ACI Intern Report

Effectiveness of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Program
In Creating Brand Awareness

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EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
(IMC) PROGRAM IN CREATING BRAND AWARENESS IN THE CONTEXT
OF ACI FOODS LIMITED

by

Md. Mehedi Hasan Mollah
ID 0830040

An Internship Report Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Business Administration

INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH
September 2012

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EFFECTIVENESS OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION
(IMC) PROGRAM IN CREATING BRAND AWARENESS IN THE CONTEXT
OF ACI FOODS LIMITED

by

Md. Mehedi Hasan Mollah
ID 0830040

has been approved
September, 2012

Mohammed Sohel Islam
Senior Lecturer
School of Business
INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH

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Acknowledgement

The special thank goes to my helpful supervisor, Mohammed Sohel Islam, Senior Lecturer of
School of Business at Independent University, Bangladesh. The supervision and support that he
gave truly help the progression and smoothness of the internship program. The co-operation is
much indeed appreciated.

My grateful thanks also go to my supervisor Mohammed Atique Akbar, Senior Brand Manager
at ACI Foods Ltd. A big contribution and hard worked from you during the twelve week is very
great indeed. All projects and assignments during the program would be nothing without the
enthusiasm and imagination from you. Besides, this internship program makes me realized the
value of working together as a team and as a new experience in working at a corporate
environment, which challenges me every minute. Not to forget, great appreciation goes to the
rest of ACI Foods and ACI Pure Flours staff that helped me from time to time during the
project. The whole program really brought us together to appreciate the true value of friendship
and respect of each other and it was a great pleasure to working with the team.
I would also like to thank my friends especially those who worked together as interns at ACI
Limited.

Last but not least I would like to thank the authorities of Independent University, Bangladesh and
ACI Limited, for their co-operations in completing my internship program.

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Executive Summary

ACI Foods Limited is engaged in manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of various branded
food products especially snacks and spices. This is totally marketing based company combined
with two different brands namely FUN & PURE. All the snacks products of ACI Foods Limited
manufactured under FUN brand and all the spices and daily food products manufactured under
the brand called PURE.

Integrated marketing communications or IMC is an approach to brand communications where
the different modes work together to create a seamless experience for the customer and are
presented with a similar tone and style that reinforces the brands core message. Its goal is to
make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public
relations direct marketing, online communications and social media work together as a unified
force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation, which maximizes their cost effectiveness.
IMC is becoming more significant in marketing practice because of the reduced cost
effectiveness of mass media and media fragmentation. As consumers spend more time online and
on mobile devices all exposures of the brand need to tie together so they are more likely to be
remembered. In case of ACI Foods Limited as they are continuously competing with other
popular Brand like Pran, Square and BD foods so it is mandatory to use IMC programs to create
a sustainable brand image that can be remembered by the consumers in other words creating
proper brand awareness. But as I worked in the company for three months I found that people are
not that aware about the brands of ACI Foods Limited. So this research should have to be done
on effectiveness of IMC program of ACI Foods Limited.

The main purpose the project was to find out the brand awareness of FUN and PURE among the
consumers. The main question was to find out whether the IMC launched by FUN effective or
not and is it better than PURE? The answer is definitely NO. Because maximum number of
respondents said that they havent heard the name of the brand FUN before this survey. Very few
people said that they are aware of the brand but they dont use it on a regular basis. Almost 3%
of people said that they use the brand on a regular basis. So, in terms of brand awareness the
IMC was a total failure. On the other hand all the respondents are aware about the PURE brand
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and many of them use it and also use it in a regular basis. So in case of PURE integrated
marketing communications programs are more effective in creating brand awareness than FUN.

In todays world positioning has gotten very important for the ultimate success of a product. In
fact, it is more important than the actual uniqueness, although products that are defectively
manufactured will not succeed in the long run on the basis of image only. The benefits featured
in a products positioning must reflect attributes that are important to and congruent with the
perceptions of the targeted consumer segment. But from my findings of this ACI Foods limited
their one of the brand that is FUN is currently is not positioned well. They are currently focused
on the kids segments only and promotional activities also focused on to that but as my findings a
huge number of consumers of FUN are young people. So the positioning should be changed.

Another segment was to determine the ability to recall the IMC by the respondents. In this regard
the respondents were asked if they remember any of the promotional campaigns of FUN and
PURE. 40% of the respondents said that they remember the activities of FUN Chanachur. Others
could not remember any IMC particularly. So again in terms of recalling the brand, the response
is very poor. But most of the people could recall the IMCs of PURE. In terms of media
exposure, consumers were asked that from where they came to know about the product. Most of
the people said that they came to know from TV. Almost 33% people said that they first heard of
the product from TV. So we assume that the TV exposure is good enough compared to the other
mediums. But in the case of PURE it is quite better than FUN. The youth cannot determine if the
product if appropriate for them or not. Again, in terms of brand judgment and feeling the
response is very poor. The feeling of the respondents toward the brand is not very positive. They
are also not sure that whether the brand is able to satisfy their need or not. Brand resonance of
the brand is also very poor. There is no behavioral loyalty found in the consumers. Most of the
people will not or not sure whether they are going to recommend FUN to their peers or not. This
shows that there is no community association.

One positive sign is that according to most of the respondents the most important element of
branding is Name and most of the people think that the name FUN is good enough. So this is
positive aspect for the brand. But again on the other hand most of the people thing that the
positioning of FUN is moderate. This means that FUN could not achieve the desired positioning.
So it should be handled more carefully.
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Table of Contents

References 52
Appendix 53 65
S.N Topic Pages
1. Chapter-1: Company Overview 1 13
I. Introduction 1
II. Management 2
III. Mission, Vision & Policies 3 6
IV. SBUs & Subsidiaries 6 9
V. Organizational Structure 10
VI. Brief of Product Line 11 13
2. Chapter-2: The Research 14 23
I. Objective of the Study 14
II. Review of the Related Literature 14 17
III. Statement of the Problem 17 19
IV. Development of Conceptual Framework 19
V. Research Questions & Hypothesis 20
VI. Research Methodology 21 23
VII. Scope and Delimitation of the Study 23
3. Chapter-3: Analysis and Interpretation of Data 24 41
I. Interpretation of Questionnaire 1 24 35
II. Interpretation of Questionnaire 2 35 41
4. Chapter-4: Findings 42 44
5. Chapter-5: Recommendations & Limitations 45 46
I. Recommendations 45 46
II. Limitations 46
6. Chapter-6: My Work Responsibilities at ACI Foods Limited 47 50
I. My responsibilities 47 49
II. Findings & Recommendations 50
7. Conclusion 51

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Chapter 1: Company Overview

1.1 Introduction:

In 1973, the UK based multinational pharmaceutical company, ICI plc, established a subsidiary
in Dhaka, known as ICI Bangladesh Manufacturers Limited. It was a listed public limited
company under Dhaka Stock Exchange. In 1992, ICI plc divested its share to local management,
and the company was renamed Advanced Chemical Industries (ACI) Limited. ACI inherited the
rich ICI culture of product quality, customer service and social responsibility and continues to
nurture. ACI is the first company in Bangladesh to obtain certification of ISO 9001 Quality
Management System in 1995. ACI is also the first Company in Bangladesh to get certification of
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in 2000. ACI employees are proud of their work
culture, business ethics and environmental consciousness. What was primarily a Pharmaceutical
business in 1992 with a turnover of Tk.80 factoryion with stagnant growth, the new management
brought about fundamental changes in policies and has in year 2005 grown to over Tk. 3413.05
factoryion in turnover through diversified business interest including personal care products,
food products, animal health, agrochemicals and seeds in addition to gaining a strong position in
Pharmaceuticals. Currently ACI Limited has been awarded as number one local brand in
Bangladesh.

ACI Limited has diversified into four major strategic business divisions which include Health
Care, Consumer Brands, Agribusinesses and Retail Chain.

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1.2 Management Committee:

Dr. Arif Dowla Managing Director
Dr. F.H.Ansarey Executive Director, Agribusinesses
Mr. Syed Alamgir Executive Director, Consumer Brands
Mr. M. Mohibuz Zaman Chief Operating Officer, Pharmaceuticals
Mr. Muallem A. Choudhury Executive Director, Finance and Planning
Mr. Sabbir Hasan Nasir Executive Director, Logistics
Mr. Priyatosh Datta Director, Quality Assurance
Mr. Pradip Kar Chowdhury Financial Controller
Ms. Sheema Abed Rahman Director, Corporate Affairs
Mr. Abdus Sadeque Director, Marketing & Sales
Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury Director
Juned Ahmed Choudhury Director
Mr. Imam Ahmed Istiak General Manager, Operations

1.3 Board of Directors:
Mr. M Anis Ud Dowla Chairman
Mr. Arif Dowla Managing Director
Mrs. Najma Dowla Director
Mr. Waliur Rahman Bhuiyan Director
Mr. Md. Fayekuzzaman Director
Mr. Golam Mainuddin Director
Ms. Shusmita Anis Salam Director
Ms. Sheema Abed Rahman Director

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1.4 Mission

ACIs mission is to enrich the quality of life of people through responsible application of
knowledge, skills and technology. ACI is committed to the pursuit of excellence through world-
class products, innovative processes and empowered employees to provide the highest level of
satisfaction to its customers.

