CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
The particular study was under taken for jyothi laboratories ltd. The study contains the primary objective To know the preferences of xo dish wash bar.to conduct the study the target were taken as consumers. Area of the study is taken as the urban areas of Trissur district. Research design used for this study is descriptive in nature and the sampling used is convenient sampling. From the analysis it is found that exo brand has good awareness among the consumers. But few are not satisfied with the quality and price of the product. Finally the study ends with certain recommendations.

INTRODUCTION TO CONSUMER PREFERENCE

The underlying foundation of demand, therefore, is a model of how consumers behave. The individual consumer has a set of preferences and values whose determination is outside the realm of economics. They are no doubt dependent upon culture, education, and individual tastes, among a plethora of other factors. The measure of these values in this model for a particular good is in terms of the real opportunity cost to the consumer who purchases and consumes the good. If an

individual purchases a particular good, then the opportunity cost of that purchase is the forgone goods the consumer could have bought instead. We develop a model in which we map or graphically derive consumer preferences. These are measured in terms of the level of satisfaction the consumer obtains from consuming various combinations or bundles of goods. The consumers objective is to choose the bundle of goods which provides the greatest level of satisfaction as they the consumer define it. But consumers

are very much constrained in their choices.

These constraints are defined by the

consumers income, and the prices the consumer pays for the goods. We will formally present the model of consumer choice. As we go along, we will establish a vocabulary in order to explain the model. Development of the model will be in three stages. After a formal statement of the consumers objectives, we will map the consumers preferences. Secondly, we present the consumers budget constraint; and lastly, combine the two in order to examine the consumers choices of goods.

THE THEORY OF THE CONSUMER

Consumer make decisions by allocating their scarce income across all possible goods in order to obtain the greatest satisfaction. Formally, we say that consumers maximize their utility subject to budget constraint. Utility is defined as the satisfaction that a consumer derives from the consumption of a good. As noted above, utilitys determinants are decided by a host of noneconomic factors. Consumer value is measured in terms of the relative utilities between goods. These reflect the consumers preferences. Theory of Consumer Preferences Consumer preferences are defined as the subjective (individual) tastes, as measured by utility, of various bundles of goods. They permit the consumer to rank these bundles of goods according tothe levels of utility they give the consumer. Note that preferences are independent of income and prices. Ability to purchase goods does not determine a consumers likes or dislikes. One can have a preference for Porsches over Fords but only have the financial means to drive a Ford. In economics, the consumer's preferences, money income and prices play an important role in solving the consumer's optimization problem (maximization of the utility subject to a budget constraint). The income effect in economics can be defined as the change in consumption resulting from a change in real income. The comparative statics of

consumer behavior investigates the effects of changes in the exogenous or independent variables i.e. prices and money incomes of the consumers on the equilibrium values of the endogenous or dependent variables i.e. the consumer's demand for goods. When the income of the consumer rises with the prices held constant, the optimal bundle chosen by the consumer changes as the feasible set available to him changes. The income consumption curve is the set of optimal points of intersection of the points of tangency
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of the sets of budget constraint lines and indifference curves as income varies, with prices held constant. In recent years the internet has been used to conclude more and more sales Contracts. Consumers can find billions of products in the internet. There are Product recommender systems for a lot of different product types to help finding Products which fits the preferences of consumers. Major recommender systems can be divided into two categories, collaborative-based and content-based While collaborative-based Recommender systems suggest products which are bought by consumers with Similar preferences, content-based recommender systems try to find products Based on syntactic properties of the products Some authors also define a third category which consists of that recommender Systems which are using both approaches.

However, preference measurement is vital for all product recommender systems. The preferences will either be compared to those of other consumers or to product descriptions. In recent decades there has been research of preference measurement in the context of consumer behaviour. In 1967 Fishburn reported on 24 methods to measure consumer preferences (Fishburn, 1967). Besides early self-explicated approaches and the conjoint analysis, there was a dozen of hybrid approaches which have been developed and applied (Wittink and Cattin, 1989; Sattler and Hensel-Boerner, 2007). It is obvious that these approaches should be applied I product recommender systems. But considering current systems, self-explicated approaches are implemented merely (Guttman, 1998; Chun and Hong, 2001; Choi et al., 2006; Cao and Li, 2007), the conjoint analysis is not implemented at all. Due to their high predictive validity conjoint analysis and hybrid approaches would be more suitable for product recommender systems. In this paper we briefly introduce and discuss the conjoint analysis as a method to measure consumer preferences for product recommender systems. The paper is organised as follows. In section 2 we briefly introduce the conjoint analysis. In section 3 we discuss the challenges and limits arising in applying conjoint analysis to product recommender systems. Some suggestions how to handle these challenges and limits are depicted in each subsection. We conclude the paper in section 4 reflecting on open research tasks

Preferences are the desires by each individual for the consumption of goods and services that translate into choices based on income or wealth for purchases of goods and services to be combined with the consumer's time to define consumption activities. Consumption is separated from production, logically, because two different consumers are involved. In the first case consumption is by the primary individual; in the second case, a producer might make something that he would not consume himself. Therefore, different motivations and abilities are involved. The models that make up consumer theory are used to represent prospectively observable demand patterns for an individual buyer on the hypothesis of constrained optimization. Prominent variables used to explain the rate at which the good is purchased (demanded) are the price per unit of that good, prices of related goods, and wealth of the consumer.

