INTRODUCTION

Brand awareness is the probability that consumers are familiar about the life and

availability of the product. It is the degree to which consumers precisely associate the brand

with the specific product. It is measured as ratio of niche market that has former knowledge

of brand. Brand awareness includes both brand recognition as well as brand recall. Brand

recognition is the ability of consumer to recognize prior knowledge of brand when they are

asked questions about that brand or when they are shown that specific brand, i.e., the

consumers can clearly differentiate the brand as having being earlier noticed or heard. While

brand recall is the potential of customer to recover a brand from his memory when given the

product class/category, needs satisfied by that category or buying scenario as a signal. In

other words, it refers that consumers should correctly recover brand from the memory when

given a clue or he can recall the specific brand when the product category is mentioned. It is

generally easier to recognize a brand rather than recall it from the memory.

The Importance of Brand Awareness

A brand is the meaning behind your company's name, logo, symbols and slogans.

Having a unique and memorable brand helps you build brand awareness and create a long-

term position in the marketplace. Brand awareness is a measure of how well your brand is

known within its target markets.

Customer Expectations

Customers expect certain things when they walk into a business, and those with the

highest level of service will know how to identify those expectations and meet them to the

customer's satisfaction.

However, this process is not as easy as it sounds – customer expectations are a

dynamic feature that ebbs and flows regularly in accordance with a wide range of factors.

However, when expectations are not met by the performance of your customer service

representatives, customer dissatisfaction is the result.

This article will delve into the importance of meeting customer expectations, as well

as how to identify and meet them through your customer service.

Identifying Customer Expectations

Because customer expectations are an ever-evolving process, it can be very

challenging to know precisely what those expectations might be. The best course of action is

to take the question directly to your customer base through a variety of customer service

research techniques.

Have customers complete surveys about your products and service. Provide incentive

for them to complete that survey, such as entry into a drawing for an enticing prize. Next time

you see a customer, ask if his expectations of your business are being met. If not, find out

why and what you can do to make your service better.

Common Expectations to Consider

Some of the most common and basic expectations customers have for most businesses

include:

• Fast, efficient and accurate service

• High quality products at a competitive price

• Friendly, helpful service staff to provide information and answer questions

• Prompt responses to their inquiries, whether online, by phone or in person

• Sufficient stock to meet their needs without long waits

• A trained staff that can handle their questions without referring them on

• A clean facility or easy to navigate website

All of these expectations comprise the minimum of what your top-notch service

should look like. Additional expectations may arise from your customer research, which you

can address on an individual basis.

PROFILE OF INDUSTRY

The wire and cable industry has moved from being a small industry 20 years back to a

very large industry over the last decade. Although it is a volume-driven product, it has a lot of

quality and technical particulars. Over a period of time, the industry has moved from the

unorganised to the organised sector. However, about 35% of this industry is still in the

unorganised sector. Requirements like brand and quality perception are key in this Rs 15,000

crore industry. The wire and cables industry predominantly provides challenging

opportunities in the field of manufacturing , supply chain, procurement, marketing and HR.

This industry is currently undergoing a major change and portends huge opportunity for

upcoming professionals and will give them a first hand experience on subjects like techno-

marketing , brand building, Six-Sigma , just-in-time manufacturing , etc.

The wire and cable industry comprises 40% of the entire electrical industry, which is

expected to double in size over the next five years. The industry is growing at a CAGR of

15% as a result of growth in the power and infrastructure segments. It is expected to grow at

similar rate for the next five years. The government's emphasis on the power sector reforms

and infrastructure will further drive growth.

GROWTH AREAS

The wire and cable industry will eventually focus on supplying cables for specific

applications pertaining to the industry needs. India has a lot of potential in the mining, power,

oil and gas, metro railways, cement industry , steel industry and other sectors. Different kinds

of cables like extra high voltage cables, elastomer cables, etc, are now being used for special

applications such as mining/oil sector, shipbuilding /crane cables/elevator cables, cables for

solar power plants, to harness power for new generation motor vehicles, windmill solutions,

security systems and other types of data cables.

