Car Market and Buying Behavior- Marketing

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DissertationOn

Car Market and Buying Behavior- A study of Consumer Perception

Towards The Partial Fulfillment ofPost Graduate Diploma in Management

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Table of Content

1. Executive Summary………………………………………06

2. Introduction………………………………………………..08

3. Overview of the Auto segment…………………………14

4. Review of Literature………………………………………20

5. Objective of the study……………………………………29

6. Scope of the study………………………………………..30

7. Research methodology………………………………….32

8. Limitation of the study…………………………………..39

9. Car’s Profile………………………………………………..40

10.Finding and Analysis…………………………………….51

11.Cross Tabulation………………………………………….68

12.Conclusion…………………………………………………71

13.Scope of the Study……………………………………….74

14.Annexure…………………………………………………...75





Executive Summary

The automobile industry today is the most lucrative industry. Due to the increase

in disposable income in both rural and urban sector and easy finance being

provided by all the financial institutes, the passenger car sales have increased at

the rate of 38% per annum in June 2005-06 over the corresponding period in the

pervious year. Further competition is heating up in the sector with a host of new

players coming in and other like Porsche, Bentley, Audi, and BMW all set to

venture in the Indian markets. One factor that could help the companies in the

marketing of their product is by knowing and creating a personality for their

brands.

This report attempts to answer some of the questions regarding brand

personality of selected cars in India by conducting the market research. This

report is categorized into parts, deals with introduction to brand personality,

companies selected, product and the industry.

The automobile industry today is the most lucrative industry. Due to the increase

in disposable income in both rural and urban sector and easy finance being

provided by all the financial institutes, the passenger car sales have increased at

the rate of 25% per annum in June 2005-06 over the corresponding period in the

previous year. Further competition is heating up in the sector with a host of new

players coming in and others like Porches, Bentley, Audi, and BMW all set to

venture in Indian markets. One factor that could help the companies in the

marketing of their products is buying Behavior of the consumers. The Buying

Behavior of the customers can be studied by knowing their perceptions about the

cars in the market and about the possible entrants in the market. One such

technique is by knowing and creating a personality for the brands.




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customer) thinks about a given brand of car and what are the possible factors

guiding a possible purchase. Similarly, the idea of measuring the customer

satisfaction will serve the same purpose of determining the customer perception.

Thus, by measuring the” willingness of existing users of a car to recommend it to

others” will help the car manufacturers to chalk out the entire Customer Buying

Behavior.

The reports shall attempt to answer some of the questions regarding brand

personality of selected cars in India by conducting a market research. The

market research will be helpful for the new car entrant companies in India to find

out the possible gaps between the customer expectations and the present

market offerings. This way these companies will be able to find their share in the

ever-expanding Indian market pie.

The research will track the customer satisfaction in the following two layers:

Product related Parameters

Dealers related parameters

The customer satisfaction index will be calculated for the car brands taken into

consideration.

It will be mainly a primary research and the information will be gathered from

both primary and secondary research. The study will analyze the applicability of

existing research concepts, theories, and tools for evaluating consumer

satisfaction.





INTRODUCTION





INTRODUCTION

It is true fact that if you are satisfied you recommended to others. Word of mouth

and customer satisfaction play a very important role in determining market

perception about an automobile. It is the market perception that determines the

success of a company and so it is very important for the car manufacturers to

measure the “willingness of existing users of a product to recommend it to

others”. The same is a lot of interest to customers as well for it helps them make

the purchase decision.

A car is one of the most significant purchases that an Indian household makes

and this project addresses the most important question that perplexes car

manufacturers:

“What makes the perfect car that influence will willfully purchase?”

The project highlights the factors that influence the buying decision of a

consumer.

The factor under consideration would be:

Price

Income of the consumer

Features in the car

Safety standard





Warranty scheme

Finance facility

Is an Indian consumer ready for more? Which is the driving motive behind the

effective demand of the car? How the coming of new models like swift does is

going to effect the buying decision of consumer and especially the Tata 1 lakh

car.

In other words, from the spread of choices offered by various manufacturers

under various segments, of which one the customer will finally turn the ignition on

and drive.

Customer satisfaction index: some of the most advance thinking in the business

world recognizes that customer relationships are best treated as assets, and that

methodical analysis of these relationships can provide a road map for improving

them

“If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.” – Lord William Thomson Kelvin

(1824-1907)

Clause 8.2.1 in ISO9000: 2000 states:

“As one of the measurements of the performance of the quality management

system, the organizations shall monitor information relating to customer

perception as to whether the organization has met customer requirements. The

method for obtaining and using this information shall be determined”





The requirement has been there in the QS9000 standard clause 4.1.6 which

says:

“… Trends in customer satisfaction and key indicators of customer dissatisfaction

shall be documented and supported by objective information. These trends shall

be compared to those of competitors, or appropriate benchmarks, and reviewed

by senior management.”

There is obviously a strong link between customer satisfaction and customer

retention. Customer’s perception of service and quality of product will determine

the success of the product or service in the market.

With better understanding of customer’s perceptions, companies can determine

the actions required to meet the customer’s needs. They can identify their own

strengths and weaknesses, where they stand in comparison to their competitors,

chart out the path future progress and improvement. Customer satisfaction

measurement helps to promote an increased focus on customer outcomes and

stimulate improvements in the work practices and processes used within the

company.

Customer expectations are the customer-defined attributes of your product or

service. We cannot create satisfaction just by meeting customer’s requirements

fully because these have to be met in any case. However falling short is certain

to create dissatisfaction.

Major attributes of customer satisfaction can be summarized as:

Product quality

Product packaging

Keeping delivery commitments





Price

Responsiveness and ability to resolve complaints and reject reports

Overall communication, accessibility and attitudes

We cannot begin to address the customer satisfaction issue we define the

parameters and measures clearly.

The customer satisfaction index represents the overall satisfaction level of that

customer as one number, usually as a percentage

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Values

Benefits

Features - Attributes

+ -

9




The buying process involves the following steps:


Problem Recognition

Information search

Evaluation

Post Purchase Dissonance

Buy

Decision

Satisfaction = Brand Acceptance

Dissatisfaction = Brand Rejection




“The fact that word of mouth sales are a big deal in this industry has also helped.

Industry players and market surveys reveal that 20-30 percent of sales are

through word of mouth”.

For the purpose of the project has undergone through

Surveying the relevant consumer base through exhaustive questionnaire.

Understand the elements underplaying in each segment

Deducing A analytical overview through different statistical methods

Recommendation comes from satisfaction and satisfaction comes from


Service Quality

Relationship Quality

Product Quality




OVERVIEW OF THE AUTO SEGMENT

Indians have emerged as avid car enthusiasts sporting their prized possessions

as status symbols and speed machines. Foreign car companies have discovered

the Indian consumer as well as the R & D potential in the Indian technical

fraternity and are setting up manufacturing plants right and left across the country

at lower costs. The Indian automobile industry is currently experiencing an

unprecedented boom in demand for all types of vehicles. This boom has been

triggered primarily by two factors:

(1) increase in disposable incomes and standards of living of middle class Indian

families estimated to be as many as four million in number; and

(2) The Indian government's liberalization measures such as relaxation of the

foreign exchange and equity regulations, reduction of tariffs on imports, and

banking liberalization that has fueled financing-driven purchases.

Industry observers predict that passenger vehicle sales will triple in

five years to about one million, and as the market grows and customer's

purchasing abilities rise, there will be greater demand for higher-end models

which currently constitute only a tiny fraction of the market. These trends have




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enter the Indian market mainly through joint ventures with Indian firms.

India is increasingly becoming a global automotive hub both for the vehicles and

component industry. India is fast integrating itself into the world economy and

open to international automotive companies, who are increasingly investing in

India.

The Indian automotive and component industry is looking to increase the quality

of production from existing levels, to develop new products and to increase

exports. In the long run India is well set to become a key market for automotive

and component manufacturers in terms of local demand and as a base for

export.

Additionally, companies such as GM, Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, Delphi and

MICO/Bosch are utilizing India’s well developed IT / software capabilities and

have set up R&D hubs here for their global operations





Industry Size

The domestic Indian passenger car market (including utility vehicles) totaled

900,000 units (with a CAGR of 10 per cent over the past 4 years) while the exports

were 130,000 million units (with a registered CAGR of 68 per cent over the past 4

years) during financial year 2004

The Indian two-wheeler Industry is one of the largest in the world, and is expected to

maintain robust growth in the future

At the back of this phenomenal automotive growth is the success of the Indian auto

component industry. Presently a US$ 6.7 billion industry, it is expected to almost

treble in less than eight years time to US$ 17 billion by 2012

India offers a distinct technological and cost-competitive advantage, which global

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and automotive suppliers are leveraging

for both manufacturing and research facilities. The passenger car market is

projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.3 per cent over the next few years. Growth in the

mid-size and premium car segments is expected to outpace the overall market

growth.





Indian Automobile Industry





Automobile Industry in India is still in its infancy but growing rapidly. The

opportunities in the automobile industry in India are attracting big names with the

big purse and they are investing vigorously in infrastructure, design and

development, and marketing. Automobile industry in India is today poised for the

big leap.

India is the 2nd largest two wheeler manufacturer in the world

Second largest tractor manufacturer in the world

5th largest commercial manufacturer in the world

3rd largest car market in Asia, surpassing China in the process

Automobile industry Contributes 17% of the total indirect taxes collected by the

exchequer & is a driver of product and process technologies, and has become a

excellent manufacturing base for global players, because of its

high machine tool capabilities

Extremely capable component industry

Most of the raw material locally produced





Low cost manufacturing base

Highly skilled manpower

Special capability in supplying large volumes




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Domestic and Foreign Vehicle Manufacturers:

Passenger Vehicles

The main domestic manufacturers of passenger vehicles are as follows:

Maruti Udyog

Tata / Telco

Mahindra / Mahindra

Hindustan Motors

Foreign competitors manufacturing locally including Hyundai, Ford, General

Motors, Honda, and Toyota.