1.5 Vision

To realize the mission ACI will:
Endeavor to attain a position of leadership in each category of its businesses.
Attain a high level of productivity in all its operations through effective and efficient use
of resources, adoption of appropriate technology and alignment with our core
competencies.
Develop its employees by encouraging empowerment and rewarding innovation.
Promote an environment for learning and personal growth of its employees.
Provide products and services of high and consistent quality, ensuring value for money to
its customers.
Encourage and assist in the qualitative improvement of the services of its suppliers and
distributors.
Establish harmonious relationship with the community and promote greater
environmental responsibility within its sphere of influence.
1.6 Values
Quality
Customer Focus
Fairness
Transparency
Continuous Improvement
Innovation
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1.7 Core objectives
The management of ACI, a competent team of professionals, operates with a progressive attitude
to provide effective solutions to satisfy the customers needs, through its products and services of
uncompromising quality.
1.8 Strategies
ACI follows International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality
of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. ACI also meets all national regulatory
requirements relating to its current businesses and ensures that Current Good Manufacturing
Practices (CGMP) as recommended by World Health Organization is followed for its
pharmaceutical operations.

1.9 Quality Policy

ACI's mission is to achieve business excellence through quality by understanding, accepting,
meeting and exceeding customer expectations.
ACI follows International Standards on Quality Management System to ensure consistent quality
of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction. ACI also meets all national regulatory
requirements relating to its current businesses and ensures that current Good Manufacturing
Practices (cGMP) as recommended by World Health Organization is followed for its
pharmaceutical operations.
The management of ACI commits itself to quality as the prime consideration in all its business
decisions. All employees of ACI must follow documented procedures to ensure compliance with
quality standards.
The pool of human resources of the company will be developed to their full potential and
harnessed through regular training and their participation in seeking continuous improvement of
work methods.

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1.10 Global Compact Endorsement

The ACI group has consistently demonstrated its commitment towards its employees and the
environment over the years. It has been recognized as the practitioner and promoter of socially
responsible business behaviour.
To take this commitment even further, ACI has endorsed the Principles of Global Compact on
August 18, 2003. The Global Compact is a remarkable initiative sponsored by the United
Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan. It is based on a very simple notion: whether or not
required by law, corporations should enforce basic human rights and accepted labour and
environmental standards in all their business activities, to counterbalance possible negative
effects of globalization.
The compact calls on companies to embrace the ten universal principles in the key areas of
human rights, labour standards and the environment.
1.11 Principles:
1.11.1 Human Rights
To support and respect International Human Rights within the company's sphere of
influence.
To make sure that their own corporations are not complicit with Human Rights Violation.
1.11.2 Labour
To end discrimination in the workplace.
Abolition of child labour.
The right to collective bargaining and recognition of freedom of association.
To eliminate the use of forced and compulsory labour.

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1.11.3 Environment
To support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges.
To undertake initiative to promote greater environmental responsibility.
To encourage the diffusion of environmentally friendly technology.
1.11.4 Anti-Corruption
To work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.
ACI pledges to keep all its employees, customers, shareholders and suppliers regularly informed
about the compact and the companys initiatives to uphold the principles

1.12 Strategic Business Units:
Pharmaceuticals
Consumer Brands & Commodity Products
Agribusinesses:
o Crop Care Public Health
o Livestock & Fisheries
o Fertilizer
o Cropex
o Seeds
1.13 ACI has the following subsidiaries:
ACI Formulations Ltd.
ACI Agrochemicals
Apex Leathercrafts Limited
ACI Salt Limited
ACI Pure Flour Limited
ACI Foods Limited
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Premiaflex Plastics Limited
Creative Communication Limited
ACI Motors Limited
ACI Logistics Limited
1.14 Joint Ventures:
ACI Godrej Agrovet Private Limited
Tetley ACI (Bangladesh) Limited
Asian Consumer Care (Pvt) Limited

1.15 Pharmaceuticals:
ACI carries the legacy of ICI- world renowned British Multinational in providing the people of
Bangladesh with quality medicines and healthcare products. Its state-of-the art pharmaceutical
plant represents Bangladesh's quest for a truly world class manufacturing facility. ACI's rich
heritage leads to innovative and higher value added formulations.

The comprehensive product range of ACI pharmaceuticals include products from all major
therapeutic classes and in various dosage forms like tablet, capsule, dry powder, liquid, cream,
gel, ointment, ophthalmic and injectable. ACI Pharma also has state of the art plant on Novel
Drug Delivery System (NDDS). It produces world class Modified Release drug and medicine to
cater the requirement of pharmaceutical manufacturer of domestic and international market.

It exports high quality pharmaceuticals to a good number of countries of Asia, Africa & South
America.

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1.16 Consumer Brands & Commodity Products:
The Consumer Brands Division boasts in having an unequivocal presence in consumers' heart
with the market leading brands like ACI Aerosol, ACI Mosquito Coil, Savlon. These are the
persistent performers in keeping the household clean and free from germs and harmful insects.

The necessity of pure food in the minds of Bangladeshi consumers especially in the commodity
food business has pushed ACI to fill up the market gap by producing commodity products such
as Salt, Flour and Spices. Now the customers of Bangladesh are ensured with 100% pure Salt,
Spices products and Wheat products under the brand name of "ACI Pure".

ACI also represents the world renowned product range of Colgate, Nivea, Tetley, Godrej &
Dabur in Bangladesh through distribution and forming joint ventures.

1.16 Agribusinesses:

ACI Agribusiness is the largest integrator in Bangladesh in Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
and deals with Crop Protection, Seed, Fertilizer, Agrimachineries, and Animal Health products.
These businesses have glorified presence in Bangladesh.

CC & PH supplies crop protection chemicals, Seed supplies Hybrid Rice, vegetable and Maize
seeds, Fertilizer Supplies Micronutrient and Foiler fertilizer, Agrimachineries supplies Tractors,
Power Tiller and Harvester and Animal Health supplies high quality Nutritional, Veterinary and
Poultry medicines and vaccines.

ACI Agribusiness is having strong partnership with national and international R & D companies,
universities and research institutions. Before introducing any product, it is elaborately tested in
the laboratory and farmers field.

ACI provides solution to the farmers through a large team of scientists & skilled professionals.
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1.17 ACI Pure Flour Limited:

ACI Pure Flour Ltd is the largest flour producing company in Bangladesh delivering cleanest,
healthiest and most hygienic flour by adopting state of the art technology. Coupled with double
digit growth and continuously producing pure product make 'Pure' brand a huge success & make
it a household product overnight. In a very short time 'Pure' is able to become consumers'
morning bell and snatched prestigious second position overtaking all other players in the market.
'Pure' flour is able to communicate to its consumers that ACI Pure is synonymous to Purity. Our
plant stands by the bank of Sitalaksha River with most advanced European technology coupling
with a well-equipped laboratory keeping in mind to provide the best quality flour to the
consumers.

1.18 ACI Foods Limited:

The necessity of pure food in the minds of Bangladesh consumers especially in the commodity
food business has pushed ACI to fill up the market demand by producing food products such as
spice, edible oil, snacks, confectionary etc. ACI is engaged in manufacturing, marketing, and
distribution of various branded food products and condiment. Now the customers of Bangladesh
are ensured with 100% pure food products under the brand name of 'Pure'. Within the very short
period of its entrance this brand has been enjoying second leading position in the market. Fun
Candy and Fun Chanachur produced from high quality imported raw materials with state of the
art technology have attained enormous popularity among the consumers. ACI Foods Ltd. is
focusing on improving the food habit of Bangladeshi Consumers through providing more ready
to cook products and ready to eat as well. ACI is also exporting its Pure Brand products to
Australia, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and many other countries to come into the
list. For details please click here ACI Foods Ltd.

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1.19 Organizational Structure of ACI Foods Limited

Figure: Organizational structure of ACI Foods Limited.

Executive Director

Business Director
Product Executive Product Executive

Marketing Manager
Senior Brand Manager

Intern
Brand Manager
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1.19 Brief of Product Line

ACI Foods Limited is basically the combination of two brands they are PURE and FUN.