The fundamental theorem of demand states that the rate of consumption falls as the price of the good rises. This is called the substitution effect. Clearly if one does not have enough money to pay the price then they cannot buy any of that item. As prices rise, consumers will substitute away from higher priced goods and services, choosing less costly alternatives. Subsequently, as the wealth of the individual rises, demand increases, shifting the demand curve higher at all rates of consumption. This is called the income effect. As wealth rises, consumers will substitute away from less costly inferior goods and services, choosing higher priced alternatives

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COMPANY PROFILE Jyothy laboratories came into being in 1983, powered by the vision of one man M P Ramachandran the current chairman &managing director, started as multi brand Product Company with operations all over the nation. Distributed The company has the distinction of making a mark in the virtually nonexistent category of liquid fabric whitener .the products are reasonably priced, conveniently packaged. Extensively Distributed and supported by strategic communication, Jyothi laboratories limited has well and truly earned its place in the market as well as in the mind of millions of households in India. Today Jyothi laboratories limited has a pan Indian presence with brands catering to the needs of consumers across the length and breadth of the nation .from a fledging entity that embarked to Translate the dream to make a difference ,from starting operations with corpus of INR 400 crores ,Jyothi laboratories ltd has come a long way.jyothi laboratories ltd is surging ahead to keep its tryst with founding ideals untapped markets, innovative products &cater to the common man .Jyothi laboratories through its market analysis looks out for a vacuum that can be filled. The genesis of the organization has been a defining moment in our journey. Jyothy Laboratories Limited has ensured that the founding principles remain as relevant as they did a quarter of ago.

In keeping with the tenet of offering a solution rather than a mere product, Jyothy Laboratories Limited has consciously ventured into product categories that provide simple but tangible benefits to consumers through a portfolio of value for money brands. Starting from the momentous launch of Ujala carving out a new product category of liquid fabric whitener - Jyothy Laboratories Limited today manufactures and distributes
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brands across product categories as diverse as Fabric Care, Household Insecticide, Utensil Cleaners, Fragrances, Personal Care, besides marketing tea and coffee brands. At Jyothy Laboratories Limited, we are convinced that organizational goals can be achieved only through teams that are passionate and committed - our employees are the key to our success. Jyothy Laboratories Ltd is an India-based company. The company is principally engaged in manufacturing and marketing of fabric whiteners, soaps, detergents, mosquito coils and incense sticks. They operate in two segments: Soaps & Detergents and Home Care. Soaps & Detergents include fabric whiteners, fabric detergents, dish wash bar and soaps including ayurvedic soaps and Home Care products include incense sticks, dhoop and mosquito coils and scrubber, it also include tea and coffee. The company is headquartered in Mumbai. The company has 28 manufacturing facilities across 15 locations, Trichur, Wynad, Roorkee, Pondicherry, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Bankura, Guwahati, Baddi, Silvassa, Salem, Jammu and Pithampur. Most of their units are ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 certified units. The company exports their products to 14 countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Malaysia, UAE, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. Jyothy Laboratories Ltd was incorporated on January 15, 1992 as a private limited company with the name Jyothi Laboratories Pvt Ltd. The company was originally started as a proprietary concern in Kerala by M P Ramachandran. In the year 1992, the company commissioned factory in Chennai to make Ujala. In the year 1994, they commissioned a plant in Pondicherry, their first in a backward area utilizing Government incentives. In the year 1995, the company launched Nebula, an oil-based antibacterial washing soap in Kerala. In October 6, 1995, the company became a public limited company and the name was changed to Jyothi Laboratories Ltd. In August 12, 1996, they further changed their name to Jyothy Laboratories Ltd. In the year 1997, they launched Ujala all over India. In the year 2000, the company launched Maxo (mosquito repellent) in the state of West Bengal. Also, they launched Exo, an antibacterial dish water bar in Kerala. Later, they launched Exo across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. In the year 2001, the company acquired detergents plant at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh from Tate Chemicals Ltd. They launched Vanmala washing soap in Kerala and Maya incense sticks in selected states. In the year 2002, the company acquired Sri Sai Homecare Pvt

Ltd, which has a mosquito coil production facility in Hyderabad. Thus, Sri Sai Homecare Pvt Ltd became a subsidiary company. Also, the company launched Jeeva Ayurvedic Soap in the market. In the year 2005, the company launched Exo Liquid and Ujala Stiff & Shine in South India. During the year 2006-07, the company started marketing and distributing coffee products under the brand name 'Continental Speciale' in a joint venture with CCL Products (India) Ltd. They acquired trademark and copyright for the brand 'More Light' and 'Ruby'. Also, they launched extensions in the household insecticide segment under the brand name 'Maxo' - Liquid and Aerosol. In November 2006, the company established a 50:50 joint venture company with Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, namely Balaji Telebrands Ltd for marketing and distribution of Ekta's 'Karyasiddhi Graha Shanti Dhoops'. During the year 2007-08, the company commenced production in new manufacturing facilities at Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir for making mosquito repellent coils, Roorkee in Uttarakhand for making Ujala fabric whitener and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh for Ujala Stiff and Shine. In March 2008, they launched Ujala Stiff & Shine all over India. During the year 200809, the company forayed into service sector through new venture 'Jyothy Fabricare Services Ltd', a subsidiary company for providing world class laundry at affordable price at consumer doorstep. They launched Jyothy Fabric Care Services Ltd and Fabric Spa. They launched Exo Dish wash liquid in all southern states and Exo Floor Shine products in the State of Kerala. In April 2009, the company commenced full scale production of mosquito repellent coils in their Jammu unit. In October 2009, they expanded Exo dishwashing line from South India to Pan India. In November 2009, they launched fabric Spa at Bangalore. Also, the company bought technology DEPA, a repellent formulation for protection from all blood sucking insects and mosquitos from DRDO. In February 2010, they launched multi insect repellant in collaboration with prominent division of Defence Research and Development Establishment. The company has proposed to amalgamate Sri Sai Homecare Products Pvt Ltd, a whollyowned subsidiary company with the company with effect from April 1, 2010. They have planned brand extension to take Ujala detergent to other states in a phased manner. The company is in talks with West Bengal-based detergents and allied products company Safechem Industries to buy their flagship laundry detergent brand, Safed. The company is looking to buy two fabric whitener brands for up to Rs. 2.50 billion by the end of December.
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WORK CULTURE

