Research Report on Lakme (A Product of Hindustan Unilever Ltd)

CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 3.2 HYPOTHESIS 3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN 3.4 SAMPLE DESIGN 4. COMPANY PROFILE 4.1 LAKME HISTORY 4.2 SWOT ANALYSIS 5. INDUSTRY PROFILE 5.1 VISION / STRATEGY 5.2 DISTRIBUTION / PRESENT SCENARIO 5.3 MARKET OVERVIEW (India) / MARKET TREND 5.4 IMPORT MARKET / COMPETATION 5.5 SALES PROSPECTS 5.6 MARKET ACCESS 6. QUESTIONNAIRE 7. DATA FINDING AND ANALYSIS 8. PROBLEMS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 9. CONCLUSION
10. BIBLOGRAPGY 11. REFERENCES

Executive summary
About the Report
Within a short span of the last five-six years, the use of cosmetics by Indian consumers has increased significantly with more and more women and men taking greater interest in personal grooming, increasing disposable incomes, changing life styles, influence of satellite television and greater product choice and availability. This cosmetics and personal care industry has been growing at an average rate of 20 per cent for the last few years. The growing Indian cosmetics market offers promising prospects for international brands. The growth rate in the cosmetics market reflects an increasing demand for beauty care products in India. Perfumes and fragrances, skin care, and hair care products are some of the major segments with promising prospects for U.S. companies. Penetration of most cosmetic and toiletries is very low in India. Current consumption of many products is well below that of many countries in Asia. The low market penetration of many cosmetics and personal care products offers room for growth. The urban population with increasing purchasing power is the major force driving demand for cosmetics and toiletries. India is a very pricesensitive market and mass-market products constitute the major part of the cosmetics and toiletries market. Indias import of cosmetics and toiletries and intermediate raw materials is around US$ 120 million, of which the U.S. has a share of approximately 10 percent.

Plan of the report

Beauty is skin deep and sure enough Lakme understand it like no one does .Today brand lakme stand strong as one of the 100 most powerful brands and right fully so ,for its the brand that lights up the face of million girls ,everyday. Its a brand that inspire, motivate and infuses confidence Colours , shades, brushes and tones to beautify , have been the core attribute of the products. The challenge which the cosmetic industry has to break was the negative connotation of being fashionable.Though the brand missed out on during the past year despite having roped top brand ambassadors is that it scored low on promotional gauge. In the following report we basically seeks to provide experiential marketing solutions to a brand (Lakme) .We also gauge into reasons that why Lakmes position as market leader was threatened when international majors like Revlon and Maybelline entered the fray in the mid-90s.The research process was entailed by visiting lakme outlets in noida ,which includes the response received from target audiences(Min age 19yrs- Max -45yrs) via through questionnaire for deeper insights.

INTRODUCTION

High priestess of sacred Indian temple meets English army officer who's unwittingly strayed into holy ground. They fall in love. Her orthodox father vows vengeance... That's the story of Lakm, a 19th century opera written by Frenchman Leo Delibes, from which Simone Tata borrowed the name Lakm (French for Lakshmi, the name of the priestess). The current size of the Indian cosmetic market is approximately US$ 600 million. Of this, the fastest growing segment is color cosmetics, accounting for around US$ 60 million of the market. Industry sources estimate a rapid growth rate of 20 percent per annum across different segments of the cosmetics industry reflecting an increasing demand for all kinds of beauty and personal care product. Growth has come mainly from the low and medium-priced categories that account for 90 percent of the cosmetics market in terms of volume. Even with a 20 percent average growth rate, the per capita consumption of cosmetics is very low in India. Current per capita expenditure on cosmetics is approximately US$ 0.68 cents as compared to US$ 36.65 in other Asian countries. However, with changing lifestyles, higher disposable incomes, increasing advertising, penetration of satellite television, awareness of the western world and growing importance of beauty pageants, there have been significant changes and use of cosmetics is on the rise. Lakme, a brand originally introduced by the Tata group of India, now bought over by Hindustan Unilever (HUL) of the Unilever group, Tips & Toes, another domestic player, and Revlon dominate the US$ 60 million color cosmetics market. Multinationals, Revlon of the U.S. and L'Oreal's Maybelline has a dominant share of the small premium lipsticks and nail enamels market. Mass-market products account for a major share, while the premium segment accounts only for a mere 9 per cent in lipsticks and 5 per cent in nail enamels. Lipsticks account for nearly a third of the market at US$ 21 million, while the market for nail enamels is estimated at around US$ 23 million. The color cosmetics

