MARKETING RESEARCH CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS

Services Marketing Case Study Presentation Groups

BITM - A

Date of Commencing : 16th March 2022

S.No Group No. Case Study allocated

1 Group 1 Case study No. 6
2 Group 2 Case study No. 7
3 Group 3 Case study No. 8
4 Group 4 Case study No. 9
5 Group 5 Case study No. 10
6 Group 6 Case study No. 5
7 Group 7 Case study No. 1
8 Group 8 Case study No. 2
9 Group 9 Case study No. 3
10 Group 10 Case study No. 4

Case 1: FORTUNE AT THE LAST FRONTIER

Nikhil Thareja belonged to the third generation of builders Thareja & Sons. The company had
been started by Nikhil’s grandfather, Lala Harbans Lal Thareja, after partition in 1947. From a
small construction set up in a two-BHK house in Malviya Nagar, the company scaled new
heights under Nikhil’s father, Sampat Lal Thareja. The company worked in the areas of
commercial space, residential complexes, and also undertook some industrial projects. Now,
the ball was in Nikhil’s court and the expectations from the 35-year-old London School of
Economics finance major were huge. Today was the D-Day when he was to take over a new
expansion unit that his grandfather and father had envisioned for their bright young heir.
Nikhil strode purposefully into his grandfather’s cabin and asked “So Lalaji, what is this
exciting plan that you have for me?” Lalaji (Lala Harbans Lal was affectionately called Lalaji
by all) smiled exultantly and handed him a blue dossier marked ‘Confidential’. Nikhil could
hardly wait to open it. He quickly tore open the envelope and read the title and looked up
aghast, wondering if his 85-year-old grandfather had gone senile. Lalaji watched his puzzled
grandson from his wise old eyes and said “What I am giving you is challenging, futuristic and
an exciting opportunity which I know has a great potential. I have been watching the world
pass by and I know that the real fortune in a fully saturated market place lies not with an
impudent and aggressive Young India, but a ‘young’ 60-year-old Indian who has the capital
and the desire to enjoy the spoils of his labor. Your Lalaji has not lost his marbles , I challenge
you to get the best of-what-do you call them―research agencies―to do a market feasibility
study for you and then get back to me.” Nikhil looked from his grandfather, whom he
considered one of the most iconic entrepreneurs of his time, to the report in front of him. The
embossed golden letters of the report glittered in the morning light as they spelt out: “Twilight
Luxury- Retirement solutions: for those who reinvent life”. Had his grandfather read the market
signals correctly? Could there really be an attractive business opportunity with the senior
population? And that too in India?

Housing Solution for Senior Citizens

There has been a definite change in the way the senior citizen lives his life today. The
multinationals that came to India in the 1990s provided lucrative job opportunities―as a result,
the senior of today has better financial cushion and investments today. There was also exposure
to Western colleagues and their lifestyle. Due to these factors, the senior citizen’s approach to
life is different today. He may retire from his job, but not from life, and he has started looking
beyond simple and frugal living after retirement, where you only think of sanyas. With better
medical facilities and improved life expectancy, the elder wants to live his life amongst all the
material comforts that he can buy. They have the financial means but not the physical energy,
so they are open to buying any facility that can help them live their silver years in both comfort
and style, with no physical and mental stress.
Worldwide, there are generally three different options available for the senior in terms of
retirement solutions. The first is independent living homes―these are meant for those who are
of reasonably good health and are able to manage life on their own. The second housing
solution is for those who require physical or medical help and need assistance to manage daily
chores. The third is for those who require medical care and treatment.
Thareja Builders were looking at the first category, where the senior was in considerably
good health to look for a comfortable and desirable housing, which also had appreciation
potential. Some successful retirement housing projects in India were:
1. Ashianna Utsav Retirement resorts (Bhivadi, Lavasa, Jaipur, Rajasthan)
2. Athashri (Pune , Maharashtra)
3. Brindavan Hill View (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu)
4. Dignity Lifestyle (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
5. Shriram Senior Living (Bangalore, Karnataka)
6. AVI Vintage home (Gurgaon, Bangalore, Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam)
7. Serene Covai Properties (Coimbatore, Puducherry, Chennai, Mysore, Hyderabad)

