EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The project at Kerala Kaumudi (P) Ltd is a humble attempt to get familiarize with its
organization structure, duties and responsibilities of each department and also to analyze
how far the structure is in par with its objectives Kerala Kaumudi (P) Ltd started as a
wee!ly in "#"" by the first professional journalist in Kerala, $hri % & Kunjuraman with
a vision to spread the principles of $reenarayana 'uru (is son, $hri K $u!umaran
made it as a daily newspaper on "
st
)ovember "#*+ Kerala Kaumudi is published from
Trivandrum, Kollam, ,lappuzha, Kochi, Kozhi!ode, Kannur in Kerala and -angalore
,nd for )./s there is one gulf edition too Kerala Kaumudi is the fourth largest
circulated 0alayalam daily The paper has online editions in 0alayalam and 1nglish
that are updated twice daily )ow Kerala Kaumudi is celebrating its #2 years of
publication
The main products of Kerala Kaumudi (P) ltd are Kerala Kaumudi daily, flash and
magazine The actual content these publications come from two separate departments
The ads, whether 3display3 ads or 3line3 ads (usually found in the classified section) are
sold and often produced by the $pace 0ar!eting department 1verything else44the
news, features, columns, photos, and stoc! 5uotes44all of that comes from the editorial
department and is referred to as 3editorial content3 Then the newspaper has to be
delivered, which is one of the things the Product 0ar!eting department ta!es care of
This department also spends a considerable amount of time encouraging people to read
their publication
There are all sorts of other departments, too Production department prints the
publications in accordance with the print order given by the %irculation 6epartment
0aterials department ta!es care of timely procurement and supply of raw materials
necessary for the smooth production The 6ebtors 0anagement 6epartment bills the
advertisers and collects the payments The human resources department !eeps trac! of
"
hiring, maintenance and other employment issues 7inance department wor! for raising,
deployment and utilization of funds needed for the business ,part from these one
$ystem 6epartment is also there for the maintenance and development of 0/$
7or the study both the primary and secondary data were collected 7indings and
suggestions are drawn on the basis of the detailed analysis of the collected information
in an unbiased manner
8
CHAPTER -I
INTRODUCTION
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
.1&/19 :7 L/T1.,T;.1
OBJECTIVES
RESEARCH 61$/')
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
LIMITATIONS
%(,PT1./$,T/:)
<
INTRODUCTION
7ormulation of mar!eting strategy re5uires vital information on each and
every element in the mar!eting mi= viz 4 product price, promotion and
distribution , This is true for every consumer product, be it pin or pistol
Knowledge of present mar!et , type of consumers, their li!es and disli!es and
strategies adopted by competitors constitute an important input for decisions on
product modification and mar!et diversification 1very product is designed and
directed towards satisfaction of consumer needs, the efficiency with which this
is achieved determines mar!et success of that product The gaps in meeting
consumer needs are to be identified and rightly plugged )ewspaper as product
is designed to meet the information needs of an individual This needs to be
satisfied by providing the right !ind of information at the right time and at right
place )ewspaper readers as consumers have varied and diverse !inds of
information needs and preferences based on their lone of activity There is always
common minimum information on current affairs to be supplied Publishers as
producers , try to supply the consumers needs The current study attempts to
asses how far information needs are being satisfactorily met by publishers
$ince the invention of the printing press and in more recent times of a
multitude of communication forms including Telegrams, Telephone, Tele=,
%amera and films, photographs, radio, Television The world has been truly
transformed The messages of all !inds are continuously transmitted to a vast
number of recipients The advent of mass media and their presence in our daily
life has been one of the major features of the contemporary world
*
1=pansion of various sectors of communication , and more particularly the
mass media, increases the importance and stimulates e=pansion of agencies,
which supply and circulate news to newspapers and broadcasters , and to other
specialized consumers, public in general getting news in an indirect way Press
agencies are the major and sometimes the only source of information to this
media especially for the news of foreign countries
/n /ndia newspapers play an important role to perform both as >&:?4
pouli@ A voice of the peopleB and the builder of the public opinion
)ewspapers are publishing in different languages with different periodicity,
formats and contents /t satisfies the diverse interest of the readers and gives
specific potential to customers and advertisers Thus it acts as a bridge between
policy ma!ers and public
The newspaper production is certainly a uni5ue business which facilitates
the flow of news to satisfy social needs and wants 1ach day, newspaper
publishers gather new ingredients for newspapers Thus newspaper can be treated
as uni5ue product having different ingredients
)ewspaper business is similar to any other business in the sense that it
plays for its raw materials and sells the finished product to cover costs and ma!e
a profit /t sells part of the printing space to individuals, public institutions, and
business organizations for their personal and business messages in the form of
advertisements This is the major portion of their revenue The remaining space is
covered with selected news, views, pictures, cartoons, and comics to inform and
entertain readers , part of the total cost of producing newspaper is realized from the
sale of a printing space, sales of newspaper at the cost less than its cost of production
1ven though the medium technologies li!e radio, television, etc, can give news
instantly, )ewspaper@s importance cannot be over loo!ed by offering combination of
C
sight, sound and motion Television has a capacity to demonstrate the news, but its life
is very short to display /n the case of newspaper, news will last longer and the readers
have the freedom to go through it at any time, at their convenience
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
7rom "#*+, the sales of the Kerala Kaumudi daily was good and it was the third
largest selling 0alayalam daily 1ven though they are having #D years of publishing,
from 8++< the sales of the product is showing a downward trend This study aims at a
primary en5uiry on this hypothesis
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The history and other details of Kerala Kaumudi have been ta!en and adapted from
the website www!erala!aumudicom $ome information have been ta!en from the
organizational study conducted by the candidate himself for a previous semester of this
course
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To study consumer preferences for the Kerala Kaumudi 6aily, analyzing
readership demographies
RESEARCH DESIGN
.esearch 0ethodology is a way of systematically solve the research
problem /t may be understood as a science of studying how research is done
scientifically , 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
2
economy in procedure The present study consists of a research design falling within
e=ploratory research studies The main purpose of such studies is that of formulating a
problem for more precise investigation or of developing the wor!ing hypotheses from
an operational point of view
TOOLS OF DATA COLLECTION
" Primary data
8 $econdary data
PRIMARY DATA
Primary data are the main source of information for the study /t refers to
those collected fresh and for the first time and thus happens to be original in character
The primary data for the study was collected mainly from readers of 0alayalam )ews
Papers through a 5uestionnaire
SECONDARY DATA
The secondary data for the study has been collected from journals,
magazines -oo!s of 0ar!eting and from boo!s of )ews Papers and also from the
