Full Mc Report (1)

7/31/2019 Full Mc Report (1)

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INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

GHAZIABAD

MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION-III

Analytical Industrial Project Report

PROJECT TOPIC: -

Marketing Strategy of Shriram Piston & Rings Ltd through E-mail.

SUBMITTED TO: - SUBMITTED BY:-

Prof. Soumen Mukherjee Sandeep Kumar (BM-011186)

Sanith S Nair (BM-011187)

Sanjay Agarwal (BM-011188)

Sarita Buriuly (BM-011189)

Seema Mahato (BM-011191)

Shalini Chaudhary (BM-011192)

Shalini Verma (BM-011193)

Shantanu K Rai (BM-011194)

Sharvan Kumar (BM-011195)

Shashank Shekhar (BM-011196)

Shashank V Singh (BM-011197)

Shekhar Suman (BM-011198)PGDM (2011-13) Sec D


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DECLARATION

To whomsoever it may concern

This is to certify that Sandeep Kumar (BM-011186),Sanith S Nair (BM-

011187),Sanjay Agarwal (BM-011188),Sarita Buriuly (BM-011189),Seema

Mahato (BM-011191),Shalini Chaudhary (BM-011192),Shalini Verma (BM-

011193),Shantanu Rai (BM-011194),Sharvan Kumar(BM-

011195),ShashankShekhar(BM-011196),ShashankVSingh(BM-11197),Shekhar

Suman(BM-011198) PGDM (full time) 2011-13 IMS Ghaziabad, have done

this project under the supervision and guidance of Prof. Soumen Mukherjee.

This work is done solemnly by us and has never been published or done before.

All the information provided is true to the best of our knowledge

MEMBERS SIGNATURE:

Sandeep Kumar (BM-011186) .......................................

Sanith S Nair (BM-011187) .......................................

Sanjay Agarwal (BM-011188) ......................................

Sarita Buriuly (BM-011189) .......................................

Seema Mahato (BM-011191) ......................................

Shalini Chaudhary (BM-011192) .......................................

Shalini Verma (BM-011193) ......................................

Shantanu K Rai (BM-011194) ......................................

Sharvan Kumar (BM-011195) ........................................

Shashank Shekhar (BM-011196) ........................................

Shashank V Singh (BM-011197) ........................................

Shekhar Suman (BM-011198) .............................................


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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Sandeep Kumar (BM-011186),Sanith S Nair (BM-

011187),Sanjay Agarwal (BM-011188),Sarita Buriuly (BM-011189),Seema

Mahato (BM-011191),Shalini Chaudhary(BM-011192),Shalini Verma(BM-

011193),Shantanu Rai (BM-011194),Sharvan Kumar (BM-011195),Shashank

Shekhar (BM-011196),Shashank V Singh (BM-011197), ShekharSuman(BM-

011198) students of PGDM (Full Time) 2011- 2013 batch, I.M.S. Ghaziabad ,

have done this Project under my supervision and guidance.

During this project they were found to be very sincere and attentive to small

details whatsoever were told to them.

I wish them good luck and success for their future.

Prof. Soumen Mukherjee

Faculty

MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION-III

IMS, Ghaziabad

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


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A single person alone can never be credited for performing any extraordinary

work successfully. It is only possible with the continuous and constant help and

guidance that they receive from others.

With due respect and regards we wish to express our deep sense of gratitude

Indebtness and sincere phrases of thanks to Prof. Soumen Mukherjee for his

invaluable mentoring and exuberant guidance.

We are highly obliged by the constant support that we have got from our faculty

during the course of the project. Starting from the initial stages to the end stages

we have received continuous feedback with regard to the progress of the

project.

Special thanks to the Shri. K.K. Sharma, Deputy General Manager of

Shriram Piston & Rings Ltd. who gave opportunity to learn and gain

experience as well as knowledge.

MEMBERS:

Sandeep Kumar (BM-011186) .......................................

Sanith S Nair (BM-011187) .......................................

Sanjay Agarwal (BM-011188) ......................................

Sarita Buriuly (BM-011189) .......................................

Seema Mahato (BM-011191) .......................................

Shalini Chaudhary (BM-011192) .......................................

Shalini Verma (BM-011193) ......................................

Shantanu K Rai (BM-011194) .......................................

Sharvan Kumar (BM-011195) ........................................

Shashank Shekhar (BM-011196) ........................................

Shashank V Singh (BM-011197) .........................................

Shekhar Suman (BM-011198) .............................................

TABLE OF CONTENTS


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S.no. Title Page no.

1 Declaration 22 Certificate 3

3 Acknowledgement 4

4 Introduction 6

5 Objective 9

6 Interpretation and findings 27

7 Conclusion 34

8 Bibliography 36

9 Photos 37

INTRODUCTION


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Email marketing

Email marketing is directly marketing a commercial message to a group of

people using electronic mail email. In its broadest sense, every email sent to a

potential or current customer could be considered email marketing. It usually

involves using email to send ads, request business, or solicit sales or donations,

and any email communication that is meant to build loyalty, trust or brand

awareness. Email marketing can be done to either cold lists or current customer

database. Broadly, the term is usually used to refer to:

Sending email messages with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a

merchant with its current or previous customers, to encourage customer loyaltyand repeat business,

Sending email messages with the purpose of acquiring new customers or

convincing current customers to purchase something immediately,

Adding advertisements to email messages sent by other companies to their

customers also acts as a way of enhancing the prospects of business

oppurtunities.