segment is very competitive and has a high penetration level of 80 percent. The skin care market in India is estimated at US$ 180 million. Within the last decade, this segment has seen many consumers slowly shift from the mass to the premium end of the market. The penetration rate is high in the skin-care segment as compared to color cosmetics. In the skin-care segment, price and volume played an equal role in value growth. Moisturizing lotions, fairness creams and face cleansers are the popular categories in the skin-care segment and account for approximately 60 percent of the skin-care segment. The major players in this segments are Lakme, Ponds, Fair & Lovely of the HUL group with a 50 percent market share, followed by players such as J.L. Morison that markets the Nivea range of products in India, Godrej and Revlon. Penetration levels of international cosmetics brands in India are still low. Foreign brands currently constitute only 20 percent of the market. A major reason for low penetration of international brands can be attributed to high pricing. These companies initially gained sales on their international brand image, however, repeat purchases were not forthcoming and to retain their sales growth, several foreign companies reformulated price strategies to tap the large Indian middle class. Urban women in the middle and upper income groups in the age range of 23-50 is the target group for international brands, as this group looks for better products and is willing to pay a premium for international quality products. Industry estimates suggest that there are close to 10 million such women in India.

CHAPTER 2CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Below the line initiatives are extremely important in the cosmetic segment since the buying experience is as important as brand image and advertising. Significant focus is on sales counters, beauty advisors and dealer aids. We constantly integrate a lot of the above the line campaigns like 'Whose watching your lips' with below the line initiatives Anil Chopra, Business Head, Lakme Lever

''Lakm is at the forefront of product-innovation. Almost everyone has a Lakm-something in their (cosmetics) collection,'' said Mumbai-based fashion choreographer Lubna Adams.

The Indian cosmetics industry is in churn. Even as the premium segment is getting crowded, the rural market is turning out to be the stronghold of smaller, regional players. Although stiff competition has emerged for Lakme Lever within the Rs 250-crore colour cosmetics market, it continues to lead. In the skincare market, estimated at Rs 700 crore, Lakme's market share averages 7-8 per cent. Catalyst spoke to Anil Chopra, Lakme Lever's Business Head.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The research is based on:-

Primary Data 1) Questionnaire Secondary Data Internet Company Reports& Broachers Magazines Newspapers Articles &journals Data is also gathered by talking to the respondents (Target Audience, understanding their beauty needs,what aspire them to go for the (lakme)brand. Also the level of :Brand awareness, Price level, Visibility of brand personality. Expectancy of Communication

All these factors were the prime criterion for selecting (Which brand??), Short listing and ranking (level of trustworthiness? or most favoured ) which had helped us for identifying the winner in cosmetics industry.

OBJECTIVE

1 Help in building a positive association with people thereby enhancing brand personality 2 How to break the negative connotation of Being fashionable
3

Why has Lakme missed out on promotional gauge despite roping in top brand ambassadors. How can the brand retain its lost spot?

HYPOTHESES
In the classical tests of significance, two kinds of hypothesis are used the null hypothesis and the alternate hypothesis. Null hypothesis (Ho) is used for testing. It is the statement that no difference exists between the parameter and the statistic being compared. Second is Alternative hypothesis (HA) is alternative hypothesis is alternative hypothesis which holds that there has been a change. Hypothetical testing can be viewed as a six steps procedure; Establish a null hypothesis Choose the statistical test on the basis of assumption about the population distribution and measurement level select the desired level of significance Parametric and non parametric tests are applicable under various conditions like parametric operates with the interval and ratio data and are preferred when their assumptions can be met. Non parametric tests do not require stringent assumptions about the population distribution and are less useful with less nominal and ordinal values.