internet
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
$ampling is a process of obtaining information about an entire population by
e=amining a part of it /n this particular study, .andom $ampling was used for the
collection of data
D
RANDOM SAMPLING
This type of sampling is also !nown as chance sampling or probability sampling,
where each and every item in the population has an e5ual chance of inclusion in the
sample and each one of the possible samples, in case of finite universe, has the same
probability of being selected
This procedure gives each item an e5ual probability of being selected /n case of
infinite population, the selection of each item in a random sample is controlled by the
same probability and that successive selections are independent of one another
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
/nformation is vital in modern life :ne of the sources of information is
newspapers Today the average newspaper reader has a circle &ariety of choices are
before him, such as 0athrubhoomi, 0alayala 0anorama, The (indu, The /ndian
1=press, 6eshabhimani etc 6ifferent readers prefer different newspapers because each
consumer has his own taste The study is an attempt to understand the mar!et potential
of Kerala Kaumudi in Thiruvananthapuram /t helps in assessing the customer needs
ta!ing care of newspaper as a product The study will help the company to decide the
mar!et strategy and to modify the overall layout of the product to attract the readers
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
The data is gathered from the respondent through 5uestionnaire The
5uestionnaire is a format list of 5uestions to be answered in the survey Euestionnaire is
administered by personal interview with the respondents The 5uestionnaire used for
data collection is under guided structured one
F
SAMPLING UNIT
$ubscribers were selected mainly from the different areas of Thiruvananthapuram city
SAMPLE SIZE
$ample size of population is fi=ed as 8++ subscribers of 0alayalam )ews
Papers
AREA OF STUDY
,rea of study is limited in Thiruvananthapuram city
PERIOD OF STUDY
The study was conducted from "Cth $eptember to <+th :ctober 8++F
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
,n in4depth study was not possible because the time limit was the main
constraint $ome of the respondents hesitated to fill the 5uestionnaires
$ome respondents did not respond properly $uch responses were eliminated
$ince Kerala Kaumudi (P) Ltd, is a private sector company, access to some
important information was restricted This made some difficulties during the time
of analysis
CHAPTERISATION
Chapt! I gives an introduction to the study This chapter includes statement of
the problem, scope and objectives of the study, research methodology and limitations
of the study
#
Chapt! II deals with the profile of )ews paper industry
Chapt! III presents the history and profile of Kerala Kaumudi (P) Ltd4where
this wor! has been carried out and the product line of the company
Chapt! IV analyses the data collected from respondents
Chapt! V deals with the 7indings, %onclusions and suggestions of the
study
"+
CHAPTER " II
INDUSTRY PROFILE
""
INDUSTRY PROFILE
THE POWER OF PRESS
6uring the last two decades, newspapers have made more technological
advances than at any time since the development of the automatic type setting machines
and fact offset press in the last "#th century The huge, clac!ing machines that
labouredly set lines of type in lead for almost a century have disappeared from news
paper plants
They have been replaced by the sophisticated electronic typesetting
system that uses computers to store information and then words into lines of type
)ewspaper publishers are now e=perimenting with the use of computers and television
to transmit news, advertising and other information direct to homes $ome people
believe that the newspaper of the future will not be printed but will be an electronic
information service instantly available in every home
ORIGIN OF PRINTING
9e can say that growth of the printing technology is for the newspapers
because there is no other product, which re5uires this much 5uantity of production per
day with this much of speed /t is believed that printing was started in the Fth century
/n the field of printing, lithography
came into e=istence in "D#F as the technology of the poor man /t was developed by
,lois $enefolder Lithography established better position in printing during "#C+@s with
continuous modification and innovation from its origin
PRESS AND MEDIA
"8
.egistrar of )ewspapers of /ndia commonly !nown as press registrar came into
being on "st Guly "#C2 -esides the statutory functions, the .egistrar recommends
import of printing machinery and allied materials for newspapers The duties and
functions of the press registrar are defined in the >press and registration of boo!s act@
"F2D as amended from time to time
)ews papers were published in as many as "++ languages and dialects during
8+++ ,part from 1nglish and "F principle languages enumerated in the schedule of
the constitution, )ewspapers were published in F" other languages mostly /ndian
languages The highest number of )ewspapers were published in (indi language
The )ews papers were published from all states and union territories
;ttarpradesh, with 2F+* newspapers stood first in /ndia /n the case of dailies also,
;ttarpradesh held the top position with D<C dailies H-ombay $amacharI a 'ujarathi
daily published from 0umbai is the oldest e=isting )ewspaper
MODERN TRENDS IN NEWS PAPERS
The most important function of the newspapers is communication or spreading
the information to the public The first phase of the journalism is the collection and
processing of information Printing is only the second phase in journalism The
information can be reached to the public by many ways The information technology is
the parting gift of the past century )ewspapers are not able to survive for a long
period without assimilating the revolutionary changes in information technology /n
the modern days newspapers are unavoidable in the world
)ewspapers are still growing because it is also developing with the revolutionary
changes in the information technology The printing technology also has developed a
lot (ere we are trying to loo! at the developments in printing and other areas of
newspapers for the last one and a half century /t is surprising to see that the major
developments have ta!en place in the last two decades
"<
)ow the whole world is with in the reach of the newspapers There is no
constrain of time and distance This is not only applicable in the collection of news but
also on the distribution of news The computer has changed the face of journalism
(ere we can have a loo! on the influence of various technological developments on the
face of newspapers
C#$p% t!& %omputer can be considered as the gift of the 8+th century )ewspapers
e=ploit computers in all its operations /t is used to get the news, pictures, to edit them,
to layout them and to distribute it to the printing centers situated at different parts of the
world The computer networ!, internet, 14mail etc, is very helpful for the collection and
dissemination of information from, and to the different regions of the world
Ph#t# T!a'($)(()#'& ,long with the coming of th fa=, photo transmission has
also developed /n this technology photos can be transmitted from one place to another
through the telephone line /t helps the journalists to transmit the news to the office
from different areas of the world ,nother technology used in the field is >facsimile@ /t
facilitates the transmission of news pages from the central unit to other units of the
newspaper ,ll these developments help the newspapers to convey the latest
information to the public as far as possible
O**(t P!)'t)'+& The introduction of offset printing in newspapers ma!es the
printing wor! easy and faster /t is very efficient as compared to the old methods of
printing
CTP ,C#$p%t! t# P-at.& /t is the latest development in the printing of
newspapers /n this method the pages prepared by the editor can be transmitted into a
plate and the plate can be directly used in the press /t also facilitates saving of time and
money in the printing wor!
