Marketing Strategy - Project Report On LR Auto
Marketing Strategy - Project Report On LR Auto
Marketing Strategy - Project Report On LR Auto
ON
SUBMITTED BY:
VINITA AGRAWAL
Batch
BBM – 2012-15
This is to certify that I have completed the Project titled “Analysis of Marketing Strategies
partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of Bachelor of Business
Signature of Guide
Signature of candidate
Date:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The satisfaction and joy that accompanies the successful completion of a task is incomplete
without mentioning the name of the person who extended his help and support in making it a
success.
I am indebted to my Company Guide and Faculty Guide for devoting their valuable time and
efforts towards my project. I thank them for being a constant source of knowledge,
inspiration and help during this period of making project. I regret any inadvertent omissions.
CERTIFICATE OF THE COMPANY
SYNOPSIS
Today‟s society is warm with urbanization and demonstration effect. With a view
towards it, there are drastic changes coming up in all sectors even in the automobile
industries. The following information gives an insight about it. In the present context the
companies operate on the principle of natural selection – “Survival Of The Fittest”. Only
those companies will succeed which at best match to the current environmental imperatives –
those who can deliver what people are ready to buy. But real marketing does not involve the
art of selling what the manufacturers make. Organizations gain market leadership by
understanding consumer needs and finding solutions that delight consumers. If customer
compensated. Hence the aim of marketing is to build and manage profitable customer
relationship. This is a part of the strategic marketing done by every company to achieve its
objectives and goals. To maximize the profits and long term plans every organization has to
automobile sector in order to derive different ways of enhancing the market share of the cars
PROBLEM: To search about the causes of fall in sales of cars recently and find out
SCOPE OF THE STUDY: It covers a wide area under research such as consumer
perception towards a particular car brand, reasons behind declining trend in automobile
sectors, impact of various marketing strategies adopted and future needs and goals of the
organization.
ABSTRACT: The rationale behind the selection of the topic is based on the growing
impact of marketing strategies in the modern era which help the dealers in generating high
leads for the company products. The study places its focus on getting an insight about the
challenges faced by the dealers in the downtrend scenario of the automotive sector by
carefully checking the loopholes in various activities of the organization. The objective is to
determine possible solutions in order to revive the lost interest among the customers and
The project was implemented at various steps according to the methodologies stated above.
The flow of authority and responsibility among the employees, distribution of work,
implementation of various plans and corresponding work culture in the organization were
among different crucial things observed during the course of the study. It was found that the
organization needs to integrate different activities that take place in the work area for
generating leads and revenue. If any of these activities are expelled by mistake then the
company may be in crisis. Small commissions and margins in various services help in
In short, we can come to the conclusion that the dealership companies are by far and large
adopting significant means of marketing the product. They are under the influence of the
macro elements that play a pivotal role in affecting the growth story of the organization.
These elements comprise of the inflation trend in the Indian economy, the international
disputes, customer‟s changing preferences and growing competitors. Hence, even after
adopting a flexible approach in the working style, the company faces numerous difficulties
for maintain a consolidated customer base for a smooth flow of revenue in the organization.
METHODOLOGY ADOPTED: Personal interaction with the employees, filling of
questionnaires, gathering information through internet surfing, observing the activities, etc.
CONTRIBUTION: The research would help the company in refurbishing the loopholes
present in its marketing strategies as well as entire operations through strict surveillance and
understand the tactics to deal with the challenges posed by the competitors for making the
CONTENTS
a philosophy that guides the entire organization towards sensing, serving and satisfying
consumer needs. The marketing department cannot accomplish the company‟s customer
relationship-building goals by itself. It must partner closely with other departments in the
company and with other organization throughout its entire value – delivery network to
Thus marketing calls upon everyone in the organization to “think customer” and to do all
they can to help build and manage profitable customer relationship. Marketing is all around
us, and we need to know that it is not only used by manufacturing companies, wholesaler and
retailers, but also by all kinds of individuals and organizations. There are four major,
powerful themes that go to the heart of modern marketing theory and practice, they are:
“Marketing is a social and managerial process whereby individual and groups obtain what
they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others”.
“Marketing management is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing,
promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy
Marketing is an orderly and insightful process for thinking about and planning
for markets. The process starts with researching the market place to understand its dynamics.
The marketer uses research methodologies to identify opportunities, that is, to find
individuals and groups of people with unmet needs or latent interest in some products
or service.
5. Financial Analysis
Before taking any decision and achieving the goals, it has to make analysis of What to do,
how to do, when to do, where to do and who is to do it. This is nothing but strategic
planning. Goals indicate what a business unit wants to achieve whereas strategy is how to get
there. Marketing strategies in simple terms are the complete and unbeatable plans designed
specifically for attaining the marketing objectives of the firm. Marketing can be called as a
game plan for achieving its goals. Strategy choice will depend on whether the firm or the
Market leader
A challenger
A follower
A nicher
backdrop to strategy formulation. Goals have a quality and time frame attached to them.
These are typically spelt out in terms of financial return, market share, market presence, etc.
Thus, the concept of market oriented strategic planning arises with the link between the
products the link between the products the manufacturer is dealing in and the market
conditions. In this direction, our study deals only with the marketing strategies
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
To know the influence of various marketing strategies, promotional activities, over the
SECONDARY OBJECTIVES
To know whether the customers are satisfied with the offers given by the dealer
To study and analyze the customer's perception regarding the usefulness/utility of cars
To study and analyze the distributors perception regarding the promotional and
equipment for basic industries like steel, non-ferrous metals, fertilizers, refineries,
petrochemicals, shipping, textiles, plastics, glass, rubber, capital equipments, logistics, paper,
cement, sugar, etc. It facilitates the improvement in various infrastructure facilities like
power, rail and road transport. Due to its deep forward and backward linkages with almost
every segment of the economy, the industry has a strong and positive multiplier effect and
thus propels progress of a nation. The automotive industry comprises of the automobile and
the auto component sectors. It includes passenger cars; light, medium and heavy commercial
vehicles; multi-utility vehicles such as jeeps, scooters, motor-cycles, three wheelers, tractors,
etc; and auto components like engine parts, drive and transmission parts, suspension and
The Role of Automobile Industry in India GDP has been phenomenon. The Automobile
Industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in India. Probably automobile industries
occupy a large market share in the worlds market as well as in the Indian market. Nearly
18% of the total national income is being incurred from the automobile industry. From
this we can estimate the importance of an automobile industry in the improvement of GDP
of a country. In India automobile industry has a growth rate is at the average of 10-12%.