1.19.1 FUN Products at a glance:

The entire ready to eat or snacks products of ACI foods limited are produced and marketed under
the brand name of Fun. Current products of fun are
1. Fun Chanachur
a) Fun Chanachur Classic
b) Fun Chanachur Hot & Spicy
c) Fun Chanachur Sweet & Sour
2. Fun Crackers:
a) Fun Crackers Magic Masala
b) Fun Crackers Magic Masala Green
c) Fun Crackers Magic Spicy Tomato
3. Fun Candy:
a) Fun Lychee Candy
b) Fun Lemon Candy
4. Fun Custard Cakes:
a) Fun Custard Cake Strawberry
b) Fun Custard Cake Chocolate
5. Fun Soft Cakes:
a) Fun Soft Cake Strawberry
b) Fun Soft Cake Vanilla
6. Fun Chutney:
a) Fun Mango Chutney
b) Fun Boroi Chutney
c) Fun Tamarind Chutney
d) Fun Mixed Fruit Chutney
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7. Fun Fried Peas
8. Fun Fried Dal
9. Fun Mango Bar
10. Peanuts with Spices (Regent Airways)

1.19.2 PURE Products at a glance:

1. Pure Spices:
a) Pure Powdered Chili
b) Pure Powdered Turmeric
c) Pure Powdered Coriander
d) Pure Powdered Cumin
2. Pure Garam Masala
3. Pure Meat Curry Masala
4. Pure Biriani Masala
5. Pure Halim Mix
6. Pure Kheer Mix
7. Pure Peajo Mix
8. Pure Borhani Mix
9. Pure Beson
10. Pure Mustard Oil
11. Pure Pickles:
a) Pure Mango Pickles
b) Pure Olive Pickles
c) Pure Mixed Fruit Pickles

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1.19.3 FUN Candy:

Fun Candy is the best selling product of FUN Brand. It is produced from high quality imported
and as well as local fresh raw materials with state of the art technology. To satisfy different
segment of consumer, fun candy is now available in two different variants Litchi and Lemon.
Both of these variants are highly appreciated by consumers specially kids. Fun candy is an easy
solution to make the kids happy. It is the most available product of Fun range.

Features & comparative advantage over competitor

1. Best Quality Comparable with any international brand.
2. Use of Fresh Litchi and Lemon flavor.
3. Unique combination of Color, Flavor, glossiness and taste.
4. Most Modern state of the art technology.
5. Backed up by high corporate image of ACI.
1.19.4 FUN Chanachur:

Fun Chanachur is the hottest consumer brand of ACI Foods ltd with its sizzling taste. This fresh
and crispy Snack is available now in spice flavor and wins the hearts of millions. Best quality
raw materials are used to produce Fun Chanachur by using modern quality control technology &
state-of-the-art machineries. The product is intended as a ready to eat snack food. Fun Chanachur
comes in three different flavors they are Classic, Spicy and Sweet and Sour.

Features & comparative advantage over competitor

1. Comparable with any national brand.
2. Unique combination of hotness and crispiness.
3. Sweet and Sour has the most unique taste and flavor in the market.
4. Backed up by high corporate image of ACI.

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Chapter 2:

2.1 Objective of the Study

Specific Objectives
Identify the relevant factors used by consumer to select ACIs FUN & PURE
products.
Identify what consumers expect the quality to be of FUN & PURE brand and
their perception regarding FUN & PURE as well.
Identify the psychological characteristics of consumers that are likely to influence
purchasing.

Broad Objective
The objective of this study is to determine an appropriate positioning for ACI FUN
brand. ACI Consumer Brands is a leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
company in Bangladesh. So, FUN brand should sustain the reputation of ACI consumer
goods and have a contribution to the organizational goal of ACI Ltd. The whole project
will focus on suggesting an appropriate positioning of FUN brand.

2.2 Review of the Related Literature

Integrated Marketing Communications is a simple concept. It ensures that all forms of
communications and messages are carefully linked together.
At its most basic level, Integrated Marketing Communications, or IMC, as we'll call it, means
integrating all the promotional tools, so that they work together in harmony.
Promotion is one of the Ps in the marketing mix. Promotions have its own mix of
communications tools.
All of these communications tools work better if they work together in harmony rather than in
isolation. Their sum is greater than their parts - providing they speak consistently with one voice
all the time, every time.
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This is enhanced when integration goes beyond just the basic communications tools. There are
other levels of integration such as Horizontal, Vertical, Internal, External and Data integration.
Here is how they help to strengthen Integrated Communications.
Horizontal Integration occurs across the marketing mix and across business functions - for
example, production, finance, distribution and communications should work together and be
conscious that their decisions and actions send messages to customers.
While different departments such as sales, direct mail and advertising can help each other
through Data Integration. This requires a marketing information system which collects and
shares relevant data across different departments.
Vertical Integration means marketing and communications objectives must support the higher
level corporate objectives and corporate missions. Check out the Hall Of Fame later for more
about missions.
Meanwhile Internal Integration requires internal marketing - keeping all staff informed and
motivated about any new developments from new advertisements, to new corporate identities,
new service standards, new strategic partners and so on.
External Integration, on the other hand, requires external partners such as advertising and PR
agencies to work closely together to deliver a single seamless solution - a cohesive message - an
integrated message.

Positioning is the resulted perception that happens in the minds of the target market. It is the
aggregate perception the market has about a particular company, product or service in relation to
their perceptions of the competitors in the same category. It will happen whether or not a
company's management is proactive, reactive or passive about the on-going process of evolving
a position. But a company can positively influence the perceptions through enlightened strategic
actions.

A product's position is how potential buyers see the product. Positioning is expressed relative to
the position of competitors. The term was thought up first in 1969 by Al Ries and Jack Trout in
the paper "Positioning" is a game people play in todays me-too market place" in the publication
Industrial Marketing.

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In marketing, positioning has come to mean the process by which marketers try to create an
image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. It is
the 'relative competitive comparison' their product occupies in a given market as perceived by
the target market.

Major marketing communication tools:
The major communication tools in marketing are advertising, public relations, sales promotion,
personal selling, and direct marketing. Some authors also include product design or package,
point of-purchase displays, Internet communication, etc.

Advertising
Advertising is a very important tool on the earlier stages of the response hierarch models. Due to
its public presentation, persuasiveness and amplified expressiveness, advertising campaigns can
help reaching high levels of awareness about the product, the brand or the company. Also
advertising could be successful in building a long-term image for a brand (such as Absolute,
Coca-Cola, etc.) Advertising is cheaper than sales promotion and more expensive than public
relations, but often evokes negative feelings (such as annoyance, anger, distrust, etc.).

Sales promotion
Sales promotion campaigns offer a distinctive purchase invitation. This sort of programs also
offers some kind of stimulus (discount, free sample, etc.). They are preferable in the cases of new
product launching, sales stagnation, etc. But, the effects of sales promotion are usually short run
and do not build long run brand preference.

Public relations or PR
The major characteristics of public relations are: high credibility, off guard, and dramatization.
People accept the PR campaigns as news, not as paid publication. That's why they trust to PR
messages. The basic problems of the PR campaigns are connected with the low level of control
on what, where, and when is said.

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Direct marketing
The direct marketing approach is based on databases containing the names and characteristics of
potential customers. As a result, the direct marketing offers greater possibilities in measurement
of the effectiveness of database programs. But this communication tool is the most expensive in
the context of fast moving consumer goods or FMCG. Combining the marketing communication
tools in a solid and well-balanced campaign is more effective. The integrated marketing
communication programs give chance to low budget campaigns.

2.3 Statement of the Problem

Positioning is very important for the ultimate success of a product. In fact, it is more important
than the actual uniqueness, although products that are defectively manufactured will not succeed
in the long run on the basis of image only. Most of the new products fail because they are
perceived as me too offerings that do not offer potential consumers any additional advantages
or unique benefits over competitive products. The benefits featured in a products positioning
must reflect attributes that are important to and congruent with the perceptions of the targeted
consumer segment.

This "Intangible" positioning can be done through Brand Communication. This Brand
Communication includes advertising, promotions, public relations etc. While developing
positioning we have to look into a host of factors, i.e. brand name attributes, key benefits,
product deliveries etc.

Through communication marketers position the product and the brand image is created. As
technology barriers break down and competing products become more and more similar to each
other, often the only form of differentiation available is brand positioning.

Based on the above discussion, it is very easy to understand the uniqueness of this study. As ACI
launched their FUN brand in a saturated generic consumer brand segment, so it is more vital than
anything for this particular product to be positioned appropriately. It is redundant to say that
positioning is the most important factor for a new product to be successful in the market,
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especially when it is a saturated market. So it is necessary to judge the effectively of integrated
marketing communication program to create a positive brand image and especially familiarize
potential customers to the brand name FUN.

2.3.1 Current Positioning of FUN range:

The demographic profile of the target audience will vary from product to product under the same
Fun Range. The need state may also be different (for instance, for Litchi candy and Lemon
candy). However, all the products under the Fun range should target to consumers who share
similar psychographic and behavioral characteristics as following.

The target consumers of the Fun products are individuals who are fun loving and social in nature.
They are trendy, cheerful, love social belongingness. Socializing and chit chat with friends,
family and peers are one of their favorite pass time. Irrespective of the age they are young at
heart. They are the innovators or early adopters while choosing new products in the market and
have exposure to different mediums of communication.

While the brand is positioned towards the above target group, it would like to bring out fun and
happy moments across psychographic segments.

