SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT

ON
“MARKETING, SALES AND
PROMOTION AT THE TIMES OF INDIA,
CHANDIGARH”
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE MASTER’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

SUBMITTED TO:

INTERNAL GUIDE EXTERNAL GUIDE

Dr. Saurabh Singh Mr. Chetan Moga

Assistant Professor Team Leader
IMS UNISON UNIVERSITY Times of India
Dehradun Chandigarh

SUBMITTED BY:

MOHAMMAD AYAAN

IUU22MBA053

IMS UNISON UNIVERSITY, DEHRADUN

BATCH 2022-24
Company Certificate

Certificate

2
I have the pleasure in certifying that Mr. Mohammad
Ayaan is a Bonafede student of 4th Trimester of the
master’s degree in business administration (Batch 2022-
24), of IMS Unison University, Dehradun, Roll No.
IUU22MBA053.

He has completed his project work entitled “Marketing,

Sales and Promotion at the Times of India, Chandigarh
under my guidance.

I certify that this is his original effort & has not been
copied from any other source. This project has also not
been submitted in any other Institute / University for the
purpose of award of any Degree.

This project fulfils the requirement of the curriculum

prescribed by this Institute for the said course. I
recommend this project work for evaluation &
consideration for the award of degree to the student.

Signature:

Name of the guide: Dr. Saurabh Singh

Designation: Assistant Professor

Date:

Declaration

3
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the
dissertation report entitled “MARKETING, SALES
AND PROMOTION” of “Times Of India
Chandigarh” written and submitted by me, in partial
fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the
degree in MASTER OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION under the guidance of Dr
Saurabh Singh is my original work and conclusion
drawn there in are based on the material collected
by myself.

Dr. Saurabh Singh

Assistant Professor Mr. Mohammad
Ayaan

4
 Acknowledgement

Preparing a project of this nature is an arduous task and I was

fortunate enough to get support from a large number of people to
whom I shall always remain grateful.
I would like to record my gratitude to “THE TIMES OF INDIA”
for allowing me to understand this project. I take this opportunity
to thank you for providing me with an opportunity to work for
“THE TIMES OF INDIA(CHANDIGRAH)”.
I am also desirous of placing on record my profound indebtedness
to
Dr. Saurabh Singh (Assistant Professor) of IMS UNISON
UNIVERSITY for the valuable advice, guidance, precious time
and support that he offered.
Finally, I would also like to thank all the respondents for giving
us their precious time & relevant information and experience, as
and when required without which this project would not have
been possible.

Mr. Mohammad Ayaan

5
 Executive summary

As an MBA student, one is required to apply the knowledge which he has

acquired in the field through this summer internship, there is a big
difference between theoretical knowledge and applying it in an actual
situation, I am thankful to IMS UNISON UNIVERSITY for providing me
with this wonderful opportunity, it would also help me achieve excellence
in my career in near future by adding experience in my curriculum vitae.

The project is entitled “Marketing, Sales and Promotion at the Times Of

India, Chandigarh”. This report aims to find the current state of sales and
promotions and propose actionable recommendations to improve Sales and
customer satisfaction in Times of India Chandigarh.

When we initially began our industry mentor organized lectures from

different departments of The Times of India, this gave us a very positive
and strong start, sales are all about the target, and to achieve the target on
time proper strategies have to be made time to time. Which help to beat
the competition.

Mr. Chetan Moga our industry guide helped us through our summer
training period by providing us with all the information and tool required,
he also gave us the training required for the field, As the project was
focused on the study and analysis of data collected from the customers who
are reading the Times of India newspaper in their daily life, this enabled us
to understand the behaviour and customers perception about the services
we providing. The purpose was to understand the several factors that
have an impact on customer satisfaction, know the pain area and find the
improvement area for Sales and Promotion.

Through this opportunity, I understood how companies that are into the
newspaper business promote their services, in this report, I will be
discussing what are the major factors that determine the consistency and
loyalty of the customers.
During my two months of internship, I went to more than 100 customers
and get reviews through a questionnaire. The data was collected in the
Chandigarh region, which reveals some facts about the brand image of
Times of India in the minds of the customers and the satisfaction derived
from them. At last, I have concluded the report with the interpretation of
the data and information collected presented with the help of the charts and
diagrams.

6
Contents

Company Certificate...............................................................................................2
Certificate.................................................................................................................2
Declaration...............................................................................................................3
Acknowledgement....................................................................................................5
Executive summary.................................................................................................6
Contents....................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1: Introduction..........................................................................................9
Introduction of the Industry...................................................................................9
Company..............................................................................................................10
Competitors..........................................................................................................19
Customers............................................................................................................19
Challenges at the Company.................................................................................19
Chapter 2: Literature Review..............................................................................22
Chapter 3: Research Methodology......................................................................26
Research Objectives.............................................................................................26
Research Design..................................................................................................27
Sampling Technique............................................................................................27
Data Sources and Collection Method..................................................................27
Data Analysis Procedure and Tools.....................................................................28
Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Interpretation.....................................................29
Chapter 5: Findings and Discussion....................................................................39
Chapter 6: Conclusion..........................................................................................42
Chapter 7: Suggestions..........................................................................................45
Bibliography........................................................................................................47
Annexure Questionnaire......................................................................................48