India has become one of the international players in the automobile market. It is expected
that the Automobile Industry in India would be the 7th largest automobile market within
It is a fascinating drive through history, which begins as a story of isolation and missed
opportunities to one of huge potential and phenomenal growth. India‟s fixation with
socialism and planned economies had a crippling impact on the automotive industry in its
formative years. The goal at that time for independent India was self-sufficiency. Issues like
quality and efficiency were simply not considered. Dependence of foreign technology was
banned and manufacturers were forced to localize their products; import substitution became
the order of the day. Though we learnt to localize, the cars we made were all outdated designs
with little or not improvements for decades. The automotive industry stagnated under the
government‟s stifling restrictions and the Indian car buyer was saddled with cars of appalling
quality and even then there was a waiting list that at one point stretched to eight years! This
attempt at self-reliance failed miserably because of the industry‟s isolation from the best
technology. The Japanese and later Korean auto industries were also highly protected in their
formative years but they never shut the door on technology. Instead, they relentlessly tapped
the best talent pools in the world to absorb the know-how to produce good cars. One of the
most important chapters in the Indian automotive industry‟s history was written by Maruti. It
marked the Indian government getting into the far business in the early1980‟s, a radical shift
in thinking after decades of treating cars with disdain. The Maruti 800 went on to become the
staple car of India and put a nation on wheels. This little car set a benchmark for price, size
and quality and structured India as small car market. It wasn‟t till 1993 that things really
started to change for the Indian car buyer. With the liberalization of the economy, a host of
international carmakers rushed in. But most of them were in for a shock as Indian customers
rejected their product. Indian customers refused to allow the glitter of prestigious brands
blind them to the outdated and overpriced products they were offered. The Indian consumer
wanted super value, and rewarded the brands that delivered it, handsomely. Hyundai and
Maruti delivered, and profited. The period also saw the emergence of the Indian players
like Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. They rose to the challenge of the MNC‟s and
responded brilliantly with the Indica and the Scorpio. This was ironically due to the license
raj that forced Indian carmakers to be innovative and develop products frugally. India‟s frugal
engineering skill has now caught the world‟s imagination, and an increasing number of
800. It is the Alto. People‟s aspirations are rising and so are their mistakes, have got their
finger on the pulse of the market. Get the right product and the rewards are handsome. The
Indian auto industry is today bubbling with promise and confidence. It‟s been a long journey
but to see where the Indian car industry is going. We have to see where it has been.
The first motorcar on the streets of India was seen in 1898, Bombay had it first taxicabs
public taxiservice with afleet of 50 cars. For about 50 years after car arrived in India, cars wer
e directly imported. Before World War I, around 40,000 motor vehicles were
imported. During the years between the wars, a small start for an automobile industry was
made when assembly plant were established in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. The
1930. It was during the end of the war that the importance of establishing an indigenous
automobile in India was realized. Premier Motors, Hindustan Motors and Mahindra &
Mahindra set up factories in the 1940s for progressive manufacture rather than assembly
from imported components. The cars they chose to make were the latest in the world when
POST- INDEPENDENCE:
The government clamped down on imports and foreign investments. Companies like GM and
Fiat packed their bags and left. India‟s clock, thereafter, stood still while the world raced on
ahead. It would take nearly 50 years before the Indian auto industry could catch up with the
Seth Walchand Hirachand has first started the trails to establish an Indian car manufacturing
plant in Indian for which he went to U.S.A. where three largest car manufacturing companies
General Motors, they insisted on part ownership. Seth Walchand then moved to second largest
automaker Fiat; Henry agreed, but delegated the project to Fiat of Canada, which refused.
Finally the third largest automaker Chrysler agreed and signed in an agreement in Bombay in
1940.
SCENARIO OF INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
In India, automotive is one of the largest industries showing impressive growth over the years
and has been significantly making increasing contribution to overall industrial development
in the country. Presently, India is the world's second largest manufacturer of two wheelers,
It is the fourth largest passenger car market in Asia as well as a home to the largest motor
cycle manufacturer. The installed capacity of the automobile sector has been 9,540,000
vehicles, comprising 1,590,000 four wheelers (including passenger cars) and 7,950,000 two
and three wheelers. The sector has shown great advances in terms of development, spread,
absorption of newer technologies and flexibility in the wake of changing business scenario.
The Indian automotive industry has made rapid strides since de-licensing and opening up of
the sector in 1991. It has witnessed the entry of several new manufacturers with the state-of-
art technology, thus replacing the monopoly of few manufacturers. At present, there are 15
manufacturers of passenger cars and multi-utility vehicles, 9 manufacturers of commercial
vehicles, 16 of two/ three wheelers and 14 of tractor, besides 5 manufacturers of engines. The
norms for foreign investment and import of technology have also been liberalized over the
years for manufacture of vehicles. At present, 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) is
permissible under the automatic route in this sector, including passenger car segment. The
duration limit and lump sum payment of USD 2 million is also allowed under automatic route
in this sector. The Indian automotive industry has already attained a turnover of Rs. 1,65,000
crore (34 billion USD) and has provided direct and indirect employment to 1.31 crore people
in the country.
The growth of Indian middle class with increasing purchasing power, along with strong
macro-economic fundamentals has attracted the major auto manufacturers to Indian market.
The market linked exchange rate, well established financial market, stable policy governance
work and availability of trained manpower have also shifted new capacities and flow of
capital to the auto industry of India. All these have not only enhanced competition in auto
companies and resulted in multiple choices for Indian consumers at competitive costs, but
have also ensured a remarkable improvement in the industry's productivity, which is one of
The Department of Heavy Industry, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises, is the main agency in India for promoting the growth and development of the
automotive industry. The department assists the industry in achievement of its expansion
plans through policy initiatives, suitable interventions for restructuring of tariffs and trade,
development. The department is also concerned with the development of the heavy
engineering industry, machine tools industry, heavy electrical industry, industrial machinery,
etc.
The automobile sector recorded growth of 13.56% in 2006-07. During the year 2007-08
(April-December), the industry decelerated at 3.49%. The automobile exports crossed the
US$ 1 billion mark in 2003-04 and increased to US$ 2.76 billion in 2006-07. The industry
exported 15% of its passenger car production in 2006-07, 10% of commercial vehicles
production, 26% three wheelers and 7% two wheelers. Similarly, during the year 2006-07,
the auto component industry continued its high growth path and emerged as one of the fastest
growing sector in Indian engineering industry by clocking 21% growth in output during the
year. This industry crossed a total turnover of over US $ 15 billion (Rs. 64,500 crore), with
exports of US $ 2.9 billion (Rs. 12,643 crore) during the year. Investment in the industry also
grew by over Rs. 4500 crore during the year as the industry continued to invest in capacity
enhancements and new greenfield sites to cope with the increasing demand. The auto
component industry‟s export growth was 15% in 2006-07. While, the total imports was US $
3.3 billion (Rs. 14,644 crore). On the quality and productivity front, auto component industry
maintained its leadership with more than 95% companies being certified as per the ISO 9000
system standards and more than 70% of the companies are certified as per the ISO/TS 16949
standards. It has also the distinction of having the maximum number of 11 Deming award
winning companies.