NEWS ON THE INTERNET
"*
The development of the information technology gives rise to the concept
of >news papers without paper@ 9e can read the news from the /nternet editions of
various newspapers Today a 0alayalee can read the news from any part of the world
using the facility of /nternet /t is interesting to see that two 0alayalam newspapers
started its /nternet edition in "##D /t is almost same with the other parts of the world
>)ews card@ is also new development in the newspaper field
There are many other developments in the newspaper in collecting the
information, in printing and in conveying the information to the public 7rom all this
we can see that the newspaper is growing along with the developments in the world and
we can e=pect a lot in the future too
THE INDIAN NEWSPAPER SOCIETY
The /ndian and 1astern )ewspaper $ociety, now renamed as, The /ndian
)ewspaper $ociety, enjoys a uni5ue position as the accredited spo!esman of the
newspaper industry
The foundation of the society, in the year of the beginning of 9orld 9ar
//, was the first step in giving direction and cohesion to a vital industry -ecause the
Press till then had been growing at random, without organization support, mutual co4
ordination or any protection from the numerous pressure groups that independent
publications are invariably e=posed to
AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATION
The ,-% of /ndia was organized on ,pril 8F, "#*F /t audits and analyses
the circulation of all the registered newspapers
OBJECTIVES
To $ecure accurate figures and data relating to all periodicals and media that sell
advertising space
"C
To obtain information as to area of distribution, and fi= standard forms and
methods, for ascertaining the net sales figures
To obtain all information that will be of assistance to advertisers in estimating the
values of any publication for advertising purposes
To record such information and circulate it to members of the -ureau
RECENT TRENDS IN NEWSPAPER MEDIA
/n some countries, high operating e=penses have driven many )ews
papers out of -usiness ,nother trend was the importance of newspapers chains
)ews Papers chains brought about by mergers grew though out the early "#++s -ut
they have brought up papers at an especially rapid rate since "#2+s /n ;$, about D+J
of all dailies belong to chains
/n /ndia there are 8+++ daily news papers in more than F+ languages Total
circulation is more than "D million 1nglish language press remains influential
$ome e=amples of daily newspapers are
Times of /ndia
The )ew /ndian 1=press
The (indu etc circulates widely among urban middle class
/n 0alayalam language, the most famous daily newspapers are
Kerala Kaumudi
0alayala 0anorama
0athrubhumi
6esabhimani
0angalam
0adhyamam
"2
CHAPTER-III
COMPANY PROFILE
"D
COMPANY PROFILE
HISTORY OF /ERALA /AUMUDI
0/!a-a /a%$%1)2 was started by Late Sh!)3C3V3 /%'4%!a$a' in the year
"#""
/n the year "#*+, >Kerala Kaumudi@ was converted into a 6aily by Late
P,60,-(::$(,) K $;K;0,.,), the younger son of 0r%& Kunjuraman
The elder brother of $hri$u!umaran, Late 0rK6amodaran, who was the (ead
Transilater in the 'ovt was wor!ing in the editorial section for a long time Late
$ahodaran K,yyappan, a well !nown figure in Gournalism was a contributor of articles
which was published every sunday /t is a strange coincidence that state of Kerala was
born on )ovember "
st
"#C2, which is actually after "2 years after the Kerala Kaumudi
was converted into a daily
$tarting with a single edition from Trivandrum, today the Kerala Kaumudi
family is spread into seven editions including an edition from -angalore Kerala
Kaumudi was the first )ews paper which introduced photo type setting and cable photo
transmission among the 0alayalam newspapers Today, latest computerization is
implemented in all the units of Kerala Kaumudi and Kerala Kaumudi is going ahead
with )ew 'eneration 1lectronic application The unbiased and fearless editorials
which is the trump card of the )ewspaper was instrumental for confering
P,60,-(::$(,) to Late $hriK$u!umaran, the one and only
P,T(.,6(/P,.
"F
% & Kunjuraman started Kerala Kaumudi, the third largest circulating
daily in Kerala in "#"" /t was started to protect and safeguard the interests of the
bac!ward communities /n the beginning, it was a monthly publication The publishing
was interrupted many times due to several reasons /t was restarted as a fortnightly
publication, Later it was developed into a news paper, which was published C days a
wee! /t was again banned by $ir%P.amaswami /yer, who was the 6ivan in that
period, on allegation of anti4governmental activities 0rK$u!umaran was jailed
during this time and after his release, the newspaper was restarted as Kerala Kaumudi,
in "#*+
/t was then published on all days e=cept 0ondays till "#2< 7rom "#2<,
the company started a 0onday magazine and thus converted Kerala Kaumudi into a
daily newspaper /t was a turning point in the history of Kerala Kaumudi /t mar!ed the
beginning of the development of the Kerala Kaumudi
PRESENT STAGE
)ow, Kerala Kaumudi has "+ units of publication They are situated at
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, ,lappuzha, Kochi, Kozhi!ode, Kannur, Thrissur,
Kottayam -angalore and 'ulf /ts total circulation has reached over three la!hs /t has
also other publications
The other publications from the house of Kerala Kaumudi are
" Kerala Kaumudi 9ee!ly
8 Kerala Kaumudi ,nnual
< Kerala Kaumudi 7lash ()o" 0idday in /ndia)
* $nehitha 9omen 0agazine
C 7ire
2 0uhurtham
D &ellina!shatram (Top most cinema magazine)
F ,yurarogyam
"#
MAR/ET STAGE
The present stage of the organization is in the fourth position in
circulation 0alayala 0anorama has the first position The second and third ran!s go to
0athrubhumi and 6esabhimani respectively
MAR/ETING DEPARTMENT
The 6epartment is headed by the ,sst'eneral 0anager This department
is divided in to two
" Product 0ar!eting
8 $pace 0ar!eting
7unctions
" 0ar!eting the commercial space in the newspaper
8 0eeting and convincing the advertisers
< 0a!ing the advertisers aware of the benefits of advertising in the
newspaper
* 0a!ing collection from advertisers
C 7i=ing the commercial space and deciding the rates of the space
of advertisements
8+
ORGANIZATION CHART
8"
HEAD OFFICE CIRCULATION SECTION CHART
88
UNIT OFFICE CIRCULATION SECTION CHART
8<
CHAPTER - IV
DATA ANALYSIS
AND
INTERPRETATION
8*
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
,s part of the study, a field survey among the 8++ readers were carried out
by using structured 5uestionnaires The collected data were analyzed and interpreted by
using statistical tools and techni5ues
EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF THE SAMPLE RESPONDENTS
TABLE 5
INFERENCE
S-3N#
E$p-#6$'t
Stat%(
N#3 #* R(p#'1't(
P!7'ta+
" 1mployed "8+ 2+
8 ;nemployed F+ *+
T#ta- 899 599
8C
0ajority of respondents 2+J in the sample were found to be employed and
remaining *+ percent were unemployed 9hether employed or not the residents of
Thiruvananthapuram city have a high literacy rate and hence they are very particular
about the authencity and the other good 5ualities of a newspaper That may be why the
circulation decreases year by year
CHART 5
82

Employment status of the sample
respondents
60
40
Employed
Unemployed
8D
EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF SAMPLE RESPONDENTS
TABLE 8
S-3N# E1%7at)#'a-
Q%a-)*)7at)#'(
N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" -elow
0atriculation
F *
8 $$L% "8 2
< Pre46egree 82 "<
* 'raduates C* 8D
C Post 'raduates D+ <C
2 Professional <+ "C
T#ta- 899 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of newspaper readers (<CJ) in the sample were found to be Post
graduates, 8D percent were graduates, "C percent were professionals, "< percent were
Pre46egree holders and 2 percent of respondents were $$L% and * percent below
matriculation ,s the majority consists of Post graduates and Professionals, the readers
are interested in more and more attractive and authentic dailies This may result in the
decrease in sales
CHART 8
8F
EDUCATIONAL STATUS OF SAMPLE RESPONDENTS
Professional
Post
Graduates
Graduates
Below
Matriculation
Pre-Degree
SS!