Hence, our Human Resource philosophy strongly hinges on the credo that people are the organizations major asset and that together they will create & sustain vibrancy. Our HR polices and practices are contemporary and these are based on fairness, openness and mutual respect.

While the highest levels of professional ethics, personal decorum, adherence to deadlines, compliance to standards and customer service are indispensable attributes, a great deal of significance is attached to Accountability Integrity Commitment Initiative Positive Attitude

At Jyothy Laboratories Limited, we value people who are keen on giving shape and structure to ideas and who can create a fusion of talent, attitude and excellence. If the opportunity of making a difference excites you, this is the place to discover how you can make that difference.

R&D INITIATIVE

Jyothy Laboratories Limited owes its genesis to an unflinching faith in the power of innovation. This urge to innovate has found expression in every product category, brand and operation in the organization.
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Driving and sustaining innovation is critical to addressing the need to offer value for money brands and ensure customer delight. Jyothy Laboratories Limited accords great importance to the role of Research & Development as a key enabler in this process.

The R & D center offers state-of-the-art facilities and is well equipped to cater to the needs of research for each of our Business Divisions. The ISO 14001 certified facility is fully geared to pursue sustained experimentation and product development. The R & D facility is powered by a qualified and skilled talent pool of professionals who bring to the table, years of experience in their respective domains.

The impressive portfolio brands bears testimony to the sustained and systematic R & D initiatives pursued by Jyothy Laboratories Limited. Besides offering tangible benefits to the consumer, the R & D drive empowers our passion to come up with unique formulations, varied product offerings and above all, provides all these to consumers at affordable price point

DISTRIBUTION NETWORK In keeping with objective of reaching out to every Indian

household, we have ensured that our brands touch the daily lives of people across the country.

This objective is translated on the ground through the formidable distribution network of Jyothy Laboratories Limited covering even far flung hamlets that dot the remotest corners of this vast nation.

At Jyothy Laboratories Limited, we act

clear understanding of

the consumer and the market that we serve. Quite naturally, our distribution strategy is attuned to the dynamics of catering to different types of markets in diverse
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locations. Thus, there is a high level of customization of the distribution channel depending on the nature of the market and the specific geography that we operate in.

The deep insights garnered from the grassroots, focused sales & marketing strategies and persistent efforts have resulted in higher penetration, increased sales and delighted customers. A large field force with over 1500 sales personnel and a network of over 2500 distributors ensure a direct reach of over 1 million retail outlets and an indirect reach of over 1.5 million retail outlets.

MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
Jyothy Laboratories Limited has a well-oiled framework to manufacture and roll out brands across various product categories.

Besides separate plants for manufacturing the entire product range, the company also has infrastructure for Machine Design & Manufacture, to cater to in-house production requirements.

Jyothy Laboratories Limited has a battery of 21 modern manufacturing units at 14 locations across the country. While these units have been established at strategic locations, to capitalize on the facilities offered by the Government, many of these units by virtue of being located in the hinterland, also offer employment opportunities and a fillip to economic development in the area. Besides, the micro-economic benefits are excellent logistical advantages, elimination of rise of labour unrest in any location, regional political unrest, transport strike etc and ensuring minimum deployment of working capital.

All manufacturing facilities and personnel are sensitized to ensure minimal wastage, promote environmental conservation and maintain high quality standards.

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The genesis of the organization has been a defining moment in our journey. Jyothy Laboratories Limited has ensured that the founding principles remain as relevant as they did a quarter of a century ago.

In keeping with the tenet of offering a solution rather than a mere product, Jyothy Laboratories Limited has consciously ventured into product categories that provide simple but tangible benefits to consumers through a portfolio of value for money brands.

Starting from the momentous launch of Ujala carving out a new product category of liquid fabric whitener - Jyothy Laboratories Limited today manufactures and distributes brands across product categories as diverse as Fabric Care, Household Insecticide, Utensil Cleaners, Fragrances, Personal Care, besides marketing tea and coffee brands.

At Jyothy Laboratories Limited, we act on key insights from consumers, market research and sustained in-house analytical processes. Combined with continuous research & development, these insights help us in offering innovative products while ensuring enhanced value from existing brands.