7
INTRODUCTION

8
Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction of the Industry

While the newspaper industry is declining globally, the phenomena has yet to catch up
in India, where print media, together with television and digital media, continues to
dominate the market. Print newspapers in India have seen a considerable increase in
income, making it the industry's largest global market. The print business in India has
grown from a few hundred dailies published after independence to over 100,000
registered newspapers and periodicals by 2021.
Print news media trends
The British published the first newspaper in the country, Hicky's Bengal Gazette, in
1780. This provided momentum for the establishment of other newspapers that covered
British Raj news as well as local news. The Bombay Samachar, which was founded in
1822, is the country's oldest continually published newspaper. The main drivers of an
era of thriving printed journalism in India have been a surge in literacy rates and a
renewed focus on regional language media.
The most widely circulated daily in the country is Dainik Jagran, which is published in
Hindi. The Times of India has the largest average readership among English-speaking
Indians in 2019. Among the various regional periodicals that are widely read are
Malayalam Manorama, Daily Thanthi in Tamil, Eenadu in Telugu, and Lokmat in
Marathi.
Rising literacy rates in India have prompted the localization of newspapers, which has
been made possible by advances in printing technology. With rising literacy rates in
rural India, investment in newspapers has increased, and the biggest growth in
circulation of newspapers has often occurred in areas with rising literacy rather than
rising economic power. People who were previously denied the right to participate in
civic and political life now have the option to do so by reading a newspaper. This
demonstrates that rather than being associated with the elite, newspapers are now
regarded as a mass media and a means for Indian individuals to participate in national
affairs.
According to the latest Indian Readership Survey (IRS), just 4% of readers of the
overall readership base read news online. This proves that there is still scope for
growth, said NP Sathya Murthy, executive director, DDB Mudra Group, and chairman
of the technical committee at the Readership Studies Council of India.

9
A recent survey says a majority of nearly 50cr Smartphone users in India spend most of
their time (72%) surfing the net on their mobile phones. News and entertainment are
two sectors most consumers tap into. No wonder, digital media platforms have
witnessed exponential growth in the last few years. But have digital news platforms
replaced the good old newspapers, like they have done elsewhere in the world? The
answer is an emphatic no.
The media and entertainment industry consists of film, print, radio, and television.
These segments include movies, TV shows, radio shows, news, music, newspapers,
magazines, and books.
In sum, India‘s print media is likely to continue to register robust growth compared to
other major democracies because its population is growing and it has not yet achieved
universalistic.

Company

The times of India newspaper was founded before 178 years ago, it is the largest
English newspaper in India with a daily circulation of 3184727 number of copies. It was
first published in Mumbai with a name “The Bombay Times” which was edited by J.E
Brenan under the orders of Rao bahadur Narayan. Now it has expanded into every other
type of median (TV, radio, internet, mobile phones) with an estimated revenue of US $
1.4 billion in 2015 generated from audience spread across the globe. 70 percent of the
money generated in the business comes from the advertisements.

It is recently owned by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), India’s leading media
conglomerate. This newspaper has a massive readership and is recognized as India’s
widely circulated English newspaper.
With over 2.8 million copies circulated daily, it has a great presence in all cities of
India.

10
Times of India Details

COMPANY: TIMES OF INDIA (TOI)

TYPE OF ORGANIZATION: Newspaper and Magazine

FREQUENCY: Daily Circulation

CIRCULATION: 3,184,727 Daily

OWNER AND PUBLISHER: The Times Group

The Economic Times, Nav Bharat Times,

SISTER NEWSPAPERS: Maharashtra Times, Mumbai Mirror

TAGLINE/ SLOGAN Let the Truth Prevail

WEBSITE http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

KEY BUSINESS AREAS:

 PUBLISHING
 TELEVISION
 OUT OF HOME
 DIGITAL
 OTHER ACTIVITIES

→ PUBLISHING:

 Largest publisher in India: 14 newspapers, 18 magazines, 16 publishing

centers, 26 printing centers.
 Largest English newspaper in India by circulation (and the world), The Times of
India.
 Largest business newspaper in India by circulation (2nd largest English
business daily in the world, behind WS), The Economic Times.

11
 The Times of India is now the No. 1 English daily in six of India‘s eight biggest
metros and a strong second in the other two.

 Two other Times Group publications The Economic Times and Mumbai Mirror
are among the five most read English dailies in India with readership figures of
8.8lakh and 6.6 lakh respectively.

→ TELEVISION MEDIA:

 Largest English News TV channel, NO. 2 English Business News TV channel.

 Largest Bollywood News and Lifestyle TV channel , NO.2 English movie TV

channel.

 Total 8 TV channels Times Group has: ET NOW, MIRROR NOW, MN+,

MOVIE NOW, ROMEDY NOW, TIMES NOW, ZOOM TV CHANNEL,
LEAD INDIA.

→ OUT OF HOME:

 Largest out of home advertising business in India with a presence in all major
metros.

 Owns advertising contracts in most major airports in India.

→ DIGITAL MEDIA:

 Times Internet is an Indian company that owns, operates and invests in various
Internet- led products, services and technology. It is the digital arm of the Times
Group, one of the largest media and entertainment companies in India.