Car demand has seen a turnaround since mid 2001 thanks to heavy

discounts and cheaper finance. A large number of new models, both locally

assembled and imported, have also revitalized the market.

In terms of volumes:

The A/B segments are where India’s strength and future lies. The A/B

segment accounts for over 65% of the total passenger vehicles produced.

Competition in this segment is stiff with Maruti the market leader with

around 55% market share. New models from Telco (Indica), Hyundai

(Santro) and Fiat (Palio) however are eroding Maruti’s long standing

dominance in this segment.





The mid / luxury range is developing with the introduction of Ford (Ikon),

Hyundai (Accent/Sonata) and Skoda (Octavia), although the volumes are

not significant.

The UV segment remains sluggish with growth at just over 1%. The clear

market leader, Mahindra (44% market share) posted increased sales of

9% in the first 3 quarters of 2002/03. Toyota and Telco domestic UV

business remains flat.

Commercial Vehicles

The main Indian companies in the Commercial Vehicle segment are:

TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Ashok Leyland

Bajaj Tempo Ltd

Eicher Motors Ltd

Swaraj Mazda

There is only one international company currently manufacturing CVs in India,

Volvo but again volumes are not large. Other global players are active, although

in partnership with one of the domestic manufacturers E.g.:- IVECO

(manufacturing their range of trucks in association with Ashok Leyland.

There has been a significant turn around in this segment over the last 18 months

with over 30% growth being seen in terms of both production and sales.

This sector has received a huge boost with India’s massive demand from the

infrastructure sector (particularly roads), cyclical fleet replacement by fleet

owners and an upturn in the cement and steel sectors.




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Passenger Cars LCV

0.604 Mn 0.083 Mn

Maruti (JV of Suzuki), leading the market,

Tata and M&M are the key players

a) Followed by Hyundai and Tata, together hold close to 75% of market





b) Daewoo stopped production, mainly due to financial issues 2 years

back

Review of Literature





Brand Personality

A brand is “a set of expectation and association evoked from a company or

product. A brand is how your key constituents- customers, employees,

shareholders etc. experience what you do.” Some brands are of such great

importance to people, that we speak of them as a part of one’s life and identity,

being used to express one. Some would say that these brands have their own

personality, the brand personality, which can be defined as “the set of human

characteristics associated with a given brand”. Thus, it includes such

characteristics as gender, age and socioeconomic class, as well as such classic

human personality is both distinctive and enduring.

Based on the premise that brand can have the personalities in much the same

way as humans, brand personality describe brands in terms of human

characteristics. Brand personality is seen as valuable factor in increasing brand

engagement and brand attachment, in much the same way as people relate and

bid to other people. Much of the work in the area of brand personality is based on

translated theories of human personality and using similar measures of

personality attributes and factors. Brand personality refers to the set of human

characteristics we associated with the brand. A common way of determining this

is to reply on the metaphor: “If the brand was a person, what would he/she be

like?” we then list and group the traits to describe the brand as, for example:

caring, approachable and trustworthy. However, there is a lot more we can do.




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is important to understand what a brand personality consists of, and how its

characteristics can be used to affect the relationship between the brand and its

user. Knowing and understanding the brand personality gives a good insight into

this relationship, and into peoples’ attitudes towards the brand, and is also as

important guide to communicating the brand.

VALUES AND CHARACTERISTICSS OF BRAND PERSONALITY

People’s personalities are determined largely through the value and beliefs they

have, and other personality characteristics they develop. An example of value or

belief is honesty.

Many people believe in being honest in everything they do and say. An example

of characteristic is confidence. This is not a belief, but more of a behavior. There

are, of course, many value/beliefs and characteristic that a person may have, but

there are some that are particularly likeable. It is these likeable values and

characteristics that people are inevitably attracted. Examples of these include

dependability, trustworthiness, honesty, reliability, friendliness, caring, and fun-

loving.

There are about two hundred words that describe personality characteristics, and

these can be used for putting personality into brands. To illustrate how people

think in personality terms when making judgments about brands, here are the

results of consumer research into how people feel about tow companies. When

asked question: “if these companies are people, how would you describe them?”

their replies were:




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Sophisticated Easy going

Arrogant Modest

Efficient Helpful

Self- centered Caring

Distant Approachable

Disinterested Interested

These two companies are actually competitors in a service industry. If you were

asked of these two companies you would like to be your fiends, you would

probably choose company B, as did 95% of other respondents. It is not surprising

that the service level of company B can be better experience for customers than

that of company A. it is also easy to conclude that if customers consistently

experience these differences between the two companies, then the brand image

of company B will be much better than company A.

A further point of interest arising out of this research is that people tend to prefer

brands that fit their self-concept. Everyone has views about themselves and how

they would like to be seen by others. And they tend to like personalities that are

similar to theirs, or to those whom they admire. Thus, creating brands with

personalities similar to those of a certain group of consumers will be an effective

strategy. The closer the brand personality is to the consumer personality (or one

which they admire or aspire to), the greater will be the willingness to buy the

brand and deeper the brand loyalty.

The Creation of Brand Personality




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contact that the consumer has with a brand. A brand, unlike a person, cannot

think, feel or act. A brand has no objective existence at all; it is simply a collection

of perception on the mind of the consumer. Consumers accept the marketing

actions to humanize brands. One explanation fort this can be found in the

theories of animism, which suggest that there exists need by people to

anthropomorphize objects in order to facilitate interaction with the nonmaterial

world. Anthropomorphize occurs when human qualities are attributed to non

human objects, e.g. brands. Consumers easily assign personality quality to

inanimate objects like brands in thinking about the brands as if they are human

characters.

In a direct way, personality traits are associated with a brand by the people

associated to that brand. One direct way to form and influence brand personality

is user imaginary. User imaginary is defined as the set of human characteristics

associated with the typical or stereotype user of the brand. Associations with the

company employees or CEO and the brand’s product endorsers are also direct

ways by which brand personality traits are formed and influenced. The

personality traits that of the people associated with a brand are transferred

directly to the brand. The theories of animism describe another process

mechanism that directly explains the specific ways in which the vitality of the

brand can be realized (Fournier, 2004). Spokespersons that are used in

advertising can have personalities that fit those of the brand they advertise. Over

time, the personalities of the spokesperson are transmitted to the brand. The

brand-person associations can also have a more personal nature. Brands can be

associated with person who use or used that particular brand, for example a

close friend or a family member. Also, brands received as gifts can also be

associated with the person from whom the gift was received. These person

associations serve to animate the brand as a vital in the minds of the consumers.

Obviously, this aspect is much less under the control of the marketers.





Indirectly, the brand personality is created by all the elements of the marketing

mix. Betra, Lehman and Singh suggest that the personality of a brand is created

over time, by the entire marketing mix of the brand - “its price (high or low, odd or

even), retail store location (imaginary associations), product formulation

(ingredients, benefits), and product form (solid/liquid. Etc.), packaging details

(color, size, material, shape), symbol; used an all phases of the brand

communication, sales promotion, and media advertising”.

Another form of animism explains how brand personality is created in a more

indirect way. This form of animism involves complete anthropomorphization of

the brand object itself. Human qualities of emotionality and thought are

transferred to the brand. This is achieved with the help of the marketing actions,

especially advertising. For example, the brand character of M&M in the M&M

commercials has the capacity to laugh and joke.

One of the advantage of the brand personality is that based on their distinctive

personalities, consumers are able to differentiate between brands. Another

advantage is that the consumer can interpret the brand’s image in such a way

that it is personally more meaningful. Brand personality encourages more active

processing on the part of the consumer. Thus, the consumer put more efforts in

creating and using the brand personality. A further advantage of brand

personality is that life is given to a brand. By vitalizing a brand, another

perspective of brand personality can be examined, namely the role of a brand as

relationship partner in a consumer-brand relationship. Next we will concentrate

on these consumer-brand relationships.

Whether the brand is a product or a company, the company has to decide what

personality traits the brand is to have. There are various ways of creating brand




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that of consumers or to the personality that they like. The process will be

Define the target audience

Find out what they need, want and like

Build a consumer personality profile

Create the product personality to match that profile

This type of approach is favored by companies such as Levi Strauss, who

research their target audience fastidiously. For Levis the results is a master

brand personality that is:

Original

Masculine

Sexy

Youthful

Rebellious

Individual

Free

American

A related byproduct brand personality (for a specific customer group) such as

Levi’s 501 jeans is:

Romantic

Sexually attractive

Rebellious physically prowess

Resourceful

Independent





Likes being admired

Both profile appeal mostly to the emotional side of the people’s minds- to their

feelings and sensory function. This profiling approach aims to reinforce the self-

concept of the consumers and their aspirations. The approach is ideal for brands

that adopt a market-niche strategy, and can be extremely successful if a market

segment has a degree of global homogeneity, as is the case with Levis.

Non product related brand personalities drivers

User imaginary – user imaginary can be based on either typical users

(people you see using the brand) or idealized users (as portrayed in

advertising and else were). User imaginary can be powerful driver of

brand personality, in part because the user is already a person and thus

the difficulty of conceptualizing the brand personality is reduced. For

example Charlie has a feminine, strongly independent brand personality

driven by it user imaginary. The upscale personality of Mercedes and the

sexy, sophisticated personality of Calvin Klein are similarly influenced by

user imaginary.