Here again, the trend so far was of three kinds

• Complete sales model: This entails complete ownership for the buyer and requires
considerable capital investment. These solutions also have some special provisions in terms of
medical support, food and utility payment support; entertainment and recreation facilities to
match the needs of old age. The additional facilities, of course, come at a separate and market-
driven cost.
• Lease deposit model: Here, the senior citizen pays a one-time deposit and the rest is
payable as monthly fees. Some part of the deposit is non-refundable. For example, there is a
housing solution for cottage living near Mumbai, where the initial deposit is 13 lakh, of which
4 lakh is non-refundable. Besides, there is a monthly charge of 10,000; of this six months’
charges are taken as advance security deposit. Besides this, there are charges for transport,
telephone, television, Internet and medical facilities, and food is charged on actuals.
• Pure rental model: This is the easiest and most hassle-free option for the senior. Here
again, there is a deposit and security fee but the initial capital investment required is not huge.
The other charges are on actuals or in the form of monthly charges. However, the downside of
these solutions is that these places lack permanency, as the rentals are for a period of 1-6 months
and moving in and out might be a big hassle in old age.
The Decision
Higher life expectancy, better financial reserves and a positive and ego-expressive mindset
have made the senior population an attractive market. However, Nikhil Thareja still felt that to
evaluate the merit of this business opportunity, he needed to do a comprehensive research on
the existing consumers, as well as the market.

QUESTIONS
1. Identify the management decision problem. Can you generate the kind of research this would
require? Here, you need to look at multiple research problems that could address Mr Tharejas’
dilemma and help in his decision making.

2. For identifying a research problem what kind of problem audit would you recommend?
Elaborate on the steps you would undertake to conduct this study.

3. Of these select one business research problem that you believe will best address the decision
needs. Give reasons for your selection.

CASE 2: WHAT’S IN A CAR?

Shridhar from Bengaluru, had developed an electric car—VERVE (It is a fully automatic, no
clutch, no gears), two-door hatchback, easily seating two adults and two children with a small
turning radius of just 3.5 metres). It runs on batteries and as compared to other electric vehicles,
has an onboard charger to facilitate easy charging which can be carried out by plugging into
any 15 amp socket at home or work. A full battery charge takes less than seven hours and gives
a range of 80 km. In a quick-charge mode (two-and-a-half hours) 80 per cent charge is attained
which is good enough for 65 km. A full charge consumes just about 9 units of electricity.
Somehow the product did not take off the way he expected. He is contemplating about
repositioning the car. As he stood looking at the prototype, he knew that there were a couple
of questions to which he must find answers before he undertook the repositioning exercise.
Who should be the targeted segment—old people, young students just going to college,
housewives, or …? What should be the positioning stance? What kind of image would these
customers relate to? Was a new name or punch-line required? How should the promotions be
undertaken? Hyundai had done it with Shah Rukh Khan, should he also consider a celebrity?
If yes who?

QUESTIONS
1. What kind of research study should Shridhar undertake? Define the objectives of his
research.
2. Do the stated objectives have scope for a qualitative research?
3. Which method(s) would you recommend and why?
4. Can you construct a template for conducting the study? What element would you advice
Shridhar to keep in mind, and why?
 CASE 3: TUPPERWARE INDIA PVT. LTD.