 Time Internet currently owns and operates 39+ digital products across news,
sports, music, video, trivia, spirituality & a suite of transaction-led market-
places across real estate, personal finance, education, jobs, table reservation,
personal concierge etc.

 Time Internet reaches over 270 million unique monthly visitors who collectively

12
 spent over 10 billion minutes across all its products and services.

 BoxTV.com, CRICBUZZ, GAANA.COM, TIMESOFMONEY.

 Largest radio network in India by revenue and listenership with more than 32
station.

→ OTHER ACTIVITIES

 Music
 Movies
 Syndication
 Education
 Financial service
 Event Management
 Specialized publication: including books and multimedia.

DISTRIBUTION STRUCTURE OF THE TIMES OF INDIA

13
STP and SWOT Analysis

TOI (STP)

Segment  General News Segment

Target Group  English speaking/reading audience in India

Positioning  Most widely circulated newspaper

SWOT Analysis

Strengths 1. With a daily circulation of over 3.5 million, it is widely available

across various regions.
2. Simple Brand In a competitive market with multiple dailies,
recall is useful; high brand loyalty
3. Ascent, a weekly newspaper, is widely recognised as a good
platform and a must-read for potential recruiters and job seekers.
4. Has a city-specific version for key Indian cities.
5. Teach India campaigns and other events/initiatives benefit the
brand.

Weaknesses 1. Some individuals believe that TOI publishes more

celebrity/entertainment news.
2. Because of the fierce rivalry, there is little room for growth in
market share.

Opportunities 1. In comparison to the rest of India, it has a limited presence in

Southern India.
2. There is a huge possibility in the Regional Languages market.

Threats 1. Increased competition from other daily newspapers

2. Online news media equals less circulation.

14
History

The Times of India issued its first edition 3 November 1838 as The Bombay Times and
Journal of Commerce. The paper published Wednesdays and Saturdays under the
direction of Rao bahadur Narayan Dinanath Velkar, a Maharashtrian Reformist, and
contained news from Britain and the world, as well as the Indian Subcontinent. J.E.
Brennan was its first editor. In 1850, it began to publish daily editions. in 1860, editor
Robert Knight (1825–1892) bought the Indian shareholders' interests, merged with rival
Bombay Standard, and started India's first news agency. It wired Times dispatches to
papers across the country and became the Indian agent for Reuters news service. In
1861, he changed the name from the Bombay Times and Standard to The Times of
India. Knight fought for a press free of prior restraint or intimidation, frequently
resisting the attempts by governments, business interests, and cultural spokesmen and
led the paper to national prominence. In the 19th century, this newspaper company
employed more than 800 people and had a sizeable circulation in India and Europe.

1838
On November 3, 1838 the main release of The Bombay Times and Journal of
Commerce were distributed, reflecting fundamentally the business group of Bombay. It
was weakly production. Edited by Dr. J.E. Brennan.
1850
The capital was increased and the weekly circulation was turned into daily circulation
1859
A merger took place between Bombay standards and chronicles of western to form
“Bombay Times Standard”
1861
The Times of India was formed by the amalgamation process to give it national statues
1892
The joint stock company by the name Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL) was
formed by new additur T.J Bennett by entering into partnership with F.M Coleman
1907
The demand increased by five folds when editor Stanley increased the dead line from 5
pm to 12midnight and decreased the price from 4 anna to 1 anna of a newspaper

15
1946
Seth Ramakrishna bought the company and gave it an Indian ownership
1947
For the first time, special Sunday edition was introduced and a new Hindi edition
called Nav Bharat Times was launched in Delhi
1948
The company was sold to Sahu Shanti Prasad who was the son in law of Ramakrishna
Dalmia, Sahu Shanti was also the first chairman of the company
1950
It was Introduced in Delhi for the first time.
1952
Bestselling magazine of India was launched “film fare”
1959
They captured the female segment with the launch of Femina
1961
One of the best businesses selling magazine was launched “The Economics Times”
1962
Introduction of Maharashtra Times
1965
They entered event business with Femina Miss India contest
1988
150 years was completed by Times of India, to congratulate the Indian government
released special stamp of their name
1996
For the celebration of 1 millionth copy first ever colour photograph was published
1997
They entered music industry with Times of India

16
1999
Website of India Times was launched
2000
Two million copies were circulated giving them milestone
2001
It became number one in Delhi and went all colour, Radio Mirchi was broadcasted
across the nation
2003
The first life style TV channel was launched by Times of India in 2003 and a website
for employment opportunity was also made available
2005
A website for searching a partner for a marriage was introduced
2006
Times now was broadcasted on TV, Radio Mirchi network was listed on stock exchange
and went fourteen times oversubscribed, they also dominated the Karnataka printing
business by acquiring Karnataka based company Vijay Anand printers Ltd.
2007
Economics times was introduced in Marathi language for the first time, and Bangalore
mirror, Ahmadabad mirror was also introduced, they also made another milestone by
circulating 3 million copies which made them largest English daily newspaper across
the globe.
2008
UK based radio channel “Virgin Radio” was acquired and Economics time (Hindi) was
launched.
2009
First-class business channel was launched
2010
they came up with a concept called brand capital which was like a barter system, though
brand capital they got shares in company’s stocks and gave they advertisement space
for certain period. HD movie channel was launched (Movies Now)