Sponsorship – activities such as events sponsored by the brand will

influence its personality. Swatch, for example, reinforces its offbeat,

youthful personality will targeted sponsorships that have included the

Freestyle Ski World Cup in Breckenridge, the first International

Age – how long a brand has been on the market can affect its personality.

Thus new entrants such as Apple, MCI, and Saturn tend to have younger





brand personalities than brand such as IBM, AT&T, and Chevrolets, and it

as all too common far a major dominate brand to see as strongly and old

fashioned, a brand for older people.

Symbol – a symbol can be powerful influence on brand personality

because it can be controlled and can have extremely strong associations.

Apples bitten apple, the Marlboro cowboy, the Michelin mans all helps to

create and reinforce a personality for their brands.

Why use brand personality

The brand personality construct can help brand strategies by enhancing their

understandings of people’s perceptions of and attitude towards the brand,

contributing to a differentiating brand identity guiding the communication effort

and creating brand equality.

Enriching understanding

The brand personality metaphor can help a manager gain an in-depth

understanding of consumer perceptions and attitudes towards the brand.

By asking people to describe a brand personality, feelings and relationship

can be identified that often provide more insight than is gained by asking

about attribute perceptions.

Contributing to a differentiating identity

Strategically, a brand personality, as a part of a core or extended identity,

can serve as the foundation for meaningful differentiations. Advertising





agencies such as Young & Rubicam and Ogilvy & Mather routinely include

a brand personality statement as a part of their brand positioning strategy.

Guiding the communication effort

Tactically the brand personality concept and vocabulary communication

the brand identity which richness and texture to those who must

implement the identity building effort. Practical decisions need to be made

about not only advertising but packaging, promotions, which events to

associate with, and the style of person interactions between the customer

and the brand.

Crating brand equity

The brand personality creates brand equity. The self-expression model

explains this. The model says that for certain groups of customers; some

brands become vehicles to express a part of their self-identity. People

express their own or idealized identity in a variety of ways, such as a job

choices, attitudes, options, activities and lifestyles. Brand that people like,

admire, discuss, buy and use also provide a vehicle for self-expression.

Brand personality of cars

Are you what you drive? That is what are companies seem to be asking and in

the same breath trying to convince you about. In other words, are you the

Hyundai accent owner who commands immediate respect wherever she goes

(including fro the potential father-in-law) or are you the suave executive from the

Chevrolet ad who is ever ready to share a moment with loved one? With a

plethora of new models in the market, and generic benefits (such as space or




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car models, marketer are increasingly differentiating on the emotional pay-off a

particular car model/brand provides to the customer. This, of course, varies from

the segment to segment and also on how long a particular model has been in the

market.

For instance, while advertising for entry level or smaller cars tends to focus more

on the rational or functional benefits of the vehicles, the differentiations is

increasingly on the emotional benefits when it comes to high end cars.

“Generally, it has been seen as one move up the value chain, the differentiation

is more on the emotional pay-off. People buy car as an extension of their

personality rather than just features. A car, in India, helps build up show off,

social esteem value. The advertising would also vary according to the segment

which one is targeting,” he says. For instance, the Chevrolet Optra ad (which

depicts a young husband driving his wife to see the moon on the occasion of

Karvachauth) shows an Optra consumer as someone who believes in family

values and indulging loves ones.

“We find that typically profile of an Optra consumer is someone who is in the age

group of 35-45years and has a chauffer. He buys a car not only for himself but

also for the family and tries to make up, for not being able to spend enough time,

by indulging love ones,” points out dutta. The positioning goes well with the

companies catch lines of “for a special journey called life”.

High end car maker Skoda auto too, through its advertising, attempts to connect

with its consumer on emotional level. “Car is the extension of the personality and

our advertising shows the consumer to be youthful, image-conscious and even

bit a macho. The campaign jointly made by Skoda’s marketing department and

ad agency IB&W not only communicates the quality of the brand but an

appreciation for the finer things in life. The target Skoda consumer is a SEC A1,




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Shashank vaid, manger (marketing), Skoda Auto India. Surely, image building

does come higher in the consumer’s scheme of priorities when buying a new car

than ever before.

The importance of brand image has risen sharply in the last few years. At the

segment level, the increase in importance is greater for the mid-size cars,

indicating the relevance of brand among the more expensive market segments.

The manufacturer need to focus more o how consumers perceive them as

offering exciting cars and being committed towards them. Contemporariness of

model has a big impact on purchase decision. The perception of the car in terms

of its performance and design, quality, sales, after sales, cost of ownership, apart

from brand image, all impact upon the purchase decision.”

According to Bhatia, as long as advertising for cars is strongly differentiated and

sharply positions the model and at the same time satisfies a define need

segment, it shall have the capability to break the clutter and creates a unique and

compelling reason for consumers to purchase. “One good example of this is Ford

Ikon- the josh machine made a tremendous impact on consumers in offering to

satisfy a clear need. You can see some more of this with a recently launched

premium hatch back as well”.

Interestingly, the strategy marketer follow changes a bit when it comes to

addressing the smaller car category with the rational benefits of a brand tending

to be the focal point of the campaign. “We have found that typically a buyer for a

smaller car (sub Rs 4 lac) looks for aspects such as reliability and fuel efficiency.

This changes as we move up since in case the consumer has been with the

category for a longer time and hence it is important t to talk of an emotional pay

off.




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.A case in point is the Maruti 800 campaign in which the kids who is playing with a

toy Maruti 800 exclaims to his dad (when asked how long will he keep on running

the car), “papa ki Kara, petrol khatam hi nahin Honda.” The ad cleverly conveys

that the car just keeps going on and on. It ends with the voiceover telling us that

Maruti Suzuki is most fuel-efficient car.

However in the small car segment, the rational benefits magic is not always

applicable. Take the case of Hyundai Santro, the advertising of which has

evolved over the years from initially conveying mainly the functional benefits of

the model to connecting with the consumer on an emotional level now. “When we

launched the Santro, we started with the positioning if the car being a complete

family car which was completely rational positioning. But then two things

happened- the product found acceptance in the market and the competition

came up with similar product in the market.

Brand image is not driven by good advertising alone but is significantly impacted

upon by the cars performance and design, quality, and the cost of ownership.

Among the three, product quality has the highest correlation with brand image.

Small car buyer seeks capability in advertising, and fuel efficiency is relatively

more important to them. Technology, innovation, and good influence premium

mid-size buyers. One reality for us in India is that the market is extremely

price/value conscious. While making purchases based on above, there is rational

side, which does have an impact on the decision on a particular make and model

of car. Be it rational or an emotional decision, consumers would have to think as

a bevy of new models flood the Indian market.









Objectives of Study

The research objective is a statement, in as precise terminology as possible, of

what information is needed. The research objective should be framed so that

obtaining the information will ensure that the research purpose is satisfied.

Research objective have three components.

Research question –

The research question specifies the information the decision making needs. The

responsibility of the researcher is to make the researcher question as specific

and precise as possible. The researcher question asks what specific information

is required to achieve the research purpose, or answer the research problem. If

the research questions are answered by the research, then the information

should aid the decision maker.

Development of hypothesis –

A hypothesis is a possible answer to a question. Development of hypotheses

implies generating basically alternative answers to research questions. The

research determines which of these alternative answers is correct. It is not

always possible to develop hypotheses, but efforts should be made.

Scope or boundaries of the research -

Defining the scope of the research or the research boundaries ensures the

desired precision or accuracy of the result.




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the decision problem, that is convert the research problem, in the form of one or

more key question formats-

How

What

Where

When

Why





Objectives of the Research

The research objectives for the project undertaken can be defined as follows:

To determine the demographic variables of the customers of different

brands of cars.

Examine the customer perception about the cars.

To judge the satisfaction level of car owners of different brands.

The research tracks responses at following two layers

1. Product related parameters

2. Dealer related parameters

To analyze the psychographic variables of the customers of different

brand of the cars.

Scope of the study

It is aimed to study the car market and buying behavior of the customer. The

project is analyzed the demographic, psychographic and buying characteristics of

the customers in buying the car. It includes the detailed study of customers

focusing on the various parameters that lead to identifying and understanding the

perception of the customer in buying the car brands.

Significance of the study




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.A brand is a set of expectations and associations evoked from company or

product. A brand is how key constituents- customers, employees etc.

experiences what you do. Some brands are of such great importance to people,

that we speak of them as a part of one’s life and identity, being used to express

one. Some would say that these brands have their own personality, the brand

perception, which can be defined as the set of human characteristics associated

with a given brand.

Because many people interact with brand as though they were other people, it is

important to understand what a brand perception consists of, and how its

characteristics can be used to affect the relationship between the brands and its

users. Knowing and understanding the brand perception gives a good insight into

this relationship, and into peoples’ attitudes towards the brand, and is also an

important guide to communicating the brand.

Like apparel and lifestyles brands, a car is extension of one’s perception. People

buy cars which either matches their personalities or those which provide them

opportunities of being perceived as somebody they aspire to be. This becomes

significant as consumers move up the value chain from small compact cars to

midsize and upwards.





Research Methodology

A research process consists of stages or steps that guide the project from its

conception through the final analysis, recommendations and ultimate actions.

The research process provides a systematic, planned approach to the research

project and ensures that all aspects of the research project are consistent with

each other.

Research studies evolve through a series of steps, each representing the answer

to a key question.





Research Project Steps





INTRODUCTION

This chapter aims to understand the research methodology establishing a

framework of evaluation and revaluation of primary and secondary research. The

techniques and concepts used during primary research in order to arrive at

findings; which are also dealt with and lead to a logical deduction towards the

analysis and results.