In order to further accelerate and sustain advancements in the auto sector, the department has
undertaken several policy measures and incentives. The most important being the
announcement of the 'Auto Policy' of 2002, which aims to establish a globally competitive
automotive industry in India and double its contribution to the economy by 2010. The policy
seeks to set out the direction of growth for the sector and promote R&D therein so as to
ensure continuous technology up-gradation as well as building up of better designing
appropriate auto fuels in order to take auto manufacturing to a self-sustaining level. Broadly,
Exalt the sector as a lever of industrial growth and employment and to achieve a high
Establish an international hub for manufacturing small, affiatable passenger cars and a
Ensure a balanced transition to open trade at a minimal risk to the Indian economy
standards.
A FORGETTABLE YEAR
It is said that one cannot predict the future by looking into the past. This adage holds
true for the automotive sector in India. According to data available with the Society of
38,521 units in October 2011 compared to the 1, 81,704 units sold in the same month
last year (October 2010). Even the festive cheer did nothing to help the cause this
season. The year 2011 has been gloomy for the industry as it has shown the steepest
The carmakers have cited increased fuel prices and bank interest rates as the key
reasons for the collapse. Fuel prices have been revised more than 11 times in the past
one year and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased lending rates by 13 times
since March 2010 to cool inflation. This has made the shoppers think twice before
buying a car. Moreover, a car is the second biggest investment for many households,
with the first being purchasing a home, and people are not taking car loans as they
Despite the dismal performance this year the Indian automotive companies are not
hitting the panic button as many expected the slowdown and have made plans to
an opportunity by coming up
price between petrol and diesel is currently more than 40 percent, which lead to an
Analysts expect 2012 to be a bright year for the industry as statistics show that the
Auto Expo 2011 has all its stalls booked which reflects the many customer friendly
deals companies have to offer. Companies have realized that trimming down the cost
of vehicles and providing vehicles to customers at a relatively low price is the key to
Several large companies have geared up to this new reality and are in the process of
investing down south to set up manufacturing units, R&D facilities and design
capabilities.
ON A BRIGHTER NOTE
Considering the challenges that the industry has been facing since the past one year
and the way it has countered most of the threats that it faced, one can be sure that the
future of auto industry is promising. This is proved by the recent announcement made
by SIAM, that the car sales are projected to increase up to 5 million vehicles by 2015
and more than 9 million by 2020. By 2050, India is expected to top the world in car
Fiat S.p.A. (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) is the parent company of the Fiat Group
and, since July 2011, also the majority shareholder in Chrysler. On 29 January 2014, it was
announced that Fiat S.p.A. will be merged into a new Netherlands-based holding
company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) with the now wholly owned Chrysler Group
and that the merger is expected to take place before the end of 2014. Fiat Chrysler
In 1951, PAL singed up with Fiat to assemble the Fiat 500 in India. In 1952, the
tariff commission spelled out future for the auto industry – indigenize or get out. Companies
like Fiat and GM, which had assembly operations in India, packed their bags and went home.
But fiat decided to stick it out and committed itself full-fledged manufacture of the Millicento
in 1954. In September 1964, PAL and FIAT launched the Fiat 1100 DELITE in India. The
biggest customers for PAL‟s were Bombay’s taxi drivers. The Padminies were easy for
maintenance in terms of spares and labour cost, low on running cost, easy to drive and
Way back, in the year 1899, a group of investors from Italy, including the famous
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.) societa per azioni (S.p.a.), in other words, the
Italian Automobile Factory of Turin. The company was renamed later in 1906, its
acronymous name getting replaced by the upper- and lower-case 'Fiat', which represents the
company across the world till date. Over its long lifespan, which extends longer than a
century, Fiat has acquired several other companies and entered into a number of partnerships,
making its presence felt on a global level. While its acquisition list features brands like
Lancia (1968), Ferrari (1969), Alfa Romeo (1986), Maserati (1993) and Chrysler (2011), the
major partnerships that Fiat has been involved in can be traced to countries like Serbia,
In India, Fiat began its operations in 1997, when Fiat India Automobiles Limited (FIAL) got
journey in the Indian Peninsula by selling the 1100, the 124 and the Uno models, which were
manufactured back then by the iconic auto-clan of Premier Automobiles Limited, Fiat formed
a joint venture with the illustrious Tata camp on October 19, 2007. Today, this Italian
automaker ranks at the ninth position amidst the largest car manufacturers by sales in India.
Having sold 23,551 vehicles in 2009, an impressive growth of 241% was recorded by Fiat in
India in comparison to its sales count of 6,897 recorded over the year before that.
To make sure that these plans work out exactly the way they are expected to, Fiat India is
working round the clock on getting as many as dealerships set up across the country by the
end of 2013. As of May, 2013, the dealership base of the company comprises of 54 outlets.
Having ended its distribution agreement with Tata on April 1, 2013, the Italian automaker is
working very proactively on expanding its sales and services network in India. However, it is
not just the dealerships that lie within the area of focus of Fiat. Its manufacturing base,
capacity of 100,000 cars and 200,000 engines, is being worked on so that its production
Although Fiat has been a part of the Indian automobile industry for over a decade and a half,
not many models have been launched from its camp in the Indian car-bazaar. The most
popular entrants belonging to this clan have been the Fiat Linea sedan and the Fiat Grande
Punto hatchback, both of which are locally produced at the Ranjangaon facility owned by the
company. Although over the days to come, several new models are expected to make their
way into the Fiat clan, expanding its portfolio and adding more charm to it, at present, only 3
models are featured on its lineup - Fiat Punto, Fiat Linea Classic and Fiat Linea.
known and applauded for the creativity, versatility and practicality that their maker
incorporates in them. Simple yet attractive looks, decent comforts, sufficient room and
brilliantly-designed engines - such are the traits that have always been the defining factors of
every Fiat car. Despite being packed with all these qualities, Fiat cars have always managed
to put forward a very affordable deal for their buyers, which only adds to their list of pros.
Currently, the most affordable model that this Italian car-major has on sale in the Indian car-
market is Fiat Grande Punto, having been tagged with a price of Rs 4,92,799.