Types of Email Marketing

Email Newsletters

Email Newsletters are direct emails sent out on a regular basis to a list of

subscribers, customers. The primary purpose of an email newsletter is to build

upon the relationship of the company with their customers/subscribers.

Transactional Emails

Transactional emails are usually triggered based on a customers action with a

company. Triggered transactional messages include dropped basket messages,

purchase or order confirmation emails and email receipts.

Reasons for Choosing the topic of usage of Email in Business

Email marketing (on the Internet) is popular with companies for several

reasons:


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1) An exact return on investment can be tracked ("track to basket") and has

proven to be high when done properly. Email marketing is often reported as

second only to search marketing as the most effective online marketing tactic.

2) Advertisers can reach substantial numbers of email subscribers who haveopted in (i.e., consented) to receive email communications on subjects of

interest to them.

For Example , almost half of American Internet users check or send email on a

typical day, with email blasts that are delivered between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

outperforming those sent at other times in open and click rates.

3) Email is a standard tool used in businesses around the world for rapid

communication. Since email first emerged as a business tool, companies haveincreased productivity, decreased costs and found new marketing venues. From

collaborated group work to encouraging management messages, the advantages

of email in business can be seen in small and large organizations.

4) Email allows a business to reach customers in a more economical and

expedient manner. Businesses can answer customer questions quickly, which

increases customer loyalty. Marketing and advertisements can be sent to a select

customer base or a widespread group of potential clients. This speedy

dissemination of marketing materials increases sales and decreases the time

between the start of a marketing campaign and customer purchases.

5) Email allows for more teamwork in problem solving and business processes.

Representatives from various departments and functional areas can participate

in helping advance the business. Businesses can use emails sent to all team

members as an ongoing dialogue without having to meet in face-to-face

meetings. Targeted emails can be sent for review to functional areas such as

information technology for feasibility of ideas generated by other departments.

For this purpose we had to chose a company which actually uses E-mail

marketing as an effective tool of business prospects for the companies growth as

well as gaining new business markets. And luckily we had got the oppurtunity

with Shriram Pistons and Rings Limited (SPR) which is one of Indias largest

integrated manufacturers of Pistons, Piston Rings and Engine Valves. The

Company products are marketed under the brand names USHA and SPR,

names that have become synonymous with quality and reliability.


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SPR has technical collaborations with Kolbenschmidt (KS), Germany for

Pistons, Riken Corporation, Japan for Piston Rings and Fuji Oozx, Japan for

Engine Valves. The Company also has a technical collaboration with Honda

Foundry, Japan for manufacturing Pistons for all Honda Joint ventures in India.

SPR has been accredited with ISO/TS 16949:2002, QS 9000:1998 / ISO

9001:1994 Certificates by RWTUV of Germany, ISO-14001:2004 / OHSAS

18001:1999 by DNV Certification BV, Netherlands, TPM Excellence Award

from JIPM, Japan in 2004 and TPM Special Award from JIPM, Japan in 2008.

SPR is presently the largest exporter of Pistons and Rings in India. The

company regularly exports its products to more than 40 countries. In fact, SPR

Exports have grown by more than 300% in the last 5 years. Multinational Giants

like Cummins, General Motors, Ford, Renault, INVESCO, Honda, Suzuki and

Yamaha along with their Indian collaborators Tata, HM and Maruti prefer our

products for their vehicles and geneses.

After interaction with their Deputy General Manager, Shri K.K.Sharma , it was

an eye opener for all of us who had gone there. The reach and the widespread

usage of e-mail as a marketing tool have crossed all barriers and is an essential

tool which cannot be ignored in the 21st century. Eepecially for a country like

India , where population is large and the area of marketable area is wide, thecheap and effective way of communication like E-mail is indispensable for

many companies. Even for lower small scale companies as well as for

established companies , they act as a viable option for longer term which is

secure as well as effective in nature. The company, Shiram Group, infact relies

heavily on E-mail marketing as well as direct mail marketing as its customers

are widespread. They are basically into B2B business structure, that is business

to business where e-mail marketing is very essential as well as important for

their daily business as well correspondence with various departments of itscutomers as well as potential new business prospects.

We had conducted survey with company employees and taken their views

regarding the same. We had used SPSS software for analyzing the

interpretations of the survey conducted and had come to the conclusion . The

result or the findings infact was very beneficial for our project work and the

analysis that we had to made out of it , complemented the intention with which

we had approached the topic.


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OBJECTIVE

We have been assigned an industrial project by our mentor , Prof. Soumen

Mukherjee, faculty of managerial communication at IMS GHAZIABAD. This

is an analytical report where our topic was to assess the pros and cons of direct-

mail advertising or e-mail messages used by companies to boost their

company's sales as a first year students of Business Management, each from the

standpoint of the customer and the company.