RESEARCH DESIGN

I propose to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the full

impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry norms

and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which I feel remain

unanswered or liable to change, this shall be further taken up in the next stage of

exploratory research. This stage shall help me to restrict and select only the

important question and issue, which inhabit growth and segmentation in the

industry.

The various tasks that I have undertaken in the research design process are :

Defining the information need

Design the exploratory, descriptive and causal research.

RESEARCH PROCESS

The research process has four distinct yet interrelated steps for research

analysis




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Determination of information research problem.

Development of appropriate research design.

Execution of research design.

Communication of results.

Each step is viewed as a separate process that includes a combination of task ,

step and specific procedure. The steps undertake are logical, objective,

systematic, reliable, valid, impersonal and ongoing.

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH

The method I used for exploratory research was

Primary Data

Secondary data

PRIMARY DATA

New data gathered to help solve the problem at hand. As compared to secondary

data which is previously gathered data. An example is information gathered by a

questionnaire. Qualitative or quantitative data that are newly collected in the

course of research, Consists of original information that comes from people and

includes information gathered from surveys, focus groups, independent

observations and test results. Data gathered by the researcher in the act of

conducting research. This is contrasted to secondary data which entails the use

of data gathered by someone other than the researcher information that is




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.obtained directly from first-hand sources by means of surveys, observation or

experimentation.

Primary data is basically collected by getting questionnaire filled by the

respondents.

SECONDARY DATA

Information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another

purpose. Sources include census reports, trade publications, and subscription

services. Data that have already been collected and published for another

research project (other than the one at hand). There are two types of secondary

data: internal and external secondary data. Information compiled inside or

outside the organization for some purpose other than the current investigation.

Data that have already been collected for some purpose other than the current

study. Researching information which has already been published. Market

information compiled for purposes other than the current research effort; it can be

internal data, such as existing sales-tracking information, or it can be research

conducted by someone else, such as a market research company or the U.S.

government. Published, already available data that comes from pre-existing sets

of information, like medical records, vital statistics, prior research studies and

archival data.

Secondary source of data used consists of books and websites

My proposal is to first conduct a intensive secondary research to understand the

full impact and implication of the industry, to review and critique the industry

norms and reports, on which certain issues shall be selected, which I feel remain

unanswered or liable to change, this shall be further taken up in the next stage of

exploratory research.





DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH

STEPS in the descriptive research:

Statement of the problem

Identification of information needed to solve the problem

Selection or development of instruments for gathering the information

Identification of target population and determination of sampling Plan.

Design of procedure for information collection

Collection of information

Analysis of information

Generalizations and/or predictions

DATA COLLECTION

Data collection took place with the help of filling of questionnaires. The

questionnaire method has come to the more widely used and economical means

of data collection. The common factor in all varieties of the questionnaire method

is this reliance on verbal responses to questions, written or oral. I found it

essential to make sure the questionnaire was easy to read and understand to all

spectrums of people in the sample. It was also important as researcher to

respect the samples time and energy hence the questionnaire was designed in




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.such a way, that its administration would not exceed 4-5 mins. These

questionnaires were personally administered.

The first hand information was collected by making the people fill the

questionnaires. The primary data collected by directly interacting with the people.

The respondents were contacted at shopping malls, markets, places that were

near to showrooms of the consumer durable products etc. The data was

collected by interacting with 200 respondents who filled the questionnaires and

gave me the required necessary information. The respondents consisted of

house wives, students, business men, professionals etc. the required information

was collected by directly interacting with these respondents.

DETERMINATION THE SAMPLE PLAN AND SAMPLE SIZE

TARGET POPULATION

It is a description of the characteristics of that group of people from whom a

course is intended. It attempts to describe them as they are rather than as the

describer would like them to be. Also called the audience the audience to be

served by our project includes key demographic information (i.e.; age, sex

etc.).The specific population intended as beneficiaries of a program. This will be

either all or a subset of potential users, such as adolescents, women, rural

residents, or the residents of a particular geographic area. Topic areas:

Governance, Accountability and Evaluation, Operations Management and




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.Leadership. A population to be reached through some action or intervention; may

refer to groups with specific demographic or geographic characteristics. The

group of people you are trying to reach with a particular strategy or activity. The

target population is the population I want to make conclusions about. In an ideal

situation, the sampling frames to matches the target population. A specific

resource set that is the object or target of investigation. The audience defined in

age, background, ability, and preferences, among other things, for which a given

course of instruction is intended.

I have selected the sample trough Simple random Sampling

SAMPLE SIZE :

This involves figuring out how many samples one need.

The numbers of samples you need are affected by the following factors:

Project goals

How you plan to analyze your data

How variable your data are or are likely to be

How precisely you want to measure change or trend

The number of years over which you want to detect a trend

How many times a year you will sample each point

How much money and manpower you have





SAMPLE SIZE

I have targeted 100 people in the age group above 21 years for the purpose of

the research. The sample size is influenced by the target population. The target

population represents the Delhi regions. . The people were from different

professional backgrounds.

The details of our sample are explained in chapter named primary research

where the divisions are explained in demographics section.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE

Simple random sampling technique has been used to select the sample

A simple random sample is a group of subjects (a sample) chosen from a larger

group (a population). Each subject from the population is chosen randomly and

entirely by chance, such that each subject has the same probability of being

chosen at any stage during the sampling process. This process and technique is

known as Simple Random Sampling, and should not be confused with Random

Sampling.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_sample

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_sample

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probability

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randomization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_population

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sample_(statistics)


ERRORS IN THE STUDY

Interviewer error

There is interviewer bias in the questionnaire method. Open-ended questions

can be biased by the interviewer’s views or probing, as interviewers are guiding

the respondent while the questionnaire is being filled out. The attitudes the

interviewer revels to the respondent during the interview can greatly affect their

level of interest and willingness to answer openly. As interviewers probing and

clarifications maximize respondent understanding and yield complete answers,

these advantages are offset by the problems of prestige seeking, social

desirability and courtesy biases.

Questionnaire error

The questionnaire designing has to careful so that only required data is concisely

reveled and there is no redundant data generated. The questions have to be

worded carefully so that the questions are not loaded and does not lead to a bias

in the respondents mind

Respondent error

The respondents selected to be interviewed were not always available and willing

to co operate also in most cases the respondents were found to not have the

knowledge, opinion, attitudes or facts required additionally uninformed response

errors and response styles also led to survey error.





Sampling error

We have taken the sample size of 100, which cannot determine the buying

behavior of the total population. The sample has been drawn from only National

Capital Region.

Research Design

Research design is a conceptual structure within which research is conducted. A

research design is the detailed blueprint used to guide a research study towards

its objective. It is a series of advanced decision taken together comprising a

master plan or a model for conducting the research in consonance with the

research objectives. Research design is needed because it facilitates the smooth

sailing of the various research operations, thereby making research as efficient

as possible yielding maximum information with the minimum effort, time and

money.





RESEARCH DESIGN

EXPLORATORYRESEARCH

DESIGN

CONCLUSIVERESEARCH

DESIGN

DESCRIPTIVERESEARCH

CAUSALRESEARCH

Limitations of the study

All the research projects are hindered in their smooth flow by some

unforeseen problems. The problems arise in the form of constraints by

budget, time and scope of the study. The current project was also faced

by certain problem. Some of the problems faced in the course of the

research are as follows:

A strong unwillingness on the part of the owners of various cars, to

participate and aid the research.

The boredom and wavering concentration that set in among the

respondents while answering the long questionnaire: thus in turn led to the

difficulty of preventing incomplete questionnaires.





Sampling error: the research include a sample size of 100 customers

which is not enough to determine the brand perception of the consumers

for buying the cars. Since its not a census survey there is always a chance

of error while extrapolating the results of a sample study over the

population especially in those researches where the qualitative aspects

are concerned. So it’s always doubtful to map the qualitative aspects

using a quantitative measure.

The study was limited to the geographical region of DELHI

Car’s Profile





Maruti Udyog Limited

Maruti Udyog Limited is the premier car company in India. Maruti Udyog Limited

(MUL) was established in Feb 1981. The company entered into collaboration with

Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan to manufacture cars. Maruti is the highest

volume car manufacturer in Asia, outside Japan and Korea.

Maruti Udyog Limited, the largest Car selling company in India, has many unique

Service advantages for the customers. It has bagged the First Position in JD

Power Customer Satisfaction Index for the consecutive two years. The company

has also ranked highest in the India Sales Satisfaction Study.





1. Estilo

Maruti launched all new Estilo. If you are wondering why I dropped Zen from this

car's name then let me explain. Estilo has got Wagon R's engine and chassis

and Suzuki MR Wagon's shape. Whatever remains is taken from Zen, well does

anything remains actually? Yes, Name! Name is taken from Zen, 'Zen Estilo'. In

essence it’s stylish Wagon R, Japan's MR Wagon, combination of the two or

anything but Zen. It seems Maruti wants to exploit Zen brand-image hence

named this car after Zen.

Zen Estilo has the same engine (1061cc, 64.8ps, 84Nm, 4-cylinder, 16-valve,

MPFI F10D Petrol) under the hood that is found in Maruti Wagon R. Absolutely

nothing has been changed except for the fact that this engine is much refined

and is slightly better at responsiveness and fuel economy. This simply translate

into 'Zen Estilo is a bit faster and more fuel economic than Wagon R'. Due to

highly good drivability, driving in city would be more fun with Zen Estilo.

Electronic Power Steering (not available in LX version) really helps in crowded

traffic. Owning and maintaining Zen Estilo won't be a problem, engine is proven

reliable and virtually maintenance-proof.

2. Wagon R Duo

At first glance the Maruti WagonR Duo looks quite normal. Well, that is if you

think the WagonR's boxy looks are normal to start to start with. Frankly, for a car

that has to get around a city, I really don't care, because the Duo is all about

LPG, and the fact that it is first factory fitted LPG car in India. Factory-fitted

means one major plus, your warranties don't get voided because of the gas

fitment.