Over the past decade and a half that Fiat has spent manufacturing and selling cars in India,
the price tag of each of its offerings has been very smartly branded. Pricing being a major
deciding factor for the fate of every car in the Indian auto-market, Fiat India has always paid
attention to keeping its cars in competitive price brackets. Be it hatchbacks or sedans, Fiat
cars have always had that touch of practicality that arises from an aggressive price. That's the
reason why even the most heavily priced member of the Fiat family, Fiat Linea, comes
Fiat has spent over 15 years on Indian soil, serving as one of the most renowned automakers
in the country. But, more than the car-manufacturer has been known for the cars that it has
built over all these years, it has been applauded for the spectacular power mills that it has
designed and manufactured at its Ranjangaon plant. Be it the immensely successful 1.3-litre
multi jet diesel engine or the 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre Fire gasoline mills, Fiat engines have
powered, and are still driving, many cars that dash across the Indian roads today, including
those belonging to the famous camp of Maruti Suzuki. What makes these power mills so
impressive fuel-economy returns. Thanks to these very smart engines, extremely fuel-
efficient models are offered by Fiat in India, the most fuel-efficient of which is Fiat Grande
Punto, which is available for a sum of Rs 4,92,799 in the market. Fiat has provided all the
bells and whistles in a very economical way. Even the base variant of T-Jet now comes with
features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake force Distribution
troubles recently. With its sales figures having dropped down significantly and its market
share reduced to less than 1%, the company is now set and ready to throw in a real fight.
Aiming to raise its sales count to a staggering 130,000 by the end of 2014 and establishing its
claim over 5% of the market, Fiat is gearing up to add some very alluring models to its fleet
over the days to come. Included in this upcoming lineup is Fiat Avventura.
Fiat has 3 car models available in India. The available models are Fiat Punto, Fiat Linea
Classic, Fiat Linea,. The minimum priced model of Fiat is Fiat Punto priced at Rs 4,92,799
and the maximum priced model of Fiat is Fiat Linea priced at Rs 9,74,111. To find out
about Fiat Dealers in India click here. Click here to learn more about Fiat History in India.
It is well known that in the medium-to-long-term, India is likely to be among the top five auto
markets in the world. In the short-term, though, there are issues with car sales slowing down.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has reported figures with eight
quarters being down and even year-on-year, car sales are down.
There are several things like macro factors and lack of demand due to changes in excise duty,
In the words of Fiat CEO Rajeev Kapoor, “At Fiat, we are here to stay and have started out
with a three-pillar strategy based on product, brand and network. On the product side, we
have a product offensive with nine, new or significantly refreshed products to come. We are
very product-focused and a lot of the product initiatives as we go forward along with
We are expanding our exclusive dealer network where we are going it alone. On the brand
side, Fiat is a brand that has been around a long time but I think part of the story that we are
trying to bring out is that the brand itself has grown over the last 20-30 years and Fiat-
Chrysler is today the world‟s seventh largest auto maker. We are cautiously optimistic. We
Granted there are some headwinds right now but our products, our technology and innovation
combined with the exclusive dealer network will probably get us out of this.
Fiat Group Motors, now a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Italian SPA post its transition
announcement from Tata Motors, has launched a new integrated brand reassurance marketing
campaign, designed as a communication tool to tell its consumer database about its new
initiatives, dealerships, post sales service and more importantly, deliver the brand experience
that was missing with the joint venture with Tata Motors.
This is also an initiative by the brand to make up for lost brand equity and sales due to the
A marketing strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its limited
resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve a sustainable competitive
advantage. Any organization that wants to exchange its products or services in the market
place successfully should have a Strategic Marketing plan to guide the allocation of
its resources. A strategic marketing plan usually evolves from an organization‟s overall
corporate strategy and serves as a guide for specific marketing programs and
current marketing conditions facing the company, its product lines, or its individual
brands. From this situation analysis, a firm develops an understanding of the market and the
various opportunities it offers, the competition and the market segments or target markets the
company wishes to pursue. Marketing strategy is the complete and unbeatable plan, designed
specifically for attaining the marketing objectives of the firm/business unit. The marketing
objectives indicate what the firm wants to achieve; the marketing strategy provides the design
for achieving them .For example, if the marketing objectives of a business unit stipulate that
next year, it should achieve a sales revenue of Rs. 1,000 crore and a net profit of 15 percent
of sales revenue, it is the job of marketing strategy to indicate how and wherefrom this sale
and profit will come, which product lines/products/brands will accomplish this task and how.
most effective when it is an integral component of corporate strategy, defining how the
organization will successfully engage customers, prospects, and competitors in the market
arena. It is partially derived from broader corporate strategies, corporate missions, and
corporate goals. As the customer constitutes the source of a company's revenue, marketing
strategy is closely linked with sales. A key component of marketing strategy is often to keep
market. This analysis may make extensive use of market research as an input
into the planning process. This input, in turn, provides the basis for the
development of marketing strategies in regard to product, pricing, distribution
and promotion decisions. Each of these steps requires a detailed analysis, since
this plan serves as the road map to follow in achieving marketing goals. Once
the detailed market analysis has been completed and marketing objectives
have been established, each element in the market mix must contribute to a
m element must be combined with all other program elements in such a way as
This implies that the essence of the marketing strategy of a firm for a given product or brand
can be grasped from the target market chosen, the way it is positioned and how the marketing
mix is organized. The target market shows to whom the unit intends to sell the products;
positioning and marketing mix together show how and using what uniqueness or distinction,
the unit intends to sell. The three together constitute the marketing strategy platform of the
given product.
To say that target market selection is a part of marketing strategy development is just stating
the obvious. It does not fully bring out the import of the inseparable linkage between the
two. When the selection of the target market is over, an important part of the marketing
simply means choosing one‟s target market. It needs to be clarified at the outset that market
targeting is not synonymous with market segmentation. Segmentation is actually tee prelude
to target market selection. One has to carry out several tasks besides segmentation before
choosing the target market. Through segmentation, a firm divides the market into many
segments. But all these segments need not form its target market. Target market signifies only
those segments that it wants to adopt as its market. A selection is thus involved in it.
Marketing segmentation is a process that throws up not one but several market
segments. There may be segments that are sizeable and the ones that are not so sizeable.
There may be segments assuring immediate profits and the ones that call for heavy
investments in market development. There may also be segments that show great
potential, but display tough barriers to entry. As such, the question, which segment/segments,
the firm should select as its target market, assumes crucial importance.
which was said by Eric N.Berkowitz, Roger A.Kerin, and William Redulius
➢ Finding ways to group the marketing actions – usually the products offered – available to
the organization.
➢ Developing a market-product grid to relate the market segments to the firm‟s products or
actions.
➢ Selecting the target segments towards which the firm directs its marketing actions.
Markets can be segmented using several relevant bases. For example, demographic
etc, form one base for segmentation. Geographic characteristics constitute another;
and buying behavior of the consumer forms yet another base. The various types
of segmentations are:
a) Geographic segmentation
b) Demographic segmentation
c) Psychographic segmentation
d) Buyer behavior
e) Benefits segmentation
and interchangeable used, technically they are different. Product positioning denotes
the specific product category/product class in which the given product is opting to compete. And
brand positioning denotes the positioning of the brand viz -a- viz the competing brands in the
chosen product category. It is evident that for any product, before entering the market it has
to sequentially carry out the two exercises, product positioning and brand positioning. In the
first step, the product category where the new entrant should enter and compete, i.e. against
what all products it has to compete, has to be decided. In this step, it is the broad function that
the product is trying to serve that matters. This choice of product category will decide the
nature of the competition the product is going to face. Once product category positioning is
decided, the position for the new entrant against competing brands in the chosen product
In other words, what are the substitute products that serve the same need?