2011
In Kannada they introduced spiritual weekly paper

17
2012
New edition for Kerala, Vishakhapatnam and Raipur was started.
2013
Kolhapur edition was started.
2014
India’s most trusted brand with a ranking of 174. Cricbuzz was acquir
2015
TOI celebrated its 175th anniversary with a special edition that featured a timeline of its
journey, a tribute to its editors and journalists, and a collection of its iconic front pages
2016
TOI launched a digital initiative called Times Internet Limited (TIL), which aimed to
provide online news, entertainment, e-commerce, and other services to its readers. TIL
became one of the largest digital media platforms in India, with over 400 million
monthly users
2018
TOI launched a campaign called #LetsTalkAboutRape, which aimed to raise awareness
and spark dialogue on the issue of sexual violence against women and children
2021
TOI launched a new initiative called Times Prime Plus, which offered premium content
and benefits to its subscribers
2023 (till date), TOI is providing creative inspiration to its readers through its various
sections such as Times Lit Fest, Times Fresh Face, Times Sudoku Championship,
Times Food Awards, and Times NIE

18
Competitors

The Tribune

Times
Hindustan

Mint

The Pioneer

The Financial Express

Punjab Kesari

Customers

1.73 crore readers. Including Firms, Companies, Hospitals, Students, Retired etc.

19
Challenges at the Company

1. Digital Transformation:

With the shift in consumer behavior towards online news consumption, newspapers like
Times of India must adapt to the digital era. Transitioning from a traditional print-
focused model to a multi-platform digital one can be challenging and requires
significant investment in technology, content delivery systems, and audience
engagement strategies.

2. Competition from Online News Sources:

The rise of online news platforms, social media, and other digital news outlets has
intensified competition for readership and advertising revenue. Online competitors
often offer free content, making it difficult for traditional newspapers to compete while
maintaining sustainable revenue streams.

3. Decline in Print Readership:

The circulation of print newspapers, including Times of India, has been declining over
the years due to changing media consumption habits. Younger generations, in
particular, are more inclined to access news through digital channels, leading to a
dwindling print readership.

4. Ad Revenue Challenges:

Print newspapers have traditionally relied heavily on advertising revenue. However, as

advertisers increasingly shift their budgets towards online platforms, newspapers may
face difficulties in maintaining ad revenue levels, especially in the print segment.

5. Credibility and Misinformation:

In the digital age, misinformation and fake news spread rapidly through social media
and other online channels. Traditional newspapers like Times of India must work hard
to maintain their credibility and trust among readers, differentiating themselves from
unreliable sources and ensuring the accuracy of their reporting.

20
LITERATURE
REVIEW

21
Chapter 2: Literature Review

The media plays a key role in several countries to bring about democratic progress. In
every country around the world, the demand for information in every form seems to be
increasing steadily. The media is a potent means to inform, educate and inspire masses
for meaningful action in the interest of general good. A media professional is one to use
it to carry out above purposes. Newspaper is old and the traditional mode.
New and unconventional media, both have 71 its wide reach to influence and appeal to
masses. It depends how well media professionals use it. It may be useful or harmful too.
Hence, using the media, the print media as well as the audio-visual media, one needs to
have the power of judgement in view of the general good. There is a lot of
responsibility involved in it.

Krisnamoorthy (2002), includes an open online piece titled "Redefining the News."
According to a remark from it, "in media, part of the problem is the elitist antecedents,
class biases, and urban orientation of news gatherers and processors." However, much
of the issue is related to the definition of news. A slow-moving social phenomenon
rarely thrills the reporter, editor, or reader. Most newspapers, for example, publicise any
outbreak of communal violence, but rarely do they seek to keep track of growing
tensions between two communities or initiatives to repair community relations.

Ramkrishnan (2002), In his piece titled "Poverty Eradication and the Indian Media,"
agrees that "unless the fourth estate gives a permanent helping hand to the government,
the administration's programs would not percolate to the grassroots level." Locals,
particularly the poorest of the impoverished, still rely on word of mouth for everything.
If they chance to see something in the newspaper, on television, or on the radio, they
immediately believe it. This credibility gives a sense of accountability. In a democratic
country, the author defines the press as "the fourth estate."

Jagannathan (2005), notes in an article titled 'Changed Character of Indian Media' on a

shifting context in which the status of an editor changes. 'Earlier newspaper owners
were remote figures, leaving the editor to deal with the professional part of the paper,'
he says. Furthermore, several of these proprietors were prominent men in their own
right. Many had long-standing personal relationships with officials of the
administration, stretching back to pre- independence days in certain cases. The most
notable development is the rise of the managerial wing of the newspaper industry,
which has resulted in the devaluation of the editor's position. The author considers the
importance of editors and the freedom they have.

22
Sharma J.(2005), In his book 'Ethics and Journalism,' he discusses the function of
journalists in democracy. He claims that "the media play an important role in informing
people, influencing their thinking, and moulding their opinions." Journalists must
operate with a strong sense of responsibility since their writing has a significant impact
on society. A journalist is an essential component of any democratic system. He is
responsible for gathering information, organising them, and disseminating them to the
public.