In this report our null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis are stated below:

Ho: Respondents are satisfied with the quality of Lakme products. Ha: Respondents are not satisfied with the quality Ho: Respondents are brand Loyal Ha: Respondents are not brand Loyal Ho: Respondents prefer lakme Ha: Respondents do not prefer lakme HO: Respondent are satisfied nor aware of new product range H: Respondent are not aware of new range. HO: Respondent do believe that endorsement by celebrity play any role in the decision making HA: Respondent do not believe that endorsement by celebrity play an important role in the decision making

RESEARCH DESIGN

Our research is based on the Exploratory Study. Research is exploratory when you use no earlier model as a basis of your study. The most usual reason for using this approach is that you have no other choice. Normally you would like to take an earlier theory as a support, but there perhaps is none, or all available models come from wrong contexts. Exploratory research means that hardly anything is known about the matter at the outset of the project. You then have to begin with a rather vague impression of what you should study, and it is also impossible to make a detailed work plan in advance. The gradual process of accumulating intelligence about the object of study means also that it will be impossible to start by defining the concepts of study. You have to start with a preliminary notion of your object of study, and of its context. During the exploratory research project, these provisional concepts then gradually gain precision. We have collected our data by drafting a questionnaire and thereby interpreted or analyzed or result by using the Microsoft excel.

Sample design
The sampling procedure used to produce any type of sample Sample size of 100 customers.
Sample centre = Amity Girls hostel

CHAPTER 4 COMPANY PROFILE

Half a century ago, as India took her steps into freedom, Lakme, India's first beauty brand was born. At a time when the beauty industry in India

was at a nascent stage, Lakme tapped into what would grow to be amongst the leading, high consumer interest segments in the Indian Industry - that of skincare and cosmetic products. Armed with a potent combination of foresight, research and constant innovation, Lakme has grown to be the market leader in the cosmetics industry. Lakme today has grown to have a wide variety of products and services that cover all facets of beauty care, and arm the consumer with products to pamper herself from head to toe. These include products for the lips, nails, eyes, face and skin, and services like the Lakme Beauty Salons.

A little bit of Lakm history: In 1995, Lakm Ltd (a Tata Group company) and HLL formed a 50:50 venture Lakm Lever that would market and distribute Lakm's products. In 1998, Lakm sold its brands (and the 50 per cent it owned in the JV) to HLL, renamed itself Trent and entered a different business (retail). Only, the years between 1995 and 2000 saw HLL wrestling with several issues with a bearing on Lakm's future. A brand that has over 5 decades talked of beauty is none other than Lakm. Launched in 1952, it offered a range of cosmetics with nail polishes & lipsticks from the early 80s. Lakm also understands the importance of maintaining and accentuating a womens natural beauty, for this it has introduced a range of skincare products from 1987. These ranges have been constantly innovated to bring specialized beauty care and complete the range for the definitive women. A brand that has over 5 decades talked of beauty is none other than Lakm. Launched in 1952, it offered a range of cosmetics with nail polishes & lipsticks from the early 80s. Lakm also understands the importance of maintaining and accentuating a womens natural beauty, for this it has introduced a range of skincare products from 1987. These ranges have been constantly innovated to bring specialized beauty care and complete the range for the definitive women.

Chopra accepts that distribution has been the company's Achilles heel for some time: ''The supply-chain hasn't been as robust as it should have been, but that has been the result of our efforts to reposition and reintroduce the brand.'' The positioning bit, although complex, is clear: Ponds is Lever's primary skincare brand; Lakm, its aspirational colour cosmetics brand, which also has a presence in skincare. The 'aspirational' qualification would mean Lakm would compete at what the company terms the 'upper-mass' (premium) end of the colour cosmetics spectrum (products priced between Rs 85 and Rs 250) where a slew of competitors, ranging from Revlon (through Modi Revlon) to Chambor, are already slugging it out. Says Meghna Modi, 26, Executive Director, Modi Revlon: ''The numbers say it all. According to ORGMARG's retail audit, we have an 84 per cent share of the premium end of the colour cosmetics market.'' Chopra is quick to rubbish this claim; he says ORG-MARG does not have a representative sample of the 60,000 outlets through which colour cosmetics are sold in India. Still, it is conceivable that Lakm's new-found aspirational strategy could have been brought about by competitors like Revlon and Maybelline, which targeted this segment. Indeed, the company's nontransfer lip-colour range follows in the wake of Maybelline's launch of a similar range, and its new nail-enamel colours come soon after Maybelline and Revlon launched their nail-enamel range. The company's defense is that it takes at least 15 months from the conceptualization to the actual launch of products. And fashion consultants like Meher Castelino believe the brand commands an edge at the high-end: ''By appropriating the fashion platform for itself, Lakm has entrenched itself at the glamour-end.''