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.There is no denying the cars cost advantage, this is the cheapest Maruti vehicle

to run, and that in itself is a massive statement. The redesign of the car hasn't

just meant a fresh exterior look; it has also meant new interior - rotary controls on

the panel and a very neat looking display with an all new Speedo.

The problem is that despite the not insignificant cost savings, you save a rupee a

kilometer on LPG over Petrol, which even makes the extra Rs 24000 you have to

pay for the car seem worth it, the Duo just wheezes at times. And this is despite

two important facts, first LPG has more energy than CNG (that other gas) and

because this is a company designed car, Maruti engineers have really played

around with the engines tuning.

3. Swift

Competing with the other cars of Maruti, Maruti Swift is gradually making its

position in the world of mid-sized family car. Maruti Swift has come up with the

special technical specifications of 16 valve 4-cylinder, 1300 cc engine generating

power. Maruti swift is equipped with various safety features and well advanced

equipments. 3 assist grips, 3 spoke urethane steering wheel, antenna, cabin light

(3 position), console box (lower), cup holders (front 2, rear1), front door trim

pockets, green tinted glass window, halogen headlamps, headlamp leveling

device, heater and manual Air conditioning, OVRM (internally adjusted), rear fog

lamps, wind screen wiper 2 speed plus 1 speed intermittent, tailgate opener key

type, trip meter (digital display), sun visors (both sides), brake assist , child lock

(rear door), high mounted stop lamp, power steering, rear seat belts etc. are the

features available in this model. Apart from the features found in other model,

striking features of this model are black colored A & B pillars, 12v accessory

socket in center console, day and night rear view mirror, door ajar warming lamp,

driver's seatbelt warning lamp, tachometer, driver's seat belt warning lamp, vanity

mirrors (sun visor co-driver side), rear seat head restraints, fabric accented door

trims, central door locking (4 door), front and rear electronic windows, front fog




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buzzer, etc

4. Maruti Baleno

This mid size car with its bold and elegant looks along with its smart performance

is becoming the part of the dream of many car lovers.

Colors

Pearl Silver

Silky Silver

Superior White

Midnight Black

Bean Blue

Along with the features present in Lxi, there are many other extra features

available in this model like leather steering cover, automatic climate control, rear

spoiler with LED stop lamp, stylish alloy wheels, MP3 music system, silver finish

centre garnish, remote keyless entry etc.

has various effective comfort and safety features like tilt adjust power steering,

central lock door locking, electric windows, tachometer, trip meter, "key not

removed" warning buzzer, AC illumination system, cigarette lighter, ash tray

illumination, electrically operated AC louver switches, semi concealed windshield

wiper (2 speed plus 2 controlled intermittent), front and rear mud flaps, day/night




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.inside rear view mirror, velour floor carpet, front door armrests and pockets (both

sides), rear door child lock, lockable glove box, side impact beams etc.

5. Maruti Esteem

Sophisticated big structured Maruti Suzuki esteem is one of the old car of the

Maruti Udyog group. To run this huge car its engine is made of lightweight all-

aluminum. This contemporary engine has capacity of 65 bhp at 6000 rpm.

According to *Mileage (Auto India, Nov 2005), Esteem holds the topmost position

on mileage among the other category of cars including the small cars.

There are three models of Maruti Suzuki Esteem:

Maruti Esteem (Lx)

Maruti Esteem (Lxi)

Maruti Esteem (Vxi)

The basic model of Maruti Suzuki Esteem includes various safety features and

unique configuration in it. Air conditioned Maruti Suzuki Esteem for the comfort of

the owner provides the facilities of cabin heater, front seat back pockets (both

sides), front door pockets (both sides), air flow controls, remote operated fuel

tank lid and trunk lid, coat hanger hook on grip assistance etc..

Instrument panel of this model includes tachometer and speedometer with sporty

dial. Security measurement of this model has headlamp leveling device,




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/maruti-esteem/#vxi%23vxi

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/maruti-esteem/#lxi%23lxi

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/maruti-esteem/#lx%23lx

www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.collapsible steering column, lockable glove box, child proof rear door locks,

halogen headlamps, prismatic day-night inside rear view mirror etc.

This model is more upgraded version of Maruti Suzuki (Lx). Apart from the

features that are already in MarutiSuzuki (Lx), there are other few more added

features existing in Maruti Suzuki (Lxi). For comfort these models specially have

rear view mirror on the left side, power steering and power window (front).

Hyundai Motor

Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) was established in 1996 and is a wholly

owned subsidiary of South Korean multi national, Hyundai Motor Company. HMIL

is the fastest growing and the second largest car manufacturer in India and

presently selling 30 variants of passenger cars in six segments. The Company

has set up more than 70 dealer workshops that are equipped with the latest

technology, machinery, and international quality press, body and paint shops,

across the country, thereby providing a one-stop shop for a Hyundai customer.

Hyundai also has a fleet of 78 emergency road service cars that can provide

emergency service to all its customers anytime, anywhere.

6. Hyundai Santro

In the field of mid size car, Santro Xing is capturing the market very rapidly. Its

design, style, space and other special features has made it one of the highest

purchasable cars among any economy class.





It has five variants:

Santro XK

Santro XK (Non AC)

Santro XL

Santro XO

Santro AT

Along with the other features that are present in Santro XK (Non AC), other

features present in this model are air conditioner, day and night inside rear view

mirror, chrome1 radiator grille etc. Along with the features available in Santro XK,

added features in this model are 4 doors CLS, passenger side OVRM, tinted

glass, map pocket front door driver side, front door full size arm rest, door trim

with fabric insert, hydraulic power steering, power windows (front) etc

7. Getz

Hyundai Motors launched small family car Getz at August 2004. Euro III emission

norms fulfilled Car, Getz powered by 1300 cc. engine. Only the petrol version of

this car was launched initially.




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/santro/#at%23at

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/santro/#xo%23xo

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/santro/#xl%23xl

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/santro/#xk-ac%23xk-ac

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/santro/#xk%23xk

www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.There are four variants found in this car:

Hyundai Getz GLS

Hyundai Getz GLX

Hyundai Getz GVS

This model has highly advanced features like AC with 4 speed blower, ash tray

w/o illumination, center console w/ pen and jug holder, 60:40 rear seat split,

vanity mirror passenger side, rear defogger, height adjustable seat belts (front),

waist line molding, tilt steering, map pockets, front and rear power windows, rear

seat back inclination(4 position), digital clock, rear wiper and washer, front for

lamp, body color radiator grille, rear bumper reflectors, rear mud guard etc. Few

features to view comfort and safety in mind, this model is being specially

equipped with rear wiper and washer, rear defogger, alloy wheels etc. This model

has few important features like height adjustable front seat belts, body colored

radiator grille, rear bumper reflectors etc.

8. Hyundai Accent

Hyundai Accent was ceremonially launched at Frankfurt International Motors

Show on 15 September, 1999. It came in two versions, i.e. Petrol and Diesel

Versions in India initially, while in Europe it was introduced only with the Petrol

version. Initially Accent came up with the manual transmission which in turn

started getting available in automatic transmission. To know about the models of

this car, please see this following text:

Hyundai Accent GLE

Hyundai Accent GLS

Hyundai Accent Viva




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-accent/#viva%23viva

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-accent/#gls%23gls

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-accent/#gle%23gle

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-getz/#gvs%23gvs

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-getz/#glx%23glx

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-getz/#gls%23gls


Hyundai Accent Viva CRDi

Hyundai Accent CRDi

This model has many distinctive features like 60:40 split folding rear seats,

automatic trunk lamps, body colored door handles, bumper with or without

molding, door trims and consoles, high mounted stop lamps (HMSL), Mist (one

stoke wiper blades), semi cloth upholstery, trip odometer, rear license garnish,

waistline molding, wiper (3 no. of speed), cross bar under dash board, crumple

zone, dual horn, engine sub frame etc. Features that are striking in this models

are tinted glass, remote boot release, split rear seats, tachometer, remote fuel

cap release, sun visors with vanity mirror, power telescopic antenna, luxury full

cloth upholstery, energy absorbing collapsible steering column, full size wheel

cover etc.

9. Verna

The most awaited Verna finally launched in India. Verna can be considered as

one of the most shock wave-creating cars in India; within first five days of its

launch over 2000 Verna cars had been sold. Competition seems to be in shock.

Comfort levels are quite good, I wasn't expecting them to be like this, and there is

marginal refinement over Accent. Suspensions give you a feel, 'yes this car is

meant for India', no bumpy rides. Car handles very well too. Interiors are not

class, as expected, though they don't give a cheap feeling at all. City is way

ahead of Verna in interiors and room. Driving position is good and to make it

even better, height-adjustable driver-seat is provided in higher versions. AC is

quite effective, cools the cabin quickly. Due to enough power, switching on AC

doesn't make any difference in performance.




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-accent/#crdi%23crdi

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/hyundai-accent/#viva-crdi%23viva-crdi

www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.Exterior design is satisfactory. Its neither great to boast about nor is bad to

complaint about. Like all other Hyundai car designs, people have started to

criticize Hyundai for design of Verna. After having first glance of Verna, one of

Carwale.com colleagues called out, 'Hey, it looks like Baleno from front and

Fiesta from behind!'. You can't help it, it’s inevitable with Hyundai. ABS is

available as optional across the range. It’s a bit disappointing that Airbags are not

provided even as optional. Central Locking is available as standard feature in all

the versions and keyless entry in petrol versions except the lowest-end Verna i.