Justice Anand (2005), According to his article 'Freedom of Expression is Critical to

Democracy,' the great power of the media to inform, shape, and mould public opinion is
generally known. Its enormous potential for human rights preservation and promotion
barely needs to be emphasised. Print or electronic media that accurately publishes
events without fear or favour and analyses facts objectively without malice or motive
with intrepid insight becomes the ultimate source of "history." If citizens regard the
media as a source of information and empowerment. A developed democracy needs the
media to act as a fearless communicator of news and opinions. Furthermore, the media
is supposed to act as a watchdog, scrutinising data in order to appropriately understand
the situation. The media's credibility is determined by the degree of freedom it has in
reporting the news without fear or favour, malice or ill will.'

Murthy (2006), The Reflection of Newspapers on People's and Government's

Developmental Priorities was investigated. Its goal was to comprehend the concept of
developing news in the context of the country's priorities and the role of newspapers in
national development.

Joshi P.(2007), did research on "Value-Based Journalism" He investigated perceptions

as reported by media and journalists around the world. An online convenient random
sample survey technique was used to conduct a global survey. The goal was to record
the perspectives of journalists from all across the world on the frequently addressed
question of ethical standards in the age of globalisation.

The Pew research Project for excellence in Journalism (2010), in their research The
state of the news media reveals some fascinating data regarding the media sector.
According to the report, while newspaper readership has fallen by 9.2 percent in the
United States and 4.3 percent in Europe, it is increasing by roughly 16.4 percent in
South America, 16.1 percent in Asia, and 14.2 percent in Africa. In India, circulation
fell by 0.8 percent in 2008-09 but is expected to rise by 5.7 percent over the next five
years. The Indian Print Media sector is experiencing a growth in consumption,
resources, and competitiveness. According to the publication, advertising sales in the
United States have declined by approximately 25% while increasing by approximately
13% in India. Between the years 2000 and 2010.

Kohli-Khandekar, (2013), A media researcher highlights data from the Indian

23
readership survey (IRS) and Hansa research in her book Indian Media Business (4th
edition). Daily newspaper reading time has fallen from 35 minutes in 2005 to 28
minutes in 2012, but daily internet media consumption time has climbed from 60
minutes in 2005 to 79 minutes in 2012. In the same book, she discusses the disparity
between newspaper reach and time spent on it, as well as how it compares to other
forms of communication. She has discussed literacy and education statistics, as well as
their impact on print media consumption. While discussing the legal and commercial
issues of the print industry, she also examines the rising influence of the vernacular
press and its grip on India's growing middle-class consumers.

C. P. Chandrasekhar (2013), In his book "Business of News in the Age of the

Internet," he examines the global scenario of the rapidly vanishing Print Media
Industry. This research will provide input. Chadrasekhar feels that the expansion of
online news will continue around the world and would eventually affect the Indian
newspaper sector.

Indian readership Survey (2014), Readership surveys conducted in 2014 by Indian

Readership Survey in collaboration with Neilsen will be used in the research. They
provide readership figures from key Indian print media outlets in English, Hindi,
Malayalam, and other languages. It surveyed around 2672 lakh households, with 63.6
percent of the population being literate. It discovered Dainik Jagran as the most read
vernacular newspaper and Times of India as the most read English daily. However,
according to another study, Dainik Jagran and a few other daily such as Dainik Bhaskar,
Patrika, and Hindustan can no longer be classified regional newspapers because they
have a significant reach throughout the Hindi heartland.

Enrst and Young LLP (2016), According to the report 8 Key Trends in Digital
Content Consumption, the Indian digital media market is poised for disruption, with
growth predicted to reach INR 200 billion (INR 20000 crores) by 2020 and digital ad
spend expected to expand at a rate of 23-28 percent. India has a huge and growing
number of youthful internet users with increasing earning potential and discretionary
cash. This group has been and will continue to be an early user of new technology and
media consumption methods. The demographics indicate an increase in demand for
digital information.

24
 RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

25
Chapter 3: Research Methodology

 RESEARCH
Research is a process where the researcher seeks to discover the outcome for a
particular issue because the solution aids in the future course of action. A thorough
investigation or inquiry, particularly one that looks for novel information in any field of
study, is what is referred to as research.

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Methodology refers to the process by which researchers approach their work of
describing, explaining, and foretelling phenomena. The processes for creating,
gathering, and analyzing data are hampered by methods. The means of gathering data
that is helpful for evaluating an explanation are called methods.

Research Objectives

Primary Objective:

 To increase the geographic reach and readership

Secondary Objective:

→ To strengthen brand recognition and awareness through strategic marketing

campaigns
→ To Boost Subscription Rates by offering attractive bundles, promotions, and loyalty
programs.
→ To Collaborate with local businesses to provide exclusive discounts, promotions,
and giveaways, enhancing subscriber benefits.

26
Research Design

 Geographical Location: The geographic location adopted for data collection and
research in Chandigarh.

 Sample size: The sample size for collecting raw data is 100 respondents.

 Sampling technique: Sampling will be carried out by random technique.

 Data collection methods: The data was collected through personal interviews
and online forms.

 Target Group: Chandigarh people

Sampling Technique

Convenience Sampling- Convenience sampling is a non-probability sampling

technique where subjects are selected because of their convenient accessibility and
proximity to the researcher. In all forms of research, it would be ideal to test the entire
population, but in most cases, the population is just too large that it is impossible to
include every individual. This is the reason why most researchers rely on sampling
techniques like convenience sampling, the most common of all sampling techniques.
Many researchers prefer this sampling technique because it is fast, inexpensive, easy
and subjects are readily available.

