CHAPTER-I INTRODUCTION

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MALABAR CEMENTS, LTD

Malabar Cements Ltd. is a flagship company of the Government of Kerala. The company was incorporated on August 11, 1978 and commenced production on April 24, 1984. The factory is rated to produce 4.2 lakh tones cements per annum. The company meets about 10 % of total cement consumption in Kerala. The company moves with a work force of over 1000 dedicated and highly skilled personnel. Malabar Cements have the state of the art, dry process technology for manufacture of super quality cement, quality much above the national standard.1 Malabar Cements is a synonym for super quality, claim thousands of their customers spread throughout the state. In Malabar Cements, product improvement is not a one-time strategy for boosting sales on the product life cycle theory. It is the quest for excellence. Perfecting the product quality is everybody's concern here. Our distinction begins with scientifically selecting the best raw materials for clinker. Stringent quality control is exercised in preblending raw materials, clinkerisation, clinker grinding, and finally into cement packaging.

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1.1.INDUSTRY PROFILE

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INDUSTRY PROFILE
INDIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY- AN OVERVIEW The cement industry is experiencing a boom on account of the overall growth of the Indian economy. The demand for cement, being a derived demand, depends primarily on the industrial activity, real estate business, construction activity, and investment in the infrastructure sector. India is experiencing growth on all these fronts and hence the cement market is flourishing like never before. Indian cement industry is globally competitive because the industry has witnessed healthy trends such as cost control and continuous technology up gradation. Cement is a key infrastructure in industry. India is the second largest producer of cement in the world speaks volumes of the cement industry in India. It has been decontrolled from price and distribution on 1st March, 1989 and delicensed on 25th July, 1991.However, the performance of the industry and prices of cement are monitored regularly. With the increased government expenditure on infrastructure, the demand for cement in India has increased. The first cement industry was set up in 1914 in Porbandar. Fast rising Government Expenditure on Infrastructure sector in India has resulted a higher demand of cement in the country. In the same direction, participation of larger companies in the sector has increased. The Indian cement industry has 130 large cement plants and 365 mini cement plants, whose total capacity is 165 MT per annum. India is the world's second largest producer of cement after China, with cement companies adding nearly eight million tones (MT) capacity in April 2009. Cement industry is growing at a rapid rate of around 10% annually. Large cement plants nearly contribute 94% of the total capacity. Though the cement industry is developing at a fast rate, per capita consumption of cement in India is only 150 kilograms per person, which is even less than one third of China's per capita consumption. A few of the leading manufacturers are the UltraTech/Grasim combine, Dalmia Cements, India Cements, and Holcim etc. The cement industry may add 40-45 MT of capacity this fiscal, a 21 %increase over the installed capacity at 212 MT in 200910.With the boost given by the government to various infrastructure projects, road 4|Page

networks and housing facilities, growth in the cement consumption is anticipated in the coming years. Another 50 MT capacity is likely to be added this year, according to industry sources. Moreover, cement dispatches were 18.12 MT in March 2009, showing a growth of 10.35 per cent as compared to 16.42 MT in March 2008. During March 2009, cement production was 18.10 MT, registering a growth of 10.43 per cent as compared to 16.39 MT in March 2008.Despite concerns of slowdown, led by a change in economic scenario along with excess supply pressure, the cement industry has ended financial year 2008-09 on a strong note. According to experts, the fourth quarter of the current financial year 2009 will report a 2-3 per cent growth in margins due to rise in prices and 10-12 per cent year-on-year growth in sales due to sudden increase in demand this quarter. The Indian cement industry is the second largest producer of quality cement, which meets global standards. Cement production during April to October 2008-09 was 101.04 million tones as compared to 95.05 million tones during the same period for the year 2007-08.Despatches were 100.24 million tones during April to October 200809.During April-October 2008-09, cement export was 1.46 million tonnes as compared to 2.16 million tones during the same period for the year 2007-08. Global rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has commented that cement demand in India is expected to grow at 10% annually in the medium term buoyed by housing, infrastructure and corporate capital expenditures. The constraints faced by the industry are reviewed in the Infrastructure Coordination Committee meetings held in the Cabinet Secretariat under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Coordination). Its performance is also reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure. For raising efficiency in the sector, the planning Commission of India in the 10th plan has formed a 'Working Group on Cement Industry.

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1.2.COMPANY PROFILE

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COMPANY PROFILE

MALABAR CEMENTS, LTD Malabar Cements Ltd. is a flagship company of the Government of Kerala. The company was incorporated on August 11, 1978 and commenced production on April 24, 1984. The factory is rated to produce 4.2 lakh tones cements per annum. The company meets about 10 % of total cement consumption in Kerala. The company moves with a work force of over 1000 dedicated and highly skilled personnel. Malabar Cements have the state of the art, dry process technology for manufacture of super quality cement, quality much above the national standard.1 Malabar Cements is a synonym for super quality, claim thousands of their customers spread throughout the state. In Malabar Cements, product improvement is not a one-time strategy for boosting sales on the product life cycle theory. It is the quest for excellence. Perfecting the product quality is everybody's concern here. Our distinction begins with scientifically selecting the best raw materials for clinker. Stringent quality control is exercised in preblending raw materials, clinkerisation, clinker grinding, and finally into cement packaging. Malabar Cements Limited, a fully owned Government of Kerala undertaking, is the only major integrated cement-manufacturing unit in the State. The Company was incorporated on 11th April 1978 and commenced production in April 1984 at its Walayar plant. The company has a paid up equity of Rs.26 crores and capital outlay of Rs.68 crores. It is rated to produce 4.2 lakh tons of cement per annum at its Walayar plant. As part of expansion programme it has commissioned a 2.0 lakh tons clinker-grinding unit at Cherthala in Alappuzha district in August 2003. Thus the total installed capacity of MCL is 6.2 lakh tons. This ISO 9001:2000 Company meets about 10% of total cement consumption in Kerala.

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Malabar Cements Ltd., the only Portland cement manufacturer in Kerala. The company incorporated in April 1978, commenced commercial production in 1984, with capital outlay of Rs. 680 million and paid up equity capital of Rs. 260 million, is owned fully by the Government of Kerala. The 1200 TPD plant at Walayar is continuously running in profit. The Geological Survey of India has identified a cement grade limestone deposit in the Walayar reserve forest way back in 1961-62. The Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited confirmed its efficacy.

The Company has following infrastructure. Limestone reserve of about 10 million tones. Modern 110 TPH Closed Circuit Cement Mill. Strict Quality Control system to ensure quality of the product. Most modern Instrumentation & Control system for efficient process engineering. Modern dry process manufacturing technology with four-stage suspension pre Elaborate pollution control system to meet pollution control standards.

