CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

Generally, personal care products are these products which a consumer uses for
his personal purpose. It includes different types of cosmetic and skin care products
like talc, cold cream, fairness cream, toothpaste, toothbrush, perfume, deodorant, hair
oil, shampoo, soap, and all type of baby care and beauty care products. These are the
core FMCG products. Any person need for these products every day. Personal care
products are a part of FMCG industry.
In some words we can say that personal care products are the backbone of
FMCG industry. As per the time passes away, the demand of personal care products
are also increasing day per day and future of these products are also very bright and
profitable. There was a time when consumers not spend too much amount on the
personal care products. But in those days, they are not only eager for spending more
money on the cosmetic products, but at the same time they are looking for a good and
prestigious brand for the particular product.
Modern media and advertisement plays an important role in the increasing of
demand of personal care goods. People of metro cities are too much brand conscious
but if we look at the people of semi urban and rural areas, they are also looking for a
good brand for the particular product. HUL Ponds beauty care ,Himani Fair and
Handsome Mardon Wali Fairness Cream, Thanda Thanda CoolCool Navratna talc,
International Lux etc. are the some of the front drive ofadvertisement in the way of the
success of personal care products.

CONSUMER SATISFACTION AND BEHAVIOUR

Consumer
A consumer is an individual who purchase or has the capacity to purchase goods
and services offered for sale by marketing institutions in order to satisfy personal or
household needs
According to a statement made by Mahatma Gandhi, consumer refers to the
following, A consumer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not
dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an outsider to our business. He
is part of it.
We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving
us an opportunity to do so. So consumer is like the blood of our business and also a
satisfied customer is a word of mouth advertisement of a product / services
Consumer Behaviour
The term consumer behaviour may be defined as the behaviour that consumer
displays in searching for purchasing, using, evaluating, producing, services and ideas
which they expect will satisfy their needs. In other words, It is a study of
physiological, social, physical, behaviours of all potential customer as they become
aware of evaluation, purchase and consumption and tell other about product and
services.
The study of consumer behaviour is the study of how individuals make
divisions to spend their resources like money, energy, time, etc. on consumption of
products.

Consumer Satisfaction
Every human being is a consumer of different produces. If there is no
consumer, there is no business. Therefore, consumer satisfaction is very important to
every business person
According to Philip Kotler consumer satisfaction is defined on, personal
feeling of pleasure resulting from comparing a products pursued performance in
relation to his /her expectations.
Detailed information regarding the customer in a market will provide the basic
platform for all marketing decisions. Marketing decision maker needs descriptive
information about the total potential unit and dollar sales in each segment. Perhaps the
most important one is that a seller need to be aware of the relevant objective and need
of consumer and how their objectives might best be served by the products.
Consumer behaviour Consumer behaviour is the study of when, why, how, and
where people do or do not buy product. It blends elements from psychology,
sociology, social anthropology and economics. It attempts to understand the buyer
decision making process, both individually and in groups. It studies characteristics of
individual consumers such as demographics and behavioural variables in an attempt to
understand people's wants. It also tries to assess influences on the consumer from
groups such as family, friends, reference groups, and society in general. Customer
behaviour study is based on consumer buying behaviour, with the customer playing
the three distinct roles of user, payer and buyer. Relationship marketing is an
influential asset for customer behaviour analysis as it has a keen interest in the re-

discovery of the true meaning of marketing through the re-affirmation of the

importance of the customer or buyer.
A greater importance is also placed on consumer retention, customer
relationship management, personalisation, customisation and one-to-one marketing.
Social functions can be categorized into social choice and welfare functions. Each
method for vote counting is assumed as a social function but if Arrows possibility
theorem is used for a social function, social welfare function is achieved. Some
specifications of the social functions are decisiveness, neutrality, anonymity,
monotonicity, unanimity, homogeneity and weak and strong Pareto optimality. No
social choice function meets these requirements in an ordinal scale simultaneously..
The most important characteristic of a social function is identification of the
interactive effect of alternatives and creating a logical relation with the ranks.
Marketing provides services in order to satisfy customers. With that in mind, the
productive system is considered from its beginning at the production level, to the end
of the cycle, the consumer. Belch and Belch define consumer behaviour as 'the process
and activities people engage in when searching for, selecting, purchasing, using,
evaluating, and disposing of products and services so as to satisfy their needs and
desires'.'