2.3.2 Current consumer behavior or mindset:

Consumers take candy and/or chanachur, chutney mostly during their leisure time or while
doing something else like gossiping and chit chatting. Except for children, who take candies
for their sweet taste and to have some fun.
These products act as a companion while gossiping and socializing with others. And very
few consumers take these products alone as a regular habit.
Consumers are not much loyal among brands while purchasing candy, chanachur or chutney.
They mostly choose among some of their preferred brands.
Candy, chanachur or chutney are more or less impulse in nature, meaning not much thought
is given by consumers while purchasing those. However, like any food product, taste
perception still carries a lot weight while choosing among the available brands.
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Most consumers purchase candy and snacks from nearby grocery/ convenience store or
tobacco plus outlet (especially important for candy).
In case of chanachur, consumers are moving towards the Hot or Jhal and newly
Barbeque or Tanduri flavors.

2.4 Development of Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework for the proposed study is presented below:

Figure: Conceptual Framework of Research Variable and their Relationships.

As the research topic is Effectiveness of Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Program in
creating brand awareness in the context of ACI Foods Limited so the Dependant variable will be
Brand Awareness among the potential consumers and as ACI Foods Ltd. does Advertising, Sales
Promotion, Public Relation and Direct Marketing as IMC program so those four will be In
dependent variables.

Integrated Marketing
Communication
(IMC)
i. Advertising
ii. Sales Promotion
iii. Public Relation
iv. Direct Marketing

Brand Awareness
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2.5 Research Questions

The research report is aimed to answer the following questions:

Was the IMC launched for the brand FUN effective?
Was the IMC launched for the brand FUN effective as PURE?
Is their consistency between the IMC and brand image?
Does FUN & PURE Brand have a different image than the mother brand ACI?
Are People familiar with the brand FUN & PURE?
How effective is the present brand building strategy for FUN?

2.6 Hypothesis

Snacks are not a product which displays status symbol. People buy it very often and it is
considered as a fast moving consumer good. There are few existing competitors in the snacks
market of Bangladesh. PRAN, RUCHI, BD etc. for instance are some competitors. The price of
the snacks is not very high and there are very few points of difference. On the other hand PURE
is another brand of ACI Foods Ltd. it produces spices and other daily food products. In this
empirical study the assumed point of difference if IMC and brand awareness. The hypothesis has
been developed based on these four assumptions:

H1: IMC of FUN has created brand awareness.
H2: IMC of PURE has created brand awareness.
H3: IMC of PURE has been successful in creating brand awareness.
H4: IMC of FUN has not been successful in creating brand awareness.

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2.7 Research Methodology

2.7.1 Research Design:

This research will focus solely on determining an appropriate positioning for a new product line
for a well-known company. So, the basic nature of this research is descriptive and it is not a
continuous research. As the company is trying to determine the positioning of a new Brand;
therefore, the research should be done on the basis of quantitative research techniques.

As this research is aimed to know that how consumers are aware about the FUN and PURE
Brand by judging the IMC programs, so it appropriate to use quantitative marketing research
techniques basically questionnaire survey to judge the hypothesizes.

The basic premise of the customer based brand equity (CBBE) model is that the power of a
brand lies in what customers have learned, felt, seen and heard about the brand as a result of their
experience over time. In other words, the power of a brand lies in what resides in the minds of
the customers. The challenge for marketer in building strong brand is ensuring that customers
have the right type of experiences with products and services and their accompanying marketing
programs so that the desired thoughts, feeling, images, beliefs, perceptions, opinions and so on
become linked to the brand.

2.7.2 Sampling Method:

As I am a student and all the expanses of this research has been bear by me so it is not possible to
conduct a research in a huge form and sample size is very limited. Population of this research
will be mainly the youth segment because FUN if more of a youth brand and the positioning is
targeted towards the youth. Census will not be used because the population is very large. Sample
of the population will be taken on a random basis. The size of the sample is 30 respondents.

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2.7.3 Survey Instrument:

To gather data a questionnaire survey has been conducted. The questionnaire survey is the most
effective method for this study to collect the data for the following reasons-
Respondents anonymity can be maintained
Survey has been conducted on 30 respondents. It is not be possible to conduct personal
interview because of time limitation. Therefore, a questionnaire survey will be the most
appropriate one for the current study. But still I have conducted some personal interview
too.
The Internet facility is not widespread in our country. Therefore, online survey was
inappropriate for the study.
The data gathered through questionnaire is easy to put in quantitative analysis.
It takes less time to fill up a questionnaire. Therefore, the respondent was not reluctant in
providing accurate data.

The questionnaire for the survey was designed in such a manner so that it reflects the
perceptions, buying behavior, association, awareness, knowledge, judgment, feelings and
imagery of the brand. Based on these information the CBBE model can be developed.

2.7.4 Data Collection Procedure:

When the data is collected to determine the product concept or the positioning for a new product,
extensive data is required. There two very general forms of data are available. Data has been
collected from primary source as well as from secondary source. Primary data will be collected
through interviews, surveys and sample testing. For secondary data, help of some printed
journals and articles, websites and other printed materials will be taken. Therefore, the
researchers will require primary data to investigate research questions. To collect data from the
primary sources, the researchers will use the questionnaire survey method. This method is
commonly used in consumer surveys to collect data from primary sources. That means the
questionnaire will be distributed among the respondents in this case students of universities and
colleges through myself. Numerous reasons accounted for the choice of this research method.
First, it allows large amounts of information to be obtained at a relatively low cost. Second,
22

.
more accurate responses are obtained because interviewer bias is avoided. Finally, the number
of non-usable questionnaires is reduced since the personal contacts tend to make respondents
more cooperative in completing the questionnaires.
2.7.5 Data analysis procedure:
Due to the time constrain and instruction by my supervisor all the questionnaire data will be
calculated in the MS Excel Spreadsheet and will be shown graphically by various tables in
percentage and various pie charts.

2.8 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study has immense scope. I will get the chance to analyze all the brand elements of the
brand FUN and PURE and suggest ways to improve them. Through consumer surveys and
interviews I will collect the primary data. My supervisor at ACI foods will also help me with
secondary data. I will also take help from online journals and articles to collect secondary data as
well. Since I will work with brand awareness, brand building strategies and distribution network
so I will get to gather lots of real life information. The only problem I might face is regarding
timeframe. I have to gather lots of information within a very short period of time.

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Chapter 3: Analysis and Interpretation of Data

To understand the market and get information about customer insight, an extensive survey was
conducted. Basically there were two questionnaires each for FUN and PURE. The questions of
the survey were designed in such a manner so that consumer brand awareness and their behavior
towards snack and spices brand can be revealed. The total respondents were 30 people. The
respondents were mainly university students and some students from college and their age group
is between 18 to 25 years. The questions of the survey and the response from the participants are
discussed below:

3.1 Interpretation of Questionnaire 1 (FUN):
(See Appendix 1.1 for the sample questionnaire 1)

1. Which of the following brands would you prefer to use?

The first question was regarding the usage of the snack brands of Bangladesh. In the snacks
market the main competitors of FUN are Pran, Ruchi and BD. Bombay sweets is another
potential competitor but since they are operating only in the chips and Chanachur market, thats
why they were not included in the questionnaire. 43% of the total people that is 13 people said
that they would prefer to use the products of Pran. This shows that Pran has the highest consumer
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.
awareness. 27% of the people that is 8 people said that they would prefer to use products of
Ruchi. 17% people that is 5, said that they would prefer to use BD and 10% said that they will
prefer other brands. Only 1 person said that s/he would like to use products of FUN.

Question Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5
Which of the
following
brands would
you prefer to
use?
PRAN RUCHI FUN BD Other
13 8 1 5 13
43% 27% 3% 17% 10%

2. Before this survey have you ever heard the name of the brand Called FUN?

Out of these 30 people 47% that is 14 people said that they never heard of the brand FUN. 9
people that is 30% of the people said that they are aware of the brand but they never used it. This
proves that there is some sort of exposure of the brand to the people but the exposure is not
attractive enough so that people could buy and use the products of fun. 20% people said that they
once or sometimes used it. Only 3 percent that is 1 respondent buy it regularly.
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Question Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
Before this
survey have
you ever heard
the name of the
brand FUN?
Never heard of
it
Aware but
never used it
Tried it once or
sometimes
Buy it regularly
14 9 6 1
47% 30% 20% 3%

3. How did you first hear about the Brand FUN?

The third question was understood that which medium is reaching to the consumers. To find
these consumers were asked to answer that from which medium they came to know about the
product.

33% of the people that is almost half of the population said that they came to know about the
product from TVC. So, we can assume that the TVC are attractive enough to catch the attention
of the consumers. 10 percent of the total sample size that is 3 respondents comes to know about
the brand by reading newspapers. 2 people that is 7% of the sample said that they came to know
about the product from word of mouth. This is quiet surprising because for generic products like
snacks word of mouth is an unusual medium. 3% of the people said that they came to know
about the product from billboards. But most shocking is that the highest number of people that is
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47% or 14 of 30 people did not even know about the FUN Brand before this survey. So the total
IMC activity of the brand is very poor and the brand awareness is very low to the consumers.