We have chosen Shriram Pistons and Rings Limited (SPR) which is one of

Indias largest integrated manufacturers of Pistons, Piston Rings and Engine

Valves. The Company products are marketed under the brand names USHAand SPR, names that have become synonymous with quality and reliability.

The company regularly exports its products to more than 40 countries. In fact,

SPR Exports have grown by more than 300% in the last 5 years. Multinational

Giants like Cummins, General Motors, Ford, Renault, INVESCO, Honda,

Suzuki and Yamaha along with their Indian collaborators Tata, HM and Maruti

prefer our products for their vehicles and geneses.

We had interviewed their Deputy General Manager as well as the Marketing

manager and also conducted a survey regarding the use of direct mail-marketing

or e-mail messages .We had prepared a questionnaire and taken the views of

nearly 25 employees of the firm and got our conclusion based on that.

E-mail marketing is the future and is the main business tool for the company

that we have chosen as well as for all the business fraternity. Its reachness,

accessibilty , user friendliness and cheapness make it the best possible option

for all kinds of business and is the most effective medium of communication.


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SHRIRAM PISTONS AND RINGS LIMITED

Shriram Pistons and Rings ltd. (SPRL) is one of the largest and most sophisticated

manufacturing of precision Automobile components i.e. Pistons, Piston-Pins, Piston-Ringsand Engine valves in India. The products are sold under Brand name USHA/SPR in the

markets.

From a modest beginning in 1972 as a small factory in Ghaziabad (near Delhi) to a centre of

engineering excellence, with over 3,600 skilled employees and an annual turnover of Rupees

5.34 Billion (approximately US $ 133 Million), the history of SPRL is a story of grit and

determination. It is a story of marching ahead despite the odds, against all adversity. A story

of accepting and meeting challenges and A story of continuous improvements, year on year.

Today, SPRL is Indias largest integrated manufacturer of Pistons, Piston Rings, GudgeonedPins and Engine Valves. The Companys products are marketed under the brand names

USHA and SPR; names that have become synonymous with quality and reliability.

At SPRL, we are driven by a clear and consistent set of values. These have stood us in good

stead over the years. Total Customer Satisfaction through Quality Management has seen us

grow from strength to strength.

For the past several years, SPRL has been investing a substantial part of its retained earnings

in upgrading quality systems and modernizing plant and equipment so as to offer concurrent

technology products and technology to its customers. SPRL is committed to provide worldclass Pistons, Piston Rings, Dudgeon Pins and Engine Valves in terms of delivery, safety,

quality, cost, development and management.

SPRL Manufacturing unit is located at Meerut Road in Ghaziabad (25 km from Delhi). The

plant has been recognized as one of the most modern and sophisticated plants in North India

in the field of Automobile the Production capacity of plant is as under:

Piston : 13 million per year

Pin : 11 million per year

Rings : 60 million per year

Engine valves : 21 million per year

The company has technical collaboration with:

1. M/s. Kolbenschmidt, Germany to produce Pistons


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2. M/s. Riken corporation, Japan to produce Pistons Rings

3. M/s. fujiOozx, Japan for the manufacturing of Engine valves

4. M/s. Honda foundry, Japan for Technical support

This company is also an exclusive supplier of the three Honda Joint Ventures Such as:

M/s. Hero Honda, Kinetic Honda and Shriram Honda.

The company supplies its product to several Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEMs)

including Defence Vehicle Factories, Ashok Leyland, Tata cumin, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj

Autos. Honda cars, SundramClaylon, Honda Scooter, International Tractors, standardCombiner in addition to all the Honda Joint Ventures in India.

At Shriram Pistons and Rings ltd. Quality is an integral part of whatever we do, which is

reflected in the companys Quality policy:

Total Customer Satisfaction through Quality Management and Continuous Improvement


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FEATURES OF SHRIRAM PISTON & RINGS FACTORY:

Total area covered by the factory is 27 acres. The factory is divided into four units for Piston, Rings, Pin, Engine valves. Classification of the premises:

P.T.EProduction Technology and Engineering

C.A.A - Commercial Administration & Accounts

R & DResearch & Development

Total strength of the company is 4780 nos. consisting of Officers, Staff andWorkers. The Turnover/Sales for the year2009-2010 is Rs.774 Cr. The Company is exporting to more than 35 countries. Exports have risen up to Rs. 132 Cr. The year 2008-2009. Over 10% of the production is exported to sophisticated markets such as Europe,

UK, Egypt, USA, Iran, Latin America etc.

SPR has been investing 30% of its retained earnings in quality up gradation andmodernization every year.


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SPR received the ISO-9001 certificate from RWTUV, GERMANY in 1994.Technology from the collaborators was supplemented with in-house efforts and by

implementing world-class practices.

The company received QS-9000 certified from TUV, GERMANY in the year1999.

The company received ISO-14001 certificate in the year 2001. SPRL has received the BEST Vendor Awards from Maruti Suzuki for 4

consecutive times, Best supplier performance Awards from Tata Cummins Ltd.

For 3 consecutive years, and has self certified status with most of the OEMs.