SWOT ANALYSIS Of LAKME

Strengths :

 local brand of specific relevance to India. Strong R&D capability, well linked with business. Integrated supply chain and well spread manufacturing units. Ability to deliver Cost Savings. Access to Unilever global technology capability and sharing of best practices from other Unilever Weaknesses : Price positioning in some categories allows for low price competition. Varying quality range in its products. Falling Quality of Lame salons

Opportunities : Brand growth through increased consumption depth and frequency of usage across all categories. Upgrading consumers through innovation to new levels of quality and performance. Building brand image by collaborating with top designers in Lakme Fashion week Threats : Aggressive price competition from local and multinational players. Spurious/counterfeit products in rural areas and small towns. Non Existence of brand image in long Run

Everything a girl wants Lakm has a wide range of products in color cosmetics that bring visible results. To add to this vast repertoire is a range of specialized skin care products for the discerning women. Keeping skin looking healthy and glowing is also a part of looking great. Lakm provide the complete package with the skin care range and the wide range of colors to spice up the look.

Lakme products Colours From the spicy shades to the flattering look, Lakme offers a range of products in the face, lips, eyes and nail segment for the beauty aficionados. Face Lakm Daily Wear Souffl ,Lakm Perfecting liquid Foundation Lakm Radiance Compact , Lakm Flawless Matte Complexion Compact Lips Lakm Enrich Lipcolor - . Perfecting Definition Lip Pencil - Starshine Lipgloss - Glosses in lustrous shades available in 14 shades.

Eyes From dramatic to natural look- a wide range of products are on offer to create the perfect eyes.

1. Lakm Kajal: 2. Lame Insta Eyeliner eyelids 3. Lakme Lakm Shimmer Eye Cube: Nails True Wear Nail Enamel -Nail Enamel with Lacquer-like finish. Contains resins and silicone with colour lock technology that gives brilliant long lasting shine Skin For radiant skin Lakm is there to pamper your skin with specialized products for the diva in you. Cleansing Strawberry Silk Splash Face Wash , Lakm Fundamental Deep Pore Cleansing Milk Moisturizing 1. Lakm Fundamental Peach Milk Moisturiser skin. 2. Lakm Fundamental Winter Care Lotion Sun Protection The range comprises of lotions to keep your skin healthy and younger looking.

CHAPTER 5 INDUSTRY PROFILE

Hindustan Unilever Limited

Chairman: Harish Manwani CEO and Managing Director: Douglas (Doug) Baillie Director, Finance and IT: D. Sundaram Hindustan Unilever Limited (abbreviated to HUL), formerly Hindustan Lever Limited , is Indias largest consumer products company and was formed in 1933 as Lever Brothers India Limited. It is currently headquartered in Mumbai India and its 41,000 employees are headed by Harish Manwani, the non-executive chairman of the board. It is Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industry that includes detergents, soap, shampoo deodorant, toothpaste, and other personal care items, and cosmetics HUL's personal care brands include soap brands such as Lux, Lifebuoy, Liril, Breeze, Dove, Pear's, and Rexona; shampoos and hair coloring brands including Sunsilk Naturals and Clinic; skin care brands Fair & Lovely and Pond's; and oral care brands Pepsodent and Close-Up. The company's cosmetic line is led by the Lakme brand. HUL also produces a line of Ayurvedic personal and healthcare items under the Ayush brand. In addition to the FMCG segment, HUL has developed a line of food items, primarily under the Kissan and Knorr Annapurna brands, as well as the ice cream brand Kwality Wall's.

VISION
To earn the love and respect of India, by making a real difference to every Indian.. HLL follows its parent companys mission to add vitality to life. They strive to meet everyday needs of nutrition, hygiene, and personal care products that help people feel good, look good, and get more out of life.