Question Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5
How did you
first hear
about the
product?
TV/Radio Newspaper/
Magazines
Billboards Word of Mouth By this
questionnaire
10 3 1 2 14
33% 10% 3% 7% 47%

4. How often do you buy the products of FUN?

This question was given to check that whether the consumers are aware only or they have the
willingness to buy the products of FUN as well. The results are as following:

77% of the people that is 23 said that they never use/buy the products of FUN. 10% of the people
that is only 3 people said that they buy the products of FUN rarely. Only 10% buys often and just
3% that is one person buy the products of fun frequently. This response from the respondents
proves that people are not willing to buy products of fun.
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How often do
you buy the
products of
FUN?
Never Rare Often Frequently
23 3 3 1
77% 10% 10% 3%

5. Do you remember any of the promotional activities of FUN products?

This question was given to found out that whether the respondent could remember any IMC of
FUN. In other words, to check the improvement in consumers memory because of the IMC.
60% of the people said that they dont remember any of the promotional activities of FUN. 23%
people said that they remember the promotional activities of Chanachur. 17% people said that
they remember the promotional activities of Candy as the company advertised the product during
the Eid. So this proves that the media exposure is not enough. The IMC developed was not also
useful because people cant remember the promotional activities.

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.
Question Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5 Option 6
Do you
remember any
of the
promotional
activities of
FUN?
Candy Chanachur Chutney Crackers Cake None
5 7 0 0 0 18
17% 23% 0% 0% 0% 60%

5. How do you associate yourself with FUN?

This question was given to check that whether consumer could associate themselves with FUN
or not. Unfortunately 57% people said that they dont associate themselves with FUN. 23%
people say that they have low association with the brand. And only 20% that is 6 people said that
they can associate themselves moderately with FUN brand.

7. How well does the FUN brand satisfy your needs?
The question was given to check that whether the brand could satisfy customer needs. 43% of the
people that is 13 people said that FUN doesnt satisfy their needs. 33% people said that FUN is
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.

able to satisfy their need in a moderate way and 24% that is 7 people has a low satisfaction
towards the fun brand.

8. Will you recommend FUN to your peers?

This question was asked to check the brand judgment of the consumers. In response to this
question 33% people said that they dont know whether they will recommend or not FUN to their
peers. 17% of the people said that they might recommend FUN to their peers and 20% people
will recommend FUN to their peers.
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9. Do you think that the name FUN is attractive enough?

Name is one of the most important brand elements. The success of a brand heavily depends on its
name. This question was given to check the attractiveness of the name. 57% people said that the
name is very attractive. 26% thinks that the name is not attractive at all. 10% said that the name
is ok and 7% found it very Attractive.

10. How well the brand FUN is positioned according to you?
This question was asked to get the consumer insight. In short, their perception about the brand
57% people said that FUN is positioned very poorly. 20% people said that FUN is positioned
poorly. 23% people think that it is positioned moderately. So, almost 80% people think that FUN
is positioned poorly. This is alarming for the company because the perception of the company is
still poor and none of the respondents think that FUN is positioned well.
Do you think
the name FUN
is attractive
enough?
Yes No Its OK Very Attractive
17 8 3 2
57% 26% 10% 7%
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12. Where are you most likely to find FUN products?

To check the distribution system of fun and consumer availability, this question was given.

40% people said that they will most likely find FUN products in teal shops. 33% people said that
they will find FUN products in small shops. 17% respondents thought that they might find the
FUN products in super shops.

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13. Do you think the pricing of FUN is ok?

About the pricing 33% respondents think that it is ok, 3 percent people does not like the price of
FUN range. 17% people moderately like it and most of them that is 47 percent people does not
have any idea about the pricing.

13. How would you rate overall branding of FUN?

This question was asked in order to find out the consumer perception towards the overall
branding of FUN.

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57% people think that the branding of FUN is Very poor. 23% people think that the branding to
FUN is poor and only 20% think that it is moderate. So it can be concluded that most of the
people think that the overall branding of FUN is poor.

To know about the influence of the mother brand that is ACI towards its sub brand FUN, I
have surveyed the following two questions:

14. Do you know that Fun is a Brand from the house of ACI Limited?

77% that is 23 people does not even know that FUN brand is a brand from the house of ACI,
Only 4 people that is13 percent people aware the fact and interestingly 10% people asked me
instead.

15. Do you think that you are influenced by ACI Limited while you buy the products of
FUN?
Last question that was asked to the respondents that is are they influenced by ACI while buying
products of FUN brand, 47% people answered that may be they are influenced, 7 percent told me
that they are influenced and 46% said that they are not influenced by ACI at all while buying
FUN products.
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3.2 Interpretation of Questionnaire 2 (PURE):
(See Appendix 1.2 for the sample questionnaire 2)

1) Which of the following local brands would you prefer for spices?

The first question of the second questionnaire was about the preferred local spices brand and
among the 30 respondents the majority that is 30% prefers Pran. 27% told that they preffer
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.
Radhuni spices and both Pure and BD foods gained 20% preference. Only 3% people went for
the other brands or homemade spices.

2) Before this survey have you ever heard the name of the brand Called PURE?

Out of these 30 people none of the people said that they never heard of the brand PURE. 13
people that is 44% of the people said that they are aware of the brand but they never used it.33%
people said that they once or sometimes used it. 23 percent that is 7 respondents buy it regularly.

3) How did you first hear about the product?

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36% of the people that is almost half of the population said that they came to know about the
product from TVC. So, we can assume that the TVC are attractive enough to catch the attention
of the consumers. 30 percent of the total sample size that is 3 respondents comes to know about
the brand by reading newspapers or magazines as Pure advertise through newspapers and
magazines. 2 people that is 7% of the sample said that they came to know about the product from
word of mouth. This is quiet surprising because for products like spices word of mouth is an
unusual medium. 27% of the people said that they came to know about the product from
billboards. But there was no people among the respondents that did not hear about the Pure
brand.

4) How often do you buy the products of PURE?

This question was given to check that whether the consumers have the willingness to buy the
products of PURE. The results are as following:
34% of the people that is 10 said that they never use/buy the products of FUN. 20% of the people
that is only 6 people said that they buy the products of FUN rarely. 23% people buys often and
seven people that is also 23% buy the products of fun regularly. This response from the
respondents proves that people are not willing to buy products of Pure.

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5) Do you remember any of the promotional activities of PURE products?

This question was intended to know about the awareness of the promotional activity of Pure
brand. Among the 30 respondents 90% that is 27 people answered Yes and only 3 people that is
10% answered NO.

6) How well the brand PURE is positioned according to you?

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This question was asked to get the consumer insight and their perception about the brand. None
of the 30 people said that Pure is positioned very poorly or poorly. 47% people think that it is
positioned moderately. So, it means people think that Pure is not positioned poorly. 43% of the
respondents think that Pure is positioned well and 10% of the respondents think Pure is
positioned very well.

7) Do you think the positioning of PURE is Better than FUN?

This question asked to judge the difference between the positioning of two brands of ACI Foods
Ltd. among the 30 respondents majority that is 77% thought that PURE is better positioned than
FUN. 10% thinks maybe PURE is positioned better than FUN. 13% do not sure about the matter
and none of the respondents think that FUN is better positioned than PURE.

8) How would you rate overall branding of PURE?

This question was asked in order to find out the consumer perception towards the overall
branding of Pure. 10% people think that the branding of FUN is Very good. 33% people think
that the branding to FUN is good and 57% think that it is moderately branded. None of the
respondents think that the branding of Pure is Poor or Very poor.

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9) Do you know that PURE is a Brand from the house of ACI Limited?

90% that is 27 people aware about the fact that PURE brand is a brand from the house of ACI.
Only 3 people that is10 percent people are not aware about the fact and no one asked me instead.

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10) Do you think that you are influenced by ACI Limited while you buy the products of
PURE?

Last question that was asked to the respondents that is are they influenced by ACI while buying
products of PURE brand, 33% people answered that may be they are influenced, 37 percent told
me that they are influenced and 30% said that they are not influenced by ACI at all while buying
PURE products.

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Chapter 4: Findings

The main purpose the project was to find out specific questions related to the brand awareness of
FUN and PURE. The main question was to find out whether the IMC launched by FUN effective
or not and is it better than PURE. The answer is definitely NO. Because maximum number of
respondents said that they havent heard the name of the brand FUN before this survey. Very few
people said that they are aware of the brand but they dont use it on a regular basis. Almost 3%
of people said that they use the brand on a regular basis. So, in terms of brand awareness the
IMC was a total failure. On the other hand all the respondents are aware about the PURE brand
and many of them use it and also use it in a regular basis.

The next phase was to determine the ability to recall the IMC by the respondents. In this regard
the respondents were asked if they remember any of the promotional campaigns of FUN. 40% of
the respondents said that they remember the activities of FUN Chanachur. Others could not
remember any IMC particularly. So again in terms of recalling the brand, the response is very
poor. But most of the people could recall the IMCs of PURE.