Finally Indian automotive industry is taking good shape. We have enough options

in every segment available. From Maruti to Tata to Honda to Volkswagen to

BMW to Porsche, every major world car player is interested to sell its cars to

Indian people. Everyday we have news about some new launch. Verna is just

launched and Ford has just announced launch of 1.6 TDCi (diesel) in two months

time, Maruti has confirmed discontinuation of Baleno and arrival of new Baleno

early next year and last but not the least Chevrolet is planning diesel Aveo soon.

Tata Motors Limited

Tata Motors Limited is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs.

24,000 crores in 2005-06. Its name comes first in the category of commercial

vehicles and the second largest in the passenger vehicles, mid size car and utility

vehicle segments. The company is the world's fifth largest medium and heavy

commercial vehicle manufacturer.

Over 3.5 million Tata vehicles is moving on Indian roads, since 1954. Its

manufacturing plant is located at Jamshedpur, Pune and Luck now





10. Tata Indica V2

Having attributes of three popular cars, Tata Indica is ruling the market. Making

of Tata Indica with the concept of main distinguishing features of three popular

cars i.e., with the overall structure of Maruti Zen, interior space like ambassador

and cost nearly like Maruti 800 was a challenging venture of Tata Motors.

Its fully foldable rear seat has made this car more accommodating for extra

luggage. For safe and secure driving and to give proper comfort, side-impact

beams, rigid monochrome frame and child safety locks are attached to this car.

Different Tata Indica models are:

Tata Indica V2

o DLX

o DLG

o DLS

o DLE

With its market catching looks and few striking features have set a trend for the

choosy buyers. Its power steering, central locking system, four power windows

have not only made this comfort driving car but also give assurance for the

safety. To mention more about convenience of driving, HVAC system provides

good cooling effect even in a sultry summer days. Door handles, body colored

bumpers, ORVM and wheel arch flair are few more advantages that the owner of

this car can easily avail.

To assure safer driving along with the elegance and appeal of the car, this model

is equipped with body colored bumpers, the wheel arch flairs, internally

adjustable OVRM and central locking system. To avoid any inconvenience in

operating the window, front windows are power windows. To avoid the scorching




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/indica/index.html#v2%23v2





www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.heat in a summer days, HVAC system of cooling can soothe anybody inside the

car

11. Tata Indigo

Indigo with its market catching features like leather upholstery, beige interiors,

LCD screen etc has made its position in the automobile industry.

Indigo is available in Petrol and Diesel models.

Petrol Variants

o Indigo GLE

o Indigo GLS

o Indigo GLX

It is equipped with various features like manual power steering, manual front and

rear windows, grey bumpers, half wheel covers, partial fabric lining on seat,

molded roof lining, high mounted stop lamp etc. To mention few of the features

present in this model along with the features of rest of the two models, there are

available power steering and power windows, rear fog lamps, rub rails on door,

full wheel covers, both sides outer rear view mirrors, rear defogger, central

locking, audio warning signal for driver seat belt and many more.

12. Indigo Marina

Fully equipped with 32 bit micro processor and 1405 cc MPFI Petrol engine, this

variant delivers maximum power of 85 PS @ 5500 rpm and maximum torque of

11kgm @ 3000 rpm.




http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/tata-indigo/#glx%23glx

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/tata-indigo/#gls%23gls

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/tata-indigo/#gle%23gle

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/tata-indigo/#petrol%23petrol

www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.It has various features like AC system,2 spoke wheel, grey bumpers, chrome-

plated grill lip, black door handles, roof rails, partial wheel covers, digital clock,

internal antenna, partial fabric seats, anti-submarine type front seats, child safety

locks on rear doors, collapsible steering column, side impact beams etc

This model along with the features of Indigo Marina GLE comes with various

other features like HVAC system, aluminum gear shift knob, 4 spoke wheel,

power steering, body colored bumpers, rub rails on door, full wheel covers,

stylish grip and cover for hand brake lever etc.

Chevrolet

Its king like entry happened in India in 1928 with its National Series AB touring.

Reliability of this car was proved by its 171 cubic inches, 24.7hp four cylinder

engines.

General Motors, parent company of Chevrolet, was the first in setting up

assembly plant in India. First office of Chevrolet was located at Mumbai and its

assembly plant was in Sewree.

13. Chevrolet Aveo

With the assurance of safety and technologically advanced equipments,

Chevrolet Aveo provides complete statement of reliability and efficiency. Safety

features like tailor welded blanks, high- strength steel structure, B-pillar, height

adjustable safety belt anchors, rear child safety door locks, front safety belt

pretension etc really confirm the security of the passenger.





It has four variants:-

Aveo 1.4 E*

Aveo 1.4

Aveo 1.4 LS

Aveo 1.6 LT

It is well equipped with 1.4L DOHC 94 PS, 5 Speed MT, chrome radiator grille,

wide 185/60 R14 tyres, pullout type door handle, two tone beige interiors, power

steering and power window, central locking, rear defogger with timer, remote

trunk lid opener, engine service soon indicator etc. It is well equipped with 1.4L

DOHC 94 PS, 5 Speed MT, chrome radiator grille, wide 185/60 R14 tyres, pullout

type door handle, two tone beige interiors, power steering and power window,

central locking, rear defogger with timer, remote trunk lid opener, engine service

soon indicator etc. Its main mentionable features along with the other features

which are associated with the rest of the models, are 1.6L DOHC 102 PS, 5

speed MT; double DIN MP3 system with 6 speakers; rear spoiler with CHMSL;

chrome coated exterior handles and trunk lid garnish; 14" alloy wheels;

electrically adjustable OVRM; wood finish on IP and door trim; car alarm and key

less entry system.

14. Optra

With its 1.8 litre engine capacity runs up to 8.1 kmpl inside the city crowd roads

and 11.2 kmpl on the highway. Its luxurious and comfortable interior include

center console, central armrest, flip down rear armrest, automatic climate control

air conditioners, enough legroom space, sunglass holder, mobile phone holding

space in the rear door, cup holders etc.




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http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/chevrolet-aveo/#14%2314

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/chevrolet-aveo/#14-e%2314-e


It has various variants:

1.6 Elite

1.6 LS Elite

1.6 LT Royale

1.8 LT

1.8 LT AT

It is equipped with various comfort and safety features like driver seat height

adjuster, plush feel beige fabric, silver finish on control panel and luxurious wood

finish on IP and door boards etc. Along with the features present in 1.6 Elite, this

is available with tilt steering, remote keyless entry with chirp and trunk opening,

AWIS, driver seat lumbar support, front fog lamps, body colored outside mirrors

and door handles etc. There are many extra features present in this model along

with the features of 1.6 LT Royale like automatic climate control system, all round

wood finish including Centre Panel, tilt adjustable front headrests, 15" alloy

wheels with ABS and EBD as option at extra cost, rear disc brakes, dual airbag,

double DIN audio system with 5 CD changer.




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http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/chevrolet-optra/#16-ls%2316-ls

http://auto.indiamart.com/cars/chevrolet-optra/#16-elite%2316-elite


FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

Cross Tabulation





Q1. Why you bought your present car? Please rank from the highest order of preference

1. Increase in disposable income2. Better safety at roads3. Family needs4. Increase in family size5. Suits your lifestyle and personality





39

12

17

23

9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Increase indisposable

income

Better safetyat roads

Family needs Increase infamily size

Suits yourlifestyle andpersonality

Motives

Motives For buying a car

Series1

Interpretation:

As per the analysis shows, increase in disposable income seems to be the most important reason for buying a car. This trend is reflected in the growth of the Per capita Disposable income and consequently the growth of the Indian automobile industry especially in the B and C segment cars. Similarly, the growing family needs like working partners, increasing family size, status, etc. add to the motives of buying a car.

Q2. You decided to buy a car brand because of (rate best 3 factors from 1 to 3 in order of your preference)

1. Affordable price2. Technical superiority over competition3. Comfort4. Manufacturer’s image5. Value for money





6. Safety7. After sale services

Product Specific Reasons for Buying a Car

32

7

912

28

102

Afforable prices

Technical superiority

Comfort

Manufacturer's image

Value for money

Safety

After sale services

Interpretation:

Indian market is still the hard nut to crack for most of the automobile

manufacturers. Though the Indian car industry is among the fastest growing car

markets of the world still the Indian psyche is too complex for the manufacturers

to understand. The most important reason for buying a car when it comes to B

and C segment cars seems to be ‘value for money’. 32% of the respondents

suggested that affordable prices are the most important factor while purchasing a

car. This is the reason for sticking to a particular segment till the next substantial

rise in the personal disposable income. This reason is followed by ‘Value for

money’ where the customers look for the best product, best services and best

repute all bundled in one with the best deal they can strike. This explains the

reason for the stagnant or sudden growth in sale of B and C segment cars just

before budget and near occasions like Diwali.





Product Satisfaction Level

Q3. Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Interior Design features on a scale of 1 to 5 where

1 Highly Dissatisfied2 Dissatisfied3 Neutral4 Satisfied5 Highly Satisfied

Interior Type 1 2 3 4 5Seats designLeg Room Dash BoardInterior ColourMusic SystemAdjustable Front seat Headrest

Interiors for Segment B cars

3 4 43 4 4 4

3

4 44 4 3 4

3

3 33

44

3

44 4 4

4

4

4

11 1 1 3

14

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

MarutiEstilo

MarutiWagon

R

MarutiSwift

IndicaV2

Aveo Santro GetzCars

Le

ve

l of

sa

tis

fac

tio

n

Adjustable Front Seat Headrest

Music System

Interior Colour

Dash Board

Leg Room

Seat Design





Interpretation:

Interiors play a very important role in deciding the sale of a car. More plush,

comfortable and exotic the interiors are more are the chances of its being popular

among the customers. For this reason manufacturers spend billions of dollars

every year on R&D to continuously improve the interiors of their cars. Seats, leg

room, dash board, armrests etc are few of the options which count for the

interiors. As the analysis show Getz scores substantially high w.r.t. its

counterparts on the account of music system installed. Similarly, Indica V2 races

far ahead as far as leg room is concerned. However, Wagon R fares badly on

this front. Overall, almost all cars get a mixed response in this segment as far as

the interiors are concerned.





