MINOR PROJECT REPORT

ON
‘‘STUDY OF ONEPLUS’’

FOR THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENT
FOR THE AWARD OF
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINSTRATION
BBA (Class of 2019-2022)
 
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
DR.SATHYA RANI
FACULTY GUIDE
AGBS HYDERABAD
 
SUBMITTED BY
UDAY RAJ MANSINGH
Enrolment No.: A30606419196
BBA (2019-2022)
Amity Global Business School
Hyderabad
 DECLARATION

I Uday Raj Mansingh, student of Amity Global Business School, Hyderabad

hereby declare that the Minor Project Report Titled “Study of OnePlus” is the
record of authentic work done by me as a partial fulfillment and had not been
submitted in any other university or Institute for the award of any other Degree.
An attempt has been made by me to provide all relevant and important details
regarding the topic to support the theoretical aspects and practical evidence
related to the topic.

Uday Raj Mansingh

March 31, 2021
Hyderabad
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project work done on Study Of OnePlus is a bonafide
work carried out by Mr. Uday Raj Mansingh under my supervision and
guidance. The project report is submitted towards the partial fulfillment of
2/3year, full time Bachelor of Business Administration.

This work has not been submitted anywhere else for any other degree/diploma.
The original work was carried during 17th February 2021 to 3rd April 2021.
Date: 31st March DR. SATHYA RANI
 Acknowledgement

My heartfelt sincere Thanks to Dr. P. Prasada Rao, Director General, Amity

Global Business School, Hyderabad for giving me this opportunity for doing my
Minor Project Report titled Study of OnePlus.
My gratitude to the coordinators for their continuous support and motivation.
My sincere and grateful thanks to my faculty guide Dr. Sathya Rani for guiding
me throughout my project.
I also extend my thanks to family members who stood by me in completing my
project successfully.
 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

The telecommunication industry is the fastest growing sector in today’s economy. Earlier cell
phone industry is primarily engaged in the manufacturing of mobile phones, including mobile
phone handsets. But now the industry is totally concentrated on moving forward
technologically. It is growing alongside up-and-coming technologies and innovations,
building upon the progress of "smartphones" and other phone features and segments made in
recent years.
Smartphones have revolutionized the way we do things: the role of smartphones in today’s
society is phenomenal. Today’s smartphone is taking the role of computer making it possible
to do a lot with small held devices. It has a broad use such as sharing information, shopping,
browsing and educational tools. Nowadays brands plays a very vital role in consumer buying
decisions. Consumers of smartphone are strongly influenced by brands when it comes to
choosing a smartphone.

ABOUT ONEPLUS

OnePlus is a Chinese brand based in Shenzhen, is a smartphone manufacturer. It was founded

by Pete Lau (CEO) and Carl Pei in December 2013. They have released numerous phones,
amongst other products like headphones, Power & cables (Mobiles). The company's aim is to
design a smartphone that would give user high-end quality with a lower price than other
phones in its class (Premium Segment). OnePlus India launched its first mobile handset, the
OnePlus One, on 23 April 2014, in India exclusively through Amazon, OnePlus also
announced its plans to establish a presence through physical stores (Brick & Mortar), with
plans to have 25 official walk-in service centres across India. The company officially serves
38 countries and regions around the world as of countries present on its website. One Plus
mobiles are among few cell phone manufacturers which is positioning its brand very high in
the mind of consumers.
The brand new Chinese company, OnePlus broke way into the smartphone market just seven
years ago with a “flagship killer” smartphone. The company managed to sell over 500,000
smartphones within the first year of its operation, with potential to grow considerably more.
Now adjusted and equipped to the smartphone market, OnePlus aims at targeting their latest
smartphone device, the OnePlus 2 to the U.S. smartphone consumer. After careful research
and deliberation it has been suggested that OnePlus do so by upscale from indirect exporting
to forming a strategic alliance with a U.S. company to yield the highest success in expanding
business westward. The U.S. provides numerous opportunities for OnePlus to capitalize on.
Such opportunities include a large consumer base with above average disposable incomes, a
rapidly growing market with high potential, and consumer favourability in an Android
operating system as well as functionality over design.
Forming a strategic alliance with the U.S. telecommunications company, AT&T will also
prove to be an opportunity for OnePlus, yet comes with a set of risks and challenges as well.
However, a strategic alliance will come with a heavy price tag, and distribution matters will
have to be revamped. Further risks stem from the level of the consumer. OnePlus must be
prepared to compensate for relying solely on e-commerce in selling their product. E-
commerce limits the amount of customer interaction opportunities the company could greatly
benefit from. It also reduces the level of satisfaction and loyalty the consumer will have
towards the product.
COMPANY PROFILE

HISTORY:

OnePlus was founded on 16 December 2013 by former Oppo vice-president Pete

Lau and Carl Pei. According to the Chinese government's documentation, the only
institutional stockholder in OnePlus is Oppo Electronics. Lau denied that OnePlus was
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oppo and stated that Oppo Electronics and not Oppo Mobile
(the phone manufacturer) is a major investor of OnePlus and that they are "in talks with other
investors" (although nothing has been announced to date but it is clear that one plus and
Oppo mobile (not electronics) are siblings and they do not share parent child relationship. 