In terms of media exposure, consumers were asked that from where they came to know about the
product. Most of the people said that they came to know from TV. Almost 33% people said that
they first heard of the product from TV. So we assume that the TV exposure is good enough
compared to the other mediums. But in the case of PURE it is quite better than FUN.

Consumers have very low association with the products. They cannot relate themselves with the
product. This is maybe because of the positioning of the product. The youth can not determine if
the product if appropriate for them or not. Again, in terms of brand judgment and feeling the
response is very poor. The feeling of the respondents toward the brand is not very positive. They
are also not sure that whether the brand is able to satisfy their need or not.

Brand resonance of the brand is also very poor. There is no behavioral loyalty found in the
consumers. Most of the people will not or not sure whether they are going to recommend FUN to
their peers or not. This shows that there is no community association. In a question of brand
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.
positioning, most of the people instantaneously recalled the name of PRAN. So according to the
consumers, PRAN does the best branding in snacks market.

One positive sign is that according to most of the respondents the most important element of
branding is Name and most of the people think that the name FUN is good enough. So this is
positive aspect for the brand. But again on the other hand most of the people thing that the
positioning of FUN is moderate. This means that FUN could not achieve the desired positioning
yet.

Now, if we want to put the different aspects of the findings in consumer based brand equity
model then the result would look like the following;

Brand Salience: In terms of awareness the FUN brand is very poor because most of the people
did not even hear about the brand. But people are aware about PURE brand.

Brand Performance: The respondents are not sure whether the brand is able to satisfy their
need or not. Above all, most the respondents did not use the product of FUN but PURE products
can satisfy their needs.

Brand Image: The image of the FUN brand is not well defined but PURE brand is quite ok.
First of all, most of the respondents dont remember about the FUN brand and moreover they
dont know for which age group the brand is positioned towards.

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Brand Judgment & Feelings: Respondents didnt find any pleasant memory with the FUN
brand and most of them are not sure about recommending the product to their peers. This
represents the poor association of the consumers.

Brand Resonance: Since all the block of the pyramids shows negative result towards FUN
brand then this very much certain that there is lack of resonance. The consumers dont find
themselves in sync with the brand and they can not remember the brand FUN particularly. But in
the case of Pure most of the respondents can remember the brand.

From the above discussion it is clear that the hypothesis 1 is totally wrong. The IMC launched by
FUN was not successful and it could not generate the amount of awareness which it was intended
to. So, hypothesis 4 is correct. On the other hand both hypothesis 2 and 3 are correct regarding
PURE.

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Chapter 5: Recommendations & Limitations

5.1 Recommendations:

ACI should first define its target consumers. The brand is mainly targeted to the child and youth
segment. But the message is not conveyed properly to its target consumers. There is a thin line
between child and youth segment. If the youth perceive that this product is targeted toward the
children then they will not buy this. So, the positioning has to be done carefully.

FUN should develop proper points of difference from its competitors. The market is generic and
if there are no strong points of differences then people will not remember the product and they
will not buy as well.

In this survey most of the people said that besides name character is another important brand
element. So, FUN should develop a character which would represent the brand. The character
could be animated or real life character but above all, it should be catchy enough to attract the
attention of the target group.

The TV exposure of the brand is satisfactory but the newspaper, radio and billboard advertising
is not satisfactory at all. None in the survey said that they came to know about the product from
radio. Whereas, radio is a powerful medium these days, the radio exposure should be increased.
Billboards should be placed in front of schools, colleges and universities where it will catch the
attention of the target group.

The distribution system of the brand should be modified. The brand lacks availability. It should
be distributed in such a manner to that consumers can get to it anytime they want.

The TVC should be made in a more attractive manner. There should be sense of association of
the consumers. Consumers will not be attracted toward the brand if they dont attach themselves
with it. The points of differences should be made clear in the advertisements.

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The brand is facing a big time problem of image dilution. People can not separate the
advertisement of FUN from its competitors. Whenever you ask them about candy, chutney or
Chanachur the name of PRAN pops up in their minds. This is very alarming. This could be only
modified by strong advertising and points of differences as well.

Though the brand image of parent brand ACI doesnt go with the image of FUN but still the
parent name could be more focused in the packaging and advertising. Because ACI carries the
sense of security, so people might be attracted to use products which is manufactured from the
house of ACI.

5.2 Limitations

While doing this research, several difficulties were faced. These are mentioned below:

There was not enough up-to-date information regarding snacks and spices industry of
Bangladesh.
There was time constraint also. 3 months is not enough to conduct an extensive research
individually.
Respondents were not helpful enough to get a perfect picture of consumer behavior
towards snacks and spices.
There was financial constraint as well.
The survey was conducted only on the students. The sample may not accurately give the
perfect picture of consumer behavior or perception towards branded snacks of the whole
population.
The sample size was not large enough to conclude that the result is perfect.
Respondents are not very aware of all brands of snacks and spices and sometimes they
are bit biased to some specific brand.

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Chapter 6: My Work Responsibilities at ACI Foods Limited

6.1 My responsibilities:

I joined at ACI Limited mainly ACI Foods Ltd. signing a contract as an intern started from 23
rd

May 2012 for a period of 3 months till 22
nd
August of 2012 as a requirement of my internship.
From the beginning I worked directly under the supervision of Senior Brand Manager of ACI
Foods Ltd. in a special project assigned by the supervisor. My work station was located at ACI
Centre, 245 Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka - 1208. As I was working at ACI Foods Ltd. and
supervised by Sr. Brand Manager so I had to look after both the brands of ACI Foods Ltd. they
were FUN and Pure. Some major responsibilities of mine at ACI Foods Ltd. are given
bellow:

6.1.1 Production and sales checking:

My regular office hour used to start at 8.30 a.m. and my first duty of everyday was to check the
production and the volume of sales happened in the last working day. The software called
SDMS at ACI has all the information about the how much product produced and sold. This
SDMS software can show the sold items of every day, week, months or whatever I need to
know. I had to show the sales volume of every month to my supervisor in MS Excel in a printed
or soft form. Sometimes I had to show some specific products sales of a specific period of time.

6.1.2 Market Visit:

Several times I had to visit various markets to see what consumers a seller wants and their
thoughts about our products. I have visited big markets like Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali, Banai
Bazar, Tongi Bazar and manay shops of Dhaka and Gazipur to get the feedbacks about our
products from consumers as well as sellers. (See Appendix2.1 for market visit report)

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6.1.3 Competitor Tracking:

One of my most important and exciting job was to track the competitors product, pricing and
promotional activities. I used to go various places or shops to know about the change in pricing,
packaging, product size and promotional activities. My supervisor used to give instructions and I
had a printed form about what information I need to collect and I had to gather them in a given
time and report it to the boss as soon as possible. And I had to put all the information about
change in pricing and update it weekly. (See Appendix2.4)

6.1.4 Promotional planning and execution:

One of my duties was to go to the market and see what other companies are providing as a gift
with the product. I had to collect those gift items in any means possible and stock them as a
sample. Sometimes my boss discussed about what can be given or provided to the consumers as
a gift or promotion with our products. I visited many places to collect and deliver samples of
those gift items and merchandise them.

6.1.5 Product Testing:

Another regular duty of mine at ACI Foods Ltd. was to run a product testing survey. As I worked
at a food product company so regularly I used to get new product or products that has been
modified or changed recipe. Sometimes the company produces sample products with different
taste and flavor, so it was my duty to run a test or survey to taste the products by random people
to get the best possible preferable new flavor for the new product. After the test I used to make a
report on the findings and show it to my boss and also collect small amount of the product and
store it in the vault by tagging the date and name or code of the product.

6.1.6 Filling Important Documents:

Another day to day work of mine was to collect important documents like work orders, price
circular, newspaper advertisement and other documents from my supervisor or boss and if
needed copy or print those and keep them in a safe file so that it can be found easily when
needed.
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6.1.7 Sales force tracking:

Tracking the sales force of ACI Foods Limited was one of the most crucial works at the
company. I used to talk with the sales team of ACI Foods Limited at a regular basis and ask them
about the condition of current and future sales. I used to call Zonal sales managers, Area sales
managers, Sales supervisors and also Sales representatives of Dhaka and other sales areas of
Bangladesh. (See Appendix 2.3)

6.1.8 Market returns handling:
My last responsibility at ACI Foods Limited was to handle complaint products and market
returns. My work was to create a list of returns (See Appendix) where there will be details of
distributors and especially their names, addresses and special code given by ACI Foods Ltd.
admin. Also which type of products they are returning their SKUs, total price and dealer point
prices. (See Appendix 2.2)

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Findings & Recommendations

6.2 Findings:

ACI Foods Limited is a manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of various branded food products
especially snacks and spices. This is totally marketing based company combined with two
different brands namely FUN & PURE. As I worked there for three months I am quite familiar
with ACI Foods Limited. Like any other business organization ACI Foods Limited also has some
problems. One of the most important problems at ACI Foods Ltd. is lack of job satisfaction
among the employees. For this reason employee turnover rate is high in the organization.
Another problem is the working procedure is too long and time spending. A simple paper, for
example a petty cash voucher needs to be signed by four authorities. So there is nothing that can
be done instantly without the signature of various departments. On the other hands sometimes
autocratic leadership rises among the bosses. Last but not the least the working hour at ACI
Foods Limited is too lengthy. It starts from 8.30 am till 6.30 pm that is 10 hours. So sometimes it
creates boringness among employees.

