buttons. It simulates an error message or an
alert.

-Pop-up: A new window which opens in front of the current one, displaying an advertisement, or entire
webpage.

-Pop-under: Similar to a Pop-Up except that the window is loaded or sent behind the current window so
that the user does not see it until they close one or more active windows.

-Video ad: similar to a banner ad, except that instead of a static or animated image, actual moving video
clips are displayed.

-Map ad: text or graphics linked from, and appearing in or over, a location on an electronic map such as
on Google Maps.

-Mobile ad: an SMS text or multi-media message sent to a cell phone.

 DATA COLLECTION

CHAPTER- 5 DATA COLLECTOION

5.1 An overview on online travel industry

Things which are sold online are :

Books 41%
Electronic Gadgets 40%
Railway tickets 39%
Apparel accessories 36%
Apparel 36%
Gifts 35%
Computers & Peripherals 33%
Airline Tickets 29%
Music 24%
Movies 21%

There are many goods which are sold online like books, electronic gadgets, railway tickets,
apparel & accessories, gifts computer & peripherals etc. the main objective to study this trend is to find
out what is the current situation of online travel industry as the research is concerned about studying
the competition of the strategies followed by online travel portals and for that we need to study the
demographics on Indian railways and airways .With the resourceful data and dividing the population in
different segment .it will be easier to know how the online market works. dividing the above trends in
to two segments railways and airways and then sub divided it in to 3 different parts a) by age b) by
gender and c )marital status. will help us in analyzing how the online travel market function. This will
also help us in briefly studying the online market and under different classes what actually people buy
more on online portals.

CHANGES IN TRAVEL INDUSTRY

There are some changes found in travel industries which are as follows:

$460 million Indian online-travel industry is slated to become $1-billion industry by the end of
this year and $2 billion by end of 2008.
E-ticket penetration grew from a measly 10% in 2005 to 65% in 2006.
At present 20-22% of total bookings for the hotel are web based.
The market size of total accommodation business in India is $8 million out of which the hotel
business constitutes $4 million and is growing by 2.5 times a year.
5.2 DEVELOPMENTS & MOVEMENTS IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
The travel sector has become a dynamic segment with high market activity :-

consumers spoilt for choice; exposed to a variety and range of equally attractive alternatives to
select from access to numerous low cost offers: by tour operators, airlines & travel portals.

offers of attractive package deals.

all encompassing holiday packages with attractive value added services

- special food

- inclusive of meals

- local sight seeing

- extra vouchers & coupons to be redeemed at holiday destination.

 5.3 TRAVEL & HOLIDAY BOOKING CHANNELS

Definition:

Travel specialist
Backbone for all holiday related transactions

Role:

Advice, guidance
One stop travel shop
Access to a variety of products, services
Holiday management

Perception:

Customer centric
Infrastructure, support
Plenty of options, high competition market BUT
a middle man who works on a commission
could be expensive & exploitative.
Definition:

New age trend

Window to the travel world

Role:

Instant bookings
Cheap & easy travel tickets
Storehouse of travel information
Booking role limited to mainly tickets

Perception:

Speedy, simplified process

VFM deals BUT high risk
Distant, customer is only a number who logs in
Intangible; lacks a human face
Definition:

no middle man
directly contact the service: hotel, airlines

Role:

Independence; no risk of exploitation

Perception

avail of the best rates

no risk of being manipulated or overcharged by agents BUT
lacks expertise; access to sufficient information & knowledge
time and effort intensive
limited personal resources to facilitate direct contact
5.4 PARAMETERS FOR EVALUATING A HOLIDAY/ TRAVEL BOOKING CHANNEL.
From the above diagram it can be seen that there are various parameters that an individual keeps into
consideration while evaluating a holiday or a travel booking channel

When a customer books a holidays the first thing which he expect is peace of mind.customer can only be
at peace when he will be having this notion that with whom so ever online travel portal he is planning
his holidays are safe and there money is secure with them. The more secure he feels the more happy he
will be and if the returns are more or of similar nature than the costs that he has incurred in getting
those services then the individual can be said to be happy or satisfied. Hence resulting in a sound peace
of mind

The customer also look for value added services offered by the online travel poratals for ex- offers like
booking an airticket for particular destination and the stay for 4 days / 3 nights free in the best hotel or
book a package from ABC online portal meal and cruise is for free.it also includes the cost of return if we
look from the point of veiw of the travel portal it cetainly benefit them also as they earn the currency of
different countries which add to there margins and profits .