-heater system

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1.2.1.BUSINESS OPERATION

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WORK FLOW MODEL

Malabar Cements contributes to the developmental activities of the State by supplying a basic construction material. The presence of 'Malabar' in the market helps to control the cement price to some extent. MCL has the largest dealer network in Kerala for cement sales. Only Malabar Cements can reach its cement 'factory fresh' without any deterioration in the original strength either due to moisture or humidity, within 12 hrs anywhere in Kerala. Company has systems to educate the consumers about effective usage of cement and provide after-sales services. MCL manufactures cement through the most modern dry process method based on world-renowned German technology. The major raw materials for cement manufacture are limestone and laterite, which are natural minerals obtained within the state. These raw materials provide all necessary ingredients of cement like lime, silica, alumina and iron oxide. The entire manufacturing process is computer controlled from a central control room and stringent quality control measures are applied at all stages of production. We are in the process of installing X - Ray Analyzer for better quality control. The state of the art pollution control measures like bag filters are also being installed. The process generally involves three stages of production. 1. Raw meal production. The limestone obtained from captive mines is enriched with higher quality limestone procured from nearby states as and when required. The raw mix normally contains 95% limestone and 5% laterite. The raw materials are crushed to around 20-25 mm size and the proportioned raw materials are ground in a ball mill in dry condition to a very fine powder. The resultant product is called raw meal and is stored in concrete silos where it is pneumatically homogenized to get a uniform product. 2. Clinker production

Clinker is produced in a rotary kiln, which is a cylindrical steel shell of 65m length and diameter 4.2m, lined with refractory bricks. The kiln is inclined at 3% and set rotating at a speed of 2 2.2 rpm. It is provided with a 4-stage multi cyclone preheater system through which the homogenized raw meal is fed to the kiln inlet by 10 | P a g e

means of belt bucket elevators. The Kiln is fired with pulverized coal and maintained at a temperature of about 1450oC. In the pre-heater and kiln, the raw meal undergoes a series of physical as well as chemical changes giving rise to the cement minerals. The resultant product in nodular form obtained from the kiln is called clinker. Clinker is immediately quenched in the clinker cooler to stabilize its properties and stored in the clinker stockpile. 3. Cement production.

Cement is produced by grinding clinker with 3-5% gypsum in a closed circuit ball mill to required fineness. Gypsum is added to control the setting properties of cement. Grinding clinker and gypsum produces ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Fly ash / Slag at required proportion is ground along with clinker and gypsum to produce Portland pozzolana cement (PPC) / Portland slag cement (PSC). The ground cement is stored in concrete silos and packed in 50 Kg bags using electronic packing machines.

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1.2.2.SWOT ANALYSIS

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SWOT ANALYSIS
STRENGTH Largest dealer network across kerala Low cost of production Limestone reserves of about 10 million tonnes WEAKNESS Demand and supply gap,low supply High interest rate Hiking raw material price

OPPURTUNITIES
Strong growth of economy in long run Increase in infrastructure projects

Growing middle class Technological change Increase in government spending THREATS

Imports from pakisthan effecting in northern India Growth rates have slowed Capacity addition putting pressure on prices Cut throat competition in cement market

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1.2.3.ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

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ORGANISATION STRUCTURE CHAIRMAN/BOARD OF DIRECTORS MD

GM(W)

DGM i/c CE (M)

M (T$D)

MF i/c

SC

MM i/c

SO

DCE (E)

DCE (M)

DM (IT)

SE (C)

DM M

MM ati/c

MPA i/c

CS

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MD Managing Director GM (W) General Manager (works) DGM i/c Dy. General Manager (Engg) i/c CE (M) Chief Engineer (Mechanical) CGU M (T&D) Manager (Training and Development) CS COMPANY SECRETARY MM i/c Mines Manager i/c MPA i/c Manager (Personal & Administration) MM ati/c Manager (materials) i/c DMM Dy. Manager (marketing) DCE (E) Dy. Chief Engineer (electrical) DCE (M) Dy. Chief Engineer (Mechanical) MF i/c Manager (Finance) DMF Dy. Manager (Finance) SE (C) - Senior Engineer ( civil) DM (IT) Dy. Manager (Information Technology) SO Safety Officer SC Senior chemist

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1.2.4.PRODUCTS AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

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ABOUT THE PRODUCTS AND MARKETING STRATEGIES

MALABAR SUPER:

Malabar super is fabulous in every sense: Super in strength, Wonderful in workability, Incredible in aging, Implausible in durability, and Fantastic in strength gain. An AMAZING performer! Tests carried out by Bureau of Indian Standards have established unshakeable credentials of Malabar Super. Super strength accelerated setting time and fine finish. Malabar super is superior in strength to ordinary '43' grade cement. It attains the 28 days' strength required as per IS just in 7 days time. MALABAR CLASSIC:

Malabar classic offers better setting properties delayed initial set and early final set; soffering better working time and reduced observation time It is a superior class of its own among cements.. The structures achieve excellent dimensional stability with the heat resistant properties of MALABAR CLASSIC. It also reduces heat generation during hydration, making it a better workable finished product absolutely reliable. The extra fineness welded into it allows MALABAR CLASSIC better coverage and finish in wall and roof plastering. This in turn, reduces paint consumption. MALABAR AISWARYA:

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Malabar Aiswarya brings prosperity in many ways. It increases the life of your structures by safeguarding against sulphate attack. Aiswarya offers high quality at reduced price. Aiswarya generate less heat of hydration, reduces the formation of getting cracks. This product is best studied for constructions in soil and water with excess alkali metals, sulphates, alumina, iron and acidic waters. To obtain the best quality cement, only glassy granulated slag is used for product manufacturing. With very low magnesium oxide content this provides shape stability for concrete structures MISSION To provide quality products & services to the public through effective intervention in VISION To help in building a better habitable Kerala by providing best solutions in the field of constructions. QUALITY POLICY Every employee of Malabar Cements Limited commits to comply with all requirements to continually improve the effectiveness of the Quality Managements System and strives: the market.

To identify various group of customers serviced by him. To understand their receptiveness needs and desires either stated or not stated. To ensure best possible quality in products and services. To meet and exceed their expectations. THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM:

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MCL has a state-wide network of reliable stockists, ensuring the end customers factory fresh cement without losses on transshipment or pilferage. The dealers can view their latest account position using the stockist code and login password provided from the company. It increases the life of your structures by safeguarding against sulphate attack. Aiswarya offers high quality at reduced price. Aiswarya generate less heat of hydration, reduces the formation of getting cracks. This product is best studied for constructions in soil and water with excess alkali metals, sulphates, alumina, iron and acidic waters. To obtain the best quality cement, only glassy granulated slag is used for product manufacturing. With very low magnesium oxide content this provides shape stability for concrete structures. Major Players The major players in the cement sector are:

Ultratech Cement Century Cements Madras Cements ACC Gujarat Ambuja Cement Limited Grasim Industries India Cements Limited Jaiprakash Associates and JK Cements. Holcim Lafarge Heidelberg Cemex Italcementi

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EXPORTS The export of Indian cement has increased over the years, giving a boost to the Indian cement industry. The demand for cement in the foreign countries is a derived demand, for it depends on industrial activity, real estate, and construction activity. Since growth is taking place all over the world in these sectors, Indian export of cement is also increasing. The India cement industry is technologically very advanced, as a result of which the quality of Indian cement is now considered the second best in the world. This has given a major boost to the Indian export of cement. The production of cement in India is not only able to meet the domestic demand, but large amounts are also exported. A fair amount of clinker and cement by-products are also exported by India. As the quality of Indian cement is very good, its demand in the international market is always high. The export of Indian cement has been increasing at a steady pace over the years. Export of India cement has been mostly to the West Asian countries. The major companies exporting Indian cement are:

Gujarat Ambuja Ultra Tech Cement L&T Limited Aditya Cement Export of Indian cement has registered growth a fair amount of

growth, giving a boost to the Indian economy. That it continues to rise, more efforts must be made by the cement industry in India and the government of India.