In addition to our own brands, Jyothy Laboratories Limited has ventured into the business of coffee, tea and spiritual / astrological dhoops . The company has also inked a MoU to establish a joint venture in Bangladesh to manufacture and market Ujala and Maxo.

Incisive insights into consumer preferences, market dynamics and distribution, winning marketing strategies and focused product positioning, combined with sustained R & D have ensured expansion of the product portfolio and consistent growth.

The fact that each brand from the Jyothy portfolio makes a positive difference to the lives of millions is our greatest inspiration egging us to do more.
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At Jyothy Laboratories Limited, we act on key insights from consumers, market research and sustained in-house analytical processes. Combined with continuous research & development, these insights help us in offering innovative products while ensuring enhanced value from existing brands.

In addition to our own brands, Jyothy Laboratories Limited has ventured into the business of coffee, tea and spiritual / astrological dhoops. The company has also inked a Moue to establish a joint venture in Bangladesh to manufacture and market Ujala and Maxo.

Incisive insights into consumer preferences, market dynamics and distribution, winning marketing strategies and focused product positioning, combined with sustained R & D have ensured expansion of the product portfolio and consistent growth.

The fact that each brand from the Jyothy portfolio makes a positive difference to the lives of millions is our greatest inspiration egging us to do more. Vision

Develop innovative brands, tap high growth categories, reach untapped markets and explore untapped segments to meet the day-to-day requirements of every Indian household.

Mission Provide brands that denote superior quality, to touch and positively impact the daily lives of consumers. To ensure that our brands, business operations and corporate policies translate the core philosophy of offering value for the money spent to experience our products. Ensure that our people, processes and products reflect the ideals of integrity, ethics and professionalism.
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INDUSTRY PROFILE Indian kitchens boast a range of utensils. There are pots and pans of all shapes and sizes some reserved for particular foods e.g. separate vessels to boil milk, for frying, for nonvegetarian foods plus crockery and cutlery. Kitchenware is made from different materials- aluminium, steel, anodised steel, silver, plastic, glass, copper, pital and silver utensils are used for special occasions. Gadgets like mixer/grinder jars, blades of blenders etc also must be cleaned. Food is cooked on gas, microwave oven, in some areas on a kerosene or wood fired stove or on a barbeque. Besides the insides, even the outside surface of a vessel gets burnt and needs cleaning.

Each type of utensil has its own peculiarities- some stain easily, some burn easily, cutlery tends to remain greasy and those with convoluted shapes tend to retain food particles in crevices. All need special attention and often each needs a different cleaning agent.

The plethora of products incorporate the cleaning powers of vinegar or lime, some claim to be gentle on the hands and some now claim to 'fight bacteria.' Yet most ads focus on the burntkadhai. There seems to be no distinction about which powder/liquid/bar is more suitable for which type of cleaning.

So the homemaker has to either figure out the appropriate cleaning agent by herself or rely on the advice of the domestic help or price point or the advertisements of course! Top brands vie with in-house products made by organised retail majors for consumer attention and often succeed though they may not be heavily advertised on television, print etc.

Cleaning scrubbers also do not seem to be well distinguished in terms of the object they are meant to clean. So one finds plastic or steel wool scrubbers, more sophisticated twoin-sponges, brushes etc. Many ladies (generally its they who do clean utensils) are known to suffer from allergies of skin, nails that are painful and ugly. However not
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many of the cleaning agents advise using gloves or state any post cleaning procedure to safeguard hands. Irrespective of who cleans the utensils this information is required.

Products which have a quick turnover, and relatively low cost are known as fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). FMCG products are those that get replaced within a year. Examples of FMCG generally include a wide range of frequently purchased consumer products such as toiletries, soap, cosmetics, tooth cleaning products, shaving products, Detergents, as well as other non-durables such as glass ware, bulbs, batteries, paper products, and plastic goods. FMCG may also include pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, packaged food products, soft drinks, tissue paper and chocolate bars. A subset of FMCG is fast moving consumer electronics which include innovative electronic products such as mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, GPS Systems and laptops. These are replaced more frequently than other electronic products. White goods in FMCG refer to household electronic items such as refrigerators, televisions, music systems etc. In 2005, the Rs.48000-crore FMCG segment was one of the fast growing industries in India. According to the ACNielsen India study, the industry grew 5.3% in value between 2004 and 2005.

INDIAN FMCG SECTOR

The Indian FMCG sector is the fourth largest in the economy and as a market size of US$13.1 billion. Well established distribution networks, as well as intense competition between the organized segments are the characteristics of this sector. FMCG in India has a strong and competitive MNC presence across the entire value chain. It has been predicted that the FMCG market will reach to US$ 33.4 billion in2015 from US $ billion 11.6 in 2003. The middle class and the rural segments of the Indian population are the most promising market for FMCG, and give brand makers the opportunity to convert them to branded products. Most of the product categories like jams, tooth paste, skin care, shampoos etc., in India, have low per capita consumption as well as low penetration level, but the potential for growth in huge.