It really benefits to the travel portals if they are in partnering term with some other brands like
yatra.com with CCD , makemytrip.com with MSN , cleartrip.com with deccan airways .these ventures
help too many companies in together building a goodwill and reputation and some how these
companies help in adding value added services to the other like CCD adding complementory coupons to
yatra.com on domestic and international flights.A good brand name always attract the customer like a
bee.

There is one more parametre which is the reason which create a major tiff in market which emerges due
to the diffrentiator . every brand tries to make there advertsiment more attractive plus want to attract
the customers with the most reasonable deal . The customer is the decider . they will always go for the
best deal and which will give them maximum benefits.

Convenience plays very imporatnt role.maximum customers get driven away because of the
convenience provided by these online travel portals.On a click a deal gets finalized it saves time of
running around and standing in ques ,visa problem and many more. All of it comes in a package and a
your doorstep.there are much more you will be given a responsive interaction with a tolll free or a
customer care executive who will help you solving your problems till you borad on your flight.

Customer always bank of the brand with the maximum popularity .the more popular the brand is more
bigger will be its scale of operation like yatra.com operates with many more flights like Jet Airways, King
fishers ,Emirates etc,.so the area of operation is very big evreything will be operated in a quick go that
too according to your availability.ot requires more expertisment .it require an expertist to work
effeciently and according to the requirement of the customer. One need to fulfill the customer need
according to the amount of money he want to spend.

Last but not the least the asseccibility the site must be user frirndly and easy to handle .it should contain
all the required things without creating much chaos .the cumostomer should not get bugged at the time
of asseccing it .there should be a proper use of user friendly language and the places of the offices
where one can reach them. A good brand always keep in mind about the warmth of the customer by
opening many offices in different cities and globally.

5.5 PERCEPTIONS OF TRAVEL PORTALS

Most consumers, even users of the category mention travel portals at a superficial level
they acknowledge it to be a contemporary, hi tech and innovative facility
direct connection to the travel and tourism sector; enables customer to be an active
participant in the decision making process
easy accessibility to a range of ticketing options and fares

However, in practice majority of the users( especially Ahmedabad & Coimbatore) have
moderate- low levels of involvement with the actual online reservation process; involvement
is restricted to:
when checking for the best available fares
when faced with budget exigencies; need to find fares of optimal value the web seen
to enable this aspect of travel planning
need to check, verify and confirm the suggestions & offers of travel agents and tour
operators; ensure that one is on the right track
need to compare offers and deals, weigh pros and cons so as to avail of maximum
benefits
Tendency to use the travel portal as a necessary and critical guide; but admits to preferring
interaction with a travel agent despite easy/direct access to the travel industry
.

travel portals less fool proof; some trading off on security for the sake of speed and convenience
technologically advanced and empowering; but needs efficient and superior technological
management to assure satisfying results questionable in India
 It is a minority segment of the more evolved users (mainly Delhi and Bangalore) who
appreciate travel portals for not only their speed and efficiency
instant, on the spot transactions
electronic processing so access to instant results
ease of reservation and confirmation .

BUT also acknowledge it for its limited risk of manipulation; enables consumer to be in charge;

transparent process
everything in front of the consumers eyes; no assumptions
even minute details are specified; lowers risk of speculation or miscalculation
consumer given options to choose for himself rather than be compelled to adhere to
someone elses choices.

WHAT DEFINES A TRAVEL SERVICE PROVIDER TODAY ?

1) Efficiency and Professionalism

Expertise and knowledge of the industry; competent in service delivery

Swift and easy transactions
No complex procedures, delays and bottlenecks
Promptness in handling typical transactions and specific queries /problems.
2) Redefinition of service transactions

Increasing use of technology for monetary transactions

credit card payments
computerized reservations of tickets
( rail, air and even bus)

online bookings; no need to physically

stand in reservation queues .

Availability of various payment options

Cash/ cheque/ credit card
payment installments

3) Customer Service Orientation

Customer is king and everything must be done to woo him & keep him happy
sensitive to customers specific needs and requirements.
emphasis on customer comfort and satisfaction.
always ready to help the customer.