STRATEGY
Grow ahead of the market by leading market development Activities

Leverage positive impact of growing Indian economy on consumer spending Grow a profitable foods and Top end business Grow the bottom-line ahead of top line Strong commitment to sustainable development

DISTRIBUTION
With respect to distribution related activities like sales and marketing, HLL is second to none in pushing the boundaries of what is possible financially, structurally, and logistically. Beyond its pioneering work FMCG distribution, the company has sought to instill in its customers an elevate sense of brand experience while simultaneously providing greater and more varied access to its products as well as improved clarity to its communications. New initiatives include raising brand visibility through in-store promotions, store-based product facilitators, and self-service. HLL has enabled an even further level of personalization and brand experience in the direct sales arena with its groundbreaking Hindustan UniLever Network, having amassed an army of consultants 250,000 strong with access to 80 % of city dwelling Indians.

Hindustan Unilever Present Scenario

15,000 employees 1,200 managers 2,000 suppliers & associates 75 Manufacturing Locations Total Coverage 6.3 Mln Outlets Direct Coverage 1 Mln outlets

Market Overview The current size of the Indian cosmetic market is approximately US$ 600 million. Of this, the fastest growing segment is color cosmetics, accounting for around US$ 60 million of the market. Industry sources estimate a rapid growth rate of 20 percent per annum across different segments of the cosmetics industry reflecting an increasing demand for all kinds of beauty and personal care product. Growth has come mainly from the low and medium-priced categories that account for 90 percent of the cosmetics market in terms of volume. The Shahnaz and the Biotique brands dominate the premium herbal cosmetics segment in India, estimated at USD 100 million. . Since liberalization, many international brands like Avon, Burberrys, Calvin Klein, Cartier, Christian Dior, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden,

Lancome, Chambor, Coty, L'Oreal, Oriflame, Revlon, L'Oreal, Yardley, Wella, Schwarzkopf, Escada, Nina Ricci, Rochas, Yves St. Laurent and Japanese cosmetics company, Shiseido have entered the Indian market. The prices of most foreign brands have been fairly high, which has deterred average Indian consumers. International brands cater to a segment that can broadly be classified as the urban higher income group. Market Trends Cosmetics and toiletries are not just the domain of women any longer and Indian men too are increasingly taking to the use of more and more body sprays, perfumes and other cosmetics and toiletries. With rising demand from men, the Indian market is getting enlarged and many players are coming out with cosmetic products especially skin care products for men. The market size of men's personal care segment is estimated at approximately US$ 165million, with Gillette having the largest market share. Other major players in this segment include Godrej, J.L. Morison and HLL. The growing demand for men's cosmetics have made many direct selling companies such as Modicare and Amway to launch new products for men. In the last five/six years, there has been a renewed craze for herbal cosmetic and personal care products, especially in the skin care segment with the growing belief that chemical-based cosmetics are harmful. Shehnaz Hussain, Biotique, and Lotus Herbals are the major players in this segment. Many companies also expanded their range to include herbal variants.. The urban population in the major cities with increasing purchasing power is the main force that drives demand for various cosmetic products in India. The advent of satellite television and awareness of the western beauty and fashion world, advertisements and promotions,

increasing number of women joining the work force is changing preferences, customs and cultures in India Import Market Costs for importing products are much higher than producing it in the country. India allows entry of imported cosmetics without any restrictions but the average import tariff on cosmetics products is currently very high at 39.2 percent. This makes imported products very expensive for most consumers. Most foreign cosmetics companies selling premium brands have had a difficult time developing the low volume premium market in India. Many had to re-work price strategies towards the mass segment. Price is not the only reason responsible for their problems. Poor assessment of the size of the upper middle and high-income groups, and price sensitivity even within these groups, had added to their problems. According to estimates of industry experts and trade publications, India's annual imports of cosmetics and toiletries and intermediate raw materials is approximately US$ 120 million. Countries like US, Europe, mainly France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain account for the major share; and Australia, China, and Japan account for rest of the share. Competition The Indian cosmetic market, which has been traditionally a stronghold of a few major Indian players like Lakme, and Ponds has seen a lot of foreign entrants to the market within the last decade. India is a very price sensitive market and the cosmetics and personal care product companies, especially the new entrants have had to work out new innovative strategies to suit Indian preferences and budgets to establish a hold on the market and establish a niche market for themselves.