Tupperware is the world’s largest plastic food container company. It markets its products in
over 100 countries across the globe and is today a household name in every corner of the world.
Tupperware India Pvt. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US-based Tupperware
Corporation, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality plastic food storage and serving
containers. The company started its operations in India in 1996 and the country has been
recognized as the fastest growing market by Tupperware Worldwide. Its products were
launched in Delhi (November 1996) followed by Mumbai in (April 1997) and in Bangalore
and Chennai in (October 1997). Pune, Chandigarh and Hyderabad followed in 1998.
Starting off with just 12 products, Tupperware India today sells over 70 products that meet
Tupperware’s stringent international quality standards. At present, the company sells its
products in over 35 cities through a sales network comprising over 35,000 consultants, 1500
managers and 75 distributors. Backed by a committed and dedicated staff, region offices in all
metros, Tupperware India has the pride of being the fastest set-up operation in the history of
Tupperware. The company has been growing so fast that today it is approximately three times
larger than any other company in its products’ category. The company’s turnover as of now is
over US $11.5 million.
A full-fledged manufacturing facility is today the nerve-centre of Tupperware’s Indian
operations. Located in Hyderabad, this plant employs state-of-the-art technology to
manufacture over 65 products, each of them meeting stringent quality standards laid down by
Tupperware’s international norms. Set up in a record time of three months, this facility could
soon go in for an expansion to meet the ever-increasing demand for Tupperware. The moulds
used to make Tupperware are hand-tooled stainless steel and these moulds are common for all
countries and move in different countries as per the requirements.
The company classified its products under various categories depending upon the purpose
they serve. The main product line of the company is grouped as follows:
• Dry storage – Modular mates, canisters, etc.
• Tableware – Bread server, butter dish, curry server, etc.
• Food preparation – Masala keeper, magic flow, quick shakes
• Microwave – Soup mugs, crystalwave medium
• Refrigerator – Cool n fresh series, wondlier bowls, ice trays
• Lunch and outdoors – Tumblers, lunch boxes
• Canister – Store-all-canisters, oasis jug
• Classics – Classic slim launch, tropical cups.
Tupperware India has specially designed select tailormade products for the Indian
homemaker to fulfill the unique needs of the Indian kitchen. ‘Cinnamon microwave dish’ in a
dark blue colour keeps in mind haldi stains, ‘Masala storage box’ which can store up to seven
dry spices, and a range of thalis, katoris, roti-keeper, pickle and oil containers have already
been introduced in the market. These products combine aesthetics and functionality. They are
ingeniously designed to offer versatility and convenience. Tupperware products have won
several design awards worldwide. The products are manufactured with 100 per cent food grade
virgin plastic and offer a lifetime guarantee against chipping, cracking or breaking under
normal non-commercial use. They are light, unbreakable, non-toxic and odourless. They also
have special airtight and liquid tight seals which lock in freshness and flavour. The products
are not only designed elegantly and add functionality but also add vibrancy and colour to any
kitchen and dining table. The products are available in soothing colours such as red, blue,
pastels and green to match kitchen décor and consumer preference.
 Tupperware India, at present, faces competition from stainless steel utensils and low-end
plastic products both available at retail outlets across India. However, with increasing
awareness of high-end food storage containers, the company will soon see itself up against
more intense competition. Already companies like Modicare, Cutting Edge and Real Life have
entered this segment, albeit with lower prices.
The company is growing rapidly and uses a direct selling method to reach its end customers.
An empirical study was undertaken to understand the perception of consumers and dealers
(consultant).
The study assumes significance since the outcome of this research would help Tupperware
identify the areas in which the perception is poor and would, therefore, be able to identify the
problem areas so as to take remedial action. This is necessary because Tupperware is facing
competition from Modicare, Pearl Pet and Reallife and the results of the study will help it in
consolidating its market position by identifying its strengths and weaknesses. Further, it would
indicate why and on what parameters the perception of consumers versus non-consumers is
different. This could enable the company to formulate appropriate strategy to attract the non-
consumers use its product.
The objectives of the study were:
1. To understand the perception of Tupperware product users about the company.
Specifically we want to answer the following questions:
(a) What is the profile of the users of Tupperware product?
(b) What is the awareness level (both aided and unaided recall) of the users of Tupperware
products?
(c) Is the perception different for a user belonging to a nuclear or a joint family?
(d) Does the perception vary across marital status?
(e) Does the perception vary across professions?
(f ) Does the perception vary across age groups?
(g) Does the perception vary across education levels?
(h) Does the perception vary across income groups?
(i ) What are the underlying significant factors of the perceptions of users?
2. What is the perception of the non-users of Tupperware products about the company?
Specifically, we would attempt to answer the following questions:
(a) What is the profile of the non-users of Tupperware product?
(b) What is the awareness level (both aided and unaided recall) of the non-users of
Tupperware products?
(c) Is the perception different for a non-user belonging to a nuclear or joint family?
(d) Does the perception vary across marital status?
(e) Does the perception vary across professions?
(f ) Does the perception vary across age group?
(g) Does the perception vary across education levels?
(h) Does the perception vary across income groups?
(i ) What are the underlying significant factors of the perceptions of non-users?
3. Is the overall perception different for user and non-user of the Tupperware product?
To carry out the objectives, a study was conducted. The following questionnaire was used
for the purpose.

Questionnaire for User/Non-user Research

1. What type of storage food container do you use in your kitchen? (Please tick one or more)
(a) Stainless Steel
(b) Plastic Products
(c) Glass containers
(d) Any Other (Please specify)
2. (a) In case you use plastic containers for storage, are you aware of the company/companies
manufacturing it?
Yes
No
(b) If yes, name them ___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
3. Which of the following plastic container manufacturing companies are you aware of? (Please
tick the appropriate box, you may tick more than one.
(a) Cutting Edge
(b) Modicare
(c) Real Life
(d) Tupperware
(e) Any other (please specify)
4. In case you have ticked Tupperware, please tell us as to how did you come to know about
the product ‘Tupperware’ (Please tick the appropriate box, you may tick more than one)
(a) Advertisements
(b) Party plan
(c) Internet
(d) Women’s magazines
(e) Word of mouth
(f) Any other (please specify) ________________
5. Do you use Tupperware products?
Yes
No
(If the answer is No, you will still be having some perception about Tupperware’s products, its
quality and price. Therefore, please move to question 11 directly)
6. If answer to above question is yes, did you
(a) Buy the product
(b) Received as a gift
(c) Both
7. If you bought the product as mentioned in the question 6 above, did you buy
(a) Through party plan
(b) Telephoning the dealer
(c) Both

8. How often do you buy Tupperware products?

(a) Once a month
 (b) Twice a month
(c) More than two times in a month
9. How much money do you spend in a month on the purchase of Tupperware products?
_______________
10. In your last purchase which of the following items were bought by you. (Please tick as
many as you like)
Dry storage
Tableware
Food preparation
Microwave containers
Refrigerator containers
Lunch and outdoor containers
Canister
Classics
11. Given below are some statements, you are requested to state your degree of
Agreement / disagreement on each of the statements as mentioned below on a 5-point scale.
(Completely Disagree, Disagree No Opinion, Agree, Completely Agree)