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The Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry primarily deals with the production, distribution and marketing of consumer packaged goods, i.e. those categories of products that are consumed at regular intervals. Examples include food & beverage, personal care, pharmaceuticals, plastic goods, paper & stationery and household products etc. The industry is vast and offers a wide range of job opportunities in functions such as sales, supply chain, finance, marketing, operations, purchasing, human resources, product development and general

management. Global leaders in the FMCG segment are Sara Lee, Nestl, Reckitt Benckiser, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Kleenex, General Mills, Pepsi and Mars etc. n India, the FMCG industry is the fourth largest sector with a total (organized) market size of over US$15 billion in 2007, as per ASSOCHAM, and can be classified under the premium and popular segments. The premium segment (~25%) caters mostly to the higher/upper middle income consumers while the price sensitive popular or mass segment (~75%) consists of consumers belonging mainly to the semi-urban or rural areas who are not, and cannot afford to be, brand conscious.

The market growth over the past 5 years has been phenomenal, primarily due to consumers growing disposable income which is directly linked to an increased demand for FMCG goods and services. Indeed, it is widely acknowledged that the large young population in the rural and semi-urban regions is driving demand growth, with the continuous rise in their disposable income, life style, food habits etc. On the supply side, the wide availability of raw materials, vast agricultural produce, low cost of labor and increased organized retail have helped the competitiveness of players.

At a time when the economy and other large industrial sectors such as automobiles, aviation and financial services are reeling from the global slowdown, the consumer goods sector in India has managed to defy the trend. According to the recent reports by Zeus Consulting, India's FMCG industry has so far been resilient to the slowdown in the economy and a dip in consumer sentiment, with most companies posting double-digit growth in net profits in the first half of fiscal 2009, backed by healthy sales. As very categorically said by the Amway India Enterprises managing director and chief executive, Mr. William Pinckney, I am not saying that our company [sector] is
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recession-proof but it is recession-resilient. This statement on the whole stands strong for most the leading players in the FMCG sector.

While a price hike and cost-cutting were the first lines of defense in a bid to protect margins,Indian manufacturers were able to let logic rather than bottom lines dictate measures, with increased marketing efforts, a well-thought product mix and new launches helping them emerge unscathed from the turmoil. The prospects going forward also remain promising. Adi Godrej, Chairman and MD of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) and Chairman of Godrej Industries feels that the best policy would be to provide tremendous fiscal and monetary stimuli to the economy, [stimuli is needed] especially in industries connected with consumer finance. Once that is done, the economic growth will come through and that will generally create multiplier factors. FMCG already seems to be doing quite well and FMCG sector will have its best year ever in 2009-10, he said.

Products which have a quick turnover, and relatively low cost are as Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). FMCG products are those that get replaced within a year. Examples of FMCG generally include a wide range of frequently purchased consumer products such as toiletries, soap, cosmetics, tooth cleaning products, shaving products and detergents, as well as other non-durables such as glassware, bulbs, batteries, paper products, and plastic goods. FMCG may also include pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, packaged food products, soft drinks, tissue paper, and chocolate bars. Indias FMCG sector is the fourth largest sector in the economy and creates employment for more than three million people in downstream activities. Its principal constituents are Household Care, Personal Care and Food & Beverages. The total FMCG market is in excess of Rs. 85,000 Crores. It is currently growing at double digit growth rate and is expected to maintain a high growth rate. FMCG Industry is characterized by a well established distribution network, low penetration levels, low operating cost, lower per capita consumption and intense competition between the organized and unorganized segments.

The Rs 85,000-crore Indian FMCG industry is expected to register a healthy growth in the third quarter of 2008-09 despite the economic downturn. The industry is expected to
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register a 15% growth in Q3 2008-09 as compared to the corresponding period last year. Unlike other sectors, the FMCG industry did not slow down since Q2 2008. the industry is doing pretty well, bucking the trend. As it is meeting the every-day demands of consumers, it will continue to grow. In the last two months, input costs have come down and this will reflect in Q3 and Q4 results.

Market share movements indicate that companies such as Marico Ltd and Nestle India Ltd, with domination in their key categories, have improved their market shares and outperformed peers in the FMCG sector. This has been also aided by the lack of competition in the respective categories. Single product leaders such as Colgate

Palmolive India Ltd and Britannia Industries Ltd have also witnessed strength in their respective categories, aided by innovations and strong distribution. Strong players in the economy segment like Godrej Consumer Products Ltd in soaps and Dabur in toothpastes have also posted market share improvement, with revived growth in semi-urban and rural markets.

SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths: Low operational costs Presence of established distribution networks in both urban and rural areas Presence of well-known brands in FMCG sector Weaknesses: Lower scope of investing in technology and achieving economies of scale, especially in small sectors Low exports levels "Me-too products, which illegally mimic the labels of the established brands. These products narrow the scope of FMCG products in rural and semi-urban market. Opportunities:
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 Untapped rural market Rising income levels, i.e. increase in purchasing power of consumers Large domestic market- a population of over one billion. Export potential High consumer goods spending Threats: Removal of import restrictions resulting in replacing of domestic brands Slowdown in rural demand Tax and regulatory structure

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PRODUCT PROFILE

Exo Dish wash is yet another offering that draws on the wealth of experience of our R & D division. The product is not meant to just clean utensils, but also provide protection form bacteria and harmful germs. Fortified with powerful anti-bacterial agents, Exo Dish wash bar fights and kills disease causing bacteria that enter food through contamination of utensils. The powerful formula removes sticky oil stains, grime and stubborn burnt food residues from utensils and makes them safe and sparkling.