The company's main goal was to design a smartphone that would balance high-end quality
with a lower price than other phones in its class, believing that users would "Never Settle" for
the lower-quality devices produced by other companies. Lau explained that "we will never be
different just for the sake of being different. Everything done has to improve the actual user
experience in day-to-day use. He also showed aspirations of being the "Muji of the tech
industry", emphasizing its focus on high-quality products with simplistic, user-friendly
designs. Continuing Lau's association with the platform from the Oppo N1, OnePlus entered
into an exclusive licensing agreement with Cyanogen Inc. to base its products' Android
distribution upon a variant of the popular custom ROM Cyanogen MoD and use its
trademarks outside of China.

The company unveiled its first device, the OnePlus One, on 23 April 2014. In December
2014, alongside the release of the OnePlus One in India exclusively through Amazon,
OnePlus also announced plans to establish a presence in the country, with plans to open 25
official walk-in service centres across India.

In April 2014, OnePlus hired Han as the product ambassador in mainland China. On 9 March
2014, the company expanded its operations to the European Union. As of July 2018, OnePlus
serves to the following 34 countries and
regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong
Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Pol
and, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United
States.

The invite system, and its discontinuation

Early phones were only available through a system whereby customers had to sign up for an
invite to purchase the phone at irregular intervals. The system was claimed to be necessary
for the young company to manage huge demand. OnePlus ended the invite system with the
launch of OnePlus 3 on 14 June 2016. Announced via an interactive VR launch event, the
OnePlus 3 initially went on sale within the VR app itself. OnePlus touted the event as the
world's first VR shopping experience. The phone was made available for sale later that day in
China, North America and the European Union on the OnePlus website, and in India on
Amazon India.

"Smash the Past" campaign

On 25 April 2014, OnePlus began its "Smash the Past" campaign. The promotion asked
selected participants to destroy their phones on video in an effort to purchase the OnePlus
One for $1 (US). Due to confusion, several videos were published by unselected users
misinterpreting the promotion and destroying their phones before the promotion start date.

The campaign was heavily criticized for environmental waste and safety concerns, due to
batteries and phone components posing potential hazards to participants destroying their
phones. OnePlus allowed the winners to donate the old phone.There were 140,000 entrants in
the contest with 100 winners.

Warranty rejections

OnePlus One issue with the yellow display band at the bottom of the screen which affected
some units were not covered under warranty. A similar issue was reported for Oppo Find 7
and Oppo Find 7a and Oppo covered it under warranty.

Ladies First

On 13 August 2014, OnePlus hosted a contest to give invites, which were hard to come by at
the time, to their female forum members. Users were asked to post a photo of themselves
with the OnePlus logo, images would be shared in the forum and could be "liked" by other
forum members. Hours after being announced, the campaign was stopped because of the
sexist implications in the election process.

Ban in India

On 16 December 2014, The Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court banned the import

and sales of OnePlus One phones in India following a lawsuit by Micromax alleging it has
exclusivity for shipping phones with Cyanogen OS software in India.

As of 21 December 2014, the banning of import and selling of the device in India has been
lifted. The device continues to be shipped with Cyanogen OS; however, a customised version
of Android specially designed by OnePlus and named OxygenOS has been released, allowing
later OnePlus devices to be sold in India.
ONE PLUS IN INDIA-

Even as Apple and its iPhone brand remains the most aspirational smartphone in India, it is
OnePlus — owned by the same Chinese company that makes Vivo and Oppo — that has won
the hearts of its Indian customers. For the first time in 2018 OnePlus bagged the top slot with
a market share of 40 per cent in India's premium phones segment, pulling ahead of Samsung
which has a share of 34 per cent, and Apple which is now languishing at 14 per cent.

A survey was conducted by Cyber Media Research, a firm which regularly carries out
surveys to gauge the consumer aspirations, preferences and challenges around smartphones,
announced OnePlus as the most trusted brand. Interestingly, the Chinese company is one of
the youngest smartphone maker in the country. OnePlus — which brings out only one phone
at a time — emerged as a brand with the most satisfied customers, pushing down even Apple
users, according to a survey by Cyber Media Research. The brand, owned by BBK
Electronics of China, was also the highest recommended as well as the one with the highest
resale value in terms of customer perception. “100% of OnePlus customers are satisfied in
terms of the quality of the phone,” Cyber Media Research said. OnePlus is securing a healthy
mindshare amongst Indian smartphone consumers," Similarly, 96% of the brand’s customers
are satisfied with availability of the spare parts and 90% are happy with the speed of problem
resolution.OnePlus has benefitted hugely from its loyal customer base.It began its journey
with a 'refer-only' sales model where potential buyers needed to get an invitation from an
existing user to be able to purchase a device.This worked in both setting up a dedicated user
base as well as creating aspiration for the brand among smartphone users. Today nearly 40
per cent of existing OnePlus users go for the next OnePlus device. The migration of iPhone
users to Android devices is now a global trend which is playing out in India as well. This has
benefitted OnePlus during the last quarter in India. “As per Google, a third of the people
searching for iPhones are also looking for OnePlus.OnePlus's unique promotional efforts
have also contributed to its phenomenal growth. Unlike most other premium brands, OnePlus
bet on social media influencers rather than television commercials. For example, on the photo
and video sharing platform Instagram, it has roped in celebrities who promote new OnePlus
devices to their followers through personalised video messages.