0
"
#0
#"
$0
$"
%0
%"
40
SEXWISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS
8#
TABLE :
S-3N# S; N#3#*
!(p#'1't(
P!7'ta+
" 0ale "8+ 2+
8 7emale F+ *+
T#ta- 899 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents (2+J) were found to be 0ales and remaining (*+ J)
were females /t is interpreted that majority of )ews paper readers are males
CHART :
SEXWISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS
<+

60 40
Male
&emale
INCOME WISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS
TABLE <
<"
S-3N#3 M#'th-6
I'7#$
N#3 #* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" -elow .s8C++ <" "2
8 .s8C++4C+++ C# 8#
< .sC+++4DC++ FD **
* ,bove .sDC++ 8< ""
T#ta- 899 599
INFERENCE
.espondents were as!ed about their monthly income 0ajority of respondents
(**J) belongs to .sC+++4DC++ monthly income category while 8# percent belongs to
.s8C++4C+++ category ,bove .sDC++ income group constituted only "" percent "2
percent of the respondents belonged to .s8C++ income group
CHART <
INCOME WISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS
<8
0
#0
$0
%0
40
"0
B
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l
o
w
'
s
(
$
"
0
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"
0
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0
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Monthly Income
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P
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Series#
REGULAR READERS OF NEWSPAPER
TABLE =
S-3N# Na$ #* Da)-6 N#3 #* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
<<
" Kerala Kaumudi 8+ "+
8 0athrubhoomi *+ 8+
< 0alayala
0anorama
#+ *C
* 6eepi!a C 8C
C 0angalam D <C
2 %handri!a < "C
D 6eshabhimani <C "DC
T#ta- 899 599
INFERENCE
.espondents were as!ed about their choice of newspapers they selected
0ajority of respondents (*CJ) selected 0alayala 0anorama daily, followed by
0athrubhoomi (8+J), 6eshabhimani (<CJ), Kerala Kaumudi ("+J), 0angalam
(<CJ), 6eepi!a (8CJ) and %handri!a ("CJ) /t is interpreted that Kerala Kaumudi
occurs the fourth position
CHART =
REGULAR READERS OF NEWSPAPER
<*
0
#0
$0
%0
40
"0
-
e
r
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Name of Daily
N
o
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e
s
p
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e
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t
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Series$
REGULAR READERS OF /ERALA /AUMUDI
TABLE >
<C
S-3N#3 Ra1!( N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" .egular
readers
"C DC
8 :ccasional
readers
C 8C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
.espondents were as!ed about their regularity of newspaper reading
0ajority (DCJ) of the respondents were found to be regular readers of Kerala Kaumudi
daily :nly 8C percent of respondents were occasional readers
SUBSCRIBERS OF /ERALA /AUMUDI
TABLE NO ?
<2
S-3N#3 S%@(7!)@!( N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" Kes "D FC
8 )o < "C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents (FCJ) were found to be subscribers of Kerala
Kaumudi, "C percent of respondents were regular readers but they were not subscribers
and they were found to read the Kerala Kaumudi from other sources
SOURCES OF PURCHASE
TABLE NO A
<D
S-3N#3 S#%!7 #*
P%!7ha(
N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" .egular agents "2 F+
8 :utlets * 8+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
$ubscribers of Kerala Kaumudi purchased the same from regular agents or
outlets 0ajority of respondents (F+J) purchased the daily from regular agents
.emaining 8+ percent of respondents purchased same from other outlets
SOURCE OF READING
TABLE NO B
<F
INFERENCE
.espondents who were not the subscribers used different sources to read the
Kerala Kaumudi daily They are from library, office, friends etc 0ajority of
respondents (FCJ) were regular subscribers of reading Kerala Kaumudi :nly CJ each
comes under each of the other sources
CHART >
SOURCE OF READING
S-3N#3 S#%!7 #*
!a1)'+
N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" Library " C
8 :ffice " C
< 7riends " C
* $ubscribers "D FC
T#ta- 89 599
<#
0
$0
40
60
00
#00
i+rary 1ffice &riends Su+scri+ers

READERS OF AREA OF PREFERENCE
TABLE NO 59
*+
S-3N#3 A!a
p!*!!)'+
N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" $ports )ews " C
8 -usiness )ews " C
< %urrent )ews "" CC
* )ational L
/nternational
)ews
< "C
C Political )ews * 8+
2 1conomy + +
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents used daily for the purpose of reading current news
(CCJ) while 8+ percent of respondents selected the daily for reading political news
$ports news and business news constituted C percent each :nly "C percent of readers
preferred national and international news /t is interpreted that majority of respondents
preferred the daily for reading current news )o respondents preferred news on
economy
CHART ?