Excellence in exports by Government of India. Excellence in production by ACMA. Excellence in quality by Honda Scooter and motors ltd, Honda Siel and ACMA. Gold Award for COST by Honda Siel. TPM initiative has started in SPR since year 2000. SPR received the TS-16469 certificate in the year 2003. The company received OHSAS-18001 certificate in the year 2003. Best Foundry Award from institute of Indian Foundry men in the year 2003. Green Rating award by CII, U.P. Pollution Board & World Bank in 2004. The company received TPM excellence Award in the year 2004. The company received TPM special Award in MARCH -2008.

WE EXPORT TO STAY AHEAD!

Exports are at the core and essence of SPR's business strategy. Development and manufacture

of latest technology products for OEMs in Europe, USA, etc. challenges the enterprise to

hone its manufacturing processes, technology and quality to global standards. This acts as a

catalyst to transform the entire organisation. Not surprisingly, SPR is the largest exporter of

Pistons and Rings from India to discerning customers, including Ford, Honda, Kia, New

Holland, Renault and WABCO and has the "Trading House" status from Government of

India. And are also amongst the best recognized brand names in the aftermarket abroad.

VISION

World Class Company, Preferred by World Class Customers Motivated, Dedicated and System Oriented Employees Safe and Healthy Work Place

MISSION

Sales & Profit Growth/Leadership Strong Relationship with Collaborators Preferred OE Supplier


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Employee Development Superior Returns to Stakeholders Care for Environment and Society

MILESTONES

1972

Year of Incorporation Sales Turnover - Rs. 3 Million Technical Collaboration with Kolbenschmidt, Germany

1978

Technical Collaboration with Riken Corporation, Japan1989

Technical Collaboration with Honda Foundry, Japan1993

Sales Turnover of Rs. 500 Million Technical Collaboration with Fuji Oozx, Japan

Commencement of Engine Valves manufacturing

1994

Received ISO 9001 Certificate from TUV, Germany1995

Start of manufacturing - Steel Rings1996

Sales Turnover of Rs. 1000 Million1999

Received QS 9000 Certificate from TUV, Germany2001

Received ISO 14001 Certificate from DNV, Netherland Achieved production of 2 Million Rings per month - Dec 2000 Sales Turnover of Rs. 2000 Million

2003


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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Shri Pradeep Dinodia - Chairman Shri Hari S. Bhatia Shri Horst Binnig Shri Shinji Kawano Shri O.P. Khaitan Shri Ravinder Narain

Shri C.Y. Pal Shri M. Sekimoto Shri Luv D. Shriram ShriInderdeep Singh Shri A.K. Taneja - Managing Director & CEO Shri R. Srinivasan- Joint Managing Director Smt. Meenakshi S. Das- Whole time Director Dr. Peter Neu- Alternate Director to Shri Horst Binnig Shri N. Okano - Alternate Director to Shri M. Sekimoto


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The Disadvantages of Email for Shriram piston and rings Ltd.

A report issued by the email services company Return Path, as of mid-2008 email

deliverability is still an issue for legitimate marketers. According to the report, legitimate

email servers averaged a delivery rate of 56%; twenty percent of the messages were rejected,

and eight percent were filtered.

Companies must ensure that their program does not violate spam laws such as the United

States' Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act (CAN-

SPAM), the European Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.

Email can be an effective way for businesses to communicate with its customers. Email is

quick, much cheaper than sending newsletters etc, according to Business Marketing Plan.

Email does have some disadvantages for Shriram piston and rings limited.

Security

Email can present some security problems for the businesses. Email addresses are also

easily forged, and unscrupulous users can mimic or hack a business email address.

Impersonal

Email is not the most personal way to make contact, especially when a business begins its

messages, "Dear Customer." Sending messages without using the recipient's name in the

salutation makes the recipient feel slighted, Passion Computer points out, as if the business is

too busy to bother personalizing its messages.

Confusion and Readability

Confusion is another problem with business emails. Recipients can misinterpret messages,

Passion Computers notes, especially when the sender uses pronouns that could apply to many

different subjects. Not all recipients have email programs that can read or open every

message, adds Business Marketing Plan. A heavily-illustrated newsletter, for instance, couldshow up with absolutely no photos or with garbled text.

Overload

Email overload is another problem S.P.R.L. face. With so many incoming messages,

recipients may be unable to give them more than a quick glance. Recipients may also become

annoyed at a business' constant emailing.


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Others

Businesses face a few other problems with email. While it may be great for marketing or

quick responses, it can be tedious and time-consuming. Emails messages can also become

ensnared in spam filters and never reach the recipient.

Opt-in email advertising

Opt-in email advertising, or permission marketing, is a method of advertising via email

whereby the recipient of the advertisement has consented to receive it. This method is one of

several developed by marketers to eliminate the disadvantages of email marketing.

Opt-in email marketing uses a handshake protocol between the sender and receiver. This

system eventually results in a high degree of satisfaction between consumers and marketers.

It is assumed that the consumer wants to receive it, which makes it unlike unsolicited

advertisements sent to the consumer.

A common example of permission marketing is a newsletter sent to an advertising firm's

customers. Such newsletters inform customers of upcoming events or promotions, or new

products.