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS / COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Indian smartphone market in the premium segment (≥₹30,000 or roughly ≥US$420 retail
price) grew 29% YoY to reach a record high in 2019. The availability of affordable premium
smartphones, aggressive offers like significant price cuts, and user upgrades were the main
reasons for the growth.

In 2019, OnePlus was the number one premium brand. The first time it managed this for a
full year. Its shipments grew 28% YoY and captured one-third of India’s premium segment.
Existing users upgrading and the acquisition of new consumers, led by strong word-of-mouth
were the main reasons for the growth. OnePlus is continuously listening to users’ feedback
and bringing industry-first innovations and features. Customer feedback platforms such as the
“OnePlus community” have helped the brand gauge the needs of Indian consumers.
Examples of innovations include its adoption of high refresh rate (90Hz), almost bezel-less
displays and being first to launch smartphones with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 Series
application processor in India.

OnePlus also became the first ever premium smartphone brand to cross two million
shipments in a year in 2019. The contribution of OnePlus’s ultra-premium segment
(≥₹45,000 or roughly ≥US$634 retail price) to the overall OnePlus portfolio grew to 25% in
2019 driven by the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Samsung dropped to second position and declined 2 percentage points YoY in the premium
segment. The Galaxy S10 Plus was the top-selling flagship for Samsung in 2019, despite the
availability of cheaper models like Galaxy S10e. As a result, Samsung’s ultra-premium
segment shipments grew by 24% YoY and the segment’s contribution to Samsung’s overall
premium shipments reached 79% in 2019, compared to 62% in 2018.
The competition from OnePlus and affordable premium offerings from Oppo (Reno Series),
Asus (6Z) and Xiaomi (Redmi K20 Pro) took its toll on Samsung. In response, Samsung
launched the lite versions of its flagships, Galaxy S10 Lite and Note 10 Lite, for the first time
in 2020 to compete in the affordable premium offerings range.
Apple was the fastest growing premium smartphone brand in 2019 with 41% YoY driven by
multiple price cuts on iPhone XR throughout the year. Apple iPhone XR was the number one
ultra-premium smartphone model in India followed by Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus and
OnePlus 7 Pro. Additionally, this year Apple saw the fastest rollout of its new iPhones (11
series) in India with aggressive pricing and channel strategy. In fact the new series especially
iPhone 11 was introduced at a lower price point than the last year’s iPhone XR launch. This
has helped to gain share during the festive season and in its launch quarter in India
We expect the strongest 2021 for Apple in India as it has expanded its production capacity in
India and is now manufacturing iPhones on a Completely Knocked Down (CKD) basis.
These activities will help the brand to offer competitive pricing in a price-sensitive market
like India.
It is becoming challenging to compete in the India premium segment due to the growing
number of flagship devices and brands. We are expecting significant growth in the purchase
of premium smartphones in 2020 with the Indian market ASP likely to reflect this shift in
focus. The growth drivers in 2019, such as price cuts, upgrade plans, EMI offers, etc.,  are
expected to continue in 2020 leading more Indian consumers upgrading to premium devices.

MARKETING STRATEGIES USED BY ONE PLUS

One Plus Marketing Strategies – 9 Big Takeaways

OnePlus is a brand that has taken the market by storm. The OnePlus marketing strategy
comes across as a great case study on how a great product coupled with innovative marketing
can help a brand capture big market share and win the hearts of the customers.

If I were to name a phone brand that rose from zero to becoming one of the major brands in
Asian countries within a very short period, then the name is definitely going to be OnePlus.
The marketing strategies of of OnePlus have made all the difference in its success when
compared to the other competitors. 
The marketing geniuses behind this brand deserves a mention for greatly reducing advertising
costs, retailing commissions and other costs that might have caused an increase in price. 

A result of all of that is innovation in marketing at lower costs leading to a brilliant case study
for us to analyse. So let’s get on with it and find out what marketing strategies make
OnePlus a marketing success story.

1. Creating Buzz with Exclusivity

When the phone was just launched in India, OnePlus created a scarce situation whereby not
everyone could buy the phone even though the market was getting a sense of the phone and
was liking it. 

In this strategy of exclusivity that was implemented by OnePlus, you could have got the
phone only if one of the users of OnePlus gave you an invite.
Since the phones were not readily available and one could only get it basis the invite, the
option of choice was ruled out. That is, you don’t walk into a phone shop and see OnePlus
phones as one of the products to choose from. 

If you want it, you practically strive to get it. 

Consequently, the company had no reason to establish retail stores or own any warehouses
filled with unsold phones. The supply was there to adequately meet the demand. 
Apart from that, the company was able to directly measure the influence of their product and
its acceptability. Also, they were able to deduce what the customers’ want and when they
want it.

OnePlus developed a cult following using this strategy. To determine the effectiveness of
this strategy, you should check how there was a boom in their site’s traffic when people

were

allowed to order the phones without having any invite during Black Friday and Cyber
Monday sales.
This strategy of scarcity was discontinued since the launch of OnePlus 3.