NEED OF THE STUDY

The study is done for getting a deep knowledge and idea about Indian
cosmetic//personal care sector. The need or objective of the study is to know the how
much consumers give preferences to the brand of cosmetic goods whether the
customers are satisfied with the cosmetic products of the company and how far
company is able to satisfy the customer in terms of quality and cost factors since in
todays modern era customers are the focus for any company, any organization that
without satisfying them no company can survive in this global competitive age. Non
satisfaction of the potential customers can lead them to switchover to another one.
Now the policy every company or organization is to provide satisfaction as
there exists a lot of competition for them. Hence it becomes necessary to conduct a
comprehensive research in terms of customer satisfaction so that it is able to know
how far it stands before others. This also helps to judge whether if there is any lagan
the policy and could take immediate action to rectify it. The need of this project also
arose because an extensive survey can help the company whether the work done by
the company in the area of new products is able to satisfy the customers or not.
The major focus of the research conducted therefore is to discover the factors
that people are aware about the upcoming new products and the attribute of the
product which attracted them for a trial. The study was restricted to only around 50-60
percent of our target audience, because the respondents included in the study are
people who are regular user of cosmetic goods

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

To study about consumer satisfaction and preferences towards ponds white
beauty in Erode town
To understand the consumers problem while using ponds product
To know about factors that influences to buy ponds white beauty
To understand the consumers satisfactions level related to uses of ponds
product

5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problems.
It may be understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it
we study the various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his
research problem along with the logic behind them.
It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the research methods or
techniques but also the methodology.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The formidable problem that follows the task of defining the research problem
is preparation of the design of the research project, popularly known as the Research
Design. Decision regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means
concerning an inquiry or a research study constitute a research design.
A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis
of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with
economy in procedure.
STUDY AREA:
The study area refers to Erode Town.
SAMPLING:
The act process or technique of selecting a representative part of a population
for the purpose of determining the characteristics of the whole population is called
sampling.

SAMPLING UNIT
A decision has to be taken concerning a sampling unit before selecting sample.
Sampling unit may be geographical one such as state, district, village, etc., or a
construction unit such as house, flat, etc., or it may be a social unit such as family,
club, school, etc., or it may be an individual. The researcher will have decided one or
more of such units that he has to select for his study.
SAMPLE SIZE
The primary information from the sample respondents. The samples size was
100 respondents in Erode Town.
SAMPLE DESIGN
A sample design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample from the sampling
frame. It refers to the technique or the procedure the researcher would adopt in
selecting some sampling units from which inferences about the population is drawn.
Sampling design determined before and data are collected. The sample size
was selected based on simple random technique.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
The researcher should keep in mind two types of data.
Primary data
Secondary data
PRIMARY DATA
Primary data is collected directly from the respondents using data collection
methods like questionnaires, measurements, direct observation or tabulation. Here the

researcher is directly involved in the collection of information required to answer the

questions.
SECONDARY DATA
Secondary data is the data that has already exists which has been collected by
some other research purpose. It can be obtained from magazines, journals, online
articles, company literature and so on.
TOOLS USED
The major tools used to tabular Columns and another tools diagram.
STATISTICAL TOOLS USED
The data collected from the primary sources were arranged in the simple tabular
statements by preparing a master table.
1. SIMPLE PERCENTAGE
Percentage analysis refers to a special kind of ratio. Percentages were used in making
comparison between two or more series of data. Percentage is used to describe
relationship. Since the percentage is reduced to a common based and there by allowed
comparisons to be made.