Given the price-sensitivity of the Indian consumer who do not normally prefer to fork out a large sum at one time, many cosmetic and toiletries companies launched their products in smaller pack sizes to make them more affordable. HLL and Revlon were the first to introduce small pack sizes. Revlon introduced its small-range of 8 ml nail polishes and lipsticks, and was soon followed it its strategy by major Indian companies as well. Stiff competition in the cosmetics and toiletries market also saw an increase in the range of new products being introduced for newer application concepts in the last few years. In the skin-care segment, from just creams and moisturizers, there has been a upgrade to value-added products such as under-eye wrinkle removing creams, dark circle removing creams toners, sunscreen lotions, fairness creams, and many more. . Beauty counselors or advisors at retails outlets have been very successful in gaining attention, creating product awareness and overcoming consumers lack of familiarity with, and fears about many cosmetics and personal care products such as home hair permanents and color cosmetics. Some companies such as Lakme have even set up exclusive Lakme beauty parlors at major cities in India through the franchisee route . L'Oreal markets its range of specialized hair care products exclusively through salons and beauty parlors. L'Oreal currently is the only company in the market that has a hair color range tailored exclusively for parlors.. A strong brand promotional campaign, good distribution network, constant product innovation and quality improvement, and the ability to provide a variety of quality products are some of the major reasons for the success of most companies.

HLL, is currently India's largest cosmetics and personal care products producer and its brands has the dominant share (more than 50 percent) in segments such as personal wash, skin care, shampoos, lipsticks and nail polish. Sales Prospects The growing Indian cosmetics market offers promising opportunities for international brands. The growth rate in the cosmetics market reflects an increasing demand for beauty care products in India. The most promising segments for international companies to pursue are perfumes and fragrances, and specialized/professional skin care and hair care products. The fastest growing market is however color cosmetics, which account for US$ 60 million of the total market. The rural market in India for cosmetics and toiletries remains is largely untapped. Major domestic players have also not been able to penetrate this market. The urban market itself for specialized cosmetic products remains to be fully exploited. The Indian skin-care market is not yet fully tapped and offers promising prospects as a growth area. Penetration of color cosmetics is lower than the penetration prospects of the skincare segment. To promote the growth of their products, a dominant player like Lakme have embarked upon a business plan to establish their exclusive franchised beauty salons across major metros in the country. Imported cosmetics have had a major impact on the Indian market. Foreign products have enhanced growth of the Indian market by attracting aspirational consumers and increasing acceptance of color cosmetics, previously perceived by many as harmful to skin. Indians generally perceive foreign brands as being of superior quality. Other key issues regarding sales prospects are product variety and retailing strategies as well. There is a marked shift among

consumers from functional common-fits-all products to more specialized formulations. This is one of the reasons why an increasing number of cosmetic companies are dealing with consumers directly through special exclusive counters in major departmental stores and malls featuring their own beauty consultants. L'Oreal India has established a consumer advisory unit and Ponds, as mentioned earlier offers skin care advise through touch-screen kiosks, and telephone help-lines. Market Access Prior to March 31, 1999, India had cosmetics and toiletries on its restricted list of imports and a special import license was required for import of cosmetics and toiletries into the country. This regulation has now been done away with and, India today, permits import of cosmetics and toiletries without any restrictions. This has made the Indian market more attractive to foreign cosmetic companies. Imports have been made easier, but not necessarily cheaper. The total import duty rate on cosmetics and toiletries classified under HS Code 33.03 to 33.07 is 39.20 percent, which even though has been scaled down over the past few years is still very much on the higher side. The high duties cause imports to be price uncompetitive. Certain high - end products just do not sell in India because the final price to bring it into India is too high for consumers to pay.

CHAPTER 6 QUESTIONNAIRE

Q) Do Lakme provides Quality Products?

Q) Are You Brand Loyal to Lakme?

Q) For what purpose You use Lakme products ?

Q) What do you think about the price level of Lakme

products ?

Q) If not Lakme then which Other brand ?

Competitors
Revlon 22% Oriflame 18% Blue heaven 8% L'Oreal 39% Lissome 7% Others 6%

Q) Do celebrity endorsements in advertisements attract you towards Lakme products ?