Where is the real gap, where is such a new offer most welcome and wanted by the
market?
In deciding the Brand positioning, the issues are: Which are the competing brands in the
chosen product category? What are the unique claims/strengths of the various brands? What
position do they enjoy in consumer‟s evaluation and perception? What is the most favoured
position…? And yet vacant? Can the new brand claim the needed distinction and take the
position and satisfy the need? The major dimension of marketing strategy relates to
positioning of the offer. The firm has already selected the target market and decided its basic
offer. Now, what is the conjunction between these two entities? How do they get
connected? What is the interface? In other words, what is the locus the firm seeks among the
customers in the chosen target market with its offering? How would the firm want
the consumer to view and receive the offer? These are the issues the firm has to grapple with
in positioning. And, while formulating the marketing mix too, the firm will agitate over these
issues. The Product Differentiation and Positioning discusses the multifarious issues involved
in the subject.
PRODUCT REPOSITIONING :
Products do undergo „repositioning‟ as they go along their life cycle. In some cases, even
products that are fairing well are repositioned. This is done mainly to enlarge the reach of the
product offer and to increase the sale of the product by appealing to a wider target
market. The product is provided with some new features or it is associated with some new
target segments.
PROMOTIONAL DECISIONS:
Promotion has been defined as the coordination of all seller initiated efforts to set up channels
of information and persuasion in order to sell goods and services or promote an idea. While
implicit communication occurs through the various elements of the marketing mix, most of
an organization‟s communications with the market The basic tools used to accomplish an
Advertising
Direct marketing
Interactive/ internet
Sales promotion
Publicity/Public relations
Personal selling
ADVERTISING:
organization, product, service, or idea by an identified sponsor. The paid aspect of this
definition reflects the fact that the space or time for an advertising message generally must
Advertising is the best-known and most widely discussed form of promotion, probably
because of its pervasiveness. It is also very important promotional tool, particularly for
companies, whose products and services are targeted at mass consumer markets. It is a very
cost-effective method for communicating with large audiences. It can be used to create brand
One of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy is direct marketing, in which
transaction. It has become such an integral part of the IMC program of many organizations
and often involves separate objectives, budgets, and strategies, we view direct marketing as a
Direct Marketing is much more than direct mail and mail order catalogs. It involves a variety
response ads through direct mail, the Internet, and various broadcast and print media. One of
the major tools of direct marketing is direct response advertising, whereby a product is
promoted through an ad that encourages the consumer to purchase directly from the
manufacturer.
INTERACTIVE/INTERNET MARKETING:
Interactive media allow for the back-and-forth flow of information whereby users can
participate in and modify the form and content of the information they receive in real
time. Unlike traditional forms of marketing communications such as advertising, which are
one-way in nature, the new media allow users to perform a variety of functions such as
receive and alter information and images, make inquiries, respond to questions and of course
make purchases. In addition to the Internet, other forms of interactive media include CD-
SALES PROMOTION:
The next variable in the promotional mix is sales promotion, which is generallydefined as
those marketing activities that provide extra value or incentives to the sales force, the
distributors, or the ultimate consumer and can stimulate immediate sales, sales promotion is
generally broken into two major categories: Consumer-oriented and Trade-oriented activities
and includes couponing, sampling, premiums, rebates, contests, sweep stakes ,and various
PUBLICITY/PUBLIC RELATIONS:
or idea not directly paid for or run under identified sponsorship. It usually comes in the form
of a news story, editorial or announcement about an organization and its products and
services. Like advertising, publicity is not directly paid for by the company.
An advantage of publicity over other forms of promotion is its credibility. Another advantage
of publicity is its low cost, since the company is not paying its time or space in a mass
medium such as TV, radio or newspapers. Public relations are defined as “the management
function which evaluates public attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an
individual or organization with the public interests and executes a program of action to earn
public understanding and acceptance”. Public relations generally have a broader objective
than publicity, as its purpose is to establish and maintain a positive image of the company
PERSONAL SELLING:
It is a form of person-to-person communication in which a seller attempts to assist and
idea. Unlike advertising, personal selling involves direct contact between buyer and seller,
Personal selling involves more immediate and precise feedback because the impact of the
Assembling the marketing mix means assembling the four Ps of marketing in the
best possible combination. Involved in this process are the choice of the appropriate
marketing activities and the allocation of the appropriate marketing effort/resources to each
one of them. The firm has to find out how it can generate the targeted sales and profit. It
considers different marketing mixes with varying levels of expenditure on each marketing
activity and tries to figure out the effectiveness of different combinations in terms of the
possible sales and profits. It then chooses the combination/mix of products, price, place and
promotion that is best according to its judgment. Since marketing is essentially an interaction
between the marketing mix and environmental variable, and since the latter and non-
controllable, marketing becomes synonymous with assembling and managing the marketing
mix. Of course, while assembling the marketing mix, the marketing manager will take due
Not only will he take due not of them, he will ensure that his marketing mix suits the
environmental variables. And, it is this factor that renders the task much more complex.
The four elements mentioned above- product, distribution, promotion and pricing constitute
the marketing mix of the firm. The marketing mix is the sole vehicle for creating and
delivering customer value. It can be easily seen that all activities and programmes, which a
marketer designs and carries out in his effort at winning customers, relate to one or the other
of the above four elements- product, place, promotion and pricing. It can also be seen that in
each of these elements, there are several sub-elements. For example, packaging is one of the
and described the marketing manager as a mixer of ingredients. To quote him, `The
marketing man is a decider and an artist – a mixer of ingredients, who sometimes follows a
recipe developed by others and sometimes prepare his own recipe. And ,sometimes he adapts
his recipe to the ingredients that are readily available and sometimes invents some new
ingredients, or, experiments with ingredients as no one else has tried before. Subsequently ,
Niel H.Borden, another noted marketing expert, popularized the concept of marketing mix. It
was Jerome McCarthy, the well-known American professor of marketing, who first described
the marketing mix in terms of the four Ps. He classified the marketing mix variables under
I. Product
II. Place
III. Price
IV. Promotion
McCarthy has provided an easy-to-remember description of the marketing mix variables. Over
the years, the terms – Marketing mix and Four Ps of marketing have come to be used
synonymously. Assembling and managing the marketing mix is the crux of the marketing
task. And, it is through the marketing mix that the marketing manager achieves the marketing
objectives.
