BACKGROUND Breakthrough Manufacturing Limited is a major personal care company established in 1989 in the United Kingdom, one of the

strongest market leaders in the country and in other countries. Lately, Breakthrough devised a formulation for both a hand wash and a hand lotion for older women between the ages of thirty to forty-five and younger women between the ages of eighteen to twenty-nine. The need of both hand lotion and hand wash is to keep hands moist and eliminate dirt respectively. Both formulations are made exclusively for women to give their hands a clean and moist identity. The suggested name for the range is SILK and its packaging should communicate that it is a luxury indulgence for women. Breakthrough Manufacturing Limited has come to Universal McCann research agency with a brief and there was a meeting in November to talk about the content of the brief. The company has decided to instigate a research in order to launch the range. Other issues to clarify have been done via emails and telephone discussions and this proposal has been prepared to address the launch. OBJECTIVES The main objective of the research to reveal the group of women silk will attract has the subsequent sub-objectives: To discover if SILK attracts older women between the ages of 30-45 or younger women between the ages of 18-29. To examine reactions to the formulation samples in plain white packaging and also in SILK packaging. To determine what women feel about the concepts of the mocked up versions of magazine ads and the poster ads. To identify the ways that can be used to launch the new range. Below, we elaborate the vital aspects of the objectives: 1. To discover if SILK attracts women between ages 30-45 or 18-29 This objective will try to discover the group of women the SILK is likely to attract. Also, it will identify the number of women who use both hand lotion and hand wash and the kinds they prefer. 2. To examine reactions to samples in plain packaging and SILK packaging This will examine the reactions of women towards the range in terms of its packaging. Also, it will go beyond this by examine the different concepts used by major

competitors and their penetration in the market. This will give us an insight into the willingness of the consumer to give more for the product range.

3. To determine feelings about the concepts of the magazine and poster ads This will enable the discovery of ways we can improve awareness creation and also in terms of creativity. This will particularly be useful for the advertising agency when designing the original ads. 4. To identify ways that can be used to launch SILK Given that the company is preparing to announce the launch of the new range using magazine advertising in luxury womens magazines and poster advertising, we will identify what suits the major segment for the range. Both the qualitative and quantitative approaches are the proposed research methods. The secondary research will also be applied to gather data on existing market for female personal care products. This will be used as a base for the research which will be useful in both quantitative and qualitative approaches. SECONDARY SOURCE Purpose In order to get information on existing personal care brands and their identity, the secondary source for information will be used. It will also be used to gather facts about competitors in the personal care market segment. It is very useful for the research because it makes us understand the market place and female usage of both the hand wash and hand lotion. The following questions will be answered by the secondary research: Why women use both hand wash and hand lotion? What are the prices charged for the product? What promotions are currently in place? Which packaging concepts are used by major competitors? Who should be the target of the product, older or younger women?

Procedure We will look internally through the annual reports and website of Breakthrough, including access to the companys records since inception. This aims to identify the companys market segment and how it has gone about addressing the market, including strengths and weaknesses. To obtain external and neutral information, we will look through data from companies like MINTEL, published research articles on finance, marketing and retail

publications. This will support in finding data, analyzing and understanding the present market segment. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Purpose Adequate information on qualitative research will be provided based on some of the explained objectives of this research. In order to develop a questionnaire for the quantitative research, we need to know the attitudes and motivation of potential buyers and consumers and this is exactly what the qualitative research will help us to achieve. Both friendship pairs and group discussions will be employed to present thorough information. Young people tend exhibit confidence and security in the presence of friends and they are a very important segment for SILK. It will help us in understand how they make decisions in pairs. Also, to analyze, explore and understand the characteristics of possible buyers and consumers, the group discussion will be a vital factor. The cheaper version of this which is the online group discussion would have been appropriate, but it lacks body language and this cannot be useful in testing the range. Also, it is almost impossible to observe reactions of respondents through this method. Both methods to evaluate the decision making process of potential buyers and consumers when it comes to personal care products. Another method that could have been used is the in-depth interview method, but this is a time-conscious research and the method is very time consuming and sometimes, also generate inadequate answers from respondents just to satisfy the interviewer. The following questions will be answered by the qualitative research: Whether respondents make use of hand wash and hand lotion? Is it used regularly or occasionally? Why do they use it? What are the age groups likely to use the SILK? What other brands are they aware of? Which kind of promotion would be a motivation to choose SILK? Would they pay more for SILK? What packaging do they prefer? Which concept of the ads attracts them?