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INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES
Plant & Factory Details The Geological Survey of India had identified a cement grade limestone deposit in the Walayar reserve forest way back in 1961-62. The Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited confirmed its efficacy. Malabar Cements Ltd., fully by the Government of Kerala, is the only Portland cement manufacturer in Kerala. The company was incorporated in April 1978 and commenced commercial production in 1984 with capital outlay of Rs. 680 million and paid up equity capital of Rs. 260 million. The 1200 TPD plant at Walayar has continuously registered profit year after year. The company has upgraded the plant with state-of-the-art technologies through the years. After the inception and in line with technological developments, company has carried out lot of modifications in the system for minimizing energy consumption, Pollution control measures, process modifications etc. Some of the salient features of the plants are listed below:

Limestone reserve of about 10 million tons. Modern 110 TPH Closed Circuit Cement Mill. Strict Quality Control system to ensure quality of the product. Most modern Instrumentation & Control system for efficient process Modern dry process manufacturing technology with four-stage suspension pre Elaborate pollution control system to meet pollution control standards.

engineering.

heater system.

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MILE STONES IN THE HISTORY

Despite its difficult terrain and perilous conditions at the deposit, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) obtained the Industrial License for setting up of the unit in November 1976. The Malabar Cements Limited thus came into existence at Walayar, Palakkad district.

The company is all equipped to set precedence among public sector units in the state. A 2.5 MW multi-fuel power plant was commissioned in June 1998 to complement 25% of the total power requirement for the Walayar plant operations. The company has updated the plant with state of the art technology in time. Belt bucket elevators, Kiln automation, modification to cement mill internals etc, are few to mention. The 0.42 million tones capacity, less than 10% of the cement consumption in Kerala, restricts the company to harness the markets beyond its core segment.

Now a 600 TDP clinker grinding unit at Cherthala in Alappuzha district has been commissioned. The Rs. 310 million investments for the plant was met from the internal generation. Another similar capacity unit is on the anvil for which foundation stone has already been laid at Panakkad in Malappuram district, Kerala.

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ISO CERTIFICATIONS

IS/ISO 9002: 1994 certification obtained in November 1996. Changed over to the revised standard ISO 9001: 2000 in August 2003.

Awards Kerala State Pollution Control Board Award - 1990-91 Secured first State award for Energy conservation 1992 VSSC Rolling Trophy for safety measures - 1994 & 1995 NCBM National Award for the Best improvisation in energy 1998 Kerala State Energy Conservation Award 1998 Govt. of Kerala awarded for outstanding achievement in Pollution abatement 2007 Introduced ERP system for integrated operation of all functional areas. 2007 Kerala Trade Award of Kerala Government - 2010

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FUTURE OF CEMENT INDUSTRY According to a report by the ICRA Industry Monitor, the installed capacity is expected to increase to 241 MTPA by FY 2010-end. India's cement industry is likely to record an annual growth of 10 per cent in the coming years with higher domestic demand resulting in increased capacity utilization. Moreover, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), cement production is expected to grow by 8.1 per cent and demand for the same is likely to rise by a healthy 7-7.5 per cent in FY 2009-10. It is expected that in the coming fiscal years the demand of cement is going to be around 225 MT. The government is also going to spend more on infrastructure and so it is beyond doubt that in the coming years the future of the cement industry is very bright. Considering an expected production and consumption growth of 9 to 10 per cent, the demand-supply position of the cement industry is expected to improve from 2009-10 onwards, resulting in an expected price stabilization. The cement industry is poised to add 111 million tones of annual capacity by the end of 2009-10 (FY 10), riding on the back of an estimated 141 outstanding cement projects. The Indian cement industry will continue to show steady performance by increasing its capacity another 50 Million Tones in 20010, despite the recession and slump in the countrys housing industry,. While the construction sector has got deeply affected by the global crisis, the cement sector is improving day-by-day, recording a YOY growth of 9.4% in the fourth quarter of FY09. The cement prices are also shooting up. The Association has predicted that the cement sector will grow by 9-10%, provided the GDP of the country grows at the rate of 7%. According to a new RNCOS report Indian Cement Industry Forecast to 2012, India ranks second worldwide in the cement production after China. The Indian cement industry is continuously expanding, with rising production capacity of major players in the past few months. This indicates to no impact of recession on the industry. Moreover, the cement production and consumption are expected to grow rapidly during 2009-2012. Housing industry makes up for over 50% of the cement consumption in India and the same trend is expected to continue in coming years, says 25 | P a g e

the report. However the government took some infrastructure initiatives, but they proved inadequate. The construction sector is severely hit by the increase in prices of cement, which were driven by the rise in demand due to the infrastructure projects of the public sector. According to a Research Analyst at RNCOS, The Indian cement industry is expected to grow rapidly in coming years due to heavy demand from housing, retail and infrastructure industry. Moreover, several players have decided to raise their production capacity during 2009-2012, which, in turn, boosts the production volume of the cement industry. STRUCTURE It prescribes the formal relationship that should exist among various position and activities. It is the duty of the top management to design the organization structure of an organization. It is one of the critical tasks. The designing of the super structure involves issues like division of organization tasks and allocation of responsibilities between various departments. The hierarchies of superior subordinate relationship are defined by the organization charts which are formal documents that indicate the chair of command and the titles that have been assigned to the managers and other personals. Organization chart indicates the employees position in the hierarchy and their relationship within a formal organization.

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CHAPTER-II MAIN THEME OF THE PROJECT (DEALERS PERCEPTION AND ADVERTISEMENT)

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DEALERS PERCEPTION
Perception (from the Latin perceptio, percipio) is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information. All perception involves signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical stimulation of the sense organs. For example, vision involves light striking the retinas of the eyes, smell is mediated by odor molecules and hearing involves pressure waves. Perception is not the passive receipt of these signals, but can be shaped by learning, memory and expectation. Perception involves these "top-down" effects as well as the "bottom-up" process of processing sensory input, Perception depends on complex functions of the nervous system, but subjectively seems mostly effortless because this processing happens outside conscious awareness. Since the rise of experimental psychology in the late 19th Century, psychology's understanding of perception has progressed by combining a variety of techniques. Psychophysics measures the effect on perception of varying the physical qualities of the input. Sensory neuroscience studies the brain mechanisms underlying perception. Perceptual systems can also be studied computationally, in terms of the information they process. Perceptual issues in philosophy include the extent to which sensory qualities such as sounds, smells or colors exist in objective reality rather than the mind of the perceiver. Although the senses were traditionally viewed as passive receptors, the study of illusions and ambiguous images has demonstrated that the brain's perceptual systems actively and pre-consciously attempt to make sense of their input. There is still active debate about the extent to which perception is an active process of hypothesis testing, analogous to science, or whether realistic sensory information is rich enough to make this process unnecessary. The perceptual systems of the brain enable individuals to see the world around them as stable, even though the sensory information may be incomplete and rapidly varying. Human and animal brains are structured in a modular way, with different areas processing different kinds of sensory information. Some of these modules take the form of sensory maps, mapping some aspect of the world across part of the brain's surface. 28 | P a g e