READERS OF AREA OF PREFERENCE
*"
0
#0
$0
%0
40
"0
60
S
p
o
r
t
s

2
e
w
s
B
u
s
i
n
e
s
s
2
e
w
s
!
u
r
r
e
n
t
2
e
w
s
2
a
t
i
o
n
a
l

3
4
n
t
e
r
n
a
t
i
o
n
a
l
2
e
w
s
P
o
l
i
t
i
c
a
l
2
e
w
s
E
c
o
n
o
m
y
Series$
REASONS FOR NOT-SELECTING /ERALA /AUMUDI
TABLE 55
*8
S-3N# Ra(#'( N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" )ot
interested
"<C DC
8 )ot aware + +
< :thers *C 8C
T#ta- 5A9 599
INFERENCE
.eaders opined different reasons for not4selecting Kerala Kaumudi
0ajority of respondents (DCJ) argued that they were not interested in Kerala Kaumudi
)o respondents opined that they were not aware about Kerala Kaumudi and only 8C
percent opined other reasons for not selecting Kerala Kaumudi This resulted in a
considerable decrease in the sales of Kerala Kaumudi
OPINION ABOUT INFORMING CURRENT NEWS BY
/ERALA /AUMUDI
TABLE 58
S-3N#3 Op)')#' N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
*<
" 1=cellent 8 "+
8 'ood C 8C
< $atisfactory "+ C+
* ;nsatisfactory < "C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents, C+J argued that the level of informing current news
was >satisfacory@, followed by >'ood@ (8CJ) and >1=cellent@ "+ percent /t is interesting
to note that "C percent of readers rated it as >unsatisfactory@ This implies that majority
of the respondents suggested that the 6aily is successful in reporting current news
CHART A
OPINION ABOUT INFORMING CURRENT NEWS BY
/ERALA /AUMUDI
**
E5cellent
#06
Good
$"6
Satisfactory
"06
Unsatisfact
ory
#"6
OPINION ABOUT CHANGE OF GENERAL FORMAT
TABLE NO 5:
*C
S-3N#3 Op)')#' N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" Kes 8+ "++
8 )o + +
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
.espondents were as!ed about the change of general format of Kerala Kaumudi
,ll respondents favoured change in the general format of Kerala Kaumudi This might,
in general, result in the decrease of consumer preference of Kerala Kaumudi
AREAS WHERE THE READERS WANT TO CHANGE THE
GENERAL FORMAT
TABLE NO 5<
S-3N#3 A!a( #*
Cha'+
N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" :ver all
appearance
"C DC
8 7onts " C
*2
< )ewsprint * 8+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
DC percent re5uire change in overall appearance, only C percent re5uire
change in fonts and 8+ percent re5uire change in general format This shows that
majority of readers are dissatisfied with the present layout of Kerala Kaumudi
CHART B
AREAS WHERE THE READERS WANT TO CHANGE THE GENERAL FORMAT
*D
)"
"
$0
1,er all
appearance
&onts
2ewsprint
OPINION ABOUT /ERALA /AUMUDI SUPPLEMENT
TABLE 5=
S-3N# Op)')#' N#3 #* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" 1=cellent C 8C
8 'ood "+ C+
*F
< $atisfactory C 8C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
,mong the Kerala Kaumudi readers C+ percent of respondents argued that the
supplement was >'ood@ 8C percent each opined that it was >e=cellent@ and
satisfactory
CHART 59
OPINION ABOUT /ERALA /AUMUDI SUPPLEMENT
*#
E5cellent
Good
Satisfactory
CHOICE OF ADDING MORE ARTICLES
TABLE NO 5>
C+
S-3N#3 Op)')#' N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" Kes "2 F+
8 )o * 8+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of the readers (F+J) were interested to add more relevant articles
than the present The remaining 8+ percent are satisfied with the present articles /t is
interpreted that majority of the readers re5uire more relevant articles
SATISFACTION LEVEL RESPONDENTS REGARDING
DISTRIBUTION NETWOR/
TABLE NO 5?
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
C"
" $atisfied "F #+
8 ;nsatisfied 8 "+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
,mong the readers, #+ percent were satisfied with the current distribution
networ! of Kerala Kaumudi :nly "+ percent of readers were unsatisfied with the
distribution networ! $o the networ! system is found satisfactory
SUGGESTION REGARDING IMPROVEMENT OF
DISTRIBUTION NETWOR/
TABLE 5A
S-3N# S%++(t)#'( N#3#* !(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
C8
" 0ore outlets # *C
8 0ore ,gents "+ C+
< :thers " C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents (C+J) revealed that more agents are essential *CJ
stated that more outlets are inevitable and CJ of readers suggested for other means of
improvement ,ll of them needed improvement in the distribution networ!
PECULIAR FEATURES OF /ERALA /AUMUDI WITH OTHER
DAILIES
.espondents were as!ed about the level of rising of peculiar features of
Kerala Kaumudi than other dailies 7eatures li!e .eadability, authenticity,
understandability, coverage, attraction, accessibility, readers interaction, commitment to
the readers and promotional programs These features were rated by using a C point
scale ranging form >very low@ to >very high@
a Ra1a@)-)t6
C<
TABLE 5B
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low < "C
< 0oderate "" CC
* (igh * 8+
C &ery high " C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
0ajority of respondents (CCJ) rated readability of Kerala Kaumudi as
>0oderate@ :nly 8+ percent of readers rated it as >(igh@ "C percent rated as@low@
:nly C J each of respondents rated it as very low and very high .eadability is the most
essential re5uirement for all newspapers and hence its percentage must be enhanced to
atleast #C J
@3 A%th't)7)t6
TABLE 89
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low C 8C
< 0oderate "+ C+
* (igh < "C
C &ery high " C
C*
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
,mong the readers C+ percent rated the authenticity of Kerala Kaumudi as
>moderate@ followed by 8C percent as HlowI and "C percent as >(igh@ :nly CJ each
rated as >very low@ and >very high@ The absence of authencity may be one of the
reasons for the decline of the sales
73 U'1!(ta'1a@)-)t6
TABLE 85
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low " C
< 0oderate 8 "+
* (igh "< 2C
C &ery high < "C
T#ta- 89 599
CC
INFERENCE
,mong the readers 2C percent of respondents rated understandability of Kerala
Kaumudi as >high@, "C percent of readers graded it as >high@ and "+ percent admitted it
as >moderate@ :nly C percentage each graded it as >low@ and >very low@ $o Kerala
Kaumudi daily claims a foremost position with regard to understandability
13 C#C!a+
TABLE 88
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 4 +
8 Low " C
< 0oderate D <C
* (igh D <C
C &ery high C 8C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
C2
0ajority of respondents (<CJ) rated the coverage of Kerala Kaumudi as
>moderate@ and >high@, while 8C percent graded it as > very high@ ,nd C percentage
rated as >low@ )o respondent rated it as >very low@ 1ven if the coverage of news is
satisfactory, the circulation has a downward trend
3 Att!a7t)C'((
TABLE 8:
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low < "C
8 Low "+ C+
< 0oderate 2 <+
* (igh " C
C &ery high + +
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
CD
,mong the readers C+ percent rated that attractiveness of Kerala Kaumudi
as >low@ and "C percentage rated as >very low@ (owever <+ J rated it as moderate and
CJ rated as >high@ /t is interesting to note that no respondent rated it as >very high@
*3 A77(()@)-)t6
TABLE 8<
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low D <C
< 0oderate "+ C+
* (igh " C
C &ery high " C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
,ccessibility of Kerala Kaumudi was rated as >0oderate@ by majority of
respondents (C+J), <C percent rated the same as >low@ :nly C percentage each rated it
CF
as >high@ , >very high@ and >low@/t is interpreted that the accessibility of Kerala
Kaumudi was rated as >moderate to low@
+3 Ra1!( )'t!a7t)#'
TABLE 8=
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 8 "+
8 Low F *+
< 0oderate C 8C
* (igh * 8+
C &ery high " C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
*+ percent of readers rated .eaders interaction as >low@ while 8C percent
of readers rated it as >0oderate@ 8+ percent of readers rated it as >(igh@ :nly C
C#
percent of respondents rated it as >very high@ and "+ percent rated it as >very low@ /t is
interpreted that the rating of readers interaction was >low to moderate@
h3 C#$$)t$'t t# th !a1!(
TABLE 8>
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#*
R(p#'1't(
P!7'ta+
" &ery low 4 4
8 Low 8 "+
< 0oderate # *C
* (igh 2 <+
C &ery high < "C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
%ommitment to the readers was >0oderate@ as was revealed by *C percent
<+ percent of readers rated it as >(igh@ "C percent of readers rated it as very high /t is
interpreted that the rating of commitment to the readers was >moderate to high@
2+
)3 P!#$#t)#'a- P!#+!a$$(
TABLE 8?