Exo Dish Wash Bar is available in 100gms, 200gms and 380gms packs

Brand Exo: Company : Jyothi Laboratories Ltd Brand Analysis Count : # 496

Exo is a dish wash brand from Jyothi Labs. Exo is a challenger brand in the Rs 10,000 crore dishwash product category in India. The brand currently focuses on South India and is slowly spreading its wings nationally. Exo was launched in 2000. The brand was launched as a part of the diversification of JLL whose bread and butter was from a single brand- Ujala. Exo entered a very tough market which was dominated by the market leader Vim.
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In competitive strategies, theory talks about various strategies like Frontal Attack, Byepass attack etc. Exo chose to attack Vim directly and aggressively. When a competing brand chose to attack the market leader, it needs to have a credible differentiator inorderto compete and succeed. Vim have tremendous brand equity in the market and it is a tough task to fight such a leader. Exo's marketing strategy is a notable example of successful frontal attack. The brand was able to find a credible and sustainable differentiator against Vim. Exo took the position of an Anti-bacterial dishwash bar to fight Vim. Exo was India's first Anti-bacterial dish wash bar. As usual, the poor Keedanu ( germs) was at the receiving end. Exo positioned itself as a dishwash bar that killed all the bacteria in the utensils. The positioning was very smart since Vim was positioned on the basis of cleanliness. Exo was innovative in creating an awareness about the possibility of germs in utensils. There was also another smart idea from the brand. In theory, we often say that the differentiator should be relevant, sustainable and not easily copied by competitors. Exo's positioning of anti-bacterial benefit can be easily copied by the competitor . In order to counter this, Exo used an ingredient "Cyclozan " to protect its differentiation. The ingredient brand " Cyclozan " ensured that the differentiation of Anti-bacterial benefit cannot be easily countered. By launching Exo with anti-bacterial property, Exo created both point of parity and point of difference with Vim. The brand talked about cleanliness thus created parity with Vim and then used Cyclozan to establish point of difference thus creating a powerful position in the mind of the consumers.The results was visible . Exo became the second largest dishwash bar in South India. To fight the aggressive attack by Exo, Vim launched its own anti-bacterial variant using neem as the ingredient.

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Exo later went into a brand extension mode by launching Exo dishwash liquid and later Exo Scrub. With the acquisition of Henkel in India by JLL, the fate of Exo dishwash liquid appears bleak since Henkel's Pril is the market leader in the dishwash liquid market. Exo will now be restricted to only dishwash bar category. Exo is a brand which is promoted exhaustively by Jyothy labs. The brand has very high share of voice and ads keep on driving the USP of germ-killing property. Since the dishwash bar category is not a high involvement category, the brand had benefited greatly by this share of voice. With the acquisition of Pril brand from Henkel, Jyothi labs now have two formidable brands in the dish wash category. Vim now faces the most intensive threat to its leadership position. It will be interesting to watch how the fight will turn out to be.

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CHAPTER 2

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES

To know the preference of Exo brand among the consumers.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES To know the fast moving brands. To know the effective promotion methods. To know the effectiveness of the distribution system To know the factors effecting the purchasing decision To know the awareness of Exo brand

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Scope of study The scope of study is restricted to Trissur only. The sample size is taken as 120 for consumers. The target for consumers has taken from houses and flats whom using Exo brand in semi urban areas of Trissur district. district.

The samples for consumers are taken from semi urban areas of Trissur Structured questionnaire were used for data collecting information

From the analysis it is understand that there is a good awareness level for Exo dish wash bar.

As learning is a human activity and is as natural, as breathing. Despite of the fact that learning is all pervasive in our lives, psychologists do not agree on how learning takes place. How individuals learn is a matter of interest to marketers. They want to teach consumers in their roles as their roles as consumers. They want consumers to learn about their products, product attributes, potential consumers benefit, how to use, maintain or even dispose of the product and new ways of behaving that will satisfy not only the consumers needs, but the marketers objectives. The scope of my study restricts itself to the analysis of consumer preferences, perception and consumption of Exo dish wash bar. There are many other brands of dish wash bars available but my study is limited to two major players of utensil cleaners leaving behind the others. The scope of my study is also restricts itself to Trissur region only.

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CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem along with the logic behind them.the research methodology includes description about why the research study has been undertaken, how the hypothesis, if any has been adopted.so by framing a right methodology it is possible to gain deeper in sight to the research problem and also it gives .full proof action plan for carrying out the project success fully.

RESERCH DESIGN Research design is the conceptual structure with which research would be conducted. For this research study; a descriptive research design is used.

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH In descriptive research the researcher defines clearly what he wants to measure and must find adequate means to measure it.a descriptive study requires a clear specification of who what, when,where,why, and how aspects of research.

SOURCE OF DATA COLLECTION Primary data were used for the study. Primary data were collected the source like house hold consumers. Secondary data collected from company magazines and internet.

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SAMPLING METHOD The sampling procedure adopted in this project is convenient sampling.

SAMPLING PLAN Sampling is the procedure to draw conclusion about a large group of consumers by standing a small sample of the total population

SAMPLE SIZE The sample size of this study includes 120 consumers

CONTACT METHOD Scheduling is used to collect data. The respondents were met directly.

TOOL OF ANALYSIS The tools used for analysis is percentage method .the analyzed data is presented in charts and tables.

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UNIVERSE OR POPULATION The universe or total population of this study was the consumers of Exo dish wash bar. This include the house hold consumers of Trissur district.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The study restricted to Trissur district only The genuiness of result generated out of study is completely dependent on nature of response given by the consumers All the inherent limitations of questionnaire apply to this study also. The study could not made much comprehensive due to time constraints.