4) Infrastructure & Network Size and presence

a. national/ regional or global
b. stronghold in locality
c. Degree of accessibility

5) Perceived physical identity of the service provider; a reflection of its capacity and
performance
KEY NEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS

1) SPEED
no waiting in queues
quick, hassle free reservations
immediate action and confirmations.

2) CONVENIENCE
easy to access facilities and information
door step service; no need to move out of house
reservations procedures made easier

3) TRANSPARENCY
no hidden charges
limited service charges
no attempts at misguiding; giving travelers the real pictures
no gimmicks.

4) COMMUNICATION
an interactive relationship
being kept in the loop; steady flow of information & feedback
provide cooperation and support.

5) FLEXIBILITY OF OPERATIONS
making changes as per situation and relationship with customer
open & accommodating service approach
scope for negotiation
 6) CUSTOMIZATION OF SERVICES
sensitive to each customers specific needs
understands ones personal monetary situation& interest and pre empts his needs and goals
advises and enables an individual to maximize his travel/holiday

IMPLICATIONS

The most significant change that has come about in the TRAVEL sphere is that the Consumer
now believes he is in full control
savvy about what is on offer
confident about what he wants
choosy about where he can get it

Travel service providers today are under continuous scrutiny no scope for falling
short of expectations
consumer constantly comparing what he receives from one vis--vis the other
discussing with friends, family, advisors to ensure hes getting the best deal

In order to be present on the modern day consumers radar, a travel service provider needs to
ensure that
its relationship with its consumers moves from being static to dynamic
each of its travel products & services is sufficiently visible and competitive
5.6 TRIGGERS TO USING TRAVEL PORTALS

Possibility of quick gain and win-

Sudden access to good deals and bargains

Choicest selection of offers; especially tickets & air fares
Aids in lifestyle improvement; fulfill aspirations

Functionality

Easy accessibility
Wide choice; range of options
One stop process; all at one go; no delays/ lengthy procedures
Quick, easy decision making
My holidays in my hand-

Take the lead in the control seat

No external pressures; no compulsions
Own pace & time
Freedom to make own choices

My dream holidays- not the agents-

own style
include own interests & priorities
designing own itinerary
 opportunity to discover, explore & to things own way
personalized and special; not mass & ordinary

Indicates self relaince and progressivness-

Cues a person who has knowledge & expertise

Is net savvy and well informed; has the confidence and the skill to organize by himself
Attempt to be self sufficient and contemporary; move with the times

Transparency-
 precise and detailed information
useful information; enables conscious & educated decision making
lowers risk of manipulation & guile by service provider

5.7 BARRIERS TO USING TRAVEL PORTALS

1) HARDWARE & TECHNOLOGICAL LED

Require computer & internet connection.

Problems of booking being interrupted due to technical issues; power cuts, website is down.
Website security issues.

2) RIGID; NOT CONSUMER FRIENDLY

Several terms and conditions

Need to make payment before availing of the benefit; a source of high discomfort for the
vigilant & cautious consumer
Immediate & full payment; no scope for bargaining or negotiation
only English versions available; further complicates an already complex process (mainly
Ahmedabad) .
3) DEDICATE SELF

Time consuming.
Require proper care & attention.
Requires quick decision making.
Not confident: inadequate knowledge about the travel market .
how to make the right choices .
fear of negative effects; making the wrong choice.
Has to bear the weight of complete holiday management;
onus on self .

4) AUTOMATIC, MECHANICAL & DETACHED -

No personal touch.
Cold; programmed to perform; follows set patterns .
Unable to adapt or adjust as per individual needs & exigencies.

5) LACKS A HUMAN FACE; NO TANGIBLE INTERACTION -

The reassurance of physical presence absent

Unsure of who one is dealing with; no tangible point of contact
Creates doubts about accountability; no one to physically hold responsible
Fear of being short changed; no recourse to grievance redressal or problem solution

Key player is market

\
5.8 BRAND AWARNESS

High Salience Moderate Salience

Makemytrip.com Indiatimes.com

Cleartrip.com Travelguru.com

Yatra.Com Easygo.com (Delhi & Blr)

Make my trip. com enjoys top of mind salience across consumers

Yatra.com also occupies as much salience and prominence in consumers minds.