With this opted-in contact information stored in their database, marketers can send out

promotional materials automaticallyknown as Drip Marketing. They can also segment their

promotions to specific market segments.

Legal requirements for Shriram piston and rings Ltd.

In 2002 the European Union introduced the Directive on Privacy and Electronic

Communications. Article 13 of the Directive prohibits the use of email addresses for

marketing purposes. The Directive establishes the opt-in regime, where unsolicited emailsmay be sent only with prior agreement of the recipient.

The directive has since been incorporated into the laws of member states. In the UK it is

covered under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003

and applies to all organisations that send out marketing by some form of electronic

communication.

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 authorizes a US $16,000 penalty per violation for spamming

each individual recipient. Therefore, many commercial email marketers within the United

States utilize a service or special software to ensure compliance with the Act. A variety ofolder systems exist that do not ensure compliance with the Act.


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In addition to satisfying legal requirements, email service providers (ESPs) began to help

customers establish and manage their own email marketing campaigns. Some ESPs will

provide assistance with deliverability issues for major email providers. They also provide

statistics pertaining to the number of messages received and opened, and whether the

recipients clicked on any links within the messages.

Why Is Email Important for Shriram piston and rings Ltd.?

Though social networking has surpassed email as a preferred means of communication

according to Morgan Stanley, email remains beneficial for business. Email usage has

remained stable throughout the early 21st century. It's also due to the fact that email remains

one of the most efficient means of business communication.

Convenience

To send an email, you simply enter the recipient's email address in the "To:" field, fill the

"Subject:" line, enter a message body, and click "Send." Your business associate or client

receives your email immediately whether he's at his office desktop, his laptop or his web-

enabled cell phone. It is quicker than postal mail and faxing, it eliminates the formality of a

phone call. The other can reply to you at his convenience.

Universality

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are more popular than email, but

many of your business contacts still use email as a primary means of communication. In fact,

it's safe to assume someone has an email address since you must have one to open an account

on a social networking site. More people use the Internet to shop, entertain themselves, bank,

pay bills and make phone calls than ever before and since these services require email

accounts, your business should follow suit.

Mass Communication

Email still has one major advantage over popular social networking sites: you can send a

message to a group of people without disclosing their identities to one another. Also, because

social networking sites require you to search for your business contacts by their email

addresses, emailing them directly saves time.

Why Shriram piston and rings Ltd. Use Email?Electronic mail (email) has become a vital part of our society. Individuals use email toquickly communicate regarding personal matters. Companies use email to communicate withcustomers and business partners.


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Sales

Spamming is strictly prohibited. Businesses email current customers to advise them of newservice offerings that can make the company easier to do business with.

Marketing

Business products and services are marketed via email. The email is used to explain thebenefits and features of the company's offerings.

PartnershipsBusinesses create partnerships when products are complementary. Often, one business willlet customers know of other businesses that can help make their everyday lives easier.

Publications

Companies also use emails to drive visitors to their website.

What Are the Benefits of Email in Shriram piston and rings Ltd.?

Email has revolutionized the way companies do business. Email helps businesses conveyinformation faster and easier than before, emails reduce costs, and they keep track of pastconversations.

Email Disperses Information Quickly

Email disperses information immediately with a push of a button. Companies must no longer

wait days for a response from customers or other businesses. It allows immediate responsesbetween parties.

Information is also dispersed all hours of the day. Though companies might close their

offices at 5 p.m., email allows groups to exchange data at any hour.

Email Can Reach Large Audiences

Large companies can send email to many groups at once. Instead of passing information

down the organizational chart with printed documents, company officials can reach all

employees in a single email. The trait of sending information to all employees is especiallybeneficial if breaking news needs to be delivered quickly.

Ex: When the U.S. Airways plane crashed on the Hudson in January 2009, the CEO of the

company immediately responded to the incident by sending an email to its thousands of

employees.

Email Cuts Costs

Physical documents are costly: paper, envelopes, ink and folders are expensive components

of physical documents and sending documents using the postal service is also costly.

Businesses circumvent shipping costs by attaching files electronically in emails. Costs are


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also cut by heightened efficiency. Physical documents lost, shredded or destroyed are easily

replaced in email form by simply resending the file.

Email Documents Business Agreements

Emails are used as contracts. According to an article from allbusiness.com, former president

Bill Clinton signed an Electronic Signatures for the Global and National Commerce Act. As a

result of this act, emails can send electronic copies of legal documents that are legally

binding. Businesses are authorized to sign and negotiate contracts. Meeting in person for

many business negotiations is no longer necessary because of email.

Emails help businesses keep track of conversations, as the "Reply" button often keeps arecord of what was conveyed in prior emails. Employers can use emails as proof of any

wrongdoings; employees should be careful when communicating via email, as all emails are

considered company property.

Problems with Email for Business

Email is one of the primary forms of communication in business. It allows people to

communicate with others, and it also provides a means of sending documents to clients and

colleagues. Because email is a written medium, records of conversations can be kept, which

might be useful in the case of a dispute. However, there are a number of disadvantages of

email in business.