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CHAPTER-4

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

TABLE 1 AGE

AGE

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

20-30

24%

29

31-40

31%

37

ABOVE 40

45%

54

INTERPRETATION: From the table, it is understood that 45% of the total respondents belongs to the age group of above 40.24%of the respondents belong to the age group of 20-30.31% of the respondents lies between the age group of 20-30.

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CHART 1

AGE
45% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

31% 24%

20-30

31-40

ABOVE 40

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TABLE 2

INCOME

INCOME

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

4000-8000

0%

Below 4000

0%

8000-12000

18%

21

ABOVE 12000

82%

99

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is understood that majority of the respondents earns an income above 12000, 18% earns a salary between 8000-12000.none of them earns salary between 4000-8000.

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CHART 2

INCOME
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 18% 20% 10% 0% Below 4000 4000-8000 8000-12000 ABOVE 12000 0% 0% PERCENTAGE 82%

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TABLE 3 AWARENESS OF BRAND

AWARENESS OF BRAND

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

YES

90%

107

NO

10%

13

INTERPRETATION: From the table it is cleared that, 90%of people are aware about exo dish wash bar and 10%are not aware.

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CHART 3

AWARENESS OF BRAND
10%

YES NO

90%

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TABLE 4

CURRENTLY USING BRAND

PERCENTAGE EXO RIN PRIL WHEEL OTHERS 63% 12% 15% 8% 25%

RESPONDENTS 76 14 18 10 2

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that 63% of consumers are currently using exo.15% are using pril,25% consumers are using other brands.12% are using rin and 8% of consumers are using wheel.

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CHART 4

CURRENTLY USING BRAND

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 12% 10% 0% EXO RIN PRIL WHEEL OTHERS 15% 8% 25% 63%

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TABLE 5 AWARENESS OF EXO ADVERTISEMENT

AWARENESS ADVERTISEMENT

OF

EXO PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS

YES

92%

111

NO

8%

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that 92% of respondents are aware of advertisement of exo.and 8% of respondents are not aware of Exo advertisement.

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CHART 5

TABLE 6 CONSUMERS OPINION ABOUT ADVERTISEMENT

CONSUMERS ADVERTISEMENT EXCELLENT GOOD AVERAGE BAD VERY BAD

OPINION

ABOUT PERCENTAGE 5% 23% 71% 1% 0% RESPONDENTS 6 28 85 1 0

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that,71% of respondents valued Exo as an average product and 23% of respondents valued Exo as good and 5% of respondents valued excellent.1% of respondents valued bad and none of them valued very bad.

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CHART 6

CONSUMERS OPINION ABOUT ADVERTISEMENT

80% 71% 70%

60%

50%

40% PERCENTAGE 30% 23% 20%

10%

5% 1% 0%

0%

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TABLE 7

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY OF EXO

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY OF EXO

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

ADVERTISEMENT

67%

82

WORD OF MOUTH

20%

23

SALES PROMOTION

10%

12

REATAILERS

3%

INTERPRETATION: From the table, it is understood that 67% of promotional activity is through advertisement.20% of promotional activity is through word of mouth,10% is through sales promotion and 3% of promotional activity of Exo is through retailers.

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CHART 7

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY OF EXO

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 20% 10% 10% 0% 3% 67%

PERCENTAGE

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TABLE 8 DID YOU EVER PURCHASE EXO

DID YOU EVER PURCHASE EXO

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

YES

72%

87

NO

28%

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INTERPRETATION:
From the table it is found that,72% of respondents purchased Exo dish wash bar and 28% of respondents did not ever purchase exo dish wash bar.

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CHART 8

DID YOU EVER PURCHASE EXO

80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% YES NO PERCENTAGE 28% 72%

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TABLE 9

IF YES, HOW U RATE

IF YES HOW U RATE excellent good average bad very bad

PERCENTAGE 18% 30% 45% 7% 0%

RESPONDENTS 13 22 32 7 0

INTERPRETATION:
From the table, it is cleared that,30% of respondents said that Exo is good product.45 % of respondents said that Exo is average product ,18% of respondents said that excellent. And 7% said that bad.

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CHART 9

IF YES ,HOW U RATE

45% 45% 40% 35% 30% 30% 25% PERCENTAGE 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 0% excellent good average bad very bad 7% 18%

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TABLE 10

HOW CONSUMERS EVALUATE THE PRICE OF EXO

HOW

CONSUMERS

EVALUATE

THE PERCENTAGE 7% 18% 64% 6% 5% RESPONDENTS 8 22 77 7 6

PRICE OF EXO VERY HIGH HIGH AVERAGE LOW VERY LOW

INTERPRETATION: From the above table 64% of respondents evaluated the price of Exo as a average ,18% says high,7% says very high.6% of respondents evaluated the price of Exo as low and 5% says very low.

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CHART 10

HOW CONSUMERS EVALUATE PRICE OF EXO

70% 60% 50% 40% PERCENTAGE 30% 20% 10% 0% VERY HIGH HIGH AVERAGE LOW VERY LOW 7% 18% 64%

6%

5%

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TABLE 11 FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHASE

FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHACE QUALITY PRICE FRAGRANCE SIDE EFFECTS ADVERTISEMENT

PERCENTAGE 39% 31% 14% 2% 14%

RESPONDENTS 47 38 17 2 16

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is understood that a major portion of the respondents give importance to quality and followed by price which is 31% and finally preference to the factors like side effects, advertisements and fragrance.