These different modules are interconnected and influence each other. For instance, the taste is strongly influenced by its odor. Process and terminology The process of perception begins with an object in the real world, termed the distal stimulus or distal object. By means of light, sound or another physical process, the object stimulates the body's sensory organs. These sensory organs transform the input energy into neural activitya process called transduction. This raw pattern of neural activity is called the proximal stimulus. These neural signals are transmitted to the brain and processed.The resulting mental recreation of the distal stimulus is the percept. Perception is sometimes described as the process of constructing mental representations of distal stimuli using the information available in proximal stimuli. An example would be a person looking at a shoe. The shoe itself is the distal stimulus. When light from the shoe enters a person's eye and stimulates their retina, that stimulation is the proximal stimulus. The image of the shoe reconstructed by the brain of the person is the percept. Another example would be a telephone ringing. The ringing of the telephone is the distal stimulus. The sound stimulating a person's auditory receptors is the proximal stimulus, and the brain's interpretation of this as the ringing of a telephone is the percept. The different kinds of sensation such as warmth, sound, and taste are called "sensory modalities". Stimuli are not necessarily translated into a percept and rarely does a single stimulus translate into a percept. An ambiguous stimulus may be translated into multiple percepts, experienced randomly, one at a time, in what is called "multistable perception". And the same stimuli, or absence of them, may result in different percepts depending on subjects culture and previous experiences. Ambiguous figures demonstrate that a single stimulus can result in more than one percept; for example the Rubin vase which can be interpreted either as a vase or as two faces. The percept can bind sensations from multiple senses into a whole. A picture of a talking person on a television screen, for example, is bound to the sound of speech from speakers to form a percept of a talking person. "Percept" is also a term used by Leibniz, Bergson, Deleuze and Guattari to define perception independent from perceivers.

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Perception and reality In the case of visual perception, some people can actually see the percept shift in their mind's eye. Others, who are not picture thinkers, may not necessarily perceive the 'shape-shifting' as their world changes. The 'esemplastic' nature has been shown by experiment: an ambiguous image has multiple interpretations on the perceptual level. This confusing ambiguity of perception is exploited in human technologies such as camouflage, and also in biological mimicry, for example by European Peacock butterflies, whose wings bear eye markings that birds respond to as though they were the eyes of a dangerous predator. There is also evidence that the brain in some ways operates on a slight "delay", to allow nerve impulses from distant parts of the body to be integrated into simultaneous signals. Perception is one of the oldest fields in psychology. The oldest quantitative law in psychology is the Weber-Fechner law, which quantifies the relationship between the intensity of physical stimuli and their perceptual effects (for example, testing how much darker a computer screen can get before the viewer actually notices). The study of perception gave rise to the Gestalt school of psychology, with its emphasis on holistic approach. Features Constancy Main article: Subjective constancy Perceptual constancy is the ability of perceptual systems to recognise the same object from widely varying sensory inputs. For example, individual people can be recognised from views, such as frontal and profile, which form very different shapes on the retina. A coin looked at face-on makes a circular image on the retina, but when held at angle it makes an elliptical image. In normal perception these are recognised as a single threedimensional object. Without this correction process, an animal approaching from the distance would appear to gain in size. One kind of perceptual constancy is color 30 | P a g e

constancy: for example, a white piece of paper can be recognised as such under different colors and intensities of light. Another example is roughness constancy: when a hand is drawn quickly across a surface, the touch nerves are stimulated more intensely. The brain compensates for this, so the speed of contact does not affect the perceived roughness. Other constancies include melody, odor, brightness and words. These constancies are not always total, but the variation in the percept is much less than the variation in the physical stimulus. The perceptual systems of the brain achieve perceptual constancy in a variety of ways, each specialized for the kind of information being processed. Grouping Law of Closure The principles of grouping (or Gestalt laws of grouping) are a set of principles in psychology, first proposed by Gestalt psychologists to explain how humans naturally perceive objects as organized patterns and objects. Gestalt psychologists argued that these principles exist because the mind has an innate disposition to perceive patterns in the stimulus based on certain rules. These principles are organized into five categories. The principle of proximity states that, all else being equal, perception tends to group stimuli that are close together as part of the same object, and stimuli that are far apart as two separate objects. The principle of similarity states that, all else being equal, perception lends itself to seeing stimuli that physically resemble each other as part of the same object, and stimuli that are different as part of a different object. This allows for people to distinguish between adjacent and overlapping objects based on their visual texture and resemblance. The principle of closure refers to the minds tendency to see complete figures or forms even if a picture is incomplete, partially hidden by other objects, or if part of the information needed to make a complete picture in our minds is missing. For example, if part of a shapes border is missing people still tend to see the shape as completely enclosed by the border and ignore the gaps. The principle of good continuation makes sense of stimuli that overlap: when there is an intersection between two or more objects, people tend to perceive each as a single uninterrupted object. The principle of common fate groups stimuli together on the basis of their movement. When visual elements are seen moving in the same direction at the same rate, perception associates the movement as part of the same stimulus. This allows people to make out 31 | P a g e

moving objects even when other details, such as color or outline, are obscured. The principle of good form refers to the tendency to group together forms of similar shape, pattern, color, etc. Later research has identified additional grouping principles.

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Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience

(viewers, readers or listeners) to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common. Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new media such as websites and text messages. Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through "Branding," which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate certain qualities with the brand in the minds of consumers. Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion, such as a public service announcement (PSA). Modern advertising developed with the rise of mass production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2010, spending on advertising was estimated at more than $300 billion in the United States[1] and $500 billion worldwide[citation needed]. Internationally, the largest ("big four") advertising conglomerates are Interpublic, Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP. Definition The non-personal communication of information usually paid for & usually persuasive in nature, about products (goods & services) or ideas by identified sponsor through various media. (Arenes 1996) Any paid form of non-personal communication about an organisation, product,service, or idea from an identified sponsor. (Blech & Blech 1998)

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Paid non-personal communication from an identified sponsor using mass media to persuade influence an audience. (Wells, Burnett, & Moriaty 1998) The element of the marketing communication mix that is non personal paid for an identified sponsor, & disseminated through channels of mass communication to promote the adoption of goods, services, person or ideas. (Bearden, Ingram, & Laforge 1998) An informative or persuasive message carried by a non personal medium & paid for by an identified sponsor whose organization or product is identified in some way. (Zikmund & D'amico 1999) Impersonal; one way communication about a product or organization that is paid by a marketer. (Lamb, Hair & Mc.Daniel 2000) History Edo period advertising flyer from 1806 for a traditional medicine called Kinseitan Egyptians used papyrus to make sales messages and wall posters. Commercial messages and political campaign displays have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Arabia. Lost and found advertising on papyrus was common in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Wall or rock painting for commercial advertising is another manifestation of an ancient advertising form, which is present to this day in many parts of Asia, Africa, and South America. The tradition of wall painting can be traced back to Indian rock art paintings that date back to 4000 BC.[2] History tells us that Out-of-home advertising and billboards are the oldest forms of advertising. As the towns and cities of the Middle Ages began to grow, and the general populace was unable to read, signs that today would say cobbler, miller, tailor or blacksmith would use an image associated with their trade such as a boot, a suit, a hat, a clock, a diamond, a horse shoe, a candle or even a bag of flour. Fruits and vegetables were sold in the city square from the backs of carts and wagons and their proprietors used street callers (town criers) to announce their whereabouts for the convenience of the customers. As education became an apparent need and reading, as well as printing, developed advertising expanded to include handbills. In the 17th century advertisements started to appear in weekly newspapers in England. These early print 34 | P a g e