Amongst non users of travel portals

Perceptions of limited differentiation between the leading brands; especially in terms of their
product and services (most evident in Ahmadabad)
They are unable to ascribe each brand with a clear set of attributes and benefit expectations
all linked with mainly quick and easy bookings
No travel portal is able to establish a distinct and well differentiated offer for itself in the minds
of consumers
Brand associations driven by namely interpretations of the brand name; what it connotes or
conveys and current levels of market/ media visibility .
 Amongst users of travel portals

the 2 leading brands for this segment of consumers are Makemytrip.com and Yatra.com
Brand associations for this segment are driven by their experiences of the brand AND also the
image and identity perceived to be projected by each

5.9 DOMINANT ASSOCIATIONS WITH EACH BRAND

pilgrimages, devotional places

Kashi, Haridwar, temples
passenger trains; travel for aam janta
grandparents
saffron cloth, rudraksh

NON USERS

only air tickets.

Customized travel- makes your trip how you want it.
ACROSS

cheap tickets
best deals for air travel
most popular and user friendly

Most brand associations linked mainly with the semantics of the brand name. This is most evident with
Yatra.com

- brand name is responsible for its typecast across; even user groups

- cue values of tradition, maturity, being rustic and middle class

Brand associations limited to a literal translation of brand name

easy tickets
hassle free travel
not complicated; simple process
me too of makemytrip.com; sounds similar
5.10 BRAND PERCEPTIONS

ACROSS

Established
A pioneer, one of the first brands in the category
Skewed towards domestic travel; limited to certain types of destinations
- religious

- historical locations

USERS

trusted, reliable
attractive web pages; easy on the eye
sufficient experience in the industry
limited: not too many options offered for its different services
average information; nothing special or extraordinary
NON USERS

linear focus on only travel; mainly air tickets

unsure of whether it offers complete holiday services; beyond travel bookings

USERS

Clearly the winner across .

Superior to other portals in terms of the range of its products & services.
- Variety of options.

- Domestic & international travel.

Best rates and deals on tickets; highly competitive pricing.

Consumer friendly; promises refunds if cheaper tickets are availed of elsewhere.
5.11 BRAND IMAGERY

PERSONA

40 + years
simple living; high thinking
lives in a middle class colony
peace loving
family man; loves children
grandmother
khadi clad; dhoti kurta
polite, sincere
honest
respected, dignified

ASSOCIATIONS

Dev Anand
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
A. K. Hangul
HMT, Titan
Dal, chawal; khidchi
Idli, vada

KEY VALUE
 Traditional, rustic
Respect, stature
Warm, approachable
Staid, serious
Excessive maturity

PERSONA

25- 30 years
company executive; IT professional
well dressed; stylish
lives is a posh area
friendly, sociable
works hard; successful in his career
modern lifestyle; likes to see the world
hi flying works hard, enjoys life

ASSOCIATIONS

Shah Rukh Khan

Dhoni
Rado, Tissot
Pizzas, pasta, KFC, Chinese food
Key Values

Progressive
Leadership
Youthful
Cosmopolitan, versatile
Energetic

PERSONA

teenagers; young adults

students; studying BBM
or just got their first jobs
funky style of dressing; jeans, t shirt, sneakers
friends are his family; enjoys life with family
loves partying, pubbing; snooker

ASSOCIATIONS

Shahid Kapoor
Sania Mirza
Timex, Fast track
Hot dogs, Burgers, Mexican
KEY VALUES

Youthful, vibrant
Cosmopolitan
Energetic

5.12Where does Yatra.com the brand, currently stand?

There are many factors to describe the current situation of Yatra.com:

Tradition
Maturity
Middle class image
Seriousness
Average; not the best
Uni-dimensional

Yatra.Com as a brand name is not as popular among the customers. There are lot of reason .Yatra .Com
work according to there tradition. They will follow there pattern on orange and aqua color in there
advertisements. There is more of maturity seen in the advertisement and site of Yatra.com as compare
to the other online travel portals.

Yatra.com has a very middle class image .it is more economical and more importantly it focuses more of
middle class. It suits to there budget and other expenses. Yatra.com take there business seriously and as
comparing it to the biggest rival in the market makemytrip.com is very average and there are lot of
reason behind it-
 The key tasks for the category is therefore:
Move from intimidating technology to user friendly, simple technology (more
image than actual product).
Fill in the absence of human interface; need for a face for the portal.
Move from a highly individualistic zone to a more socio centric zone .
There is a need to build an emotional security blanket first for the category.
Need to focus on handholding the consumer to a comfort zone within the
category.
CHAPTER 6 DATA ANALYSIS

QUESTION -1

DO YOU LIKE TO GO ON HOLIDAYS?

a) - yes b) - no

INTERPRETATIONS
 Among the sample taken 82 % of people says that YES they like holidays and the rest 18% of
them says NO.