2. Clever Use Of Influencer Marketing

Interestingly, OnePlus used another splendid strategy that entails banking on the influence
of other brands or personalities to raise awareness and draw the attention of people to their
products. 
An example of this was it recent collaboration with Netflix India. OnePlus India was the first
to release the first look of the much awaited Sacred Games season 2. It claimed that the
pictures were taken by its product and this marketing program drove a lot of visits to their
social media pages even from the ardent followers of the series. 
Surprisingly, OnePlus not only used the influence of Netflix, it also engaged popular actors,
models and media personalities as well. This was mostly used during the recently launched
OnePlus 7 series.

ONEPLUS ROPES IN ROBERT

DOWNEY JR. FOR A BRAND
CAMPAIGN WITH THE
ONEPLUS 7 PRO

AMITABH BACHAN NOW HAS

BECAME A BRAND
AMBASSADOR FOR ONE PLUS
ACTRESSES LIKE PRIYANKA AND NEHA SHARMA DOING A CAIMPAIGN ON
ONEPLUS 7 PRO

3. Leveraging on Word of Mouth

Before OnePlus entered the Indian market, it had already created an active
community where discussions about phone were taking place. This gave OnePlus the
necessaryinitialtraction.
After the launch, OnePlus introduced its product to this community and they liked it. Guess
what? The first users of this product started spreading the gospel about it and telling everyone
aboutthephone.

Besides this, OnePlus made it more fun for them when it made them eligible to invite other
people to buy the phone, which, as I mentioned, was the only way to buy the phone back
then.
As more people got their hands on these phones and got satisfied with what they
bought, each person became an endorser for the brand and for the quality product that it
sold.

4. Less Expenditure on Traditional Marketing

OnePlus India is very active on various social media platforms. It has over 2.2 million
followers on Instagram and 1.73 million on Twitter. These platforms are where it runs
most ofitscampaigns.

OnePlus has spent a fair share of money on traditional marketing and above the line activities
as well. For example, OnePlus once ran an ad during the launch of OnePlus 5 during the
Championship match between Pakistan and India, which was a much-anticipated match.

This is usual for the industry OnePlus is in. Especially when you hear about the last
released advertising spend of Apple which was pegged at $1.8 billion dollars in 2015. 
Of course, OnePlus, initially might not have been able to afford that kind of money. Or even
if it could have, it did consciously choose to innovate their marketing initiatives.
One of the digital campaigns launched by OnePlus was tagged “Smash The Past”, where
contestants are required to smash their present device and upload the video online so as to
have the chance of getting

OnePlusphonesforaslowas$1. This campaign caused a media outrage because of the

environmental or health hazards it poses. Tactically, OnePlus PR team changed the campaign
to “Donate The Past” by tweaking the rules. Contestants were no longer required to smash
their phones, but instead, they had to donate them.As expected, this campaign got a lot of
entries and created a lot of buzz. I kid you not, it was successful. You can watch some of the
videos on YouTube.

5. A Quality Product

A quality product is the best marketing you could ever do. You can just never understate
the importance of the quality of a product when it comes to marketing strategies.
It was very clear that Samsung and Apple are high-end phones with very sleek design, hence,
trying to beat them by having a cheaper one would only work if the quality is maintained. 
And that was one of the biggest task in front of OnePlus. How could they do it? 

With a top-notch phone and competitive pricing, which came from the greatly reduced
marketing costs, OnePlus was able to compete with bigger brands
Do a quick search on Google and you will discover that a lot of the consumers were beyond
satisfied with what OnePlus phones are offering. Here, I grabbed some of the reviews for you
to see.

6. Maximally Utilizing an Hashtag (#NeverSettle)

OnePlus, in all of its campaign, leveraged on the power of hashtags combined with other
social media strategy to engage with its audience. The launch of OnePlus 6T, for example, in
NY city was live streamed on Twitter and it was quite a successful campaign. 
#NeverSettle is a hashtag that born out of OnePlus and it has been using this hashtag in all of
its marketing campaigns.
To different people, #NeverSettle means different things, but I believe the intent was to
position OnePlus as a superior brand among the brands and to pass on a message to phone
users to never settle for a low spec phone just because they might not be able to afford them. 

7. Affordability of the Device

It is said that if you plan to come up with another product in an industry that is already
crowded, the product is got to be at least 10x better in at least one product aspect.
In case of the OnePlus, the affordability of the device paired with the kid of specifications
that it offers works in its favor in the similar fashion. 
They pack the best specs into a phone which is considerably better with the other mobile
phones outhereinthemarket. 

Let’s do a quick price comparison of the price of OnePlus latest release, the OnePlus 7T, and
Apple’s latest release, iPhone 11 Pro. OnePlus 7T costs INR 38,000 on average while the
average price of iPhone 11 pro is INR 100,000. While that’s how it compares in terms of the
price.
8. Online Sales with no Offline Store at the Beginning

At the core of the OnePlus marketing strategy was the strategical choice of going ahead
with just online sales. Amazon India was the sole and exclusive eCommerce platform from
where theusersorderedtheirphones. 
In addition, OnePlus, using the invite only system and online store, was able to properly
manage its inventory and not produce excessively. This is a good strategical move for a
product thatisjuststartingoutinanewcountry.