Population and Sampling The proposed number of groups for the group discussion will be eight and each group will include eight respondents also. The respondents will include both heavy and light users.

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8

North Female 18-29 North Female 30-45 South Female 18-29 South Female 30-45 East Female 18-29 East Female 30-45 West Female 18-29 West Female 30-45

Friendship pairs will be in eight sets and they will involve heavy users, light users and non users of hand wash and hand lotion. Pair of 18-29 years olds: North females who are light users Pair of 30-45 years olds: North females who are heavy users Pair of 18-29 years olds: South females who are non-users Pair of 30-45 years olds: South females who are light users Pair of 18-29 years olds: West females who are heavy users Pair of 30-45 years olds: West females who are non-users Pair of 18-29 years olds: East females who are light users Pair of 30-45 years olds: East females who are heavy users Procedure The discussions will take place in a hall, where introduction will be done by the moderator as well as showing and describing the SILK range from then hand wash to the hand lotion. A testing strip of both products in SILK packaging would be passed around in order to know respondents perception of the packaging and also know what ideas they think could be used. The moderator will prepare an outline that will guide the interview and also set discussions that will keep the respondents from deviating from the issue. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH This will enable us to know the thoughts and feeling of respondents about the SILK range. For the qualitative research, the venue interview method of quantitative survey research will be used. This method gives us the opportunity to portray, explain and demonstrate the SILK range. Concept testing for new facts on the range can also be done with this method. In Street interview method and the Door-to-Door method have not been proposed because they are more expensive and time consuming. Furthermore, respondents might not welcome or have time for the interviewer. Although the online survey would have been cheaper, it is not proposed because the respondents will not have a feel of the product in terms of testing. Also, the telephone method is a fast and cheaper way to get information but the interviewer will not have

the face-to-face opportunity with the respondents. consuming, thereby not appropriate for this research.

The postal method is time

Purpose The quantitative research will help in gathering information about the number of women that make use of hand wash and hand lotion regularly, their age groups, how much more they are willing to pay and what they think of the SILK concept compared to other similar brands. Sampling Method The target population will be women between the ages of 18-29 and 30-45 who uses both hand wash and hand lotion. The proposed sample size is 200 and the nonprobability sampling method will be employed. Therein, the quota sampling method will be used to draw samples. Blow is a set on non-interlocking quota sampling: 60% female heavy users 40% female light users 50% females aged 18-29 50% females aged 30-45 Procedure Information will be collected mainly using the product test which will be designed to gain respondents reactions to the SILK range. The concept test will also be used to get reactions and attitudes towards the ad concepts and packaging. The SILK range will be shown respondents both verbally and visually. Both branded and blind testing will be used using the monadic test. For the blind test, there will be different monadic samples of respondents to test each of the SILK range in white plain packaging. For the product test, respondents will test the range in SILK packaging and this will enable us to compare the results about the reactions of the respondents. They will be asked to rate the products in their own terms and also compare them to previously known brands. The questionnaire will include both close and open ended questions including the ones below: Which class of women is likely to purchase the SILK range? How often do they use hand wash and hand lotion? What is their perception of the SILK content? Are they willing to pay more for SILK? What other brands are they aware of? What is their perception of the packaging concept? What is their perception of the ad concepts? What promotional techniques will motivate them to buy SILK?

DELIVERABLES A meeting will be held after an interim report has been submitted for the qualitative research section. There will be a PowerPoint presentation and discussions about the next phase of the research will be held. The final findings will be presented once approval has been given. TIMING From the start-up stage to the presentation stage, this research project will take nineteen (19) weeks, which will meets the deadline in the brief. Also, a bi-weekly report of the progress made will be sent by direct mail and you can make corrections and recommendations as you please. Below is the timeframe: Week 1-4. 5-8. 9. 10. 11-14. 15-16. 16-17. 18. 19. Activity Secondary research Qualitative research and fieldwork Report on both secondary research and qualitative research Development of questionnaire Quantitative research and fieldwork Preparation of data Analysis of data Presentation of findings Final report

BUDGET Method Quantitative Description Amount For -50% penetration sample 30.00 200 sample size x 30 6,000.00 -Data processing and projectmanagement costs 3,000.00 -Presentation and client service cost 9,000.00 -Extended 3-hour group 4,000.00 -Total 8 group discussions x cost per group 32,000.00 -Friendship pairs- 30 minutes 700.00 -Total for 8 interviews x cost per interview 5,600.00 55,600.00

Qualitative

Total cost of research