Email Phishing Examples

Email phishing is a trick that attempts to fool the reader of the email into believing that it is

from a legitimate business and gain the reader's personal information. The email tells you of a

problem with your account and requests that you go to Web page and enter your account

number, Social Security number or other personal information.

E-Bay Phishing Email

The online auction site, eBay, is the target of several phishing scams. The emails request that

the account holder either go to a Web page to enter information to verify their account or

enter the information into a form in the email itself. The email and Web page will have the

eBay logo and look as if they are from eBay. If you enter your personal account information

into the form, the thieves will access your account and your personal information. eBay asks

that you report any email that you feel may be fake to them.


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DIRECT MAIL ADVERTISING

The term "direct mail" is used to refer to communications sent to potential customers or

donors via the postal service and other delivery services. Direct mail is sent to customers

based on criteria such as age, income, location, profession, buying pattern, etc.

Direct mail includes advertising circulars, catalogs, free-trial CDs, pre-approved credit cardapplications, and other unsolicited merchandising invitations delivered by mail to homes andbusinesses. Bulk mailings are a particularly popular method of promotion for businessesoperating in the financial services, home computer, and travel and tourism industries.

Advertisers often refine direct mail practices into targeted mailing, in which mail is sent outfollowing database analysis to select recipients considered most likely to respond positively.For example, a person who has demonstrated an interest in golf may receive direct mail forgolf-related products or perhaps for goods and services that are appropriate for golfers. This

use of database analysis is a type of database marketing.

The Benefits of Direct Mail for Shriram piston and rings Ltd.

Email marketing is direct marketing at its most impactful. Your message lands right in the

inbox of your recipient, your message can be personalized, and even targeted to individual

recipients.

Email marketing can be timed to the day, the hour and even minute, in order to reach

consumers just when they are likely to make a buying decision. Email marketing can also be

tracked in detail, even to the amount of people who open and read your email, or whoforward it to a friend.

Email marketing is more environmentally friendly.

Direct mail are a tangible and physical representative of your brand, which can be held in the

recipients hands.

Direct mail is well established and proven as a marketing tool. Consumers and

businesses are used to receiving marketing messages in the post, and are receptive to the

message they convey.

Direct mail can also be used to increase your online sales from your website

increasing numbers of mail order companies are finding that their catalogues are becoming

increasingly effective at driving consumers online to order, instead of by mail or phone.

Quality direct mail data is generally more affordable and more widespread, and does

not come with fixed broadcast costs and fewer issues over the opt in procedure. The direct

mail industry is also far more mature with a wider range of suppliers available.

Direct mail does not have to fight its way through complex spam and junk mail filters

used in many email programs.


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I sell stress relieving and health giving brainwave products, but seem to hit a brick

wall with advertising. Its really not paying off for me. Can you recommend any ways I

can do better?

Kath Browning, via email

For small businesses, I dont think advertising is necessarily the best form of

marketing/promoting your products. Sure, you might well receive some response if yourmessage is compelling enough and the desired target audience is reading the publicationin which you advertise. Also, your product base is a niche one; one that is potentiallydifficult to explain and get across the benefits in the space of a typical advert.

In any event, Id suggest using direct mail (sales letters, postcards, etc). It has a number

of distinct advantages over advertising:

1. You can target recipients much more precisely.2. Costs are a lot more modest than advertising. The great thing with direct mail is

that it allows for you to create a campaign to fit either large or small budgets.3. You can see a response from direct mail very quickly. With a modest campaign to

a known and targeted audience, you can acquire a mailing list, develop acompelling mailing (including a sales letter, flyer, reply card device, etc), launchthat mailing and start to receive results in just a few weeks, if not months. This isfaster than a typical advertising campaign (whereby you normally have to repeatadverts to get any result)and a lot faster than waiting for the phone to ring.

4. You can test different appeals (called offers in the trade) to determine which isthe better message to run with for other campaigns. By making a different offer torandomly different portions of your mailing list, you can see which offer pullsbest. As you try these different offers and different letters, you should find thatone will do better than another. Use the better one, and then try to beat that in yournext mailing. Eventually, you should get better and better response rates.

5. You can mail to the same list again with a slightly different mailing slant and stillgarner worthwhile results. Most direct-mail experts say that companies dont getenough mileage out of their materials. Use them until they no longer produce anyworthwhile results.

6. You can never run out of prospects. Use your imagination to find new nichedirect-mail markets for your products, whether retail or business-to-business.

Your list broker or direct-mail consultant should be able to suggest possible targetmarkets that are worth trying.

Email Vs direct mail: Which really is the better one for

S.P.R.L.?

We all know that email has changed the way we communicate, this is particularly true in theways we now target new customers. Email allows for highly target messages, that can tested


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quickly, inexpensively and effectively to be sent direct to a leads inbox. Recipients can

respond directly within the same medium. Direct mail takes time to produce, can be

expensive and the recipient has to respond to the offer using a different medium, such as

picking up the phone or going online to a web address.

The real test in which is the most effective method has to be the cost of acquiring a new

customer. Email may seem like the best option in theory, but if it fails to generate leads then

it becomes a fruitless campaign.