advertisements were used mainly to promote books and newspapers, which became increasingly affordable with advances in the printing press; and medicines, which were increasingly sought after as disease ravaged Europe. However, false advertising and socalled "quack" advertisements became a problem, which ushered in the regulation of advertising content. As the economy expanded during the 19th century, advertising grew alongside. In the United States, the success of this advertising format eventually led to the growth of mail-order advertising. In June 1836, French newspaper La Presse was the first to include paid advertising in its pages, allowing it to lower its price, extend its readership and increase its profitability and the formula was soon copied by all titles. Around 1840, Volney B. Palmer established the roots of the modern day advertising agency in Philadelphia. In 1842 Palmer bought large amounts of space in various newspapers at a discounted rate then resold the space at higher rates to advertisers. The actual ad- the copy, layout, and artwork- was stilled prepared by the company wishing to advertise; in effect, Palmer was a space broker. The situation changed in the late 19th century when the advertising agency of N.W. Ayer & Son was founded. Ayer and Son offered to plan, create, and execute complete advertising campaigns for its customers. By 1900 the advertising agency had become the focal point of creative planning, and advertising was firmly established as a profession.
[3]

Around the same time, in France, Charles-Louis Havas

extended the services of his news agency, Havas to include advertisement brokerage, making it the first French group to organize. At first, agencies were brokers for advertisement space in newspapers. N. W. Ayer & Son was the first full-service agency to assume responsibility for advertising content. N.W. Ayer opened in 1869, and was located in Philadelphia.[3] Advertisement for a live radio broadcast, sponsored by a milk company and published in the Los Angeles Times on May 6, 1930 At the turn of the century, there were few career choices for women in business; however, advertising was one of the few. Since women were responsible for most of the purchasing done in their household, advertisers and agencies recognized the value of 35 | P a g e

women's insight during the creative process. In fact, the first American advertising to use a sexual sell was created by a woman for a soap product. Although tame by today's standards, the advertisement featured a couple with the message "The skin you love to touch".[4] Advertisements of hotels in Pichilemu, Chile from 1935. In the early 1920s, the first radio stations were established by radio equipment manufacturers and retailers who offered programs in order to sell more radios to consumers. As time passed, many nonprofit organizations followed suit in setting up their own radio stations, and included: schools, clubs and civic groups.[5] When the practice of sponsoring programs was popularised, each individual radio program was usually sponsored by a single business in exchange for a brief mention of the business' name at the beginning and end of the sponsored shows. However, radio station owners soon realised they could earn more money by selling sponsorship rights in small time allocations to multiple businesses throughout their radio station's broadcasts, rather than selling the sponsorship rights to single businesses per show. This practice was carried over to commercial television in the late 1940s and early 1950s. A fierce battle was fought between those seeking to commercialise the radio and people who argued that the radio spectrum should be considered a part of the commons to be used only non-commercially and for the public good. The United Kingdom pursued a public funding model for the BBC, originally a private company, the British Broadcasting Company, but incorporated as a public body by Royal Charter in 1927. In Canada, advocates like Graham Spry were likewise able to persuade the federal government to adopt a public funding model, creating the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. However, in the United States, the capitalist model prevailed with the passage of the Communications Act of 1934 which created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).[5] However, the U.S. Congress did require commercial broadcasting companies to operate in the "public interest, convenience, and necessity".[6] Public broadcasting now exists in the United States due to the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act which led to the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR).

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In the early 1950s, the DuMont Television Network began the modern practice of selling advertisement time to multiple sponsors. Previously, DuMont had trouble finding sponsors for many of their programs and compensated by selling smaller blocks of advertising time to several businesses. This eventually became the standard for the commercial television industry in the United States. However, it was still a common practice to have single sponsor shows, such as The United States Steel Hour. In some instances the sponsors exercised great control over the content of the showup to and including having one's advertising agency actually writing the show. The single sponsor model is much less prevalent now, a notable exception being the Hallmark Hall of Fame. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the introduction of cable television and particularly MTV. Pioneering the concept of the music video, MTV ushered in a new type of advertising: the consumer tunes in for the advertising message, rather than it being a by-product or afterthought. As cable and satellite television became increasingly prevalent, specialty channels emerged, including channels entirely devoted to advertising, such as QVC, Home Shopping Network, and ShopTV Canada. Marketing through the Internet opened new frontiers for advertisers and contributed to the "dot-com" boom of the 1990s. Entire corporations operated solely on advertising revenue, offering everything from coupons to free Internet access. At the turn of the 21st century, a number of websites including the search engine Google, started a change in online advertising by emphasizing contextually relevant, unobtrusive ads intended to help, rather than inundate, users. This has led to a plethora of similar efforts and an increasing trend of interactive advertising. The share of advertising spending relative to GDP has changed little across large changes in media. For example, in the US in 1925, the main advertising media were newspapers, magazines, signs on streetcars, and outdoor posters. Advertising spending as a share of GDP was about 2.9 percent. By 1998, television and radio had become major advertising media. Nonetheless, advertising spending as a share of GDP was slightly lowerabout 2.4 percent.

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A recent advertising innovation is "guerrilla marketing", which involve unusual approaches such as staged encounters in public places, giveaways of products such as cars that are covered with brand messages, and interactive advertising where the viewer can respond to become part of the advertising message.Guerrilla advertising is becoming increasing more popular with a lot of companies. This type of advertising is unpredictable and innovative, which causes consumers to buy the product or idea. This reflects an increasing trend of interactive and "embedded" ads, such as via product placement, having consumers vote through text messages, and various innovations utilizing social network services such as Facebook.

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2.1.OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

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PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Primary objective of this Research work is to find out the Dealers perception and dealers perception towards advertisement of Malabar Cements. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: To know the factors influencing the purchase decision. To find out the Advertisement Effectiveness of MCL. To know about the brand preference and brand loyalty of customers. To study the association between Independent variables and Dealers perception

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2.2.LIMITATIONSOF THE STUDY

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LIMITATIONS
Though the present study aims to achieve the above mentioned objectives in full earnest and accurately, it may be hampered due to certain limitations. Some of the limitations of this study can be summarized as follows: The time frame was a major constrain. The customers were reluctant to give information and thus it may be biased. The sample size 40 was not enough to reflect the sentiments of the entire universe. The survey includes all limitations inherent in the questionnaire. Findings are based on the sample survey of customers. So there is a probability of sampling error. The study is confined only to customers of Malabar Cements Ltd.; in Palakkad district, so it cannot be generalized.