ANALYSIS

In India most of the people like holidays, holidays are been accepted as a refreshment to mind
and soul. Holidays are liked by person of every age group.

QUESTION -2

HOW FREQUENT DO YOU TRAVEL?

 a) - very frequent b) - frequent c) - occasionally

INTERPRETATION

76 % of people say that they travel frequently in these 76% most of them are interested in excursion and
travel with there family or friends. 20 % say they travel very frequent under this 20 % falls business
segment .people that travel for official purpose. Lastly 4% of them travel occasionally.

ANALYSIS

Most of the people who travel very frequently are people who want to have new excursion and travel
with their family or friends. People under 20 % are business oriented travel according to there schedule
and for official purpose. Rest 4% of them travel occasionally.

QUESTION 3

WHICH OUT OF THEM YOU FIND CONFORTABLE FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVELLING?
 28% 33% a
b
c

39%

a)-Airline b)-Railways c) - Road

INTERPRETATION

39% of people prefer travelling by railways as the economy of India most of the population lies under
middle class railways is a cheaper means of transport.

33% of them travel from airlines which are close to railways. This 33% includes the business class ,
service class and people travel abroad for holidays. Rests 28% are local travelers which like to travel by
roads and nearby.

ANALYSIS

Most of the people travel from trains because they are inexpensive and reasonable, people who want to
consume their time and utilize it more and the luxury class prefer by travelling by airlines or airways.
People who want to go for holidays within country prefer travelling by roads.

QUESTION 4
DO YOU LIKE TO PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY?

holidays

4% 4%

a
b
c

92%

a)- Yes b) - No c)- Neutral

INTERPRETATION

92 % of the people plan there holidays. 4% of them say NO because they think it is waste to plan
holidays and rest 4% say that they are neutral some time they plan and some time it is not so important
to plan .
ANALYSIS

Most of the people plan there holidays as that really help them in saving cost plus planned holidays are
better than un planned everything can be booked online now days you just have to choose the
destination rest things can be done your way. Very less percentage of people think that planning holiday
is a sheer waste of time and some of them think they plan there holidays when they are planning to go
abroad or with lot of people.

QUESTION -5

HAVE YOU EVER PLANNED YOU HOLIDAY WITH THE HELP OF ANY ONLINE TRAVEL PORTAL?

7%
a
b

93%

a)- Yes b)- No

INTERPERTATION
93% of people have never planned there holidays with the help of online .only 7 % of people are aware
about online travel portals and have trusted them.

ANALYSIS

There are very less people who are aware about online portals most of them do no believe or trust on
them .very few people aware about travel portals.

QUESTION 6

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOLIDAYS WHICH OF ONLINE TRAVEL PORTAL COMES TO YOUR MIND?
 6% 10% 14%
yatra .com
makemytrip.com
cox n kings
24%
travelguru.com
46%
dont know

INTERPERTAION

46% of the people mentioned makmytrip.com followed by Cox and kings with 24 %. Next is yatra.com
with 14%, 10 % do not remember any travel portal .rest 6 % of them mentioned travelguru.com

ANALYSIS

From the above data it is very simple to understand that makemytrip.com is known among the rest of
the travel portals and it is very popular, Cox and kings is also a known travel portal but it is quite old now
.travelguru.com is also not that popular among people.

QUESTION 7

WHERE YOU SEE MOST OF THE ADVERTISMENT?

 ADVERTISMENT
2%
MALLS
18% 24% RADIO
INTERNET
42% 14% NEWSPAPER
TV'S

INTERPERTATION

42% of people say that they have noticed these advertisements on internet, 24% of people mentioned
that they have seen banners in malls, 18% say newspapers have the maximum advertisement of most of
the brands. 14% say they have heard lot of on air ads on the radio channels. 2% of them have
mentioned that they have seen an ad on TV.