MARKETING STRATEGIES FALL UNDER TWO CATEGORIES:
We have seen that target market selection, positioning and marketing mix formulation
together constitute marketing strategy. We have also seen that a firm can assemble the
marketing mix elements in many different ways, depending on the relative weight
The scope to carve out different combinations is, in fact immense. As a result, business firms
are able to employ an abundance of strategies and strategy stances in their relentless race to
categories:
In other words, there are only two broad routes available for forging marketing strategies: any
strategy.
Firms taking to the price route in marketing strategy compete on the strength
of pricing. They use price as their competitive lever. They juggle the price of their product to
suit the prevailing competitive reality. They can affiat to offer lower prices and still make the
targeted profits. They elbow out competition with the cushion they enjoy in the matter
of pricing. Price route requires cost leadership, evidently, a firm opting for the price route
will have to have a substantial cost advantage in their operations. It should be enjoying an
overall cost leadership in the given industry and its lower cost should enable it to secure
above average returns, inspite of strong competition. The cost advantage can emanate from
different factors like, scale economies, early entry, a large market share built over a period of
time, locational advantage, or synergy among the different businesses. The firms whole
strategy, in fact will revolve around building such cost advantage. To successfully practice a
price-led strategy, a firm should have consciously taken to the idea sufficiently early in its
principle that a firm can make its offer distinctive from all competing offers and win through
the distinctiveness. And, a firm adopting such route can price its product on the perceived
value of the attributes of the offer and not necessarily on competition-parity basis. Maximum
scope for exploiting differentiation remains with the product. While all the 4Ps of marketing
are important elements from the point of view of strategy, the other Ps normally go as
elaborations of the offer, while the product forms its core. Product differentiation is of vital
importance in product management and has great potential in forgoing successful marketing
The tangible product attributes and functions are Differentiation based on ingredients,
Differentiation based on functional value,
DIGITAL MARKETING:
Digital Marketing is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution
channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. Whilst
digital marketing does include many of the techniques and practices contained within the
category of Internet Marketing, it extends beyond this by including other channels with which
to reach people that do not require the use of The Internet. As a result of this non-reliance on
the Internet, the field of digital marketing includes a whole host of elements such as mobile
conversations, text messages sent via SMS and web dialogue, such as online profile pages,
blog posts, message board threads, instant messages and emails are often now included in the
definition of word of mouth. There is some overlap in meaning between word of mouth and
the following: rumor, gossip, innuendo, and hearsay; however word of mouth is more
Word-of-mouth promotion, also known as buzz marketing and viral advertising, is highly
valued by advertisers. It is believed that this form of communication has valuable source
credibility. Research points to individuals being more inclined to believe WOMM than more
formal forms of promotion methods; the receiver of word-of-mouth referral stands to believe
that the communicator is speaking honestly and is unlikely to have an ulterior motive (i.e.
they are not receiving an incentive for their referrals). In order to promote and manage word-
seed WOMM by targeting key individuals that have authority and a high number of personal
connections.
EVANGELISM MARKETING:
It is an advanced form of word of mouth marketing (WOMM) in which companies develop
customers who believe so strongly in a particular product or service that they freely try
to convince others to buy and use it. The customers become voluntary advocates, actively
spreading the word on behalf of the company. Evangelism literally comes from the three
words of 'bringing good news' and the marketing term justly draws from the religious sense,
as consumers are literally driven by their beliefs in a product or service, which they preach in
Sales promotion consists of diverse collection of incentive tools mostly short term, designed
consumer. Sales promotion is the only method that makes use of incentives to complete the
push-pull promotional strategy of motivating the sale force, the dealer and the consumer in
transacting a sale.
Price-Offs Offer:
Price-off offers refers to offering the product at lower than the normal price. This encourages
immediate sales, attracts non-users, induces product trail and counters competition.
Premium:
product.
Coupons:
In order to encourage product trail, stimulate re-purchase rate and build loyalty through news
papers.
It is a type of point of purchase advertising which uses the show windows of the dealer
for providing exposure to the sponsor‟s products. Dealer participating enthusiastically and
While trying to expand total market size, the dominant firm must continuously defend it
current business against rival attacks. This step is very much essential for the market leader
firm because the challenger firms are constantly to exploit the weaknesses of the leader firms.
Market leaders can improve their profitability by increasing their market share. But for few
market leaders whose share in the total market is insignificantly high, the expansion of
market share n the total market may be proved both as expensive and risky. Therefore it is
better for such leader firms in spending their time in building up the market size rather than
expanding the market share. The reason for this action may be attributed to two factors:
1. The market leader firms might attract the provisions of various anti-trust legislations. The
2. The second reason being the economic factors. The cost of making further gains in the
market share after a large share has been achieved may rise fast and reduce the profit margin.
INNOVATION STRATEGY:
The market leader may innovate several strategies in respect of new product ideas, customer
services, means of distribution, cost cutting discovery. In addition to these, a leader may
FORTIFICATION STRATEGY:
In order to protect its market share, the market leader may try to keep it product prices
reasonable in relation to the perceived valued of the offer and competitors offer. The leader
CONFRONTATION STRATEGY:
If leader firm faces an extremely aggressive challenger, whose actions demand a quick and
direct response. In such a situation, the market leader will engage any promotional war,
match. The leader firm may engage in the price war whenever a new challenger is
considering to entering its market. This strategy will frighten the potential competitions and
in customer service: “ fix it right-the first time-on time”. Fiat is also supplying videotapes showing
in India.
Stiffer rear springs to enable negotiating the ubiquitous pot holes on Indian roads.
(As the India motorist uses the horn more frequently, for cars sold in India, the horn buttons
are kept on the steering wheel and not on a lever on the side as in the models sold in Europe.)
price range is from 5 lakh to 6.5 lakhs. “FIAT GRANDE PUNTO DYNAMIC” and “FIAT
GRANDE PUNTO ACTIVE” come under this type of segment. These are its hatchback
models.
price. Preferred price range starts from 8 lakh to 12 lakh. “FIAT GRANDE LINEA T- JET”
and “FIAT GRANDE PUNTO SPORTS” come under this segment of cars. These are
hatchback models.
• SEDAN segment:
The buyers of this segment like to have big vehicles. Their body is designed similar to off
road vehicles, which can withstand to Indian roads. These cars provide adequate seating
space at the rear side having a fixed full - height roof. “FIAT LINEA 1.3 MULTIJET
EMOTION” and “FIAT LINEA CLASSIC PLUS MULTIJET” which features a price of
In the first step the products of vehicles manufactured by the Fiat Automotives are
directly promoted by the manufacturer himself. He follows many promotional strategies like:
3. Direct marketing.
1. The dealers provide credit facility to their customers and act as mediator between the bank
and the customer in order to ease the purchasing process for them. The customer provides
relevant documents to the dealers who in turn acquire the sanction letter from the bank after
making proper scrutiny about their CIBIL scores and other grades.
calendars, sending emails, sms, etc to the prospects and the customers of the company.