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CHART 11

FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHACE

39% 40% 31% 30% 20% 10% 0% 14% 2% 14%

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TABLE 12

PRICE SLASHING OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

PRICE

SLASHING

OF

DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS

PRODUCTS

BECAUSE OF DECREASE IN QUALITY

48%

58

MARKETING STRATEGY

37%

44

LOW COST OF PRODUCTION

15%

18

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that, 48% of consumers considering the price slashing as the cause of decrease in quality and 37% is because of marketing strategy and 15% of consumers is because of low cost production.

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CHART 12

PRICE SLASHING OF DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

48% 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% BECAUSE OF DECREASE IN QUALITY MARKETING STRATEGY LOW COST OF PRODUCTION 15% PERCENTAGE 37%

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TABLE 13

INFLUENCING PERSON IN PURCHASING DECISION

INFLUENCING PERSON IN PURCHASING DECISION PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS

WIFE

66%

79

HUSBAND

10%

12

BOTH

24%

29

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that, ladies are playing major role in selecting the Exo dish wash bar, which 66%and followed by males which is 10%.

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CHART 13

INFLUENCING PERSON IN PURCHASING DECISION

70% 60% 50% 40% PERCENTAGE 30% 20% 10% 10% 0% WIFE HUSBAND BOTH 24% 66%

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TABLE 14 WHO WILL TAKE PUCHASE DECISION

WHO

WILL

TAKE

PURCHASE PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS

DECISION

WIFE

66%

79

HUSBAND

10%

12

BOTH

24%

29

INTERPRETATION: From the above table, it is cleared that 66% of ladies are taking the purchase decision, remaining 10% is chosen by gents and 24% are combined with both.

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Chart 14

WHO WILL TAKE PURCHASE DECISION

70%

60%

50%

40% PERCENTAGE 30%

20%

10%

0% WIFE HUSBAND BOTH

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TABLE 15 WILL YOU SWITCH OVER TO ANOTHER BRAND

ARE YOU SWITCH OVER TO ANOTHER BRAND PERCENTAGE RESPONDENTS

YES

42%

51

NO

58%

69

INTERPRETATION: From the table, it is cleared that 58% consumers is not switching over to another brands and 42% of consumers is switching over to another brands.

54

CHART 15

WILL YOU SWITCH OVER TO ANOTHER BRANDS

42%
YES NO

58%

55

TABLE 16 IF YES

IF YES

PERCENTAGE

RESPONDENTS

REGULARLY

45%

23

OCCASIONALLY

56%

28

INTERPRETATION: From the above table it is cleared that,56% of consumers switching over to another brands occasionally and 45% of consumers are switching over to another brands regularly.

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CHART 16

IF YES

60%

56%

50%

45%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% REGULARLY OCCASIONALLY

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CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS

1) It is found that 45% of total respondents belongs to above 40 age groupnd 24% of respondents belongs to age group are of 20-30.and 31% of respondents are belonging to 30-40 . 2) It is found that 82% of consumers are belonging to income group of above 12000.18% of consumers are belonging to income group of 8000-12000.and none of them are in the income group of 4000-8000. 3) It is found that 63% of total consumers are using Exo brand. It shows Majority of consumers are using Exo brand. 4) 92% of total consumers are aware of Exo brand.it Awareness of Exo brand among the consumers is outstanding. 5) It is found that 67% of consumers got awareness through advertisement.it shows advertising plays an important role in awareness. 6) It is found that 48% of consumers are having the opinion that price slashing of different products is due to decrease in quality. 7) It is found that 71% of consumers said that exo is average product and 23% said good and 5% of consumers said that exo excellent product. 8) It is found that ladies are playing the major role in selecting the washing powder

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RECOMMENTATIONS

1) It is necessary that awareness of Exo must be increased. 2) The ladies have a great influence in purchasing of dish wash bars, so the media of awareness must be focused some ladies magazines. In the weeklies the advertisement concentrated on cover pages. 3) The advertisement in television must be concentrated on programs like Valkannadi, cookery shows which ladies used to watch regularly and popular serials. 4) Provide customer promotion like free products, gift coupons. 5) Increase the quality and reduce the price 6) Provides some point of purchase advertisements like displaying products very attractively, hanging the product names. 7) Jyothy laboratories have introduce product in the sachet

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CONCLUSION As the competition is increasing day by day the company should think about its distribution strategies. The distribution channel will be the most important one. The study revealed that the company has to stress on the parameters like retailers schemes and margin. This can be possible by reducing the length of distribution channel.

The study found that exo dish wash bar has a good awareness scale among consumers. The study reveals that jyothi laboratories have to provide promotional activities to consumers for making an interest among consumers in buying and consuming the product.

From the study among consumers it is understood that the influencing factors for the purchase of washing powders are quality and price.so the company can make better sales by increasing the quality and substituted by promotional activities and good advertising.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kothari,C.R,Research methodology and techniques. New delhi:wishwa prakashan .2003 Kotler,philp.marketing management.delhi:person education(Singapore)

www.jyothylaboratories.com www.wikipedia.com www.google.com www.learn edu.com

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