Customer Satisfacton based on Interiors of Cars

4 4 4 4 4 4 4

4 4 4 5 5 5 5

3 4 4 5 5 53

4 4 4 44

4

4

3 3 3 4 5 45

3 3 3 3 3 3 3

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Esteem

Balen

o

Indi

go

Indi

go M

arin

a

Optra

Accen

t

Verna

Cars' Interior Parameters

Sat

isfa

ctio

n le

vel (

in %

age)

Adjustable Front Seat Headrest

Music System

Interior Colour

Dash Board

Leg Room

Seat Design

Interpretation:

As one can see most of the respondents are quite happy with the interiors of

their respective cars. However, one striking point observed here are that almost

every car fares neutral on the adjustable front seat headset. These cars have

more leg room, come with attached music systems (Verna fares the best among

all cars on this front) combined with luxury features like TV screens, armrests at

the back seat etc.




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.Q4. Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Safety features on a scale of 1 to 5

Safety Parameters 1 2 3 4 5Crossbar under DashboardAir BagsAnti Lock Breaking SystemAerodynamic Shape Intensity of front lights

Customer Satisfaction on the Safety Parameter

3 3 33 3 3 3

11

11

3

11

3

3 43

4

3 4

3

4 43

3

4 5

3 4 5 4

34 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

MarutiEstilo

(9)

MarutiWagonR(23)

MarutiSwift

IndicaV2

Aveo Santro Getz

Safety Parameters of Different cars

Cust

om

er S

ati

sfact

ion L

evel

( %

age

)

Intensity of front light

Aerodynamic Shape

ABS

Air Bags

Crossbar under Dashboard

Interpretation:

As can be noted Maruti Swift and Indica V2 fight neck to neck on almost every

front, with Indica marginally better in features like crossbars under the dashboard

and Anti Brake systems. Most of the cars in this segment fare relatively similar

and very close to each other on most of the fronts.





Customer Satisfaction Level on Safety Parameters

4 44 4 4 4 4

1 1 3 3 4 4 4

4 44

44 4

5

3 3 33

4 43

3 3 45

4 4 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Esteem Baleno Indigo IndigoMarina

Optra Accent Verna

Cars' Safety Parameters

Cu

sto

mer

sat

isfa

ctio

n le

vel

Intensity of front light

Aerodynamic Shape

ABS

Air Bags


Interpretation:

As one can see most of the respondents are quite happy with the safety

parameters of their respective cars. However, one striking point observed here

are that almost every car fares neutral on the safety parameters.





Q5. Please rate your existing car in terms of following parameters

Parameter1 2 3 4 5

Fuel Consumption

Mileage ( Km/ltr)

Pick Up

Stability at higher speed

Top speed

Customer Satisfaction Level on the Fuel Efficiency

3 43 3 3 3 3

3

4

44 3

3 4

3

34

44 5

5

3 3 34 4 4 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

MarutiEstilo

(9)

MarutiWagonR(23)

MarutiSwift

IndicaV2

Aveo Santro Getz

Cars' Fuel Efficiency Parameters

Cust

om

er S

ati

sfact

ion L

evel

( %

age

)


Pick up

Mileage

Fuel Consumption

Interpretation:




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.The customer choice of the car highly depends upon the performance and

maintenance costs of the car. This is the reason why this class of parameter was

chosen for this study. And the results show that Maruti’s Wagon R fares the best

car in its segment as most fuel efficient car of all. Similarly, Wagon R fares the

best on the terms like mileage but it lags behind Hyundai’s Santro on pick up

front. So this segment shows a mixed bag of response for the Fuel efficiency and

mileage parameter. Indica V2 performs consistently on all the parameters and

Getz fares really well on pick up whereas it fares badly on fuel consumption.

Considered this condition for Getz it should be seen as a red signal for the

manufacturers so that Getz does not end up being like Fiat’s Palio famous as a

car for ‘drinking petrol.





Customer Satisfaction Level on the basis of Fuel Efficiency

3 34

3 3 3 3

33

3

3 3 3 3

3 4 45 5 5 5

4 4 5 5 5 5 5

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Optra Accent Verna

Car's Fuel Efficiency Parameters

Cust

om

er S

ati

sfact

ion L

evel

( in %

age

te

rms) Stability at higher speed

Pick up

Mileage

Fuel Consumption

Interpretation:

Segment C cars are known as hybrid car segment between the B segments fuel

efficiency with the luxury of the D class. Checking the same it seems that most of

the cars in this segment are placed much closed to each other with very little

difference here and there. Most of the cars are fuel efficient w.r.t their weights

and pick ups. Indigo fares as the best car in terms of fuel efficiency. Baleno fares

a little bit behind than its counterparts as far as the stability at high speeds and

mileage is concerned.





Dealer Service Satisfaction Level

Q1. Please rate your Dealer on the understated parameters on the scale of 1 to 5

where

1 Highly Satisfied

2 Satisfied

3 Neutral

4 Dissatisfied

5 Highly Dissatisfied

1 2 3 4 5

Distance ( Proximity)

Advertisements (Promotions)

Technical Facilities

Cost of Service

Availability of Spares

Information Provided

Service Time

Charges

Staff

Car Handling ( Delivery & service)

Assured Customer Transactions

Ambience of Service Center

Finance ( Credit) Schemes

Dealers are the middle men between a car manufacturer and its customers.

Dealer thus becomes the most important link in joining the company to its




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.customers as he is the person who will sell the product, will deliver it and will

keep on providing the after sales services to the customers as and when

required. So, it becomes necessary automatically to study dealer as a part of

customers’ satisfaction journey with the product called car!

Why Maruti fares so well ahead of its competitors till date and its the

largest car company in India with the largest market share in A and B segment is

because during the protected regime it build a dealers network so strong that its

yet very difficult for most of the competitors to set up a network as large as

Maruti. So wherever you go its not difficult to find a Maruti service station and a

Maruti dealer. This is how Maruti has maintained relationships with its customers

and has been able to convert most of them into a repeat customer. So, dealer

network is something of such importance that while studying the customer’s

satisfaction profile its almost impossible to ignore it.





Customer Satisfaction Level on the Basis of Dealers

5 54

45

45 4

4 4 4 45

34

4

3

4

4

4 4

44 4 4

4

2 34

1

2

4

4 2

54 4 5

4

4 4 42

4 53 3 5 4 4 4 4

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Dealers releated parameters for diff Manufacturers

Cus

tom

er S

atis

fact

ion

Leve

l ( in

%ag

e te

rms)

Hyundai

General Motors

Tata Motors

Maruti Suzuki

Interpretation:

While buying a car, dealers ‘choice play a very important role in deciding the

company and model’s choice. So dealers act as influencers on the complete

buying behavior of the prospective customers. Among all the listed factors Maruti

fares the best among all its counter parts in terms of dealer density which is quite

obvious. Also, the cost of service provided by Maruti dealers is the lowest

followed by Tata Motors. Similarly, for B and C segment cars Maruti emerges out

as the clear winner among the four car companies studied all thanks to the vast,

extensive and well managed dealer system.





Q2. How do you rate the brand image of your car?

1 2 3 4 5 Very Low Very High

Brand Image

3

4 4 4

3

5

3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

MarutiEstilo

MarutiWagon R

MarutiSwift

Indica V2 Aveo Santro Getz

Car Brands

Cust

om

er P

erce

pti

on (

Avg

)

Series1

Interpretation:

As per the analysis, Santro is the car whose brand image is most preferred in the

market. This is because of the reason, that it’s from the house of Hyundai a

South Korean company known for its overall image. On the contrary Maruti Estilo

and Aveo share the same platform on the brand image. This can be attributed to

the fact that both these cars are relatively new on the block and market takes

time to imbibe and give the brand an image. This is established by the fact that

Maruti’s Wagon R and Swift are exactly the same as far as the image is

concerned.





Customer Perception of Different Cars

4

3

4

3

5

4 4

0

1

2

3

4

5

6


Optra Accent Verna

Car Brands

Cust

om

er P

erce

pti

on (

Avg

)

Series1

Interpretation:

As the analysis reveals GM’s Optra fares as the Best Car as far as customers’

perception is concerned about the brand image of the car in the C segment. This

is because of the fact that GM itself commands an amazing brand image among

its customers. Accent and Verna both Hyundai cars share the same position.




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.Q3. Will you recommend your car to your friends?

Yes No

Customer's Ultimate Perception

73

27

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Yes No

Customer Action ( Will you recommend your car to your friends?)

Fre

qu

ency

Interpretation:

It seems logical that satisfied customers will someday become loyal customers,

in other words there is a positive correlation between customer satisfaction

scores and customer buying behavior. If a customer rates the car very high in

satisfying his or her needs, the car manufacturer should expect more referrals

and this is reflected in the analysis that 73% customers say that they will refer

their car to their friends even if they move to other segment or other brand.