3. Press Advertising- This involves use of newspapers, magazines, and trade journals for
4. Organizing Customer‟s Meet- Here, a small party is thrown for the prospects and
customers of the car at the showroom, where attractive displays are made depicting the
quality and features of the car. It establishes goodwill of the brand in the market and is
considered as one of the modern and innovative method of promoting the sales.
5. Field visit and Demo Activity: Various road shows at the potential customer markets
6. Mall Displays: Here, the car is kept for display in a particular shopping mall which
evidences the highest footfalls. Thus, the car becomes a centre of attraction for every person
7. Audio advertising: The famous radio channels are used to advertise the car features and
values which makes the common masses aware about its presence in the market.
8. Mesmerizing Delivery Process: This generates a feeling of satisfaction and loyalty
among the customers as the phenomenal ceremony renders joy in everyone‟s heart when the
HOARDINGS:
A heavy picture of the product which comprises of its attributes and special features are
displayed on the roadsides in the form of hoardings. It is a bit expensive strategy but attracts
many people who pass by that roadside. This type of advertisement is prepared for those
segments of people who cannot affiat their time in reading newspapers and watching
televisions. While travelling from their home to office, moving on their business activities
they may watch these hoardings. These hoarding are especially setup at the road signal stops.
from various organizations and different sector who are ready to buy the vehicles and who
change the vehicles regularly. These people are met-in person or contacted through their
contact number. The various new features and new offers regarding the vehicles are
advocated to them and are given discounts on group purchase of vehicles, i.e. if 5 or more
friends in the group purchase the cars at a time then they are given special discounts on the
vehicles.
FREE INSURANCE:
The Fiat gives a special offer of free insurance on the purchase of each vehicle to its new
customers.
STRATEGIC SALES STANDARDS:
Fiat maintains strategic sales standards in the following manner. The Sales faculty is clean,
tidy and inviting, making customers comfortable while purchasing products and availing
services. Customers are courteously acknowledged within two minutes of their arrival and are
advised that a Sales Consultant will be available upon request. The Sales Consultant‟s
appearance and dress will be of the highest standards. An advisory relationship is established
between the customer and the Sales Consultant who listens to the customer, identifies their
needs and ensures that they are met. A pleasant, non-pressured purchase experience will be
provided during which a thorough demonstration of the vehicle features and benefits will be
made. A test drive will be offered to all customers. Using a check list, the Sales Consultant
delivers the vehicle in perfect condition when promised. Customers will be contacted within
An efficient service facility allows a customer to avail all the service provided by Fortune
working days of the customer‟s request. Customers are courteously acknowledged within two
minutes of their arrival and the write-up will begin with five minutes.
Service needs are courteously identified, accurately recorded on the repair order and verified
with the customer. The vehicle is serviced right on the first visit.
The vehicle is ready on the agreed upon time. A through explanation of work done,
warranty coverage and charges is given to the customer. All service repair work will be
followed up within five working days. Each vehicle will be washed before being returned to
the customer.
EXTENDED WARRANTY:
Fiat gives an extended warranty to its customers for another two years or 1,50,000 Kms from
the date of sale of the vehicle, where there will be an extended time duration in the warranty.
♦ After the factory warranty expires, customer is exposed to the risk of parts failures. This
Extended Warranty:
♦ Covers labour
Benefits to customer
♦ Car can be repaired at any Fiat out let across the country
♦ No excess to pay
“Marketing research is the function which links the customer and public to the
Simply, marketing research is the systematic design collection analysis and reporting of data
finding relevant to a specific marketing situation facing the company. Carefully planning
through all stages of the research is a necessity. Objectivity in research is all-important. The
heart of scientific method is the objective gathering of the information. The function as
marketing research within the company as to provide the information and analytical
A research may undertake any of the three types of research investigation depending upon the
1. Basic research
2. Applied research
BASIC RESEARCH:
It is also known as the pure fundamental research, which refers to those studies, sole purpose
of which is the discovery of new information. It is conducted to extend the horizons on given
APPLIED RESEARCH:
It is attempt to apply the various marketing technique, which have been developed as
research, first and later on they become applied research techniques. It is on attempt to apply
the basic principles and existing knowledge for the purpose of solving operational problems.
RESEARCH METHOD:
It must be classified on the basis of the major purpose of the investigation. In this
problem description studies have been undertaken, as the objective of the project is to
conduct the market shares study to determine the share of market received by the company to
the competitor.
DATA COLLECTION
The information needed to further proceed had been collected through primary and secondary
data.
PRIMARY DATA:
It consists of information collected for the specific purpose, survey research was used and he
all the details of Fiat and their competitors were contacted. Survey research is the approached
CONTACTED METHOD:
The information was solicited by administering structured questionnaire to the customer and
dealers, thus getting to know directly from the dealers their sales before and after sales
service.
The secondary data consists of information that already existing somewhere having been
collected for another purpose. Any researcher begins the research work by first going through
secondary data. Secondary data includes the information available with company. It may be
the findings of research previously done in the field. Secondary data can also be collected
from the magazines, news papers, internet other service conducted by researchers.
Questionnaire is administered on the sample respondents. How ever there are certain cases
where personal interaction and observation method is followed with the employees to find the
required information.
QUESTIONNAIRE
a) Fiat Linea
b) Fiat Grande Punto
Data Analysis:
a) Style/design
b) Comfort
c) Fiat brand
d) Service
Data Analysis:
3. What do you feel great about your car when compared to other cars
in the market?
a) Fuel efficiency
b) Durability
c) Low maintenance
d) Sound quality
e) Brand name
Data Analysis:
4. How did you come to know about this car before purchasing?
Data Analysis:
5. Can you share your experience with after sale service support?
Data Analysis:
Data Analysis:
Interpretation: Most of the customers get their car service only at the
authorized service centres. From this we come to know the importance of
these places.
7. Which bank do you prefer in getting financial help while purchasing
a car?
a) ICICI
b) Mahindra and Mahindra
c) SBI
d) Other
Data Analysis:
Interpretation: Most of the customers rely on SBI and ICICI bank for getting
financial help for purchasing the car.
a) Televisions
b) Magazines
c) News papers
d) F.M/Radio
Data Analysis:
Interpretation: It shows that cars are too expensive for an economic man of
the society.
11. What kinds of offers do you like or expect from the dealer?
a) Free insurance
b) Special discount on sale of cars
c) Extending the service period
d) Finance availability with 0% interest
Data Analysis:
12. How do you feel when an unknown sales person approaches you by
knowing your full details to demonstrate about any product?
a) Very necessary
b) Not needed
c) Waste of money for manufacturer
Data Analysis:
14. What is your opinion about the current Ambassador Sushmita Sen for
the car Fiat Linea T-jet?