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2.3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It is the science of studying how the research is being done. The researcher must explain the methods and steps adopted for achieving the purpose of study and to arrive at the meaningful conclusions. Problem statement: This research work is done in order to measure the customer satisfaction at Malabar cements. Companies have tried to identify what their customers wants and then set up satisfaction programs accordingly. It also throws light towards customers perception towards the organization. It also provides their customers to tell you whats good about your products or services, and where you need improvement, helps you to ensure that your business measures up to their expectations. 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. Research design is a scientific framework for conducting some research investigation. In this study the researcher has made use of descriptive research design. Type of Research: Descriptive type of research is being followed in this piece of work. Descriptive research includes surveys, fact findings, enquires etc. The main purpose of descriptive research is the description of state of affairs as it exists at present. Descriptive research is one that is concerned with describing the characteristics of particular individual or group. It narrates the facts and characteristics concerning individual, group, or situation. Universe:

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The customers of Palakkad district constitute the Universe. This piece of research work is focused only to the customers of Malabar cements in Palakkad. Sample Size: Considering the nature and extent of the study and with the time constraint a Sample size of 40 dealers of Malabar cements is selected Sampling Method: Here convenient sampling technique is being used. Convenient sampling is the method of collecting the sample according to the convenience of the researcher.

Period for Study: A total of 43 days was taken for data collection and analysis.

Nature of data collection: Both primary and secondary datas were used for data collection. Primary data are the datas which are collected from customers. Secondary data includes datas from Manuals, books, magazines, catalogues, internet, Journals, etc.The details regarding company history, market details, etc are collected from internet. The information regarding customer satisfaction, customers Perception towards the company and the product etc is collected through questionnaire. (Primary data).

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Method of data collection; In this study questionnaire is used to collect primary data. Both open ended and closed ended questions have been used in the questionnaire. Tools used for analysis: In this piece of research work, in order to analyze and interpret collected data different tools have been used. Here, Percentage analysis and chi-square is being used. is being used.

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2.4.REVIEW OF LITERATURE

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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Anne-Marie Hede(2011) In his study - A centralised approach to marketing communications was adopted for this event, but was difficult to implement. In addition, we found that the marketing communications in situ did not assist attendees to make the most of their event experiences. We also found that research participants prefer to receive information about special events passively. Practical implications - With the increasing levels of globalization and standardization in the event sector there is a need to attain a balance between centralization and adaptation in relation to marketing communications strategies and their implementation. Originality/value - This study adds to the body of knowledge about marketing communications, and more generally within events. It also adds to the debate surrounding the integration of marketing communications. Francisco Arteaga(2009) According to him, in his study - The results confirm the reliability and validity of the scales tested in a sample of 1,638 volunteers, collected via e-mail from the database of a implications for the ated to volunteers at religious events. Practical implications For destination marketing managers, this study can throw light on the profile of volunteers been investigated among volunteers in sport or cultural mega-events, but rarely in religious mega-events. Sana-ur-Rehman Sheikh Sana-ur-Rehman Sheikh(2011) According to him, his findings indicates that both CSR and CRM have similar positive effects on customers' attitudes. However, while CRM might be more cost-efficient, its positive effect is limited to customers with high cause affinity. In contrast, CRM has a negative effect on customers with low cause affinity, or who oppose the cause. A major finding is that CRM can compensate for negative CSR to a high degree in the cause affinity segment of the market. Therefore, a high degree of cause specificity of CSR might only be preferable if the market is characterized by broad cause affinity, or if a firm is facing negative public sentiment caused, for instance, by a product harm crisis. Originality/value The paper conceptualizes the difference between the causeunspecific and cause-specific dimension of CSR and highlights the importance of cause affinity in cause-specific CSR. 48 | P a g e

CHAPTER-III DATA ANALYSIS ,INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS

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DATA ANALYSIS ,INTERPRETATION

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TABLE-1 THIS TABLE SHOWS ABOUT THE DEALERS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF MALABAR CEMENTS THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA

SL.NO 1 2 3 4 5 6

MEDIA ADVERTISEMENT PROMOTIONAL OFFER PAMPHLET REFERENCE FROM EMPLOYERS ARTICLE OTHERS TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 4 2 11 1 22 40

PERCENTAGE 10 5 0 27.5 2.5 55 100

INTERPRETATION The above chart shows the level of product awareness to dealers through various media in this majority of the awareness of the dealers is through other medias and through personal contacts.

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CHART-1 THIS CHART SHOWS ABOUT THE DEALERS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF MALABAR CEMENTS THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIA

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 ARTICLE PROMOTIONAL OFFER PAMPHLET ADVERTISEMENT REFERENCE FROM EMPLOYERS OTHERS NO . O F DE A LE RS P E RCE NTA G E

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TABLE-2

THIS TABLE SHOWS ABOUT HOW WELL IS MALABAR CEMENTS INCENTIVE SCHEMES TO DEALERS

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 33 7 0 0 40

PERCENTAGE 82.5 17.5 0 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table signifies that 82.5% of dealers are highly satisfied with the incentive schemes of Malabar cements. And rest 17% of the dealers suggest that Malabar cements must improve the incentive schemes. So the company has to go for more incentive schemes.

CHART-2 53 | P a g e

THIS CHART SHOWS ABOUT HOW WELL IS MALABAR CEMENTS INCENTIVE SCHEMES TO DEALERS

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 V E RY GOOD GOOD A V E RA G E POOR NO . O F DE A LE RS P E R C E N TA G E

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TABLE-3 THIS TABLE SHOWS THAT WHETHER DEALERS ARE ABLE TO RECALL ANY THING WHILE SEEING MALABAR CEMENTS ADVERTISEMENT

SL.NO 1 2 3

OPINION YES NO NO COMMENTS TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 34 4 2 40

PERCENTAGE 85 10 5 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that most of the dealers agrees to the fact that they can recall about Malabar cements while seeing the advertisement. But 10% of the dealers states that they are not able to recall anything and 5% of the dealers have no comments regarding this.

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CHART -3 THIS CHART SHOWS THAT WHETHER DEALERS ARE ABLE TO RECALL ANY THING WHILE SEEING MALABAR CEMENTS ADVERTISEMENT

NO. OF DEALERS

10%

5%

85%

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TABLE-4 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS

READRESSAL

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 28 9 3 0 40

PERCENTAGE 70 22.5 7.5 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that 70% of the dealers stated that they are getting problem solved within time where as 22.5% of dealers stated that readressal upon Malabar cements is good where as 7.5% that is 3 customer stated that Malabar cements are solving their problems just on an average basis.

CHART-4 57 | P a g e

THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS READRESSAL

NO. OF DEALERS

8% 23%

0%

69%

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TABLE-5 THIS TABLE SHOWS WHICH TYPE OF ADVERTISEMENTS HAVE EFFECTED MORE UPON DEALERS.

SL.NO 1 2 3

OPINION MALABAR DALMIA OTHER CEMENTS TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 36 3 1 40

PERCENTAGE 90 7.5 2.5 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that 90% of the dealers states that Malabar cements advertisement have effected more based upon the purchase behavior of their customers and just a small percentage of 7.5% and 2.5% of dealers states that Dalmia & other cements advertisement have effected more, this states that Malabar cements advertisement is very good of the choice.

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CHART-5 THIS CHART SHOWS WHICH TYPE OF ADVERTISEMENTS HAVE EFFECTED MORE UPON DEALERS.