SKILL-SETS REQUIRED

This field requires and teaches freshers and professionals to be techno-commercially

inclined. Ideally, electrical/mechanical engineers for manufacturing, electrical engineers for

EPC related sales for special applications, managers with operations knowledge for

implementation of world class manufacturing techniques, managers with knowledge of

creative/application based marketing, MBAs who can use various strengths of companies and

make use of adjacent opportunities, as well as fresh graduates who have the zeal to

outperform and change customer outlook. The sector also provides tremendous

entrepreneurial opportunities in trading, contracting and manufacturing.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration depends on the particular company, based on its own outlook. It also

depends on the institute from where the candidates are sourced. Pay packets offered are on a

par with market standards and is not a limiting factor for the right candidates. The

remuneration for a fresher may range between rupees two lakh and five lakh per annum.

Netscribes’ latest market research report titled Electric Wire and Cable Market in

India 2014 captures one of the largest segments of the electrical equipment market. The

Indian electrical equipment industry is broadly segmented into the generation equipment

sector and transmission and distribution sector. The wire and cable industry in India comprise

about a quarter of the total transmission and distribution segment. The electric wires and

cables market is expected to witness rapid growth in the coming years owing to government

investments in power and telecommunication, coupled with dynamic industrialization and

rapid urbanization. However, increasing price of raw materials adversely affects the growth

of the wire and cable industry. The market is also facing increased competition from

unorganized sector. Cheap imports from China also pose a threat to the organized sector.

Players in the market are focusing on application of latest technologies in the

manufacture of wires and cables to reach out not only to Indian clients but also global

customers and generate more revenue. The players are also focused on expansion and are

forging joint ventures with international players with a view to acquire a greater share of the

market. The electric wires and cable market is expected to find immense opportunity to grow

with the nationwide smart grid implementation. The slow but steady shift towards renewable

energy is also expected to provide huge market opportunity for electric cable and wire market

over the next few years

COMPANY PROFILE

Finolex Cables Ltd, the flagship company of the Finolex Group was established in

1958 in Pune. Today, it is India's largest and leading manufacturer of electrical and

telecommunication cables with a turnover in excess of Rs.16 Billion (about US $ 320

million)

The company started its operation with the manufacture of PVC insulated electrical

cables for the automobile industry. Since then, the Company has constantly endeavored to

augment its product range to include, PVC insulated industrial cables , FR-LSH PVC

Insulated Industrial Cables, PVC insulated single core and multicore flexible industrial

cables, Rodent Repellent Multicore Flexible industrial Cables, PVC Insulated Winding Wires

and 3 Core Flat Cables, XLPE 3 Core Flat Cables, Power and Control Cables, High Voltage

Power Cables (Upto 33 kV), Polyethylene Insulated Jelly Filled Telephone Cables, Auto &

Battery Cables, Co-axial and CATV cables, LAN Cables, Switchboard Cables, Fibre Optic

Cables and others.

The company has manufacturing facilities at Pimpri and Urse in Pune as well as at

Goa & Uttarakhand. The company has, over the years, established its reputation as an

innovative leader and quality manufacturer by continuously upgrading technology,

modernizing manufacturing facilities and maintaining highest standards of quality and

services. Today, the name Finolex has become synonymous with Quality and enjoys

overwhelming confidence of the customers. Investors have also fancied its stock in view of

its phenomenal progress leading to a manifold increase on investment in stock through the

years.

The company has received the ISO 9002 systems certification across all product lines

and plants. Besides ISO 14001-quality certification has been accorded to its plants in Urse

(JFTC & Co-Axial) and Goa (JFTC & HW) and Pimpri.

Their relentless quest for growth saw the brothers establishing Finolex Industries

Limited (FIL) in 1981. The company sought to manufacture Rigid PVC Pipes and Fittings at

Pune, which find large-scale application in the agriculture sector. In a shrewd move towards

backwards integration, the company has set up a PVC resin manufacturing facility at

Ratnagiri on the west coast of India.