No. of respondents
Percentage of respondents =

x 100
Total respondents

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITRATURE
Customers satisfaction with after the use of any kind of product appears
differently for all customers. Marketers always try to search out the patterns of customers
satisfaction after launching their products. Many careful studies have shown two
prominent aspects of customers satisfaction as cognitive perspective and emotional
perspective. Former one explains the perception and expectations about the value of
product or services received by the customers just after acquiring the same (Oliver and
Swan, 1989) whereas later one explains the customers emotional state after consumption
of the product or services Since consumption experience may be positive or negative so
as emotional state about any product or services. Collective view of both perspectives
shows satisfaction as a perceived value associated with any product or services (Bolton
and Drew, 1991) In another view, satisfaction is simply lying at lower end of customers
expectations after buying any product (Kristensen et al., 1999)
Females have always showed tendency to use beauty care products when they
exposed themselves in society. Various studies has depicted that females have this
perception that attractive personalities are greeted in more good manners than unattractive
ones. Same is linked with professional as well as personal status of individuals as well
(Godoy et al 2005).
In Indian territory, here also females use beauty care products while having some
defined purposes in their mind like to minimize aging effect, to make their skin fresh and
shine, to give smoothness to their skin or sometimes as part of their makeover (Syed et al,
1996)

Again here females thinking is to enhance overall personality image after

enhancing their physical attractiveness (Dion et al., 1972). One more deeply observed
psychological aspect to use beauty care products is that physical attractiveness also
enhances interactive characteristics of individuals which uplift their sociability, ecstasy,
intelligence and elation (Miller, 1970). This influence of transcendent beauty is pervasive
enough that it is right away considered as what is beautiful is good (Eaglyet al., 1991)
Females also feel that self confidence and self-preservation can also be enhanced with
attractive personality so the use of beauty care products is obvious (Featherstone, 1991)

To bring uniqueness in personality by using beauty care products is another

purpose to use beauty care products by many females. Human body acts as a social
symbol while exposing the image of self-identity so in females view point, to what extent
they have to expose to the society, up to that extent they need to enhance their physical
personality. Behavioral aspects of females personalities are also become enrich after due
enhancement in their personality (Thompson and Hirschman, 1995). Every female is lean
towards improvement in her personality both in body and face so they adhere towards the
use of various cosmetics specified for this function. Beauty care products manufacturing
firms promise to cater females such needs perfectly and as a result they earn good profits
(Askegaard et al., 2002) . Once females are indulged in use of a specified beauty care
product they establish emotional attachment with that product and they strive for having
continuous innovativeness in that chosen product (Tzou and Lu, 2009)

When consumers perceive an advertisement for a certain brand as promoting

another, it is not only ineffective, but even counterproductive (Kamen, 1987; Poiesz
and Verhallen, 1989): it produces an effect that the advertiser specially wants to avoid.

Therefore, perception, although seldomly studied, is a phenomenon that has an

impact over its consumers, and researchers. unremitting attention, and measures of
consumer behavior and perception should be added to the more conventional
measures to increase the sales of a product(Poiesz and Verhallen, 1989).
Consumer behavior is studied so that we can come to know that how
perception and attitude of a person decides that what should be the buying pattern of
the consumers (Poiesz and Verhallen, 1989).
A Sengupta and Noopur Agrawal Not only the consumer behavior but the
perception of consumers, may be the subject of people buying the products of lakme
(Poiesz and Verhallen, 1989). Correct identification and confusion are not perfectly
related. It is possible that the recipient of the message cannot attribute any particular
brand to an advertising message, in which case he/she is not really confused, but
simply does not have any idea.
A consumer confusing brands thinks he/she recognises the brand. Depending
upon what is the perception of the consumers, it can be positive or negative. (Hcker
and Verhallen, 1988; Poiesz and Verhallen, 1989). Negative perception refers to the
extent to which the respondents will not buy the product. Positive brand perception
refers to the degree to which the other respondents are willing to buy the product.
Positive Brand perception is an advantage for a brand. Negative brand perception may
be a threat to a clear positioning of the product amongst the women.
Brengman et al. (2001) found that Consumers most vulnerable to brand
perception generally have higher level of knowledge about the products which they
are using.