6.3 Recommendations:

Like all other organizations ACI Foods Limited has problems but they are not that huge. By
taking very few steps those problems can be solved. So these are some remedies for ACI Foods
Limited:

Higher authorities should support employees more
More friendly relationship among managers and executives
Employees should be given more power in decision making
Autocratic leadership should be prohibited
Working hour should be bring down to 8 hours

50

.
Conclusion

ACI is operating its FUN and PURE brand in a very competitive saturated market. In this market
consumers are not well aware of the brands operating and only two or three brands have top of
the mind positioning. This is very tough to make a separate positioning in the market and create
certain points of differences. PURE brand has positioned well in the market. Still, FUN brand
could be positioned in a better way since ACI has a good corporate image and financial backup
as well.
To gain the Top of the Mind position in consumers mind, ACI should conduct an extensive
promotional campaign in which ACI must communicate clearly, precisely about its positioning.
Acquiring Top of the Mind position is very important to be the market leader. ACI should also
have keen look at its distribution facilities for snacks market. Distribution is the key success
factor for any growing market.
ACI should have a close look at what its competitors are doing. In this respect price is the most
important issue. ACI should try to minimize its production cost of FUN and try to sell it at
lowest possible price as the entire competing brand selling the product of almost same benefit.
Consumers are likely to consider price as the decision making tool when they buy. So, price
should get highest priority when it is set.

51

.
References

I. Schiffman, L.G. and Kanuk, L.L. (2004) Consumer Behavior (8
th
edition). New Delhi:
Pearson Education, Inc.

II. Keller, K.L. (2010-11) Strategic Brand Management (3
rd
edition). New Delhi: Pearson
Education, Inc.

III. Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (2011) Business Research Methods (9
th
edition). New
Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.

IV. http://www.aci-bd.com (Retrieved on: 15.08.2012)

V. http://www.aci-bd.com/sub_food.php (Retrieved on: 15.08.2012)

VI. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_marketing_communications (Retrieved on: 15-
08-2012)

VII. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positioning_(marketing) (Retrieved on: 15-08-2012)

VIII. http://www.multimediamarketing.com (Retrieved on: 15-08-2012)

52

.

Appendix

53

.
Appendix 1: Research Questionnaires

Questionnaire # 1:

Name: Contact No:

Tick on the preferred answer of each questions bellow:

1) Which of the following local brands would you prefer for snacks?
PRAN
RUCHI
FUN
BD
Others
2) Before this survey have you ever heard the name of the brand Called FUN?
Never Heard of it
Aware but never tried
Once / tried sometimes
Buy it regularly
TV/Radio
Newspaper/Magazines
Billboards
Word of mouth
Never heard of it
4) How often do you buy the products of FUN?
Never
Rare
Often
Frequently

54

.
5) Do you remember any of the promotional activities of FUN products?
Candy
Chanachur
Chutney
Crackers
Cake
None
6) How do you associate yourself with FUN?
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
7) How well does the brand satisfy your needs?
Very Low
Low
Moderate
High
Very High
8) Will you recommend FUN to your peers?
Yes
No
Maybe
Highly
9) Do you think that the name FUN is attractive enough?
Yes
No
Its Ok
Very Attractive
55

.
10) How well the brand FUN is positioned according to you?
Very Poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
11) Where are you most likely to find FUN products?
Tea Stalls
Small shops
General stores
Super shops
Everywhere
12) Do you think the pricing of FUN is ok?
Yes
No
Moderate
Dont know
13) How would you rate overall branding of FUN?
Very Poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
14) Do you know that Fun is a Brand from the house of ACI Limited?

Yes
No
Is it?
15) Do you think that you are influenced by ACI Limited while you buy the products of FUN??
a) Yes
b) No
c) Maybe
56

.
Questionnaire # 2:

Name: Contact No:

Tick on the preferred answer of each questions bellow:

1) Which of the following local brands would you prefer for spices?
PRAN
Radhuni
PURE
BD
Others
2) Before this survey have you ever heard the name of the brand Called PURE?
Never Heard of it
Aware but never tried
Once/ tried sometimes
Buy it regularly
TV/Radio
Newspaper/Magazines
Billboards
Word of mouth
Never heard of it
4) How often do you buy the products of PURE?
Never
Rare
Often
Frequently

57

.
5) Do you remember any of the promotional activities of PURE products?
Yes
No
High
Very High
6) How well the brand PURE is positioned according to you?
Very Poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
7) Do you think the positioning of PURE is Better than FUN?
Yes
No
Maybe
Dont know
8) How would you rate overall branding of PURE?
Very Poor
Poor
Average
Good
Very Good
9) Do you know that PURE is a Brand from the house of ACI Limited?
Yes
No
Is it?
10) Do you have any influence of ACI Limited while you buy the product of PURE?
d) Yes
e) No
f) Maybe

58

.
Appendix 2.1: Market Visit Report

ACI FOODS LIMITED
Market Visit Report

Name & Designation: Md. Mehedi Hasan Mollah, Intern, ACI Foods Date: 31 -05 - 12

Brand/Product under Observation: ACI Foods Products

Objective: Checking presence of products and the depth of the presence, collecting information
on how well products are moving and how well competitors products are moving.
Visited Market: Agora (Mirpur), Nandan (Mirpur), Prince Bazar (Mirpur), Care Family
(Mirpur), G-Mart (Mirpur), City Shopping Mall (Mirpur).

OBSERVATIONS:

Agora (Mirpur):

Brand Available: Spices (200 gm packs of Pure Powdered Turmeric and Pure Powdered Chili
are available,), Pure Mustered Oil 200 and 500 ml bottles are available, Pure Halim Mix 200 gm
are available.

Brand unavailable: Pure Powdered Coriander, Pure Powdered Cumin, Pure Meat Curry Masala,
Pure Garam Masala, Pure Kheer Mix, Pure Aromatic Rice, Pure Plain Toast and Pure Puffed
Rice are totally unavailable at Agora (Mirpur).

Depth of brand presence: The depth of presence of product is not significant; product visibility
is not that good.

Comment: Competitor products have strong presence in the shelves like Radhuni Mustard Oil,
Radhuni/Pran/Aftab/fresh Spices, Pran toast, Ruchi puffed rice and others. Radhuni curry
masala/kheer mix/halim mix is mostly available.

Nandan (Mirpur):

In Nandan (Mirpur) I could not find any products of Pure as per the list.

Prince Bazar (Mirpur):

Brand Available: Spices (100 and 200 gm packs of Pure Powdered Turmeric and Pure
Powdered Chili, Pure Powdered Coriander and 100 gm packs of Pure Powdered Cumin are
available), Pure Mustered Oil 200 and 500 ml as well as 1000 ml bottles are available, Pure
Halim Mix 200 gm are available. Pure Meat Curry Masala 20 gm, Pure Garam Masala15 gm,
Pure Kheer Mix 150 gm, Pure Aromatic Rice 1 kg, Pure Plain Toast 350 gm packs are available.
59

.
Brand unavailable: Most of the products are available only Pure puffed rice is totally
unavailable and large spice packs of 500 and 1000 gm are unavailable.

Depth of brand presence: The depth of presence of product is noteworthy, product visibility is
good.

Comment: Most of the products are available but dominated by prince products.

G-Mart (Mirpur):

Brand Available: Only 200 gm packs of Pure Powdered Turmeric and Pure Halim Mix are
available.

Brand unavailable: Pure Powdered Chili, Pure Powdered Coriander and 100 gm packs of Pure
Powdered Cumin are unavailable, Pure Mustered Oil 200 and 500 ml as well as 1000 ml bottles
are unavailable, Pure Meat Curry Masala 20 gm, Pure Garam Masala 15 gm, Pure Kheer Mix
150 gm, Pure Aromatic Rice 1 kg, Pure Plain Toast 350 gm packs are totally unavailable.

Depth of brand presence: Competitors products are present in shelves and more dominant than
Pure products and it is hard to locate or find the available Pure product.

Comment: There should be more Pure products as most of them are un available.

City Shopping Mall (Mirpur):

I could not find any products of Pure as per the list given at City Shopping Mall (Mirpur).

Care Family (Mirpur):

Brand Available: Spices (100 and 200 gm packs of Pure Powdered Turmeric and Pure
Powdered Chili, 100 gm Pure Powdered Coriander and 100 gm packs of Pure Powdered Cumin
are available), Pure Mustered Oil 200 and 500 ml bottles are available, Pure Halim Mix 200 gm
are available. Pure Kheer Mix 150 gm, Pure Aromatic Rice 1 kg is available.