90 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

36 7.5 2.5 3 MALABAR DALMIA 1 OTHER CEMENTS PERCENTAGE NO. OF DEALERS

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TABLE-6 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWADS AVAILABILITY OF MALABAR CEMENTS

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 28 8 4 0 40

PERCENTAGE 70 20 10 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table signifies that 70% of dealers are highly satisfied with the availability of Malabar cements. And rest 20% of the dealers states that availability of Malabar cement is just good and the rest 10% of the dealers suggested that Malabar cement must improve its supply and availability

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CHART -6 THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWADS AVAILABILITY OF MALABAR CEMENTS

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 28

70

NO. OF DEALERS PERCENTAGE 20 8 10 4 AVERAGE 0 0

VERY GOOD

GOOD

POOR

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TABLE-7 THIS TABLE AWARENESS SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 31 3 6 0 40

PERCENTAGE 77.5 7.5 15 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that most probably all of the dealers are well aware of Malabar cements but 7.5% stated that awareness among customers is good and 15% of the dealers stated that awareness among customers is on average basis and stated that the awareness among customers are just on average basis because new products like Chettinad cements are now more aware to customers since they are new players so they suggested that more advertisement should be made to improve the awareness among customers.

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CHART -7 THIS CHART AWARENESS SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS

80 60 40 20 0 31

7 7 .5

7 .5

15 6 0 0

VERY GOOD OD AVERAGE OOR GO P

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TABLE-8 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWADS HAPPINESS LEVEL OF MALABAR CEMENTS SL.NO 1 2 3 4 OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL INTERPRETATION The table signifies that 52.5.5% of dealers are highly satisfied with Malabar cements, where as 32.5% i.e. 13 dealers stated that their happiness level is good and the opinion upon rest 15% is on an average basis of satisfactory level. All of the dealers stated about the difficulty in making the cements reach their godown because of the checking which is happening twice that is 1st at the company as well as outside. NO. OF DEALERS 21 13 6 0 40

PERCENTAGE 52.5 32.5 15 0 100

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CHART-8 THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWADS HAPPINESS LEVEL OF MALABAR CEMENTS

NO . O F DE A LE R S

15%

0%

33%

52%

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\TABLE-9 THIS TABLE SHOWS DEALERS CHOICE AND PREFERENCE BASED ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

SL.NO 1 2 3

OPINION MALABAR CLASSIC MALABAR SUPER AISWARYA TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 14 14 12 40

PERCENTAGE 35 35 30 100

INTERPRETATION The table signifies that 35% i.e. 14 dealers choose Malabar classic is the best of their choice based upon the strength price and another 35% choose Malabar super as the best of their choice where as 30% of the dealers choose Aiswarya. But as of overall dealers stated that there is no much difference upon customers choice on the basis of these 3 brands and also stated that customers choose the brands based upon which brand is readily available.

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CHART-9 THIS CHART SHOWS DEA%^LERS CHOICE AND PREFERENCE BASED ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

N . O D LER O F EA S

AIS A Y WRA 30%

M ALAB R A C LAS SIC 35%

M ALA R BA SU ER P 35%

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TABLE-10 THIS TABLE SHOWS THAT WHETHER BRAND NAME IS SUPERIOR THAN OTHER BRANDS

SL.NO 1 2 3

OPINION YES NO NO COMMENTS TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 30 7 3 40

PERCENTAGE 75 17.5 7.5 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that 75% of the dealers stated that the brand name is really superior than the other brands where as 7% of the dealers stated that new brands are coming with new advertisements so that they have a chance to be superior and a rest of 7.5% of the dealers have no comments regarding this.

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THIS CHART THAT WHETHER BRAND NAME IS SUPERIOR THAN OTHER BRANDS

N O C ME T O MN S 8 % N O 1% 8

YS E 7% 4

TABLE-11 70 | P a g e

THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS FEEL ABOUT COLOR OF CEMENT

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION EXCELLENT GOOD EXPECTED BELOW STANDARD TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 21 13 6 0 40

PERCENTAGE 52.5 32.5 15 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table signifies that 52.5% of the dealers are very much satisfied with the color of the cement where as a percentage of 32.5 i.e. 13 dealers have a satisfactory level expected to be good and a percentage of 15 i.e. 6 dealers stated that it is just expected level of satisfactory based upon color. And majority of the dealers stated that it is not they but it is the customers statement regarding the color.

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THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS FEEL ABOUT COLOUR OF CEMENT

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 E X C E L L E GN TO O D E X P E C BT EE LD O W S T A N D A R D

N O . O F D E A LE R S P E R C E N T A G E

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TABLE-12 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS FINISHING IN PLASTERING

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 38 2 0 0 40

PERCENTAGE 95 5 0 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table signifies that most probably all of the dealers perception towards finishing in plastering is very good they are highly satisfied upon finishing in plastering because 95% of dealers opinion is very good whereas only a small percent i.e. 5% that too only 2 dealers stated that it is good. Where as no dealers stated that it is on an average or poor. This is a pride to the company.

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CHART-12 THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION TOWARDS

FINISHING IN PLASTERING

100 80 60 40 20 VERY GOOD 0 NO. OF DEALERS PERCENTAGE GOOD AVERAGE POOR TABLE-13 74 | P a g e

THIS TABLE SHOWS DEALERS SATISFACTORY LEVEL BASED ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE UPON LEAD TIMES SL.NO 1 2 3 4 OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL NO. OF DEALERS 22 2 16 0 40

PERCENTAGE 55 5 40 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table clearly states about the lead times. Here dealers satisfactory level is very good upon lead times where as a 5% of dealers opinion is good and 40% i.e. 16 dealers stated that it is on an average basis .So suggest that Malabar cements must improve in lead times

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CHART-13 THIS CHART SHOWS DEALERS SATISFACTORY LEVEL BASED ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE UPON LEAD TIMES

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

55 40 22 16 AVERAGE

P E RC E NTA G E NO.OF D EALERS

5 2

VERY GOO D GOOD

0 POOR

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TABLE-14 THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS RANK UPON FOLLOWING (1-10)

SL.NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PRICE

OPINION

RANK 8 2 9 9 9 9 7 7

PERCENTAGE 80 20 90 90 90 90 70 70

CREDIT FACILITY DEALERS CHOICE QUALITY COLOUR OWN CHOICE ENGINEER CHOICE GOODWILL

INTERPRETATION This table clearly shows about the rank(1-10) which the dealers have made in various factors in that the majority of the rank goes to Dealers choice (9),Quality(9),color(9),own choice(9),the next goes to price(8),then to engineers choice(7) and goodwill(7),and to credit facility(2).so this states that Malabar cements is best upon dealers choice, quality, color and own choice.

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CHART-14 THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS RANK UPON FOLLOWING (1-10)

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TABLE-15 THIS TABLE SHOWS DEALERS SATISFACTORY LEVEL BASED ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF MALABAR CEMENTS UPON OTHERS SL.NO 1 2 3 4 OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL INTERPRETATION This table clearly shows the dealers opinion upon the satisfactory level based upon overall performance of Malabar cements compared with other cements it states that a nice percentage i.e. 87.5% of dealers i.e. 35 dealers upon 40 are very much satisfied in the level of overall performance and only a small i.e. 12.5% i.e. 5 dealers stated that it is good. This states that Malabar cements are very good upon overall performance NO. OF DEALERS 35 5 0 0 40

PERCENTAGE 87.5 12.5 0 0 100

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CHART-15 THIS CHART SHOWS DEALERS SATISFACTORY LEVEL BASED ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE OF MALABAR CEMENTS UPON OTHERS

VERY GOOD

AVERAGE

GOOD

POOR

10 0 8 0 6 0 4 0 2 0 0

8 .5 7 3 5

1 .5 2 5

0 0

N .O O F DAE S EL R

N .O O F DAE S EL R PRE TG E C NA E

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TABLE-16 THIS TABLE SHOWS DEALERS OPINION WHETHER MALABAR CEMENTS CHARGES HIGH FOR ITS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

SL.NO 1 2 3

OPINION YES NO NO COMMENTS TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 0 34 6 40

PERCENTAGE 0 85 15 100

INTERPRETATION This table clearly states that Malabar cements doesnt charges high for its products and services because 85%percentage i.e. 34 dealers stated that Malabar cements charges to its products and services are on a satisfactory basis. And a 15% i.e. 6 dealers stated that they have nothing to say to this factor.