Data Sources and Collection Method

Primary Source Data:

Primary sources for data collection will be used for the present study. A reconnaissance
surveys will be made of the selected respondents to get acquainted with the factors
behind to start analysis. Based on the information gathered, a well-designed pretested
Questionnaire schedule will be drafted and used in the field survey to collect primary
data.

27
Secondary Source Data:

Secondary data are collected from the published data available within the company and
from the Internet.

Data Analysis Procedure and Tools

The analysis is done based on the primary data and secondary data collected from the
internet. Then these data will be reviewed, correlated, and analysed to come to any
result.

28
 DATA
ANALYSIS
AND
INTERPRETATION

Chapter 4: Data Analysis and Interpretation

29
Figure-1 Interpretation → According to the graph above, 33% of readers are over the
age of 45, 31% are between the ages of 35 to 44, 29% are between the ages of 25 to 34,
and 7% are between the ages of 18 to 24.

Figure-2 Interpretation → According to the graph above, 37% of readers are employed,
27% are self-employed, 22% are retired, 10% are students, and 4% are others who
read the TOI every day.

30
Figure-3 Interpretation → The graph shows that the majority of respondents (67%),
prefer to read English newspapers, while 33% prefer Hindi newspapers.

Figure-4 Interpretation → The graph illustrates that the majority of respondents (57%),
who read TOI newspaper, are Male while 43% are Female.

31
Figure-5 Interpretation → The graph above shows that the majority of respondents
(57%) read the TOI newspaper because of its substance, 27% do so because of its
appearance, 11% do so because of other aspects, and 5% do so because of the
language.

32
Figure-6 Interpretation → The majority of poll respondents said in the graph above
that they prefer to purchase TOI newspapers (60%) over other newspapers like ET
(19%), Punjab Kesari (11%), The Tribune (Chandigarh) (6%) and Business Standard
(4%).

33
Chi-Square Test- Gender and Newspaper Ranking

H0 - gender and Newspaper Ranking are not associated with each other.

H1 - gender and Newspaper Ranking are associated with each other.

Rank Newspapers Total

The The Tribune
The Times of India Economic Punjab (Chandigarh Business
s Times Kesari ) Standard
Gender Female Count 24 8 6 4 1 43
Expecte 25.8 8.2 4.7 2.6 1.7 43.0
d Count
male Count 36 11 5 2 3 57
Expecte 34.2 10.8 6.3 3.4 2.3 57.0
d Count
Total Count 60 19 11 6 4 100
Expecte 60.0 19.0 11.0 6.0 4.0 100.0
d Count

Gender * Rank Newspapers Crosstabulation

Asymptotic
Value df Significance (2-sided)
a
Pearson Chi-Square 2.725 4 .605
Likelihood Ratio 2.743 4 .602
N of Valid Cases 100
Chi-Square Tests
a. 5 cells (50.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 1.72.

Findings →
Since the p-value is .605 which is greater than alpha 0.05 Therefore, H1 is rejected and
H0 is accepted.
Hence, Gender and Newspaper Ranking are not associated with each other.

34
Anova test- Age and recommendation of TOI Newspaper

H0 - µ1 = µ2 = µ3 there is no significant difference between the age and

recommendation of TOI Newspaper
H1 - µ1 ≠ µ2 ≠ µ3 there is a significant difference between the age and
recommendation of TOI Newspaper

Descriptive
95% Confidence
Interval for Mean
Std. Std. Lower Upper Minimum Maximum
N Mean Deviation Error Bound Bound
18- 24 7 8.00 2.887 1.091 5.33 10.67 3 10
25- 34 29 7.66 2.636 .489 6.65 8.66 0 10
35- 44 31 7.77 2.376 .427 6.90 8.65 0 10
45+ 33 8.33 1.848 .322 7.68 8.99 3 10
Total 100 7.94 2.317 .232 7.48 8.40 0 10
Recommendation

ANOVA
Recommendation
Sum of Squares
df Mean Square F Sig.
Between Groups 8.336 3 2.779.510 .677

Within Groups 523.304 96 5.451

Total 531.640 99

Findings →
Since the p-value is .067 which is greater than alpha 0.05 Therefore, H 1 is rejected and
H0 is accepted. Hence, there is no significant difference between age and
recommendation of TOI newspaper.

35
Simple Regression- Content, Printing quality, and Recommendation
H0 – β1= β2 = 0 There is no significant impact of Content or Printing quality on
the Recommendation of the Customer.
H1 - β1= β2 ≠ 0 There is a significant impact of Content or Printing quality on the
Recommendation of the Customer.

ANOVAa
Sum of Squares
Model df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 304.323 2 152.16264.930 .000b
Residual 227.317 97 2.343
Total 531.640 99
a. Dependent Variable: Recommendation
b. Predictors: (Constant), Content, Printing quality

Coefficientsa
Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized 95.0% Confidence
Coefficients Interval for B
Std. Lower Upper
Model B Error Beta t Sig. Bound Bound
1 (Constant) -2.044 .979 -2.088 .039 -3.988 -.101
Printing .442 .234 .189 1.887 .062 -.023 .907
quality
Content 1.204 .200 .604 6.024 .000 .807 1.600
a. Dependent Variable: Recommendation

Findings →
Since the p-value of Printing quality is (.062) is greater than alpha 0.05 Therefore, H 1 is
accepted and H0 is rejected. But the Rating of Content (.000) is less than alpha 0.05
therefor H0 is accepted and H1 is rejected.
As a result, readers recommendations are influenced by printing quality rather than
content.