15. What other brand(s) did you seriously consider before making this car
purchase?
a) Toyota
b) Skoda
c) Maruti
d) Honda
Data Analysis:
Thanks for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire and for providing
valuable
information. It will be used for my project work, market research studies and
reports. We do not share or sell your name, address or any other data with any
outside company for any purpose.
Keep Service Stations at main locations of the city where many customers
Please recruit efficient service men in the service centers. The service men in
the service centers are unable to understand the problems told by us, and
Please provide information about new cars along with their price lists at
concentrate on this segment. We don‟t see or find much of the Fiat car advertisements
Customer should be educated about the maintenance of the vehicle. i.e. maintenance
The quality of the sun proof coating used is of very low quality, vehicle
evenings only.
come to purchase a new car, but they do not respond when we come to tell
CONCLUSION
The brand Fiat has been working for quite a long time in the Indian economy. It has produced
various affordable models for the people. The marketing strategies adopted by the brand as
well as its dealers is rightly justified. According to the results derived from the customer
feedback, one can come to the conclusion that still a lot more is left to be done. Recently, Fiat
has merged itself with Chrysler and became a complete subordinate to it. Hence, efficiency in
There are certain loopholes lying in the internal working conditions of the automobile
dealership company. these are needed to be addressed as soon as possible to promote the
demand for the Fiat cars in the market. Also, new marketing strategies should be innovated
by the dealers at their own level which can prove as an advantage over the competitors and
support the growth of market share. Currently, the market share of almost each car brand is
As the cars offered by the dealers belong to the taste of high class customers and affluent
people, the dealers must try to link their contacts with such prospects for generating leads. An
advantage of having a customer base of High Net Worth individuals is that such prospects do
not make much time on decision making and provide a ready check without serious
negotiations. Hence, a first impression made would help the dealers in grabbing the lasting
association and true loyalty from its customers. Organizing customer‟s meet is one of the
ROAD AHEAD
Fiat Linea had been doing really good on the Indian roads and this prompted Fiat India into
launching the more powerful version of the Fiat Linea- the Turbo Charged Linea. The car
has been christened the Linea T Jet. This car is an improvement over the earlier model of the
Linea and comes with a stronger engine and better features as well. The car costs Rs 8,99,059
on the Indian roads. So, the future of four wheelers in India is promising. Indian Automobile
has a lot of scope for four wheelers due to development in infrastructure of the country. The
Indian auto market is still untapped the majority of the people in country don‟t own a four
wheeler and all the major auto companies are trying to increase their sales by several moves.
Easy availability of finance and rising income levels are encouraging the middle class
population to choose from the vast range of passenger vehicles. India is 16th in the world in
terms of nominal factory output. The service sector is growing rapidly in the past few years.
By analyzing the current trend of Indian Economy and Automobile Industry we can say that
being a developing economy there is lot of scope for growth and this industry still have to
cross many levels so there is huge opportunities to invest in and this is proving as more and
more foreign Companies setting up there ventures in India. The Government of India allows
100 per cent FDI in the automotive industry through automatic route. The growth rate of
Indian Automobile is so fast that by 2016 Indian Industry will be among world‟s 7 largest
There is huge opportunity of growth for the automobile sector in the coming year, so
the dealers must patiently follow the guidelines of the parent company and maintain
The company can hire the services of Curata which is a global agency in creating
should also think of providing other auto parts for its customers in order to cover the
Soft loans should be provided to the customers for safeguarding their loyalty and
generating leads.
Internal loopholes can be checked for minimizing the number of complaints received
by the customers.
The problems stated by the customers should be carefully looked into and get solve ds
quickly as possible.
QUESTIONNAIRE
a) Fiat Linea
b) Fiat Grande Punto
a) Style/design
b) Comfort
c) Fiat brand
d) Service
3. What do you feel great about your car when compared to other
cars in the market?
a) Fuel efficiency
b) Durability
c) Low maintenance
d) Sound quality
e) Brand name
4. How did you come to know about this car before purchasing?
5. Can you share your experience with after sale service support?
a) ICICI
b) Mahindra and Mahindra
c) SBI
d) Other
a) Televisions
b) Magazines
c) News papers
d) F.M/Radio
11. What kinds of offers do you like or expect from the dealer?
a) Free insurance
b) Special discount on sale of cars
c) Extending the service period
d) Finance availability with 0% interest
12. How do you feel when an unknown sales person approaches you
by knowing your full details to demonstrate about any product?
a) Very necessary
b) Not needed
c) Waste of money for manufacturer
15. What other brand(s) did you seriously consider before making
this car purchase?
a) Toyota
b) Skoda
c) Maruti
d) Honda
Thanks for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire and for providing
valuable information. It will be used for my project work, market
research studies and reports. We do not share or sell your name, address
or any other data with any outside company for any purpose.
ANNEXURE
ABOUT LR AUTO
Car Enterprises Pvt Ltd. is a local dealership company for Fiat car models in the capital city
of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. It was established in the year 2009 and commenced its operations
from 6th march, 2013 for Fiat cars. The company also deals in luxurious Mitsubishi car brand
“Pajero sport‟ as its diversified business. The shareholding of the company is among the
family members of the head of the organization, Mr. Amit Agrawal. The company has its
branch in Bilaspur city and owns a dealership in the city of Korba too.
It deals in all the models of Fiat cars launched by the company. Apart from this, the company
also provides exchange facility for second hand cars to its customers at reasonable prices,
thus, converting the customers of other brands to the consumers of Fiat. It works in
collaboration with various financial institutions like HDF, PNB, SBI, Tata Capital, MFSN,
LR Auto promotes the theme of “More features more benefits” for its Fiat cars. The company
has a well defined HR policy for all its employees which is a rare feature for an automobile
dealership company. The employees follow the principle of “frugality” for maintain
efficiency in the organization. There is proper dress code assigned to every section of
employees. The staff group consists of 105 people in the organization. Every person is
recruited for their specialized skills. Each person has its own well defines authority and
responsibility. The company follows the model of line and staff for supporting the work
culture of the organization. The approach is flexible with an adequate blend of formal and
informal type of work system. The company has a vertical hierarchy which helps in
maintaining a quick reporting system in the concern. Thus, tasks are completed on time and
employees are consequently appraised. The following figure depicts the organization
structure.
Today, automobile sector in India is one of the key sectors of the economy in terms of the
employment. Directly and indirectly it employs more than 10 million people and if we add
the number of people employed in the auto-component and auto ancillary industry then the
number goes even higher. Over a period of more than two decades the Indian Automobile
industry has been driving its own growth through phases. With comparatively higher rate of
economic growth rate index against that of great global powers, India has become a hub of
domestic and exports business. The automobile sector has been contributing its share to the
BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.google.com
www.scribd.com
Economic Times
LR Auto brochure