Now, as OnePlus has moved to the stage of having offline retail stores, it is at a strong
position in the market and has its grip on the market.

9. Building Loyal Community Members

Before OnePlus launched in India, it already had a community and that community were
the first customers. Building a community or a tribe is extremely beneficial for a brand is it
drives word of mouth, which is undoubtedly an extremely happy state for the marketing
efforts of any marketer. 

Apart from this, the UGC (user generated content) coming in from these members in forms
of reviews or FAQs go a long way in convincing a prospective buyer to make a purchase.

You know how iPhone users build a vibe around a product all over the place and sometimes
you wish to get one even though you don’t really need it? OnePlus loyal community
members is likely to have the same effect on you.
One Plus has gained huge market share by their vision and motto to make great quality
phones and thereby offering directly to consumers with less pricing. They created a massive
change in the smartphone market but we should also understand that the Smartphone industry
is quite dynamic and constantly needs changes and improvements to sustain in the market.
SWOT ANALYSIS OF ONEPLUS:

STRENGTHS OF ONEPLUS

Strengths are the firm's capabilities and resources that it can use to design, develop, and
sustain competitive advantage in the marketplace

 High margins compare to Sales & Marketing industry's competitors - Even though

Oneplus Smartphone is facing downward pressure on profitability, compare to
competitors it is still racking in higher profit margins.
 Track record of innovation - Even though most players in the Sales & Marketing
strive to innovate, Oneplus Smartphone has successful record at consumer driven
innovation.
 Diverse Revenue models - Over the years OnePlus: Crossing the Chasm in the
Smartphone Market has ventured into various businesses outside the Sales &
Marketing sector. This has enabled the company do develop a diversified revenue
stream beyond Sales & Marketing sector and Sales & Marketing segment.
 Market Leadership Position - Oneplus Smartphone has a strong market leadership
position in the Sales & Marketing industry. It has helped the company to rapidly
scale new products successes.
 Viral campaigning- It has launched several ad campaigns that highlight its innovative
features and are shown via television, newspapers and billboards and in social media
via Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Instagram and YouTube. Brand realises the impact of
star power and have joined hands with actors like Amitabh bachan.
 High specifications- one plus provides users with goo, high end features at moderate
price.it also uses the latest technology in its phones.

WEAKNESSES OF ONEPLUS

Weaknesses in case study OnePlus: Crossing the Chasm in the Smartphone Market can either
be absence of strengths or resources of capabilities that are required but at present the
organization doesn't have. Leaders have to be certain if the weakness is present because of
lack of strategic planning or as a result of strategic choice.

 Low investments into Oneplus Smartphone's customer-oriented services - This can

lead to competitors gaining advantage in near future.
 High turnover of employees at the lower levels is also a concern for the
OneplusSmartphone. It can lead to higher salaries to maintain the talent within the
firm.
 Declining per unit revenue for Oneplus Smartphone - competitiveness in the
industryname industry is putting downward pressure on the profitability. A starting
guide to manage this situation for companyname is – objectively assessing the
present value propositions of the various products.
 Extra cost of building new supply chain and logistics network - Internet and Artificial
Intelligence has significantly altered the business model in the Marketing, Mobile,
Organizational culture, Social platforms industry and given the decreasing
significance of the dealer network Oneplus Smartphone has to build a new robust
supply chain network. That can be extremely expensive.
 Two variants per year- one of the weaknesses is that it launches two variants per year
and the second one is usually the better on

OPPORTUNITIES – ONEPLUS

Opportunities are potential areas where the firm chan identify potential for - growth, profits,
and market share.

 Lowering of the cost of new product launches through third party retail partners and
dedicated social network. Oneplus Smartphone can use the emerging trend to start
small before scaling up after initial success of a new product.
 Increasing customer base in lower segments - As customers have to migrate from un-
organized operators in the Marketing, Mobile, Organizational culture, Social
 platforms industry to licensed players. It will provide Oneplus Smartphone an
opportunity to penetrate entry level market with a no-frill offering.
 Trend of customers migrating to higher end products - It represents great opportunity
for Oneplus Smartphone, as the firm has strong brand recognition in the premium
segment, customers have experience with excellent customer services provided by
Oneplus Smartphone brands in the lower segment. It can be a win-win for the
company and provides an opportunity to increase the profitability.
 Local Collaboration - Tie-up with local players can also provide opportunities of
growth for the Oneplus Smartphone in international markets. The local players have
local expertise while Oneplus Smartphone can bring global processes and execution
expertise on table.
 Global markets yet to be penetrated -one plus is not yet present in all the global
markets. Thus It has the opportunity to expand its network and delivery efficient
services to the customers in areas not yet explored.
 Software and hardware innovation- development in hardware and software provides
opportunity of growth for the one plus mobiles.

THEATS IN ONEPLUS

Threats are factors that can be potential dangers to the firm's business models because of
changes in macro-economic factors and changing consumer perceptions. Threats can be
managed but not controlled.