ANALYSIS

As it is an techno savvy world most of the people look for the advertisements in internet .lot of brands
launch their E-banners on various different sites .even malls give there advertisement space for the drop
downs etc. there are many brands which as coming up with there on air advertisements which are
increasing the general public awareness towards online portals. Most of the online travel portals give
there print ads .
QUESTION 8

CAN YOU RECALL ANY OF IT?

AD'S

38%
YES
NO
62%

INTERPRETAION

62% of the people can recall the ads .they told us that they have seen lot of back drops and flyers of the
ads some of them told us that they have seen a TVC ad also. Rest 38% people say they cannot recall any
ad.

ANALYSIS
Most of the people can recall the ads many of them told us about the Yatra.com ad in which there was
Boman Irani .some of them told us about the e-banners they have seen .most of them gave us positive
response.

QUESTION 9

WHICH OF THESE ONLINE PORTAL YOU AWARE OF?

ONLINE PORTALS
20
15
10
5
0 ONLINE
PORTALS

INTERPERTATION
From the sample of 50 people 19 of them are aware about makemytrip.com, 10 are aware about
Yatra.com , 9 says they have heard about indiatimes.com , 5 mentioned cleartrip.com ad, and 1 person
is aware of ezeego1.com

ANALYSIS

Most of the people are aware about makemytrip.com as they are advertising more on popular websites
and radio channels. Yatra.com is not much in on air ads and E-banners; indiatimes.com is popular due to
its prior image and present website. Rest all the travel portals are not much popular among the people.

QUESTION 10

WHICH OF THESE HAVE BETTER SERVICES?

 SERVICES

YATRA.COM
24% CLEARTRIP.COM
30%
EZEEGO1.COM
4% INDIATIMES.COM
4% TRAVELGURU.COM
18% 16% MAURITIUS.COM
MAKEMYTRIP.COM
4%

INTERPERTATION

30% of the people are satisfied with the services of makemytrip.com,24% think that Yatra.com are
better then rest of them, 18% are satisfied with Mauritius travel.com ,16% of them are satisfied with the
services given by indiatimes.com, rest 4% told that they are satisfied with ezeego1.com ,traevlguru.com
and cleartrip.com

ANAYLSIS

Most of the people think that makemytrip.com is more reliable that any other online travel portal
.yatra.com follows makemytrip.com, Mauritius travel.com is also little bit known by people

QUESTION -11
HAVE YOU EVER TRAVELLED WITH YATRA.COM?

46% YES
54% NO

INTERPRTATION

54 % of people have travelled with Yatra.com and remarked that there experience was good rest 46%
have never travelled with Yatra.com

ANALYZATION
Most of the people targeted have travelled with Yatra.com and according to them they were satisfied
and they will look forward with Yatra.com .some of them have never planned there trip with Yatra.com
because of less awareness among people.

QUESTION 12

DO YOU WANT TO SUGGECT SOME NEW IDEAS?

SUGGESTIONS
22%

YES
NO

78%

INTERPRETATION

78 % of people have given some suggestions rest 22 % were not interested in adding any suggestions

ANALYSIS
Many of them have suggested things. Customer is a fair adviser .they always suggest us better things.

QUESTION -12 B)

SUGGESTIONS
TVS AD'S
16%
24% RADIO
AWARNESS
30% 16% ROAD
SHOWS
14% OFFER
COUPONS
INTERPRETATION

30% of people suggested that they would like to suggest for offer coupons.24% suggested us that there
should ne TVC advertisements.16% of people suggested both lucky draws and radio awareness is
required. And 14% suggested us road shows are better ways of increasing awareness among people.

ANALYSIS

Suggestions are ingredients of every research .every company would like to take suggestions from there
customers.

QUESTION -13

WHICH ARE THE ASPECTS YOU THINK ABOUT? WHEN YOU PLAN YOUR HOLIDAYS?
 ASPECTS
COMFORTAB
LE
16% POCKET
20% FRIENDLY
ADVENTURES

12% 18% RELIABLE

12% 10% SAFE &

12% SECURE

INTERPRETAION

According to 20% of the people offers & benefits is the most important aspect. After that 18% of the
thinks that holidays should be pocket friendly .16% thinks it should be comfortable, 12% of them think it
should be reliable, safe & secure and the services should be up to the mark and rest 10 % thinks that
adventure should be a part of holidays.