36
T-test- Satisfaction with Brand
H0 - µ ≤ 3 Not Agree with below statements on TOI newspaper.

H1 - µ > 3 Agree with below statements on TOI newspaper.

One-Sample Statistics
Std. Std. Error
NMean Deviation Mean
Quality Reporting 100 3.49 1.185 .118
Informative Articles 100 3.77 1.188 .119
Quality Editorials 100 3.63 1.244 .124
Neglects Local News 100 2.83 1.074 .107
Biased Reporting 100 2.69 1.261 .126
Misleading Headlines 100 2.22 1.011 .101

One-Sample Test
Test Value = 3
95% Confidence
Sig. (2- Mean Interval of the
t df tailed) Difference Difference
Lower Upper
Quality 4.135 99 .000 .490 .25 .73
Reporting
Informative 6.482 99 .000 .770 .53 1.01
Articles
Quality 5.063 99 .000 .630 .38 .88
Editorials
Neglects Local -1.583 99 .117 -.170 -.38 .04
News
Biased Reporting -2.459 99 .016 -.310 -.56 -.06
Misleading -7.716 99 .000 -.780 -.98 -.58
Headlines

Findings →
Since the µ > 3. Therefore, H1 is accepted and H0 is rejected. Except Neglects local
news (.117) are < 3 So, H0 is accepted and H1 is rejected. Hence, Consumers are
satisfied with the statements on TOI newspaper except for Neglects local news.

37
 FINDINGS
AND
DISCUSSION

38
Chapter 5: Findings and Discussion

The statement highlights a number of things readers take into account when
recommending newspapers. Gender, Newspaper Ranking, Age, Printing, Content,
Reporting, Article Informativeness, Editorial Quality, Local News Coverage, Bias in
Reporting, and Headline Accuracy are a few of these variables. An investigation was
made into the connection between these elements and reader recommendations.

1. There is no statistically significant correlation between gender and newspaper

ranking, according to the research. It does not appear that readers' perceptions or
rankings of newspapers are influenced by their gender.
2. Age and TOI Newspaper Recommendation: According to the study, there are no
appreciable differences in newspaper recommendations for the Times of India
(TOI) based on age. Age does not appear to greatly affect readers' impressions
of this particular newspaper, as seen by the fact that readers of all ages prefer to
recommend TOI at around the same rate.

3. Printing Quality vs. Content Quality: It seems that Printing Quality has a bigger
impact on reader recommendations than Content Quality. This shows that
visually appealing design, legible font, and well-presented photos attract people
to newspapers. This would suggest that readers' total contentment is greatly
influenced by aesthetics.

4. Quality reporting, informative articles, and quality editorials: According to the

study, newspapers that offer quality reporting, informative articles, and quality
editorials are positively connected with readers' happiness. This suggests that
newspapers are more likely to get good reviews if they publish accurate,
perceptive, and thoroughly researched information.

5. Neglect of Local News: Readers are generally content with newspapers that live
up to their expectations in a number of areas, but neglect of Local News is an
issue that needs to be addressed. Readers complain when newspapers don't
effectively cover local news, indicating that this is an important factor in their
assessment.

6. Bias in Reporting and False Headlines: The study finds that when newspapers
maintain a lack of Bias in Reporting and Avoid False Headlines, readers are
generally satisfied. These results show that readers favour news that is factually
correct and objective.

39
Limitations

➔ Difficult to cover the whole Chandigarh city in 2 months. The sample size just

gives an approximate picture of the whole area.

➔ Age, gender, and work status are taken into account, but other significant

demographic indicators like income, level of education, and place of residence

are not. The preferences of readers may be strongly impacted by these factors.

➔ The findings are less generalizable since seasonal variations, current affairs, or

changes in the media environment at the time of data collection could have an

impact on readers' tastes and habits.

➔ Many customers were not ready to talk and share information.

40
CONCLUSION

41
Chapter 6: Conclusion

Due to many subscription options offered by both English and regional newspapers, as
well as a significant increase in literacy rates, newspaper reading has increased
dramatically. Creating consumer loyalty and maintaining readership can be extremely
difficult for publishing industry managers. Due to the wide range of options available to
readers nowadays, the issue becomes more serious. While changing the readership
temporarily may be simple, maintaining the new literacy rate over the long term might
be highly challenging. Consequently, anyone working in the publishing industry must
produce something.

Information is available everywhere in the current competitive atmosphere. Print media,

which appears to be the money-making industry, plays a very important function in
society. Newspapers compete with one another to boost circulation, which helps them
make money. Currently, they are focusing on the lucrative student market. If a student
is edited by a newspaper, that student becomes the face of that specific publication. And
because the industry has its lifetime customer, they are attempting to employ
promotional strategies to encourage young students to purchase that specific paper in
order to target these segments. To contact or inform the consumer, they employ
periodicals, journals, free samples, gifts, etc. All of these promotional schemes are
operated under one department, with regard to the paper’s distinct department.