 Commoditization of the product segment - The biggest challenge for Oneplus

Smartphone and other players in the industry is the increasing commoditization of the
products in Marketing, Mobile, Organizational culture, Social platforms industry.
 Shortage of skilled human resources - Given the high turnover of employees and
increasing dependence on innovative solution, CompanyName can face skilled
human resources challenges in the near future.
 Competition selling near similar specifications - as there are other companies also
who provide almost similar specifications at lower prices, it might be a challenge for
one plus.
 Less innovate in terms of premium competition- as one plus aims to enter in the
premium market, it will have to come up with a better hardware and a software to
sustain the competition.
 Highly competitive market-one of the major threats for one plus is the smartphone
market being highly completive and having various brands selling more or less
similar products.

STRENGHTS: WEAKNESSES:
 Low investments into Oneplus Smartphone's
 High margins compare to Sales &
customer-oriented services 
Marketing industry's competitors  High turnover of employees 
 Track record of innovation   Declining per unit revenue for Oneplus
Smartphone 
 Diverse Revenue models   Extra cost of building new supply chain and
 Market Leadership Position  logistics network 
 Viral campaigning  Two variants per year
 High specifications
 OPPORTUNITIES: THREATS:
 Commoditization of the product segment 
 Lowering of the cost of new product
 Shortage of skilled human resources 
launches 
 Competition selling near similar specifications
 Increasing customer base in lower
segments   Less innovate in terms of premium
competition
 Trend of customers migrating to
higher end products   Highly competitive market
 Local Collaboration 
 Global markets yet to be penetrated
 Software and hardware innovation

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

DRUCKER (1973) - Strategic marketing as seen as a process consisting of: analyzing

environmental, market competitive and business factors affecting the corporation and its
business units, identifying market opportunities and threats and forecasting future trends in
business areas of interest for the enterprise , and participating in setting objectives and
formulating corporate and business unit strategies. Selecting market target strategies for the
product-markets in each business unit, establishing marketing objectives as well as
developing , implementing and managing the marketing program positioning strategies in
order to meet market target needs”.
HART STAPLETON (1977) - a statement in very general terms of how the marketing
objective is to be achieved, e.g. acquiring a competitive company, by price reductions, by
product improvement, or by intensive advertising. The strategy becomes the basis of the
marketing plan.
LAMBIN (1977) - The role of strategic marketing is to lead the firm towards attractive
economic opportunities, that is, opportunities that are adapted to its resources and know how
and offer a potential for growth and profitability .
ARAMARIO (1991) - although marketing has basically a strategic conception of the selling
activity, we used it to distinguish between strategic marketing and operational marketing,
depending on long term or short term objectives. Strategic marketing starts with thoughts
about the current situation of the company and situational analysis and possible evolution of
the markets and the environment, with the goal of detecting opportunities which can
establish objectives.
WALKER (1992) - “ The primary purpose of a marketing strategy is to effectively allocate
and coordinate marketing resources and activities to accomplish the firm’s objectives within
a specific product market. Therefore decisions about the scope of a marketing strategy
involve specifying the target-market segment(s) to be pursued and the product line to be
offered. Then, firms seek a competitive advantage and synergy, planning a well integrated
program of marketing mix elements.”
CAMARA (1995) - “Strategy which defines the general principles for reaching objectives
related to the specific SBU’s and target markets. It contains the main directives of the
marketing expenditure, marketing actions, and resource allocation in this area. It includes
decisions like: segmentation strategies, positioning, communication. The definition of
marketing strategies referring to the marketing plan : it is one of the sections which integrate
the marketing plan and its own objective is to present an action plan which will be utilised to
reach the marketing plan objectives.”
MCDONALD (1999) - the term “marketing strategy” reflects the company’s best opinion
as to how it can most profitably apply its skills and resources to the marketplace. It is
inevitably broad in scope. Marketing strategies are the means by which a company achieves
its marketing objectives and are usually concerned with the 4 p’s”.
JAIN (2000) - Strategic marketing means looking at the whole of a company’s portfolio of
products and markets, and managing the portfolio to achieve the company’s overall goals”
RODRIGUEZ (1998) - “ A methodology of analysis which pretends the knowledge of
customers needs and the forecast of potential options ( ours and competitors) in order to gain
competitive advantage in a long term ( sustainable ) and defendable”.
KOTLER (1997) - “the selection of target markets, the marketing mix and the marketing
expenditure levels”...... “The marketing strategy is the way in which the marketing function
organises its activities to achieve a profitable growth in sales at a marketing mix level” ........
“A marketing strategy may be defined as a plan ( usually long term) to achieve the
organisation’s objectives as follows…”
a) By specifying what resources should be allocated to marketing.
b) By specifying how these resources should be used to take advantage of opportunities
which are expected to arise in the future.

“a marketing strategy would consist of the following:

a. Identifying markets and customers needs in those

SUDARSAHAN (1995) - Marketing strategy creates pathways to a desirable future. The

output from such marketing strategy analysis and choice ( or strategic marketing decision )
is a marketing strategy statement”.