CHART-16 81 | P a g e

THIS CHART SHOWS DEALERS OPINION WHETHER MALABAR CEMENTS CHARGES HIGH FOR ITS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

NO. OF D E A LE RS

NO C OM M E NT YE S S

NO

YE S NO N O C O M M E N TS

TABLE-17 82 | P a g e

THIS TABLE SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION UPON PRODUCT DELIVERY ON TIME.

SL.NO 1 2 3 4

OPINION VERY GOOD GOOD AVERAGE POOR TOTAL

NO. OF DEALERS 35 5 0 0 40

PERCENTAGE 87.5 12.5 0 0 100

INTERPRETATION The table indicates that Malabar cements is delivering products on time and it indicates that about 87.5% of the dealers states that product delivery is very good whereas just 12.5% i.e. 5 dealers stated that it is just good and also the dealers stated about the difficulty in making the cements reach their godown because of the checking which is happening twice that is 1st at the company as well as outside.

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CHART-17 THIS CHART SHOWS THE DEALERS PERCEPTION UPON PRODUCT DELIVERY ON TIME.

150 100 50 35 0 12.5 5 0 AVERAGE 0 POOR

87.5

VERY GOOD GOOD

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TABLE-18 THIS TABLE SHOWS DEALERS PERCEPTION UPON PACKAGING SL.NO 1 2 3 4 OPINION EXCELLENT GOOD EXPECTED BELOW STANDARD TOTAL INTERPRETATION The table shows about the dealers perception towards packing. In that 50%i.e. 20dealers stated that it is very good but 17 dealers i.e.42.5% of dealers suggested that the packing is just expected and also stated that the quantity is correct and is having no change in quantity but because of packing the customers are having a doubt upon quantity. NO. OF DEALERS 20 3 17 0 40 PERCENTAGE 50 7.5 42.5 0 100

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TABLE-18 THIS CHART SHOWS DEALERS PERCEPTION UPON PACKAGING

BL W EO SA D R TNAD 0 % E P CE XE TD 4% 3 E CLE T X EL N 4% 9 GO OD 8 %

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CONCLUSION

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CONCLUSION :
Dealers overall perception upon Malabar Cements and advertisement is the extent to which the desires and the requirements of the clients are met. From the analysis we can conclude that Malabar Cements are able to meet the desires and requirements of their customers to a great extend. A service is considered satisfactory if it fulfills the needs and expectations of the customers. But the Management should concentrate more on suggested areas to maintain and also to improve their customer satisfaction.

Measuring dealers overall perception upon Malabar Cements is an important element of providing better, more effective and efficient services. When clients are not satisfied with a service as provided, the service is neither effective nor efficient. Satisfying customers is the only way to stay competitive in todays marketplace.

The balancing act between what customers want and what the company can provide must be optimized in order to maximize your firms long-term profits, Malabar Cements is successful in Achieving that balance and hence is having a better brand image among their customers.

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CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

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FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

55% of the dealers knowledge about Malabar cements is through personal contacts 82.5% of the dealers stated that incentive schemes is very good in Malabar cements 85% of the dealers can recall Malabar cements while seeing advertisements. 70% of dealers are highly satisfied upon readressal 90% of dealers stated that Malabar cements advertisement is superior than other brands 70% of the dealers states that availability is very good 77.5% of dealers are well aware of Malabar cements 52.5% of the people are very happy in supplying Malabar cements 35% of dealers choose Malabar classic another 35% and 30% of dealers choose Malabar super and Aiswarya respectively 75% of dealers says that brand name is superior among other brands 52.5% of the dealers says that color is very goos 95% of dealers says that finishing and plastering is very good in Malabar cements. 55% of dealers are very good upon overall performance 90% of dealers rank 9 upon 10 in dealers choice color own choice and price 91 | P a g e

87.5% of dealers states very good upon overall performance 85% of dealers says that Malabar cements doesnt charges high for its products and services

87.5% of dealers says that Malabar cements is delivering products and services on time.

The Perception upon dealers is very good The Perception upon advertisement is also very good

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RECOMMENDATIONS

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RECOMMENDATIONS Malabar cements should make its supply chain and distribution system more efficient inorder to make its products available in the market at the right time The company should lay more emphasis on promotional activities and It will be better to choose visual media for promotion of its products. Malabar cement should make the price of its product more competitive to capture the major share of the market. The company should undertake necessary steps to make its dealers more competitive in the local market by offering them incentives Malabar cements should initiate steps to setup a localised warehousing system , inorder to meet the increasing demand from the dealers and customers

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) Ramaswamy, V.S. and Namakumari .S, Marketing Management Macmillan India Ltd, 1996 2) 3) Kothari, CR Research Methodology, New Delhi, Whiswa Prakashan, 2004 Marketing Mannagement, Philip khotler

3) WEBSITES: www.malabarcements.com www.yahoo.com www.google.com www. Wikipedia.com

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ANNEXURE

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ANNEXURE
QUESTIONNAIRE-DEALERS OVERALL PERCEPTION AND PERCEPTION UPON ADVERTISEMENT District: Palakkad 1. How do you know about Malabar cements Promotional adds Pamphlets Reference

Advertisement from employees Others 2. 3.

Are you able to recall anything in seeing Malabar cement advertisement Yes No How well is Malabar cements incentive schemes upon dealers? Very Good Good Average Poor

4. 5

How well is Malabar cements readdressal towards dealers? Very Good Good Average Poor Which type of advertisements have effected more ? Dalmia Malabar Other cements

6.

How well is Availability of Malabar cements? Very Good Good Average Poor

7.

Your comment about awareness? Very Good Good Average Poor

8.

Are you and your customers happy in using Malabar cements ? Very Good Good Average Poor

9.

Your comment upon choice and preference? Malabar classic Malabar super Aiswarya

10.

Whether Malabar cements brand name is superior than other brands? Yes No 98 | P a g e

11

Your perception about color? Very Good Good Average Poor

12.

Your comment upon finishing and plastering? Very Good Good Average Poor

13.What is your opinion about overall performance? Very Good Good Average Poor

14.Rank the following (1-10) SL.NO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 PRICE CREDIT FACILITY DEALERS CHOICE QUALITY COLOUR OWN CHOICE ENGINEER CHOICE GOODWILL OPINION RANK -

15.

What is you say about the overall performance? Very Good Good Average poor

16.

Do you think Malabar cements charges high for its products and services? Yes No

17.

Your Perception towards product delivery on time? Very Good Good Average Poor

18.Your satisfactory level based upon packaging Very Good Good Average Poor

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Any Other Information/Suggestion:

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Date

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