Brand unavailable: Pure Powdered Chili 500 gm and 1kg, Pure Powdered Coriander 500 gm
and 1kg, 50 and 200 gm packs of Pure Powdered Cumin are unavailable, Pure Mustered Oil
1000 ml bottles are unavailable, Pure Meat Curry Masala 20 gm, Pure Garam Masala 15 gm,
Pure Kheer Mix 150 gm, Pure Plain Toast 350 gm and Pure puffed Rice packs are totally
unavailable.

Depth of brand presence: The depth of presence of product is significant; product visibility is
better.

Comment: Competitor products have strong presence many of Pures products are unavailable.

60

.
Appendix 2.2: Market Return Report

ACI Foods Limited

Crackers Return of Dhaka Zone:
Date: August 13, 2012

Distributor Address Code 25gm DP Total 12gm DP Total

Emarald Kafrul FD 380 7.76 2948.8 153 4.76 728.28
Delta Enterprise Mirpur 12 XP 940 7.76 7294.4 0 4.76 0
M/S Omi Enterprise Uttara QS 515 7.76 3996.4 132 4.76 628.32
M/S Shotota Store Dokkhin Khan SM 651 7.76 5051.76 437 4.76 2080.12
M/S Ali Enterprise Mugda X8 436 7.76 3383.36 74 4.76 352.24
M/S Ronok Store Ali Bazar ZJ 1788 7.76 13874.88 0 4.76 0
Sumon Enterprise Shonir Akhra RS 325 7.76 2522 75 4.76 357
Moon Confectionary Jurain VJ 620 7.76 4811.2 170 4.76 809.2
16 Distribution Bashabo Y8 405 7.76 3142.8 0 4.76 0
Shuvarna Enterprise Kathal Bagan UT 1200 7.76 9312 0 4.76 0
Shofik General Store Keranom Goanj YO 82 7.76 636.32 125 4.76 595
M/S Marfot Ali Store Abdullahpur W7 4000 7.76 31040 1475 4.76 7021
Vandari General Store Lalbagh UL 1100 7.76 8536 900 4.76 4284
Sign Point One South Kuni Para XQ 867 7.76 6727.92 139 4.76 661.64
Johir Enterprise Jonson Road X7 475 7.76 3686 5584 4.76 26579.8
Moblie World Moulovi Bazar TS 609 7.76 4725.84 491 4.76 2337.16
Nafisa Traders UN 188 7.76 1458.88 32 4.76 152.32

61

.
Appendix 2.3: Sales Tracking

Customer and Product wise
sales Tracking
For the Business : ACI
Foods Limited
Date from : 6/10/2012
To : 6/10/2012

FDCI - Fun Litchi Candy
250pcs jar+20pcs free Sold
QTY > = 1

Level
1
Level1Name

Code Customer Name

InvoiceNo Purchase
d QTY
Central Depot
YO13 Md. Ashadullah
(Dhaka B)

O002 Md. Bashir Uddin
Miah
YO26 S M Hafiz Al
Asad
YO00XQ M/s Sain Point One-Gulshan YO1200343
5
119
YO30 Md.Masud
Rana
YO00UX M/s Mowrin Enterprise-Badda YO1200343
4
284

403
YO19 S M Toffajjel
Hossain (Dhaka
C)

O003 Md. Zabedur
Rahman

YO0P Md.Monir
Hossain Hazra
YO00V0 M/s Shovona Enterprise 1 -Kathalbagan YO1200342
9
180
YO25 Md.Ali Akbar

YO00XY M/s Turjo Traders-Mirpur

YO1200343
2
70

250
YO1B Md. Kamrul
Hassan -Jessore

O005 Vacant (South
Bangal Zone)
YO1
O
Vacant

YO00JR M/s Sumon & Brothers

YO1200340
6
63

63
YO1D Bogra & Rangpur
(North Bangal)

O006 Sujal Kumar Roy

YO1X Md.Hanif
Sardar
YO00ST M/s Tanvir Enterprise-Rangpur YO1200340
7
82

82
YO14 Azim Uddin
(Sylhet)

O00
A
Vacant (Savar)

YO1F Md.Azim Uddin

YO00GK M/S Friends Enterprise

YO1200343
3
60

60
YO1A Syed Harunur
Rashid

O00
A
Vacant (Savar)

YO28 Md. Harunur
Rashid
YO00W
Q
M/s A.S Traders-Joydebpur YO1200340
4
120
YO2A Md.Amzad
Hossain
YO00RB M/s Momtaj Store-Basail

YO1200341
9
168
YO2K Md.Nabab Ali

YO00J4 M/s Sathi Enterprise

YO1200341
7
141
YO2K Md.Nabab Ali

YO00NY M/s Hasan Enteprise-Sherpur YO1200340
9
66
YO2K Md.Nabab Ali

YO00UU M/s Tonmoy Enterprise-Jamalpur YO1200342
1
82
YO2Z Md.Ujjal
Hossain
YO00QA M/s Faruk Enterprise-Gazipur YO1200342
7
96
YO2Z Md.Ujjal
Hossain
YO00X6 M/s Sowad Traders- Mawna YO1200341
4
31

704
62

.
YO1E Md.Yasinur
Rahman

O00
A
Vacant (Savar)

YO0
Q
Md.Obidur
Rahman
YO00V
W
M/s Yasin Enterprise-Konabari YO1200342
3
58

58
YO1C Md. Babul
Akhtar

O00
B
Md. Babul Akhter
(Comilla)
YO0V Altaf Hossain

YO00DA M/S Rattry Enterprise

YO1200341
2
60
YO1D Md. Mozammel
Haque
YO005L M/S Saha Varities Store/Saha Enterprise YO1200341
3
288
YO1D Md. Mozammel
Haque
YO005S M/S Dadon Miah/ Patwary Enterprise YO1200340
8
66
YO1Z Sree Protim
Majumder
YO00XF M/s J.S.S Enterprise-Laksham YO1200341
0
568
YO23 Md.Nur Alam

YO00YH M/s Rafik Enterprise-Munshigonj YO1200344
0
179
YO2B Md.Shahidul
Islam
YO00T3 M/s Hamima Enterprise-Chandina YO1200340
5
263
YO2C Md.Shafiqur
Rahman
YO00W
C
M/s Bhuiyan Store-Feni

YO1200341
5
178
YO2D Ananda
Chowdhury (Ashif)
YO00U7 M/s Mijanur Rahman & Son's YO1200341
8
177
YO2U Vacant

YO00SV M/s Salman Store-Laxmipur YO1200344
1
120

1899
YO0L Md. Abu Zahid
(Chittagong A)

O00
D
Vacant (Chittagong)

YO16 Md.Mojibur
Rahman
YO00QB M/s Sufian Enterprise-Agrabad YO1200342
0
72
YO18 Md.Shakhawat
Hossain
YO00PK M/s Abdul Hakim Store

YO1200343
0
94

166

63

.
Appendix 2.4: Competitor Tracking

ACI Foods Limited

Competitors' price and Trade offer of Chanachur
Area: Dhaka Zone

Date: 17-07-12

S
m
a
l
l

Product Name SKU NSI TP MRP Parity
Trade
offer
Source date
Pran Normal 35 5.76 7 12:01

Pran Jhal 35 5.76 7 12:01

Ruchi (BBQ) 40 8.00 10 12:01
17-07-12
Ruchi Jhal 40 7.25 8 12:01

Ruchi
Chanachur
40 8 12:01

BD Jhaal 35 6 12:01

BD Normal 40 8 12:01
17-07-12
BD Tandori 40 8 12:01
17-07-12
FUN H nS 35 7

FUN Sweet n
Sour
35 7

FUN Classic 35 7

M
e
d
i
u
m

Product Name SKU NSI TP MRP
Trade
offer
Source date
Pran Normal
70 12.00 15

Pran Jhal
70 12.00 15

Ruchi (BBQ)

Ruchi Jhal
85
14.50 17
12:01

Ruchi
Chanachur
BD Jhaal

BD Normal

BD Tandori

FUN H nS
70 14

64

.
L
a
r
g
e

Trade
offer
Source date
Pran Normal
135 21.00 25
12:01

Pran Jhal 135
21.00 25

Ruchi (BBQ)
170 31.50 36

Ruchi Jhal
150
28.50 32 12:01

Ruchi
Chanachur
170 28.50 36 12:01
06-0812
BD Jhaal 200 38

BD Normal 150 21.20 25 12:01
06-0812
BD Tandori 170 36

FUN H nS 140 25

F
a
m
i
l
y

Trade
offer
Source date
Pran Normal 350 50.00
55
12:01

Pran Jhal 350 50.00 55 12:01

Ruchi (BBQ) 350 55.50 62

Ruchi Jhal 350 55.00 62

Ruchi
Chanachur
350 54.40 62 0:01
6/8/2012
BD Normal 350 45.50 52 12:01
6/8/2012
BD Tandori 350 60

FUN H nS 340 50

65

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