SYMBIOSIS COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

Marketing Research and Methodologies A project report on the sales of coke

Submitted by, Sutapa Tuladhar- 1117 Nisheta Chugani-1032 Abhinav Mannepalli-1065 Harsh Bhutra-1205

Declaration

We hereby declare that this project report has been made by us during the academic session 2011-2012. We also hereby declare that this project is based on original report and study concluded by us.

Signature

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank our Marketing research teacher Richa maam for giving us this opportunity to conduct a research on Coca Cola company and find out about its sales, promotional strategies, their ways of customer awareness and much more. After conducting this research and formulating the report, we have come across the various business strategies applied by big companies like Coca Cola use due to which their product has gained recognition and success.

INDEX

Topic

Page Number

Introduction Objectives of the study Exploratory objectives Descriptive objectives Research boundaries Sampling Methodology adopted Exploratory Descriptive Limitations of the study Analysis and presentation of result Finds and suggestion Appendix Bibliography

Introduction
This assignment is done to find out how effective the cokes promotion campaigns through different retail outlets and to ascertain the impact of promotions on sales of coke. The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation and manufacturer, retailer and marketer of non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The company is best known for its flagship product Coca-Cola, invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus, Georgia. The Coca-Cola formula and brand was bought in 1889 by Asa Candler who incorporated The CocaCola Company in 1892. Besides its namesake Coca-Cola beverage, Coca-Cola currently offers more than 500 brands in over 200 countries or territories and serves over 1.7 billion servings each day. Coca-cola Company has been serving its customers for more than a decade. They know their costumer wants and needs that include better taste, no side effects, easily available, better and attractive packages, and new schemes in different seasons. Customers are satisfied because they have the product at their door steps and they are loyal to the brand. As the market of carbonated beverage is saturated so the sales of the beverages is not increasing. It is on the sustainable stage. The company has high scope as it is worlds leading brand.

Objectives of the study

Research Purpose
This assignment is done to find out, to study and examine the effectiveness of the cokes promotion campaigns through different retail outlets and to ascertain the impact of promotions on sales of coke.

Research objectives
Explanatory research method:

1. 2.

To find out if the sales of coke has increased due to the promotions offered.

various

To identify the promotions offered in the last two years and compare with the present offers for checking its repetitions if any.

Descriptive research method:

3. 4. 5.

To find out the effectiveness of promotional strategies and the sales promotion used by the manufacturer ascertaining its effect on the sales of the product. To map out the real intention of customer behind the consumption of coke. To ascertain the degree of customer awareness and utilization of offers among the in store customers.

Research Boundaries
1. Time frame: 9hrs (3hrs x 3) 2. Budget: 3. Target market: India Pune Viman-nagar

4. Place of survey: Spencers, Pulse mall

Data sources: Primary data- collected via questionnaire technique Secondary data- collected via the internet

Research Instruments: Questionnaires: Dichotomous Multiple choice Rating scale Semantic differential

Sampling for exploratory and descriptive research

Sampling unit: General consumers Sampling size: 40 Sampling procedure: Random/ convenience sampling

Methodology Adopted:
The research has been divided into 2 parts: 1. Explanatory: a. Primary data collection(P.D.C) : focus group Observation method

b. Secondary data collection(s.d.c): internet interviews

2. Descriptive: Person-administered survey: Questionnaire method

Limitations of the study To conduct the research, we went to Spencers in the morning, where the number of customers were limited. In addition, the category of customers were more of the old age people and college going students. The middle aged were very few since they would be out to work. In addition, there were more of females than males, and thus the sampling size and variety was not accurate enough.

Analysis and presentation of the result

1. Are you aware of coca-cola products promotion?

Yes No 31 9

Awareness of Chart Title coca-cola product promotion, No, 9, 23% Yes No Awareness of coca-cola product promotion, Yes, 31, 77%

2. Which age group do you belong to?

Below 15 16-25 26-45 46-65 65+ 3 14 1 19 3

Age group, 65+, 3, 8%

Chart Title

Age group, Below 15, 3, 7% Below 15 Age group, 16-25, 14, 35%

Age group, 46-65, 19, 48%

16-25 26-45 46-65 65+

Age group, 26-45, 1, 2%

3. How many times a week do you drink coke?

Less than 5 times 5-10 times 10 times and above 4 25 11

Consumption level of coke in a week, 10 times and above, 11, 28%

Chart Title

Consumption level of coke in a week, less than 5 times, 4, 10% less than 5 times 5-10 times 10 times and above

Consumption level of coke in a week, 5-10 times, 25, 62%

4. How much do you enjoy drinking coke? Rate on a scale of 10.

Column1, 7, 17

Column1, 3, 7 Column1, 6, 5 Column1, 10, 4 Column1,Column1, 9, 3 8, 3

Column1, 4, 1

5. Which promotional strategy do you prefer the most?

Cash discount Trade discount Buy one get one free Any other 24 1 14 2

Promotional strategies, Any other, 2, 5%

Chart Title

Promotional strategies, Buy one get one free, 14, 34%

cash discount Trade discount Buy one get one free Promotional strategies, cash other Any discount, 24, 59%