Products are becoming more and more objectively similar with respect to their
functionality and product presentation (Poiesz and Verhallen, 1989). Ha (1996) refers
to the degree of similarity and proximity of advertisements. (De Pelsmacker and
Geuens, 1997a).the more the proximity the more consumers are prone to buy the
products.
Successful advertising techniques get imitated and waves of similar
advertising arise. It can be expected that a higher DOSS leads to more brand
confusion. In parallel, similarity in visual appearance of products has also been found
to be a major reason for confusion in advertising (Loken and Ross, 1986; Ward and
Loken, 1986). Furthermore, in a study of brand perception of consumers cited the
product or the packaging. as a primary reason for recognition and buying of the
product. (De Pelsmacker and Van Den Bergh, 1997b)

CHAPTER III
PROFILE OF THE STUDY
3.1 HISTORY OF COSMATIC AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
The Indian Cosmetics Industry is defined as skin care, hair care, color cosmetics, fragrances
and oral care segments which stood at an estimated $2.5 billion in 2008 and is expected to
grow at 7%, according to an analysis of the sector.Today herbal cosmetics industry is driving
growth in the beauty business in India and is expected to grow at a rate of 7% as more people
shun chemical products in favour of organic ones.

The emphasis of the herbal cosmetic has been on the spectacular growth of the herbal and
ayurvedic beauty products business as conveyed by beauty expert Shahnaz Husain who was
the first to introduce the concept of ayurvedic cosmetics to the world when she launched her
products way back in 1970. Today, the Indian cosmetics industry has a plethora of herbal
cosmetic brands like Forest Essentials, Biotique, Himalaya, Blossom Kochhar, VLCC, Dabur
and Lotus and many more. The Indian cosmetics industry has emerged as one of the unique
industries holding huge potential for further growth. In 2009, the cosmetics industry
registered sales of INR 356.6 Billion (US$ 7.1 Billion) despite the global economic recession.
Indian cosmetics Industry has mainly been driven by improved purchasing power and rising
fashion consciousness of the Indian population and industry players spending readily on the
promotional activities to increase consumer awareness and develop their products.

According to a new research report, the Indian Cosmetics Industry is expected to witness
impressive growth rate in the near future owing to rising beauty concern of both men and
women. Today the industry holds promising growth prospects for both existing and new
players.

The baseline is that there has been a rise in variety of products offered by the industry players
in the country. The companies have started going for rural expansion and are offering
specialized products to generate revenues from all the corners of the country. Improvement
and strengthening of the Indian economy in the coming years will also pave the way for the
Indian cosmetics market over the forecast period and develop the Cosmetic Industry.

The Indian Cosmetic market which traditionally a stronghold of a few major Indian players
like Lakme, and Ponds has seen a lot of foreign entrants to the market within the last decade.
India is a very price sensitive market and the cosmetics and personal care product companies,
especially the new entrants have had to work out new innovative strategies to suit Indian
preferences and budgets to establish a hold on the market and establish a niche market for
them.
Market Capitalization
According to analysis and figures given by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the
total Indian beauty and cosmetic market size currently stands at US$950 million and showing
growth between 15-20% per annum. The overall beauty and wellness market that includes
beauty services stands at about US$2,680 million, according to CII estimates.
Size of the industry
The size of Indian Cosmetics Industry globally is $ 274 billion, while that of the Indian
cosmetic industry is $ 4.6 billion. The current size of the Indian Cosmetic Industry is approx
US$ 600 million. Among these fastest growing segment is color cosmetics, accounting for
around US$ 60 million of the market. Industry sources estimate a rapid growth rate of 20%
per annum across different segments of the cosmetics industry reflecting with an increasing
demand for all kinds of beauty and personal care product. Growth in the Indian Cosmetic

Industry has come mainly from the low and medium-priced categories that account for 90 %
of the cosmetics market in terms of volume.
Domestic and Export Share
Costs for importing other products are much higher than producing it in the country. India
usually allows the entry of imported cosmetics without any restrictions but the average
import tariff on cosmetics products is currently very high at 39.2%.