ANALYSIS

Most of the people are offer and benefit oriented thats true .most of the people get attracted towards
the tempting schemes .pocket friendliness is also required as a person always.
CHAPTER- 7

7.1 FINDINGS

There is a close competition between makemytrip.com and Yatra.com.

Yatra.com is following there socio-traditional pattern.
Makemytrip.com is gaining more awareness due to more promotional activities.
There are too many travel portals. Which are attracting the customers with offers and schemes.
create greater social legitimacy for the brand
Associate it with value of social affiliation and belongingness.
Build an expressive, outward driven, socio centric image that consumers are emotionally
able to connect with Indian heritage or traditional hospitality RATHER than technological
innovation and contemporeity to give it an edge.
Diffuse the brand from the category values of speed & technological advancement;
focus more on connecting with the consumers hearts
e.g.: strengthening family bonding and harmony.
7.2 KEY LEARNING

AMONGST USERS: Makemytrip.com emerges as having highly positive associations; which give
it an edge over Yatra.com
extensive; does not restrict the consumers choice
modern and progressive
VFM deals; attempt at reaching out to the price conscious consumer
superlative values; amongst the best
Yatra.com is respected and trusted as a stalwart in the category
relatively long presence in the market
familiar; not an unknown; hence breeds some comfort

BUT

mediocre range of products and services

not as hi- tech and with it as Makemytrip.com
limited; narrow in its focus restricted opportunities

AMONGST NON USERS: All portals seen to be more or less similar in terms of the benefit
delivery quick, easy reservations.
what is different is the distinct physical identities of Yatra and Make my trip; an
conveyed largely by their respective brand names
7.3 CONCLUSION

How do travel portals fare on the GROUND RULES FOR TRAVEL/ HOLIDAY BOOKING?

Builds confidence REMOVES my doubts and uncertainties

Offers support and not just services DOES NOT make me feel helpless & exposed

Offers flexibility DOES NOT tie me down

Has a reassuring presence always NOT unreachable and distant
Opens my avenues, widens my experiences NOT narrow & confined
Enhances my status NOT reflect me in poor light
Offers more for less NOT expensive
CHAPTER-8 RECOMENDATION

Increase the repeat ratio over a period of time.

More of TVCS with popular celebrity so that it attracts young youth.
ON AIR advertisement is required to increase the awareness of the customer.
associate the brand with value added service; create new benchmarks in product experience
language selection for the variety of Indian consumers
customer help lines instant and continuous communication
special budget holiday lists
forums to share experiences with other travelers; gifts & incentives for such
participation
loyalty programs: free membership; points to redeem on reservation; discount vouchers
etc
create physical visibility: kiosks in malls, airports for dissemination of
Information.
ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

Q. 1 Do you like to go on holidays?

A. YES
B. NO

Q.2 how frequent do you travel?

A. Very frequently
B. Frequently
C. Occasionally

Q .3 Which out of them you find comfortable for long distance traveling?

A. Airlines
B. railways
C. Road

Q.4 Do you like to plan your vacation?

YES
NO
NEUTRAL
 Q.5 Have you ever planned holidays with the help of any online travel portal?

Yes
No

Q.6 when you think about holidays which of online travel portal comes first to your mind?

.____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

Q.7 where you see most of these advertisements ?

Malls
TVs
Internet
Newspaper
Any other ___________________________________________

Q.8 Can you recall any of it?

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________

Q.9 which of these online portals are you aware of?

Yarta.com
Cleartrip.com
Ezeego.com
Indiatimes travel.com
 Makemytrip.com
Travel guru.com

Q.10 which of these have better services?

1) Yatra.com
2) Cleartrip.com
3) Ezeego.com
4) Indiatimes.com
5) Travelguru.com
6) Mauritius travel com
7) Make my trip .com

Q.11. Have you ever traveled with yatra.com?

Yes
.no

If yes, how was the experience

_____________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Q. 12 do you want to suggest some new ideas?

Yes
No

If yes,
what______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Q.13which are the aspects you think about. When you plan your holidays? WHICH

_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
REFRENCES

-www.yatra.com

-www.makemytrip.com

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising

-http://books.google.co.in/books?id=WRautshYnNoC&pg=RA1-PA144&lpg=RA1-
PA144&dq=journals+on+advertisement&source=web&ots=3qfoN_OG-
7&sig=yIDHhHvVsnPkGgAhXI40NrP3Fzs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=7&ct=result#PRA1-
PA122,M1