The early nineties saw the Finolex Group expanding into new business domains to

manufacture Optic Fibre Cables and Copper Rods. Today the Group turnover exceeds Rs.30

Billion (about US $ 750 million)

Finolex Cables Ltd (FCL) and Finolex Industries Ltd (FIL) are the two group

companies whose equity shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock

Exchange. Global Depository Receipts of Finolex Cables Limited are also listed on the

Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Professionally managed, with continuous updating of

technology and strict quality controls, Finolex strives for maximum customer satisfaction.

Over the years, it has attained a significant position on the industrial map of India.

Every cable is manufactured using bright annealed electrolytic grade copper – 99.97%

pure manufactured in house and is insulated with virgin grade PVC (manufactured by group

company Finolex Industries Limited) that is formulated in-house.

The company has received several honours such as Harvard Business School

Association of India - Economic Times award for "corporate excellence"; IIM - LIC award

for 'marketing' and the Engineering Export Promotion Council's 'export performance

certificate'. Recently, the company was awarded the Export House status by the Directorate

General of Foreign Trade.

Milestones

 

Finolex Group was established in 1958 & today has turnover in excess of Rs

4000 crores with 5 companies and 11 modern state-of-art manufacturing

facilities located at Pune, Ratnagiri, Goa & Uttarakhand

The prominent group companies, Finolex Cables Ltd & Finolex Industries Ltd

manufacture and market a diverse range of products comprising of Electrical

and Communication Cables,Copper Rods,PVC Sheets,PVC Resin and PVC

Pipes & Fittings,Electrical Switches,Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL's).

Finolex has also established an advanced IT institute ,I2IT at Pune and an

engineering college at Ratnagiri

 

Finolex has over the years emerged as a very powerful brand synonymous with

top quality products. A national distribution network makes its products

available across the country

Finolex Cables Limited, the flagship company of the Finolex group started its

operations with the manufacturing of Automobile Cables in 1958. In1970

Finolex started manufacturing Electric wires, single & multicore Flexible

industrial Cables. Further expanding its product range in 1972 Finolex started

manufacturing PVC insulated Winding Wires & 3 Core Flat cables for

submersible pumps

 

In 1980 , Finolex started manufacturing 1.1 KV PVC insulated Power &

Control Cables, In 1984 , Finolex started manufacturing Jelly Filled Telephone

Cables. Thus Finolex became the first Indian company in Private Organized

Sector to supply JFT cables to DoT. Finolex is also 1st Indian company to

develop & supply Foam Skin Cable to DoT

In 1993, Finolex added one more product in its product portfolio, Co-axial

Cables. In 1993 Finolex Cables became the first cable company to receive ISO

9002 quality certification . In 1996, Finolex diversified its product portfolio &

started manufacturing PVC Sheets. Keeping track of global trends in 1996

Finolex launched two products viz. FR-LSH PVC Insulated Industrial Cables &

Fibre Optic Cables in. Thus Finolex Cables is the first company in India to

introduce FRLS industrial cables

 

As communication was becoming need of hour , in 1998 Finolex started

manufacturing Telephone & Switchboard cables. Further expanding its product

portfolio in 2006 , Finolex launched Electrical Switches & Compact

Fluorescent Lamps (CFL's)

In 2008 Finolex started manufacturing HT Cables (upto 33KV) at Urse, Pune.

Finolex has also put up a manufacturing unit equipped with latest state of the

art modern machinery at Uttarakhand. Finolex is the first company in India to

start manufacturing LAN Cables.

The company has set several benchmarks and has been recognized by industry

and peers alike. In 1989 Company won the Harvard Business School –

Economic Times award for Corporate Excellence; it was also declared the

winner of Voice and Data magazine’s Top Telecom Company Award in 2003;

the IIM-LIC Award for Marketing Excellence in 1994-95; Star Performer

Award for outstanding contribution to Engineering Exports during the year

2005-06 and several other accolades have come its way

Finolex Cables has also featured in the Top 150 Hidden Champions of the

World by World Link, Geneva. It ranked among the leading organizations of

Business India's Super 500 Corporations. In the survey conducted by Business

Today and Stern Standard, Finolex was listed among the Best Wealth Creating

Companies of India.