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low C 8C
< 0oderate F *+
* (igh * 8+
C &ery high 8 "+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
*+ percent of respondents rated the promotional programmes as
>moderate@, while 8C percent of readers admitted it as >low@ 8+ percent of respondents
graded it as >high@ /t is interpreted that majority of respondents rated the promotional
programmes as >moderate to low@ $o more effective promotional techni5ues must be
introduced to increase sales
2"
RATING OF ATTRIBUTES RELATING TO /ERALA /AUMUDI
THAN OTHERS
.espondents were as!ed about the rating of attributes li!e page layout,
style of language used, 5uality of paper used, sensational news, regional news,
advertising, reliability of news, clarity of photographs, style of reporting and social
values These attributes were rated in a C point scale ranging from >very low@ to >very
high@
a3 Pa+ -a6#%t
TABLE 8A
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 2 <+
8 Low 2 <+
< 0oderate C 8C
* (igh 8 "+
C &ery high " C
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
<+ percent each of respondents rated the page layout of Kerala Kaumudi as >&ery
low@ and >Low@, while 8C percent of readers rated the same as >0oderate@ "+ percent
of readers graded it as >(igh@ and C percent of respondents opined as >&ery high@ /t is
28
interpreted that the rating of page layout was >Low to 0oderate@ This means that the
page layout is highly undesirable
@3 St6- #* -a'+%a+ %(1
TABLE 8B
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 8 "+
8 Low < "C
< 0oderate "+ C+
* (igh < "C
C &ery high 8 "+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
C+ percent of readers rated the style of language used as >0oderate, while "C
percent each rated it as >low@ and >high@ 9hile "+ percent each opined that the
style of language used as >very low@ and >very high@ Thus the style of language
is goodM however, consumer rate the daily unsatisfactory
2<
73 Q%a-)t6 #* Pap! U(1
TABLE :9
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low F *+
8 Low D <C
< 0oderate C 8C
* (igh 4 +
C &ery high 4 +
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
*+ percent of readers unanimously rated the 5uality of newspaper used in Kerala
Kaumudi as >&ery low@ <C percent of readers graded it as >low@ and only 8C percent
rated 5uality of newspaper used as moderate The poor 5uality of paper used seems to
be the most adverse reason for the decline of the sales of Kerala Kaumudi
13 S'(at)#'a- ND(
2*
TABLE :5
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low " C
8 Low 8 "+
< 0oderate * 8+
* (igh "" CC
C &ery high 8 "+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
CC percent of respondents rated that the sensational news was >high@, while 8+
percent of readers graded it as >0oderate@ "+ percent each rated >low@ and >very high@
and only C percent rated it as >very low@ The paper publishes news of high sensational
nature This may lead to a temporary increase in circulation -ut in the long run this
may result in decrease of sales when credibility affects the contents of the news
3 R+)#'a- ND(
TABLE :8
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
2C
" &ery low 4 4
8 Low 8 "+
< 0oderate 8 "+
* (igh * 8+
C &ery high "8 2+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
.egional news were rated as >very high@ as was revealed by 2+ percent of
respondents 8+ percent of readers rated it as >high@ /t is interested to note that only
"+ percent each of readers rated it as >low@ and >moderate@ )o respondent rated as
>very low@ /t is well !nown that Kerala Kaumudi reports more news related to
Thiruvananthapuram city This gives an impression of locality centered and gives a
feeling that other places are ignored
*3 A1C!t)()'+
TABLE ::
22
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 4 +
8 Low " C
< 0oderate < "C
* (igh C <C
C &ery high "" CC
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
CC percent of readers were of opinion that the level of advertising was
>&ery high@, while <C percent of respondents rated it as >(igh@"C percent opined it as
>0oderate@ and C percent rated it as >Low@ )o one responded about advertising as >very
low@ /t is a common compliant about Kerala Kaumudi that volume pf advertisements is
more and thereby news contents are low Perhaps this might be affecting the circulation
to a certain e=tent
+3 R-)a@)-)t6 #* ND(
TABLE :<
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
2D
" &ery low 4 4
8 Low " C
< 0oderate "" CC
* (igh 2 <+
C &ery high 8 "+
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
CC percent of respondents rated the reliability of news was >0oderate@, while <+
percent of readers admitted it as >high@ :nly "+ percent of respondents reveled that the
reliability of news is >very high@ and C percent as >low@ There was no response for
>&ery low@ 9ith regard to the reliability of news Kerala Kaumudi is satisfactory
h3 C-a!)t6 #* Ph#t#+!aph(
TABLE :=
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 2 <+
8 Low "" CC
2F
< 0oderate < "C
* (igh 4 4
C &ery high 4 4
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
CC percent of respondents rated that the clarity of photographs was >Low@,
while <+ percent each opined that it was >very low@ "C percent rated clarity as >(igh@
There was no response for clarity of photographs as >(igh@ and Hvery high@ 9hen
compared to other leading newspapers Kerala Kaumudi occupies only an unsatisfactory
position
)3 St6- #* !p#!t)'+
TABLE :>
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low * 8+
8 Low "C DC
< 0oderate " C
* (igh 4 4
2#
C &ery high 4 4
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
DC percent of respondents rated the style of reporting as >Low@, while 8+ percent of
respondents graded it as >very high@ and C percent each contributed as >0oderate@
There was no response for >(igh@ and >&ery high@ The average style of reporting of the
Kerala Kaumudi may be one of the reasons for its decline of sales
43 S#7)a- Ca-%(
TABLE :?