Promotional strategies, Trade discount, 1, 2%

Note: For any other, it was said: Buy one get a chocolate free Buy 4, get 5 free

6. For the following factors, rate 1-4 which of them is of greater priority to you?
Taste , 3, 2, 5% Taste , 2, 4, 10% Taste , 4, 1, 2% Chart Title

1 Taste , 1, 34, 83% 2 3 4

Advertising, Chart Title Advertisin 4, 5, 13% g, 1, 0, 0%

Advertising, 2, 3, 7%

1 2 3 4

Advertisin g, 3, 32, 80%

Labelling, 3, 1, Chart Title0, Labelling, 1, 2, 0, Labelling, 2% 0% 0%

1 2 3 4 Labelling, 4, 39, 98%

Promotional Chart Title Promotional strategies, 3, 2, 0, strategies, 4, 1, 5% 0%

1 2 3 Promotional strategies, 2, 37, 95% 4

7. What kind of packaging of coke do you prefer?

Can Glass bottle Plastic bottle Any of the above 7 12 5 16

Chart Title Packaging of coke, can, 7, 17% can Packaging of bottle glass coke, glass plastic bottle, 12, 30% bottle Any of the above

Packaging of coke, Any of the above, 16, 40%

Packaging of coke, plastic bottle, 5, 13%

8. How appealing are the current coco cola advertisements and promotional offers to you as a customer?
Very appealing Appealing Not appealing Not appealing at all Neither of the above 6 24 3 3 4

Column1, Not appealing at all, 3, 8%

Column1, Neither of the above, 4, 10%

Column1, Very appealing, 6, 15% Very appealing appealing Not appealing Not appealing at all Neither of the above

Column1, appealing, 24, 60%

Column1, Not appealing, 3, 7%

9. Out of the following, which is your main motive of consuming coke?

To satisfy your thirst As an ingredient For its taste Any other 26 5 7 2

Motive of consumption of coke, For its taste, 7, 18% Motive of consumption of coke, As an ingredient, 5, 12%

Chart Title

Motive of consumptio n of coke, Any other, To satisfy your thirst 2, 5% As an ingredient For its taste Motive of consumption of Any other coke, To satisfy your thirst, 26, 65%

Note: the any other option came as: For fun Because there is no other better option

10. After coke, which other alternative drink would you prefer? Why? a. Water-13 b. Pepsi-18 c. Red bull-9

11. Are there any improvements you may wish to see in the quality of the product or in its packaging or price? Many of the customers left this question blank, and the others said no improvements are needed.

Finds and solutions

The sales of coke has increased for sure due to the various promotional strategies offered because it was found out that the customers are aware of the promotions offered (31 out of 40 people). In addition, the consumption level of coke is quite high (25 out of 40 people drink coke 5-10 times a week, and 11 out of 40 people drink coke 10 times and above). It was found out that the most preferred promotional strategy was the cash discount one (24 out of 40 people), followed by the buy one get one free offer (14 out of 40 people). However, it was seen that before the promotional offers, the taste of the product is of greater priority to them, followed by the labeling and then the advertising. On a majority, the customers rate coke 7 out of 10 for how much they enjoy drinking coke. The customers prefer drinking from the glass bottle(12 out of 40), followed by the can (7 out of 40 people), and 16 out of 40 customers dont mind any of the above. This is because the glass bottle is relatively cheaper and more economical, however, the cans are more portable, and the plastic bottles are more hygienic, therefore families prefer the plastic bottles, and the youngsters prefer the cans. For the customers, the advertisements and promotional offers used are appealing at a majority, and lastly the main motive of most customers is to satisfy their thirst followed by consuming it for its taste.

Bibliography
www.coca-cola.com www.hoovers.com/coca-cola.com www.wikipedia.ord/wiki/coca-cola.com

Appendix
Questionnaire:

1. Are you aware of coca cola products promotion? a. yes b. no

2. Which age group do you belong to? a. Below 15 b. 16-25 c. 26-45 d. 46-65 e.65+

3. How many times a week do you drink coke? a. Less than 5times b. 5-10 times c. 10 times and above

4. How much do you enjoy drinking coke? Rate on a scale of 10. 1__ 2__ 3__ 4__ 5__ 6__ 7__ 8__ 9 __ 10

5. Which promotional strategy do you prefer the most? a. Cash discount b. Trade discount c. Buy one get one free d. Any other____________________

6. For the following factors, rate 1-4 which one of them is of greater priority to you? a. Taste _____ b. Advertising _____ c. Labeling _____ d. Promotional strategies _____

7. What kind of packaging of coke do you prefer? a. Can b. Glass bottle c. Plastic bottle d. Any of the above

8. How appealing are the current coca cola advertisements and promotional offers to you as a customer? a. Very appealing b. Appealing c. Not appealing d. Not appealing at all e. Neither of the above

9. Out of the following, which is your main motive of consuming coke? a. To satisfy your thirst b. As an ingredient c. For its taste d. Any other_________________

!0. After coke, which other alternative drink would you prefer? Why? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _________________________

11. Are there any improvements you may wish to see in the quality of the product or in its packaging or price?_____________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ___________