Blue Ink Solutions carried out research into the most effective medium. Company ABC

designed identical offers, one for a direct mail campaign and the other for email. They sent

90,000 direct mail pieces and 93,000 email messages. On every metric email outperformed

direct mail:

The total cost of the direct mail programme was 153,000. Total cost of the email

programme was 35,000a quarter of the cost.

Initial response for direct mail was 1.25%. Initial response for email was 3.72%. This

translates to cost per response of 80 for direct mail versus 10.31 for email.

Direct mail received 1913 total responses of which 2% converted to leads. In other words

company ABC received 38 total leads from direct mail. Email had 3476 click though of

which 23% converted to leads, delivering a total of 800 leads.

Probably the most impressive result: cost per lead for direct mail was 4026 versus 80 for

email.

The research highlighted the bottom line benefits of using email. However this is not to

suggest that direct mail should be abandoned, it has proved to be a very effective medium for

driving recipients online in certain industries. The US Postal Service carried out a study into

the response rate of direct mail within the financial sector and found that it was the number

one driver of traffic to online credit card applications. The study highlighted that to the right

audience mail received through the traditional letter box can have a direct impact on

consumers resulting online behaviour.

Email has the benefit of being a cost effective method that even the smallest budget can

afford, with online hosting solutions allowing you to send basic mass e-mailings for as little

as 10 per 2000. However as with all marketing messages the key to a successful campaign

has to lie in sending the right message, tailored to illicit the required response, using the tools

most appropriate to the target audience.

Every business ultimately wants more customers or they wouldnt be in business for very

long. So in the case ofdirect mail vs. email marketing, which one is best for capturing your

customers attention and driving them to you.

Although both methods have merit it is important for you to decide which is most likely totarget your perfect customer. To do this you will need to consider their age bracket,


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geographic location, income level and their needs. Determining the type of customer you

want to reach will help you decide which method may be the best.

Regardless of whether you use direct mail vs email marketing, when formulating a strategy

there are four things to consider:1. What is your offer2. How relevant is that offer to the audience you want to target3. Timing4. What action are you asking your audience to performAddressing these key points will be fundamental in helping you decide if email marketing or

direct mail marketing is the right approach for your campaign. Now lets look at what else you

should consider.

Direct Mail Marketing

Direct mail marketing tends to be a costly and time consuming, with current estimates

ranging from $1 to $6 per person depending on the size of the item being sent. Designing,

printing and mailing the campaign can take a number of weeks and the response rate is low at

around 2%. A print campaign like this may be considered environmentally unfriendly in this

day and age, with consumers regarding it as junk mail. However direct mail is great for

sending promotional items and delivering them right into the hands of your customers.

Email Marketing

An Email marketing campaign costs substantially less than a direct mail one, typically around

$20-$50 per month to send to 1,000 customers. It is a strategy that is not only fast to execute

but it is deliver instantly to a large group of targeted customers. Response rates from email

range around 40-60% and it is easy to track the open and response rates giving you the ability

to analyze how successful or unsuccessful your campaign has been. Lets say you are sending

out emails 1,000 at a time, then analyzing the response rates of the first 1,000 sent will give

you time to make improvements before sending the subsequent campaigns, testing this waycan lead to even better response rates.

Email marketing can be fast to generate leads and sales as your customer is already using

their computer or Smartphone when they receive your email. They are able to take immediate

action clicking on the links to your website or product and producing instant results. However

emails are also one of the chosen forms of communication by spammers which has led to an

increase in the efficiency of spam filters. It is often hard to guarantee that your campaign will

make it through the filter and into your customers Inbox.


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Which method wins in the direct mail vs. email marketing battle? Whilst there isnt any

doubt that email marketing is by far cheaper and faster, many businesses would benefit from

a blended marketing approach, combining both strategies. Direct mail marketing isnt as

popular as it once was, however customers are getting more and more frustrated with therising levels of spam email, so it may yet see a reprieve. Finding a balance and utilizing a mix

between the two methods is a solid strategy that many successful businesses implement


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INTERPRETATIONS AND FINDINGS

The sample was taken from the individuals who are serving in the organization

Shriram piston and rings limited.70% of the respondents said yes and 30% said

no. It was found that most of the respondents who said yes were working in the

organisation at a level of middle management and above and were either

involved in marketing or strategic planning.


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In Shriram piston and rings limited, we found that 55% said yes and 45% said

no which means that respondents were positive in the urban segment of the

population where computers and internet are easily available and respondents

who said no were reluctant to use this method in the rural segment of

population.


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In Shriram piston and rings limited around 60% favoured email marketing and

40% favoured direct marketing. The reason for this is that the respondents

favouring email marketing believe that this method is easy simple and fast.

While the respondent favouring direct marketing said that in this method onlyone can feel the product which is not available in email marketing.


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In Shriram piston and rings limited, we found that around 60% of the

respondent who use internet on a daily basis were satisfied by using email

marketing but around 40% of the respondent who dont have much knowledge

about of email marketing were not must sure and were unsatisfied by emailmarketing.

Q5. How many people are targeted through Shrirams piston and rings

limited email marketing plan?