Q4. Will you buy your new car in the

Same segment , same manufacturer Same segment, different manufacturer Upper segment, same manufacturer Upper segment, different manufacturer

Customer Perception

11

17 17

23

7

6 7

12

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Same Segment,same

manufacturer

Same Segment,different

manufacturers

UpperSegment, SameManufacturer

UpperSegment,Different

Manufacturer

Customer Actions

Val

ues C

B

Interpretation:

The analysis shows that most people when moving to upper segment will prefer

a different manufacturer. And the next striking finding is that the customers will

prefer both same and different manufacturers in the B segment cars and there is

not much difference in the C segment also. This behavior is complex to

understand as this are the customers who have given whopping response for

recommending their car to their friends. It’s the reason why brand perception is

so difficult to understand.





Demographics

20

41

21

17

age group

<21

21-35

36-55

>55

I surveyed around 100 people who belonged to various age groups. The survey

of 4 age groups was done. The four age groups were:

Less than 21 years

21 -35 years





36-54 years

More than 55 years

MONTHLY FAMILY INCOME

33

28

19

19

monthly family

income

<50,000

50,001-1,00,000

1,00,001-2,00,000

>2,00,001

I surveyed around 200 people who belonged to various monthly family income

groups. The survey of 4 income groups was done. The four income groups were:

Less than 50000

50000 - 1,00,000

1,00,001 – 2,00,000

More than 2,00,001

Interpretation:

Above graphs exhibits the income bracket of the sample size, as evident the majority of the sample is in the income bracket of < 50,000 a month income. Though none of the bracket is highly skewed, this enables the study to be wide




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Cross Tabulation

1. Motive to buy the car*segment car B and C

Affordable prices

Technical Superiority over competition

Com

fort

manufacturer's im

age

value for money

Safety

After sales service

respondant's objective buying a car brand

0

5

10

15

20

Co

un

t

segment Car B

Estilo

Wagon R

Swift

Santro

Getz

Indica V2

Aveo

Esteem

Baleno

Accent

Verna

Indigo Marine

Indigo

Optra

Bar Chart

Interpretation:

According to the result, I found that choice of car depends upon these following factors:

So the choice of car is not driven only by intensive factors such as brand perception but is hugely influenced by extensive factors such as price, service, and models available, financing options etc. also the choice of the car is largely influenced by the manufacture image. This is why Maruti is perceived as a value




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.for money car and Getz emerges out as a winner in the B segment for this criteria. As Getz is from the house of Hyundai known for its technology and great design is far better perceived as a preferred car than other cars. But a word of caution here, this perception may or may not result in a converted sale.

2. Recommend the car to your friend*ranking of Brand and company

yes no

Would you recommend your car to your friends

0

10

20

30

40

Co

un

t

respondants' ranking of

brand and company

image

Very Low

Low

Neutral

High

Very High

Bar Chart

Interpretation:

The graph shows that people who rank their car high or very high on the brand image are the people who recommend their car to their friend. This is something the car companies should look for as these people may not be the brand loyal




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.but are definitely the people who help a company to reinforce the brand image propagated by the company.

3. ranking of Brand and Image*Segment B and C car

Very Low Low Neutral High Very High

respondants' ranking of brand and company image

0

2

4

6

8

10

Co

un

t

segment Car B and

C

Estilo

Wagon R

Swift

Santro

Getz

Indica V2

Aveo

Esteem

Baleno

Accent

Verna

Indigo Marine

Indigo

Optra

Bar Chart

Interpretation:




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.This graph shows that how brand image is useful in making the choice of a car especially in the B and C segment. So, Santro is the car whose brand image is on the top and it’s the most preferred car.

CONCLUSION

SCOPE OF FURTHER STUDIES





Conclusion

To conclude, the results show that the companies are playing on the peripheral

cues to maintain their Total Relationship Management and connect to the

customers both present and potential. The companies are operating in a highly

aggressive and competitive global market place and this climate has led to the

emphasis on quality in all aspects. TQM focuses on integration and coordination

as well as the continuous improvement of all activities and processes. Total

Relationship Management (TRM) is a very recent marketing strategy and

philosophy. It focuses on and is concerned with all integrated internal and

external activities within and between the organizations. These two terms are

integrated by the manufacturers by building good quality products and building

good relationship with dealers and enhancing service levels.

However, when studied from the point of view of a customer there seems to be

no major difference among the car brands in a segment as far as performance is

concerned. The brand perception is dependant mostly on the peripheral cues

depending upon the nature and quality of the service provided along with the

pricing, maintenance, availability of spare parts and related issues. So, a




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.question arises here that is this the end of road for the branding of cars? Has the

commoditization of cars has started and its time that manufacturers must read

the writing on the wall? It seems so! It seems as an undercurrent sentiment is

flowing and the perception of the customers is changing according to it. So this

might be the reason that despite Verna faring so high on the performance

parameters still lags on the account of converted sales.

The study shows that brand perception is something which starts building up

before a car is purchased and goes on with its use and is reflected in the

recommendations the customer makes to his acquaintances for the same car.

Also, its seen that the customer might not be using the car still he holds the

perceptions about it. Brand personality of a car is enforced by the sellers in the

mindsets of the customers and the customers react to it by forming their

perceptions about the car and this reflects in the overall brand image of the car.

So brand image and brand personality complement each other and the brand

perception aids the building of brand image.

Dealers, as per the study findings, play a very important role in building up

the brand perception of the cars. Since dealers are the connecting link between

the customers and the manufacturers thus becoming the most important link in

joining the company to its customers as he is the person who will sell the

product, will deliver it and will keep on providing the after sales services to the

customers as and when required.

So, it becomes necessary automatically to study dealer as a part of customers’

satisfaction journey with the product called car! Their proximity to the customers,

the service provided by them and the relationship maintained by them with the

customers helps the car companies to establish and reinstate the brand

personality communicated by them to the customers.





Finally the major point that emerges out of this detailed study is a caution for

the car companies. It says that there is no doubt that Indian car market may be

growing with a double digit figure still the car companies have a long way to

travel to convince their customers about the brand personality of their cars and

how it suits the prospective buyers. Simply because it simply is not a guarantee

that how so ever good the customer might be holding the brand perception and

how so ever good the brand image may be it is not a guarantee that it will convert

into sale. Cars just like clothes and accessories suit the style and persona of a

person and since all cars will become commodity someday the key to sell and

excel in the market will lie with a person who knows how to use the perceptions

of the customers to its use and sell the cars ‘coz ultimately only that car survives

which sells!









Scope of future study

As the report mentions there are clue in the market that the cars are on a path of

becoming commodities just like the fate awaits for any other consumer goods. So

what can be the role and scope of brands and their personality in the changes

scenario to establish the brand perception of any car in the mind set of a

customer present or potential can be one area of study?

On the close lines, another area of study can be the importance of

advertisements and promotion schemes on the brand image of any car brand?

Are the brands which advertise more have a positively high brand perception or

it’s the sales promotion schemes which create the ripples in the mindset of the

customers.





ANNEXURE

REFRENCES

QUESTIONAIRE





References:

Sites Visited -

www.siamindia.comwww.autocarindia.comwww.overdrive.comwww.hyundai.co.inwww.ibef.org

Books consulted -

Building Strong Brands- David A Aaker




http://www.ibef.org/

http://www.hyundai.co.in/

http://www.overdrive.com/

http://www.autocarindia.com/

http://www.siamindia.com/


Questionnaire

For Customers:

Q1. Why you bought your present car? Please rank from the highest order of

preference

1. Increase in disposable income

2. Better safety at roads

3. Family needs

4. Increase in family size

5. Suits your lifestyle and personality

Q2. You decided to buy a car brand because of (rate best 3 factors from 1 to 3 in

order of your preference)

1. Affordable price

2. Technical superiority over competition

3. Comfort

4. Manufacturer’s image

5. Value for money

6. Safety





7. After sale services




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Q3. Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Interior Design features

on a scale of 1 to 5 where


2 Dissatisfied

3 Neutral

4 Satisfied

5 Highly Satisfied

Interior Type 1 2 3 4 5

Seats design

Leg Room

Dash Board

Interior Colour

Music System

Adjustable Front seat Headrest

Q4. Please rate your existing car in terms of understated Safety features on a

scale of 1 to 5

Safety Parameters 1 2 3 4 5


Air Bags

Anti Lock Breaking System

Aerodynamic Shape

Intensity of front lights





Q5. Please rate your existing car in terms of following parameters

Parameter 1 2 3 4 5

Fuel Consumption

Mileage ( Km/ltr)

Pick Up


Top speed




www.final-yearprojects.co.cc | www.troubleshoot4free.com/fyp/Final Year Project's is One place for all Engineering Projects, Presentation, seminar, summer training report and lot more.NOTE:-This work is copyright to its Authors. This is only for Educational Purpose.Dealer Service Satisfaction Level

Q1. Please rate your Dealer on the understated parameters on the scale of 1 to 5

where

1 Highly Satisfied

2 Satisfied

3 Neutral

4 Dissatisfied


1 2 3 4 5

Distance ( Proximity)

Advertisements (Promotions)

Technical Facilities

Cost of Service

Availability of Spares

Information Provided

Service Time

Charges

Staff

Car Handling ( Delivery & service)

Assured Customer Transactions

Ambience of Service Center

Finance ( Credit) Schemes

Q2. How do you rate the brand image of your car?

1 2 3 4 5

Very Low Very High





Q3. Will you recommend your car to your friends?

Yes

No

Q4. If yes, will you buy your new car in the

Same segment , same manufacturer

Same segment, different manufacturer

Upper segment, same manufacturer

Upper segment, different manufacturer

Age group:

<21 21-35

36-55 >55

What is your monthly Family income?

Less than 50000

Rs 50,000 –Rs 1, 00,000

Rs 1, 00,001– Rs 2, 00,000

More than Rs 2, 00,001

Number of car’s owned:

Present Car (s) owned:

NAME: SEX:

Phone NO:




Documents

Car Market and Buying Behavior- Marketing