S-3N#3 R(p#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" &ery low 4 4
8 Low * 8+
< 0oderate # *C
* (igh < "C
C &ery high * 8+
T#ta- 89 599
D+
INFERENCE
C2 percent of respondents argued that the level of rating of social values
was >0oderate@, while 8+ percent each rated the as >Low@ and >&ery high@ "C percent
of respondents rated it as >(igh@ There was no response for >&ery low@ 9ith regard to
social values, Kerala Kaumudi e=hibits a satisfactory position
SUGGESTION FOR IMPROVING SALES OF
/ERALA /AUMUDI DAILY
TABLE :A
S-3N#3 S%++(t)#'( N#3#* R(p#'1't( P!7'ta+
" /ncrease in %irculation 2 <+
8 %ompliments of
$ubscriber
8 "+
< .eliable news < "C
* Price revision " C
C ,dvertising and sales F *+
D"
Promotion
T#ta- 89 599
INFERENCE
.espondents were as!ed about the suggestions for improving the sales of Kerala
Kaumudi daily 0ajority of respondents (*+J) suggested that ,dvertising and sales
Promotion is the prime solution for increasing the 0ar!et potential of Kerala Kaumudi
daily, while <+ percent of respondents stated that /ncrease in %irculation was the
solution for strengthening 0ar!et potential .eliable news and compliments for
subscribers constituted only "C percent and "+ percent respectively (owever, C percent
of respondents suggested that price decrease may increase mar!et potential
CHART 55
SUGGESTION FOR IMPROVING SALES OF /ERALA /AUMUDI DAILY
D8
%0
#0
#"
"
40
4ncrease in
!irculation
!ompliments of
Su+scri+er
'elia+le news
Price re,ision
*d,ertising and
sales Promotion
CHAPTER - =
D<
FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS
FINDINGS
This project has been conducted in Kerala Kaumudi (P) Ltd, a leading
0alayalam newspaper daily Kerala Kaumudi became a daily newspaper on "st
)ovember "#*+ 7rom "#*+ the sales of Kerala Kaumudi daily was good and it was the
third largest selling 0alayalam daily -ut from 8++< onwards its sales show a
decreasing trend The objective of this project is to study the consumer preferences for
the Kerala Kaumudi daily at Thiruvananthapuram and analyzing the readership
D*
demographies The project en5uires into the major reasons for the lac! of credibility of
the people on this daily and why the volume of sales decreases year by year
, random sample of 8++ readers of various newspapers was drawn, information
had been sought and analyzed :nly 8+ percent of the individuals of the sample read
Kerala Kaumudi regularly
-ased on the analysis and interpretation of data collected, the following
findings were derived
" 0ajority of newspaper readers (2+J) are employed persons
8 0ajority of readers are Post graduates (<CJ)
< 0ajority of newspaper readers are males (2+J)
* 0ajority of newspaper readers (**J) belong to .s C+++4DC++ monthly income
group
C 0ajority of readers selected 0alayala 0anorama as their regular daily (*CJ)
Kerala Kaumudi occurs the fourth position ("+ J)
2 $eventy 7ive percent of respondents are regular readers of Kerala Kaumudi
D $eventy 7ive percent of respondents are subscribers of Kerala Kaumudi
F 0ajority of respondents (F+J) purchased Kerala Kaumudi from their regular
agents
# 7ifty percent of readers depend libraries for reading Kerala Kaumudi daily
"+ $implicity,readability and understandability are the major factors that influence the
readers to select Kerala Kaumudi daily
"" 0ajority of readers preferred Kerala Kaumudi daily for current news and political
news
"8 $eventy 7ive percent of non4readers are not interested in Kerala Kaumudi
DC
"< /nforming current news by Kerala Kaumudi is satisfactory
"* ,ll readers do li!e to change the general format of Kerala Kaumudi
"C 8+ percent of readers suggested changes in news print of Kerala Kaumudi
"2 Kerala Kaumudi supplement was reported to be >good@ by majority of readers
"D F+ percent of readers wanted to add more relevant articles
"F #+ percent of readers are satisfied with the current distribution networ! of Kerala
Kaumudi
"# *C percent of readers re5uires more outlets for the improvement of distribution
networ!
8+ The readability of Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate to high@
8" ,uthenticity of news rated as >0oderate to low@
88 ;nderstandability of news was rated as >high to very high@
8< %overage of Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate and high to very high@
8* ,ttractiveness of newspaper is >Low@ (C+J)
8C ,ccessibility of newspaper is >0oderate to high@
82 .eaders interaction of Kerala Kaumudi is >Low to 0oderate@
8D %ommitment to the readers of Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate to high@
8F Promotional programmes of Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate to Low@
8# The rating of page layout is >&ery Low and to 0oderate@
<+ The style of language used in Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate@
<" Euality of paper used is >&ery Low@ (*+J)
<8 $ensational news in Kerala Kaumudi is rated as >(igh@
D2
<< .egional news in Kerala Kaumudi is >very high@(2+J)
<* ,dvertising is rated as >&ery (igh@ (CCJ)
<C .eliability of news is rated as >0oderate@ (CCJ)
<2 %larity of photographs in Kerala Kaumudi is rated as >Low@ (CCJ)
<D The style of reporting is >Low@ in Kerala Kaumudi (DCJ)
<F 0ajor suggestions stated by respondents for improving the mar!et potential of
Kerala Kaumudi daily are increase in circulation and strengthening of advertising
and sales promotion
<# ,ccommodating $ocial values in Kerala Kaumudi is >0oderate@ (*CJ)
CONCLUSION
/nformation is vital in modern life :ne of the sources of information is
)ewspapers )ewspapers are the main media which connect the people to the world
)ewspapers have lot of influence in the day to day life of the people Today the
average )ewspaper readers has a circle &ariety of choices are there before him such
as 0athrubhoomi, 0alayala 0anorama, The (indu, The /ndian 1=press,
6eshabhimani etc 6ifferent readers prefer different newspapers because each
DD
consumer has his own taste Therefore a study of sales of the daily has its own
importance and scope
/t was found that majority of the respondents are not satisfied with this
daily :nly "+J of the respondents are regular readers and FCJ of the readers are
regular subscribers of Kerala Kaumudi The study found that the overall impact and
mar!et potential of this newspaper is wea! and inefficient The circulation of Kerala
Kaumudi has a downward trend ($ee the chart "8)
Trend of News paper sales for the
period from !! to !!"