BENNET (1995) - the process of planning and executing the conception , pricing ,
promotion and distribution of ideas, goods and services to create exchanges that satisfy
individual and organizational goals.
SCHNAARS (1991) - There is no unified definition upon which marketers agree. Instead,
there are nearly as many definitions of it as there are uses of the term. Clearly, marketing
strategy is a commonly used term, but no one is really sure what it means”.
CRAVENS (1986) - “understanding the strategic situation confronting an organization is an
essential starting point in developing a marketing strategy” .
HAMPER & BAUGH (1990) – We define strategy as a consistent, appropriate and
feasible set of principles through which a particular company hopes to achieve its long-run
customer and profit objectives in a particular competitive environment”.
 CHAPTER 3
Research Methodology

Objectives Of The Study

1. To Learn and know Marketing Strategies used by OnePlus

2. To study how OnePlus has carved a niche in consumer electronics Market
3. To Know OnePlus strengths and weaknesses
4. To Analyze OnePlus case with effective frameworks

Nature of Research : Descriptive Research

Sampling design : Probability Sampling

Data Collection Methods

Primary Data : Primary data is a type of data that is collected by researchers directly from
main sources through interviews, surveys, experiments, etc. Primary data are usually
collected from the source—where the data originally originates from and are regarded as the
best kind of data in research.
Secondary Data : Secondary data refers to data that is collected by someone other than the
primary user.[1] Common sources of secondary data for social science include censuses,
information collected by government departments, organizational records and data that was
originally collected for other research purposes. Primary data, by contrast, are collected by
the investigator conducting the research.

Data Collection Tool

Primary Data : Primary was collected personally through online polls , by interviewing the
consumers , a survey was done. A Questionnaire was prepared to gather the data

Questionnaire
1. Do you like Using OnePlus Products ?
2. How’s the Battery Backup on OnePlus Smartphones ?
3. Do you like the Performance of OnePlus Smartphones ?
4. Do you like Using Oxygen OS ?
5. Will you Prefer OnePlus Brand products to Other Users ?
6. Do you like Using OnePlus Buds ?
7. Do you Think OnePlus Products are worth your Money ?
8. Do you like the Camera Performance of OnePlus Smartphones ?
9. Are You Willing to Buy OnePlus TV ?
10. Do you think OnePlus Warp Charge technology is Fast ?

Secondary Data : Secondary data was collected through the following resources
 Internet
 Newspaper Articles
 Company’s Website
 Magazines

Data Analysis Techniques :

Both Qualitative and Quantitative Data was Covered

Limitations Of The Study

 1. The main limitation is that sample only includes the views of people living in
Hyderabad
2. Customers behaviour is unpredictable and it may lead to inaccuracy in data
3. Study is only for OnePlus and it cannot represent whole smartphone industry
4. Study is only limited to only 52 Respondents.

CHAPTER 4

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Age Group of OnePlus Brand Users

 As in the above graph we can see that most users of OnePlus mobile phones are of age
group 25 – 35 years and also of age group 18 – 25 years . we can safely say that OnePlus
brand is more appealing to younger audience

1. Do you like Using OnePlus Products ?

In the above graph we can see that majority of oneplus brand users like their products as 77%
of the people has said yes to the question

As early as five years ago, OnePlus was barely a blip on the radar to the general tech
consumer. Nowadays, the brand is becoming very well known as a global powerhouse in the
smartphone industry. It’s also starting to branch out to other technology markets.

2. How’s the Battery Backup on OnePlus Smartphones ?

From the Above graph we can see that majority of the one plus brand users like battery
backup of their smartphone as 67% people has said it has a good battery life
Although battery backup can improved by good software optimisation

The OnePlus Smartphone performed very well in battery life test. At 4115mAh, the Nord
doesn't have the largest battery in its price category but thanks to the low power Snapdragon
765G chipset, the phone achieves a satisfactory run time.
3. Do you like the Performance of OnePlus Smartphones ?

By Above graph we can see that most of one plus users are happy with their smartphones as
majority of the users at 85% has said Yes to the question.

Coming back to the performance, as mentioned before, the Nord performs exceptionally well.
This was especially a surprise to us because the phone does not ship with the latest and
greatest flagship chipset. Instead, it has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, which isn't bad on
paper and also one of Qualcomm's faster chips.
4. Do you like Using Oxygen OS ?

Many Users love Oxygen OS as 75% of the people has said that they like using oxygen OS
We Can Say that While super-quick updates may not be OnePlus' forte, the company has
made a name for itself when it comes to fast and clean UI design. Over the years, OnePlus
has made many changes to OxygenOS but the focus has always been on keeping it clean and
keeping it working smoothly, so you never get the feeling of wading through years of
accumulated cruft that you get when using some of the other custom implementations of
Android.

 big part of this is the UI. While not "stock" by any stretch of the imagination, OnePlus has
carefully chosen a design language that closely mimics Google's design. This gives the user
the impression of using a near-stock UI but at the same time one that is much more
customizable. This customizability works across all levels, from the launcher to the default
OnePlus apps, to the OS itself.
5. Will you Prefer OnePlus Brand products to Other Users ?

Over 90% of the Survey Respondents has Stated that They are willing to Prefer OnePlus
brand products to others , This can say quite a lot about company’s Goodwill as we can see
that OnePlus has created a Customer Loyalty.