My internship at the Chandigarh office of the Times of India has also taught me a lot.
This study looked at how TOI was promoted and sold in Chandigarh. Despite
technological advancement, Chandigarh residents still favour printed materials. English
periodicals are more popular than Hindi or Punjabi ones. However, the majority of
places still like reading a Punjabi or Hindi newspaper. Chandigarh residents have a high
desire for and awareness of the TOI newspaper, however, they are unaware of the
subscription options. They are considering becoming subscribers. They purchased
subscriptions as soon as they learned about the schemes.

42
Customers are incredibly devoted to TOI and the majority of their complaints are
related to service difficulties. All consumers cannot receive accurate service from TOI.
There are other reasons as well, but if TOI tries to improve customer service, delivery
of services, and the quality of providing better solutions to customer problems, then
clearly no reader will abandon TOI.

At the conclusion of the summer internship project, I realized that what I had learned
during these two months had truly been a once-in-a-lifetime chance and an excellent
educational experience. After doing all of the data research, I realized that the
newspaper marketing models outlined in the study have a consistent influence on
readers' choices and preferences. Customers choose to purchase newspapers on a
subscription basis since it is more economical, less expensive and offers significant
discounts.

43
SUGGESTIONS

44
Chapter 7: Suggestions

Here are some marketing, sales, and promotion suggestions for The Times of India in
Chandigarh:

Collaboration with Educational Institutions: According to studies, barely 7%

of students read the TOI newspaper every day. It implies that the students have
tremendous potential. To provide educational resources or support student-led
initiatives, TOI should collaborate with nearby schools, colleges, and institutions.
Create specific newspaper inserts or supplements with educational content as
well. These might talk about things like success stories, study advice, academic
trends, and career advice.

Subscription Models: Provide a basic subscription option that includes daily

newspaper delivery to customers' doors. Also Introduce a weekend-only
membership option for readers who like to read the news on weekends. Provide
lower group subscriptions to increase community engagement.

Audience Segmentation: Determine and segment the target population according

to demographics, interests, and behavior. Marketing messaging and promotions
should be tailored to each segment.

Data Analytics: Analyze data to learn about reader behavior, preferences, and
engagement patterns. Use this data to fine-tune marketing strategy and content.
Use data analytics tools to learn which articles or themes are popular with readers,
and then use this information to drive future content creation.

Influencer Collaborations: Collaborate with local influencers, bloggers, and

specialists to promote the publication, hence increasing its reach among their
respective followers. Encourage reader participation by holding contests, polls,
and social media discussions. To build a sense of community, respond to
comments and criticism as soon as possible.

Referral Programs: Introduce referral systems that compensate readers for

referring new subscriptions. This can be accomplished by offering discounts,
freebies, or exclusive material. Offer discounted rates to encourage readers to
commit to longer membership terms (e.g., 6 months or a year). This ensures
consistent revenue and increases reader loyalty.

45
 Events and Workshops: Organize workshops, seminars, and events about
journalism, media literacy, or current events. As a result, The Times of India is
positioned as an educational and instructive resource.

Localized Content: Create content that is relevant to the Chandigarh audience. Cover
local news, events, and stories to build a closer relationship with your readers.

Email Campaigns: As we can see, the younger generation prefers to utilize

smartphones. Run targeted email campaigns to keep subscribers up to date on the
newest news, specials, and special features to broaden your reach. Increase open
rates by using customised subject lines.

Customer Feedback: Survey or poll readers on a regular basis to improve content

quality, and user experience, and find areas for growth. Continue to innovate and
adapt to shifting consumer behaviours and preferences. To stay relevant, try out
new formats, technology, and narrative styles.

46
Bibliography

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper

2. http://www.vault.com/industries-professions/industries/media-and-
entertainment.aspx

3. https://www.ibef.org/industry/media-entertainment-india.aspx

4. www.timesgroup.com

5. www.timesofindia.com

47
Annexure Questionnaire

1. Your Name

2. What is your age?

o 18-24
o 25-34
o 35-44
o 45+

3. What is your gender?

o Male
o Female

4. What is your occupation?

o Student
o Employed
o Self-employed
o Retired
o Other

5. Which language newspaper you prefer more

o Hindi
o English

6. Why do you like the most in newspaper?

o Content
o Language
o Presentation
o Other

48
7. Choose the correct response for the given statements on Insurance Companies *

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

disagree agree
Quality Reporting օ օ օ օ օ
Informative Articles օ օ օ օ օ
Quality Editorials օ օ օ օ օ
Neglects Local News օ օ օ օ օ
Biased Reporting օ օ օ օ օ
Misleading Headlines օ օ օ օ օ

8. Rank the following Private insurance companies as per your preference *

o The Times of India

o The Economics Times

o The Tribune (Chandigarh)

o Punjab Kesari

o Business Standard

9. How would you rate the printing quality of the Times of India newspaper?*

10. How would you rate the content of the Times of India newspaper?*

49
11. How much value for money do you think the Times of India newspaper provide?
(+5 being most value for money and -5 being least value for money) *

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

12. Is there anything else you would like to share with us? *

13. How likely are you to recommend private insurance companies to a friend? *

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Not at all likely Extremely likely

50