#070
##00
###0
##$0
##%0
$00$-0% $00%-04 $004-0" $00"-06 $006-0)
#ear
$
a
l
e
s

i
n

%
a
&
h
s
.
The overall layout of the daily in general and that of the front page in particular are not
at all desirable The management must loo! into the matter seriously and implement
necessary modifications /n order to increase the sales the following suggestions may
also be borne in mind
/ncrease the coverage of news 0ore national, international, business and sports
news must be included /nclude other writers@ column opposite to editorial page
/ncrease the number of pages through value added news but without any increase in
product price The additional cost would be compensated by operational efficiency and
increase in the ratio of advertisement to editorial
DF
SUGGESTIONS
-ased on the findings of the study the following suggestions were derived
" The front page should be more appealing and news should be more up to date
8 6istribution networ! must be strengthened by incorporating more outlets and
agents
D#
< /nternational news should be accommodated in full
* Euality of news must be enhanced by co4coordinating ma=imum authenticity
C %overage of news is comparatively less, so measures must be ta!en to
strengthening it
2 Euality of newspaper is another crucial factor re5uiring attention
D 0ar!eting campaigns must be conducted to ensure ma=imum circulation
F Promotional techni5ues can be applied to attract more and more readers
# .egional coverage of festivals and programmes will be beneficial to enhance
circulation
"+ Politically biased news should be dispensed with as far as possible
"" /nteraction with readers must be strengthened through columns li!e
>Letters to the editor@
BIBLIOGRAPHY
" Philip Khotler, 0ar!eting 0anagement, The 0illennium 1dition,
Prentice hall of /ndia PvtLtd, )ew 6elhi
8 '%-eri, 0ar!eting .esearch, Third 1dition, Tata 0c 'raw (ill
publishing %oLtd, )ew 6elhi
< $P'upta, 1lementary statistical 0ethods, $ultan %hand and $ons
F+
1ducational Publications, /? 1dition
* 0amoria and Goshi, Principles and practice of 0ar!eting in /ndia
Kitab 0ahal, )ew 6elhi
C % . Kothari, .esearch 0ethodology methods and techni5ues )ew age
international publishers, )ew 6elhi
J#%!'a-(&
Gournal of 0ar!eting
Gournal of 0ar!eting .esearch
0ar!eting %ommunication
$ales 0anagement
www!erala!aumudicom
QUESTIONNAIRE
A STUDY ON CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR THE
/ERALA /AUMUDI DAILY AT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
" )ame N
F"
8 ,ddress N
< :ccupation N
* 1ducational Eualification N -elow 0atriculation O $$L%
Pre46egree 'raduate
Post 'raduate Professional
C $e= N 0ale 7emale
2 /ncome N P8C++ 8C++4C+++
O C+++4D+++ DC++ and above
D ,re you a regular reader of )ews paper N Kes )o
F /f yes, which among the following newspapers you read regularly
OOOO Kerala Kaumudi OOOO 0athrubhoomi OOOO 0alayala 0anorama
OOOO 6eepi!a OOOO 0angalam OOOO %handri!a
OOOO 6eshabimani
# ,re you a reader of Kerala Kaumudi Q OO Kes OO )o
"+ /f yes, where do you purchaseN OO .egular agents
OO :utlets (.egularlyR:ccasionaly)
"" /f no, from where do you read Kerala Kaumudi Q
OO Library OO :ffice OO 7riends OO /nternet OO :thers
"8 9hy did you prefer reading Kerala Kaumudi daily
F8
OO $implicity OO .eadabiliy OO ,uthenticity
OO ;nderstandability OO %overage OO ,ttraction
OO ,ccessability OO .eader interation
OO %ommitment to the readers OO Promotional Program
"< /f you are a subscriber of dailies for what news you are !een to read
OO $ports )ews OO -usiness )ews OO %urrent )ews
OO )ational and international news OO Political )ews
OO 1conomy
"* /f you are not a reader, whyQ
OO )ot interested OO )ot aware of Kerala Kaumudi
OO ,ny other reason
"C Kour opinion about Kerala Kaumudi informing current news
OO 1=cellent OO $atisfactory OO 'ood
OO ;nsatisfactory
"2 9ould you li!e to change the general format of Kerala Kaumudi
OO Kes OO )o
"D /f yes, what are the changes Q Please tic! the appropriate bo=
OO Page layout OO $tyle of language used OO Euality of paper
used
F<
OO $ensational leading OO .egional news OO Get )ews OO ,dvertising
OO .eliability of news OO %larity of photographs OO $tyle of reporting
"F Kour opinion about Kerala Kaumudi $upplementary
OO 1=cellent OO 'ood OO $atisfactory
"# 6o you prefer more articles based on current relevance than the present articles
OO Kes OO )o
8+ ,re you satisfied with current distribution networ! of Kerala Kaumudi
OO Kes OO )o
8" Kour suggestion to improve distribution networ! of Kerala Kaumudi
OO 0ore ,gents OO 0ore outlets OO :thers
88 6id you ever switch over from any daily N
OO Kes OO )o
8< 9hat are the peculiar features you observed in Kerala Kaumudi compared with
other dailies
F*
8* (ow do you rate the following attributes of Kerala Kaumudi with others
FEATURES VH H M L VL
" Page layout
FEATURES VH H M L VL
" $implicity
8 .eadability
< ,uthenticity
* ;nderstandability
C %overage
2 ,ttraction
D ,ccessibility
F .eaders
interaction
# %ommitment to
the readers
"+

Promotional
Programmes
FC
8 $tyles of
language used
< Euality of
paper used
* $ensational
Leading
C .egional )ews
2 ,dvertising
D .eliability of
news
F %larity of
Photographs
# $tyle of
reporting
"+ $ocial &alues
8C 9hat are your suggestions for improving the mar!et potential of Kerala
Kaumudi
OO /ncrease in circulation OO %omplementary for subscriber
OO .eliable news OO Price revision OO ,dvertising and sales
promotion
S)+'at%!
F2
FD