6. Do you like Using OnePlus Buds ?

As we can see in the Above Graph as 52% people like OnePlus Buds
The OnePlus Buds is what many of us expected it to be, and doesn't disappoint when it comes
to features and pricing. At Rs. 4,990, it's well priced for what's on offer. It's comfortable, and
also has good battery life as well as useful features such as fast charging and quick switch. If
you intend to use these with a OnePlus smartphone, you'll get the most out of the OnePlus
Buds through low-latency mode, the ability to customise the controls, firmware updates,
Dolby Atmos support, and detailed battery indicators.

7. Do you Think OnePlus Products are worth your Money ?

As in the above Graph we can see that 94% people think OnePlus products are worth their
money
The yes part is that OnePlus phones have a lot going for it. It has stock like android, good
camera, immense customizability, Clean UI, timely updates, good quality screen, good
speakers, and they are good looking. They also have a good number of custom ROM support
and accessories support.

8. Do you like the Camera Performance of OnePlus Smartphones ?

In the Above graph we can see that only area where oneplus smartphones lack are camera
performance Oneplus can take note of this and work on their camera quality as 77% of our
survey respondents stated that camera can be improved.
9. Are You Willing to Buy OnePlus TV ?

From The Above graph we can see that Majority of OnePlus are not willing to buy OnePlus
TV as 52% of our respondents said no As many people disliked the specification sheet of
OnePlus TV

10. Do you think OnePlus Warp Charge technology is Fast ?

From the above we can see that majority of the people like OnePlus’s Proprietary charging
technology Warp charge as 85% of our respondents said yes

ultra-fast charging technology makes overnight charging a thing of the past. Simply plug in

your OnePlus 7 Pro for 20 minutes for enough power to get you going, without having to
worry about your device slowing down or overheating.

CHAPTER 5
 Findings, Suggestions & Conclusion

Findings

 OnePlus already has India as its biggest market while it keeps expanding into other
countries. OnePlus offered and continues to offer an extremely good alternative to high
end phones at a lower price without compromising the quality in the process. This, alone,
contributed immensely to its success.

 Most startups with little or no capital are always scared that they would remain an
underdog because of how big their competitors are. With these takeaways, I am sure you
can now see that you don’t need big money to outsell your competitors, rather what
you need is a big marketing strategy.

 OnePlus wants to focus on the premium segment and that is reflecting clearly in the
choices. “As a brand grows, you tend to become growth-oriented and lose focus of your
identity. OnePlus has chosen to stay consistent to its positioning and identity. Their new
marketi OnePlus marketing strategy has changed a lot with adoption of new methods.
“They are exploring new and innovative ideas, especially on the digital front in order to
add value to their campaigns. Innovative marketing tech is the way forward for all brands
today and OnePlus is utilising this aspect very well. As a result, creative digital
technology is a part of their strategy for every campaign and it is evident from their recent
executions new and emerging fields like Facebook AR.

 OnePlus lives its tenet of 'Never Settle' and through that also unsettles the market with its
approach. It has made a mark in the premium phones category and with these tie-ups, it
has upped the ante again as they have the potential to be game-changers for the brand as
also for the industry.

Suggestions
 OnePlus has a much smaller roster by comparison. This enables the company to give
more focus to its devices than some of its competitors. This is a similar strategy as the
one adopted by Apple, which also releases a very small selection of phones each year.
Unfortunately, as OnePlus gets bigger, its roster is also growing. Time will tell if it
keeps its roster manageable or if it becomes another Samsung.

 One of the most contentious topics amongst OnePlus fans is how the company has
raised its pricing over the years. While it’s true that OnePlus phones are more
expensive now than they’ve ever been, the brand’s overall pricing strategy is still
competitive. It’s just not releasing flagship-tier phones for $300 anymore — as it did
in its early years.

 When you compare OnePlus phones to the bigshots in the Android world —
especially Samsung and Huawei — it’s plain to see that OnePlus offers a lot for
sometimes hundreds of dollars less. For example, the OnePlus 8 has many similar
specs to the Samsung Galaxy S20 yet costs $300 less. Even the OnePlus 8 Pro —
which is very analogous in specs and features to Samsung flagships — starts at $899,
significantly less than top-tier flagships of 2020.

 While the days of ultra-cheap yet ultra-powerful OnePlus phones are long gone and
likely never coming back, OnePlus hasn’t completely abandoned its status as a wallet-
friendly brand.
Conclusion

We can conclude that the OnePlus has a strong hold on their fundamentals. Their strategy,
execution and implementation are aligned with the mission, vision and values of the
organization. The process of positioning the brand in the mind of the customers is well
defined. They managed to get a space in the minds of the consumer and the brand projected
out, got positioned. They are crystal clear in what they want to be and where they want to be
in the mind of customers. we can also conclude that due to their constant efforts and great
marketing strategies. One plus has emerged as the market the market leader in the premium
Smartphone market with 44% of the market share in India.
BIBILOGRAPHY

1. https://www.oneplus.in
2. https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/oneplus-ropes-in-robert-
downey-jr-for-a-brand-campaign-with-the-oneplus-7-pro-6642451.html
3. https://gadgets.ndtv.com/audio/reviews/oneplus-buds-true-wireless-
earphones-review-price-in-india-2285748
4. https://www.gizmochina.com/2018/12/15/oneplus-explains-warp-charge-
30-will-work-with-your-old-oneplus-cable/