Q)What inspire you to go for any cosmetic product?

Q)What changes you would like to see in the Lakme products?

CHAPTER 7DATA FINDING & ANALYSIS

Observed(O) Expected(E) (Oi-Ei)2 Satisfaction level Excellent Good Average Poor Neutral/Cant Say 16 20 55 5 4 20 20 20 20 20 16 0 1225 225 256 2 {(Oi2 Ei) / } 0.8 0 61.25 11.25 12.8

Hypothesis Testing using Chi Square Overall Satisfaction

2=86.1 Table value=9.49 Since the table value is less than the 2. So the Ho is rejected.

Loyalty
Satisfaction level Loyal Not a loyal Observed(O) Expected(E) (Oi-Ei)2 18 82 50 50 1024 1024 2 {(OiEi)2 /E } 20.48 20.48

2=40.96 Table value=3.84 Since the table value is less than the 2. So the Ho is rejected.

Advocasy
Satisfaction level Recommend Will Not recommend Observed(O) 40 60 Expected(E) 50 50 (Oi-Ei)2 100 100 2 {(Oi-

Ei)2 /E }
2 2

2=4 Table value=3.84 Since the table value is less than the 2. So the Ho is rejected.

Advertising/Communication effect
Communication Observed(O) level Effected 17 Not at all 83 Expected(E) 50 50 (Oi-Ei)2 1089 1089 2 {(Oi-Ei)2

/E }
21.78 21.78

2=43.56

Table value=3.84 Since the table value is less than the 2. So the Ho is rejected. Satisfaction Observed(O) Expected(E) level High 30 33.33 Low 5 33.33 Optimum 65 33.33

(Oi-Ei)2 11.0889 802.5889 1002.9889

2 {(Oi2 Ei) /E } 0.333 24.08 30.09

Price Level
2=54.503 Table value=5.99 Since the table value is less than the 2. So the Ho is rejected.

CHAPTER 8 PROBLEMS And RECOMMENDATIONS

Problems

Increasing Competition Low Rating of lame Salons (not so good customer services) No new Strategies to look for improvements. May loose its Sheen in a long run.

Recommendations

Promotions beyond fashion week The brand should not lose its focus away from cosmetics. It can proved to very detrimental.

For vast reach unlikely, in the short-term. Some sort of an alliance or co-branding with the salons that already exist may, perhaps, have been a better strategy.

The general perception is that company-owned salons are expensive. Though Lakme beauty salons are reasonably priced, it has not been communicated well enough.

CHAPTER 9 - CONCLUSION
Since the Null hypothesis is rejected therefore it states that the customers are not satisfied well with the lakme products . This would be the major cause of lose of market share in the country. Another reason is the upcoming of Regional brands in the country that is making lakme loose its sheen. Therefore the company should take in strategic steps and planning to revive its brand image accordingly. The local cosmetics and toiletries market is valued at approximately RM3 billion or about US$800 million, with a growth rate of 13% annually. It is estimated that there are more than 60,000 types of cosmetic products in the local market. Imported products from Thailand, the United States, France, Singapore and Japan dominate the market. The local cosmetics and toiletries industry generally involves mixing and formulation processes, using imported ingredients. Many of these companies are contract manufacturers, mainly for products such as shampoo and conditioners, other hair care products, perfumes, and cosmetics. Advertising and promotion is crucial for cosmetics and toiletries products, in order to create an awareness of new products and build brand loyalty among consumers. Advertisements in TV and the print

media such as newspaper and magazines, especially womens magazines, are very common. Samples of toiletries products are distributed to individual households and products in sachet form are attached to magazines. Free gifts are given during promotion periods and are advertised in the local major newspapers and on the web. According to the industry, the market is saturated with many different types of products, and in the long run, established brands that emphasize quality and service will have the edge.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kotler Philip , Keller Lane Kevin marketing , prentice hall of India , 2005

S.P Gupta , Business Statistics, 14th edition , 2005

Business Statistics , J. K Sharma , edition 2005 Tata Mc graw-Hill Edtion , Business research methods , Donald R.Cooper , Pamela S. Schindler.

REFERENCES

www.hindubusinessline.com www.lakmeindia.com www.hll.com www.economictimes.com

www.financialexpress.com