Top Company Name

HUL
Dabur India
Marico
Godrej Consumer
Colgate
P and G
Emami
Gillette India
Godrej Ind
Jyothy Labs
Bajaj Corp
MFL India
JL Morison
JHS Svendgaard
GKB Ophthalmics
Magna Ind
Techtran Polyle
Adore Multi
Ideal Optics

3.2 COMPANY PROFILE

INTRODUCTION TO HUL
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer
Goods Company with a heritage of over 80 years in India and touches the lives of two
out of three Indians.
HUL works to create a better future every day and helps people feel good, look
good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and
good for others.
With over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories such as soaps, detergents,
shampoos, skin care, toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, packaged foods,
ice cream, and water purifiers, the Company is a part of the everyday life of millions
of consumers across India. Its portfolio includes leading household brands such as
Lux, Lifebuoy, Surf Excel, Rin, Wheel, Fair & Lovely, Ponds, Vaseline, Lakm,
Dove, Clinic Plus, Sunsilk, Pepsodent, Closeup, Axe, Brooke Bond, Bru, Knorr,
Kissan, Kwality Walls and Pureit.
The Company has over 16,000 employees and has an annual turnover of INR
30,170 crores (financial year 2014 15). HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever, one of the
worlds leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in
more than 100 countries across the globe with annual sales of 53.3 billion in 2015.
Unilever has 67.25% shareholding in HUL.
PONDS COMPANY OVERVIEW

Pond's has been synonymous with skin care in India since 1947. The impressive track
record of Pond's began when Theron T Pond, a pharmacist from Utica New York, introduced
'Pond's Golden Treasure in 1846, a witch-hazel based wonder product. In 1914, Pond's Cold
Cream and Vanishing Cream marked the brand's evolution to a beauty icon. In 1955 Pond's
Extract Company merged with Chesebrough Manufacturing and in 1987 Unilever purchased
Chesebrough-Pond's.
By this time the Pond's brand had built up a powerful international presence. From
one man in a tiny home-made laboratory, to today's state of the art R&D facilities led from
Bangkok, Mumbai, New York and Tokyo, the Pond's promise has remained the same across
58 countries - to deliver products that make a real difference to women's skin and the way
they live their lives

Ponds talcum
Ponds dft 400 gm
Ponds dft 200 gm
Ponds dft 100 gm
Ponds dft 50 gm
Ponds dft 20 gm
Ponds magic 400 gm
Ponds magic 100 gm
Ponds magic 50 gm
Ponds magic 20 gm
Ponds sandal talc 300 gm
Ponds sandal talc 100 gm
Ponds sandal talc 50 gm
Ponds sandal talc 20 gm
Ponds oil control 400 gm
Ponds oil control 100 gm
VASELINE
Vaseline is a trusted brand worldwide associated with daily skin care and healthy skin
for the entire family. Vaseline has been keeping skin healthy since 1870.
The Vaseline Philosophy:

The need for Vaseline is based on real skin facts. We believe our skin is amazing. It
protects us, heals itself, connects us to the world, transmits emotions. And this amazing skin
needs to be looked after. Nobody knows skin, and how to keep it at its healthy best. This why
HUL make products that maintain our skin condition at its best and enhances its natural
health.
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly I.P.
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is a mixture of Mineral oils, Paraffin and microcrystalline
waxes, is that when blended together, create something remarkable- it literally melts into your
body, protecting the skin from within.
Vaseline petroleum Jelly serves two functions. First it helps keep the outside world
out it protects skin from effects of weather and exposure. Second it acts like a sealant to
keep the inside world in, thereby acting as a barrier to the natural water loss from our skin. So
Skin that is dry and chapped is protected from drying elements, enabling skin softening
moisture to build up naturally from inside the skin itself.
Vaseline Total Moisture Body Lotion:
Beneath the surface, your skin is 90% water, enabling it to act as a moisture and
nutrient reserve. So keeping your skin well hydrated is critical to your well-being.
Unfortunately however, our body tends to lose moisture throughout the day. Bathing,
casual contact, washing, sitting in the AC for too long, seasonal changes, all robs the body of
its moisture. Vaseline Total Moisture is a fast-absorbing lotion enriched with Soya and Oat
protein that are known to nourish the skin from deep inside while Vitamin E feeds your skin
with the nutrient that is essential to keep it glowing. Together they result in healthy looking
skin.
Vaseline Aloe Cool and Fresh Body Lotion:

With the goodness of Cucumber and Aloe Vera, this light moisturising body lotion is
especially made to meet your skin needs in summer. Cucumber is a surprising beauty secret
for the skin with its hydrating, cooling and soothing properties. Aloe Vera on the other hand,
is an unparalleled moisturiser and cell rejuvenator which is excellent for dry skin. Together,
these two ingredients can keep your skin looking and feeling its healthiest best.
VASELINE & PONDS

Vaseline body lottion 300 ml

Vaseline body lottion 100 ml
Vaseline body lottion 25 ml
Vaselin aloe fresh 300 ml
Vaselin aloe fresh 100 ml
Vaseline petolium jelly 100 gm
Vaseline petolium jelly 50 gm
Vaseline petolium jelly 25 gm
Vaseline petolium jelly 8 gm
Vaseline lipcare 10 gm
Ponds cold cream 100 gm
Ponds cold cream 55 gm
Ponds cold cream 30 gm
Ponds cold cream 8 gm
Ponds body lottion 300 ml
Ponds body lottion 100 ml
PONDS WHITE BEAUTY
Part of the Unilever portfolio since 1986, Pond's recently announced the launch of
'Pond's White Beauty Detox' range that gives a visibly illuminated and nourished pink glow.
Talking of luminous, Pond's White Beauty is not just about skin whitening for the consumer,
but bout a radiant healthy skin that gives a nourished pink glow. Pond's White Beauty has
detoxifying vitamins B3, B6, E, and C, which neutralizes the effect of darkness-causing
impurities found in the environment and reduces accumulated melanin, thus giving a smooth,
pure and bright skin.

Pond's White Beauty represents the international expertise of Pond's in providing

superlative skincare regimes. Increasingly, Indian women are looking for the complete
skincare regime of cleansing, toning and moisturizing and this product range provides all
beauty regimes requirements.
The range consists of White Beauty Detox Cleanser which cleans thoroughly, White
Beauty Detox Toner, which tightens the open pores and smoothens out the rough appearance
of the skin; White Beauty Skin Lightening Cream with Detox vitamins that nourish skin from
within, and White Beauty Detox Lotion, which replenishes skin's natural moisture
level and gives visibly glowing and smooth pinkish skin

PONDS AGE MIRACLE

As a brand that understands women, around the world, Pond's recognizes that true
beauty is derived from love and warmth as well as the credibility of an international skincare
heavyweight. Pond's is offering a variety of ranges for women. Ponds Age Miracle is another
example of that.
Candlelight dinners, long drives and the sound of saxophones will be part of your
lives, once again. The smell of love in the air, the feeling of your heart skipping a beat, once
again. Then Hindustan Lever threw a party to formally launch its premium Pond's Age
Miracle rangeit used these words in invitation. . The FMCG major promised to bring romance
back into the 35-plus woman's life with a new look courtesy Pond's Age Miracle