Form the above sample question we found that around 65% - 75% were targeted

by SHRIRAM PISTONS AND RINGS LIMITED because email marketing is

cheap, convenient and can be easily used to target the desired segment of

population.

Q6. On what pace does your number of targeted population increase in the

case of email marketing?

From the above sample question we found that around 20% - 30% of the target

population increased after implementation of email marketing in Shriram piston

and rings limited. They think that as more and more awareness of the

importance of internet is increased among the population in future, it can

increase their target population more effectively and efficiently.


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From this sample question we found that around 75% of the employees and

customers, who think positively towards the method of email marketing said yes

that email marketing is going to be the next big thing and 25% of them said no.


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Form this sample question we found that around 35% of the employees and

customers said that undelivered mail are the major disadvantage of email

marketing because It may be difficult to get email through a spam filter as many

companies use e-mail marketing to communicate with existing customers, but

many other companies send unsolicited bulk e-mail. While 20%, 15%, 18% and

12% thinks that major disadvantage of email marketing is email overload,

render ability, response decay and communication preference respectively.


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From this sample question we found that around 40% of the respondents said

that main advantage of email marketing is that it is low cost becauseaccumulating email addresses and maintaining a mailing list is relatively

inexpensive, as well as sending out a newsletter. The cost of sending thousands

of pieces of direct mail would be much more expensive to reach the same

number of customers. Whereas 35% said email marketing is fast because Email

is near instant and so provides the benefit of deploying a marketing campaign

faster than traditional media. The 'quickness' of the internet also encourages

immediate responses from potential customers while 8%, 7% and 10% of

respondent were in favour of email marketing because it is green ( no paper),

easy personalisation and integrated respectively.


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CONCLUSION

It was found during the survey that most of the population that is the employees

of Shriram Pistons and Rings Ltd. ,specially who are young and computer

literate favoured email marketing and on the contrary the respondent who are

having less knowledge about email and internet are not much in favour of email

marketing and they prefer traditional marketing as the best one. But around 75

% of the population still liked E-mail as the best way of marketing and preferred

it over the Direct mail marketing. Its basically due to low cost involved with it

as well as the fast and effective reach of the medium that makes it the best way

for marketing.

S.P.R.L. as a company are having business dealing with many of the top

companies like Tata, HULetc in India as well as are the exporters of rings and

pistons to companies like Cummins in Germany, General Motors, Ford,

Renault, INVESCO, Honda, Suzuki ,Yamaha etc.. The best way of daily

correspondence as well announcing and making the customers aware of their

products is through E-mail only. It is fast, cheaper and simple. In email

marketing the buyer can have access to the products all over the world in a

convenient way. Email marketing combined with other direct media more of achance to reinforce the marketing campaign message with an audience.

Also company is using direct mail simultaneuosly with their e-mail campaign .

Both are nedeed simultaneously for better way of marketing as well as

increasing the visibilty of the company among the potential customers as well as

with the existing customers. The survey conducted clearly supported the claim .

Around 60% of the population supported the e-mail and rest 40% supported the

direct mailing strategy also.That means both are used effectively by the

company for its marketing strategy and are integral to the companies short term

as well as long term policy.

As we had interaction with the Deputy General Manager of the company , who

was actually heading the manufacturing unit of the firm located in Ghaziabad

area, we came to know that their marketing wing located in New Delhi infact

uses the E-mail as well the Direct mail together for their all kind of business

transcations, correspondence as well as for their marketing strategies. They

considered it pivotal to the companies overall growth and believed that it is thetechnology of the future. As we are entering the 22nd century, the use of


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networking through internet , the use of e-mail as well the new medium of

Social networking are being extensively uesd by the company . Not only

S.P.R.L., but almost all the companies are utlizing the same.

Thus E-mail marketing is the most effective way of correspondence for thecompany and is here to stay. They are very much essential and are better than

the direct mailing strategy being used.


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.shrirampistons.com linkedin.com www.gemscab.com www.advertisersjournal.com Wikipedia www.businessmarketingplan.net www.selfseo.com Business today Business outlook India Business Journals
http://www.shrirampistons.com/http://www.shrirampistons.com/http://www.advertisersjournal.com/http://www.advertisersjournal.com/http://www.businessmarketingplan.net/http://www.businessmarketingplan.net/http://www.selfseo.com/http://www.selfseo.com/http://www.selfseo.com/http://www.businessmarketingplan.net/http://www.advertisersjournal.com/http://www.shrirampistons.com/


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COMPANY VISIT

Four of our group members visited the industry, had an interaction with Deputy General

Manager to study the usage of E-mail and Direct mail marketing strategy of the comapnayand to analyse their strategy. Also we conducted a survey where we had gave questionnaire to

about 30 employees of the firm to analyze our topic of contention.

We learnt a lot through this visit to Shriram Piston & Rings ltd.

The outer look of the company...


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This is Sharvan Kumar, one of the member of our group.

This is Shalini Chaudhary, who was the team co-coordinator of our group.


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This is Shekhar Suman, one of the group member of our team.

This is Sanith Surendran Nair who is CTC as well one of the group member of our team.


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Outer look of the company where guard is available for any assistance.

The whole team who visited the shriram piston & ring ltd.