Finolex Cables is the only Superbrand Cable company in India. It has received

Superbrand Status for the 3rd consecutive year.

Finolex Industries Limited (FIL) was incorporated in 1981. It had a modest

beginning as a rigid PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) pipes manufacturer with

manufacturing plant in Pune.

In 1985, FIL pioneered the concept of “Ringfit’ pressure pipes.

From 1984 to 1988, FIL won the PLEXCONCIL "Top Exporter Award" on

five consecutive occasions

In 1994 FIL set up a state of the art PVC Resin plant near Ratnagiri on the

West Coast of Maharashtra State. The 130,000 M.T. PVC plant was set up in

technical collaboration with Uhde GmbH of Germany and under technology

license from Hoechst AG. FIL manufactures suspension PVC as well as

emulsion/ paste PVC

In 1996, FIL became India’s first manufacturer of PVC pipes and fittings to be

awarded the ISO 9001: 2000 certification

In 1999, to meet growing demand, FIL also started manufacturing PVC pipes at

Ratnagiri

In 1999 to cater the need of Plumbing sector, FIL introduced ASTM Pipes

In year 2002 both PVC Pipes and PVC Resin plants at Ratnagiri were awarded

the IS14001 certificate for Environment Management Systems

In 2006, Finolex Industries Ltd., proudly celebrated 25 years of its success

In 2006 PVC Resin capacity was expanded from 1,30,000 MT to 2,60,000 MT

Further expanding its product range, in 2006, FIL launched ASTM fittings to

its product portfolio

In 2007 FIL introduced Underground Sewerage Pipes as per IS: 15328 – 2003

In 2008, taking a step further with advancement in technology, FIL introduced

LEAD FREE Plumbing pipes as per ASTM Standards

In 2008, FIL started a brand new state-of-the-art unit for manufacturing

agriculture pipes and casing pipes at Urse, Pune with the capacity of 28000 MT

p.a.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Wire and cables plays an important part in our surrounding. A cable is two or more

wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly.

In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing

or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables used to carry electric

currents. An optical cable contains one or more optical fibers in a protective jacket that

supports the fibers.

The Indian power cable industry has about a dozen producers in the organised sector,

claiming more than two-thirds share of the market. The unorganised sector is constituted of a

few small units. The divergence in the two segments goes beyond their unit sizes. The two

sectors exhibit significant differences in quality and the capacities. While the organised sector

has been manu-facturing high voltage and speciality cables, the unorganised sector limits

itself to the relatively low voltage market. The organised segment caters also to the industrial

market.

Problems with subsea cables have affected many offshore wind farms and damage to

cables has been identified as a major insurance risk for the offshore wind industry. Cable

related problems are costly and most often arise from inadequate risk identification, lack of

planning, sub-standard design and deficiencies in how procedures are applied. To date,

cabling failures have cost millions of euros in delays and numerous legal disputes.

IMPORTANCE OF STUDY

The cable companies are performing at their best this time and touching the horizon of

success gradually. The industry is in a consolidation phase and only those Indian cable

companies with a strong technical alliance, better distribution network and an ability to

compete in the global markets would emerge victorious in the cable war. While the cable

manufacturing companies are putting all efforts to hold the greater market share, it is

imperative to analyze the brand perception of consumers and their final purchase. The cable

industry dealers also play a vital role as a channel partner in the success of cable companies.

The present study is to analyze the various influencing factors that affect the consumer’s

purchase decision. Customer loyalty is viewed as the strength of the relationship between an

individual’s relative attitude and repeat patronage and hence the study.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To study the awareness of customers about finolex cable

To study the behaviors of customers in choosing a particular brands of cable.

To study the post purchase behavior of customers.

To study the level of satisfaction of customers towards the various aspects of cable

To offer suggestion on the basis of results of the study.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Data collection takes very long time

Extracting the exact information from the customer is not possible

Customer are only ready to answer the part of questions.

There are no adequate standards for comparing the ratios.

The sample size was only 100 due to time consideration.