A Tupperware products are made with the state-of the-art technology

B Tupperware products are ideal for gifts
C Tupperware products are not available in different sizes
D The products are available in attractive colours
E The products do not provide good value for money
F I feel proud to serve food to my guests in Tupperware products
G My peer groups do not use Tupperware products
H The products are not easily available
I The designs of the products are such that they occupy a lot of shelf space
J The products provide a good look to the kitchen
K The spices kept in Tupperware containers retain their original flavour for long
L Tupperware products are very expensive
M Tupperware products offer a lifetime warranty without any requirement of proof of purchase
N The products go with my lifestyle
O Tupperware products are for daily use
P The products require special cleaning agent
Q Tupperware products retain stain marks (e.g., turmeric) after cleaning
R Parents feel very safe while their children handle the products
S The products usages are well demonstrated in the home party
T The company provides timely information on new products
U The products are not air/water-tight
V The products are inconvenient to use
W I have no inhibition in using products in a large gathering of guests
X Tupperware keeps adding new products to its range to suit the kitchen requirements
Y The shape of the products are very eye-catching
Z Tupperware products are quite sturdy
aa The products are non-toxic and odourless
ab The products are very heavy in weight to carry from one place to another

12. You belong to a

Nuclear family
Joint family
13. Marital status
Single
Married
Widow/divorced
14. If married, are both of you working or only one
Both
One
15. In case you are working, you are employed in
Private sector
Public sector
Self-employed
Govt. service
16. You belong to age group
20 – 30 years
31 – 40 years
41 – 50 years
51 and above
17. Your education
Less than graduation
Graduate
Postgraduate and above
18. Your monthly household income
Up to 30,000
30,001 – 60,000
60,001 – 90,000
90,001 and above
19. Do you or your spouse own the following:
(a) Credit card Yes / No
(b) Four wheeler Yes / No
(c) House Yes / No
(d) Club membership Yes / No
(e) Microwave oven Yes / No
Please note that in the question no.11 statements numbers a, b, d, f, j, k, m, n, o, r, s, t, w, x, y,
z, aa are favourable statements. The remaining are unfavourable statements.

QUESTIONS
 1. Indicate the type of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio) which is being
used in each of the above questions.
2. Identify the questions which will be relevant for each of the objectives of the study.

CASE 4: MEHTA GARMENT COMPANY

Mr Mohan Mehta has a chain of restaurants in many cities of northern India and was interested
in diversifying his business. His only son, Kamal, never wanted to be in the hospitality line. To
settle Kamal into a line which would interest him, Mr Mehta decided to venture into garment
manufacturing. He gave this idea to his son, who liked it very much. Kamal had already done
a course in fashion designing and wanted to do something different for the consumers of this
industry. An idea struck him that he should design garments for people who are very bulky but
want a lean look after wearing readymade garments. The first thing that came to his mind was
to have an estimate of people who wore large sized shirts (42 size and above) and large sized
trousers (38 size and above).
A meeting was called of experts from the garment industry and a number of fashion
designers to discuss on how they should proceed. A common concern for many of them was to
know the size of such a market. Another issue that was bothering them was how to approach
the respondents. It was believed that asking people about the size of their shirt or trouser may
put them off and there may not be any worthwhile response. A suggestion that came up was
that they should employ some observers at entrances of various malls and their job would be
to look at people who walked into the malls and see whether the concerned person was wearing
a big sized shirt or trouser. This would be a better way of approaching the respondents. This
procedure would help them to estimate in a very simple way the proportion of people who wore
big-sized garments.
QUESTIONS
1. Name the sampling design that is being used in the study.
2. What are the limitations of the design so chosen?
3. Can you suggest a better design?
4. What method of data collection is being employed?

CASE 5: BRANDED JEWELLERY – IS THERE A DEMAND ?

Sundri is a chain of branded jewellery outlets in Tamil Nadu. They intend to set up branded
stores in North India as well. T Sivamani, the proprietor of the chain, wished to understand
how consumers buy jewellery and the difference between those who buy jewellery from the
traditional jewellers and those who visit branded outlets.
For the purpose, a small survey was conducted to study the consumers’ buying behaviour.
Given below is the questionnaire used for the study. The data has been collected and now needs
to be entered.
1. Prepare a code book for the questionnaire.
2. How will you carry out an exploratory data analysis on the data obtained?
 Consumer Questionnaire
Jewellery Buying Behaviour
Instructions
‘Hi, we are students of _________ We are carrying out a survey to find out how people buy
jewellery. Since you are a customer who buys jewellery, we would request your cooperation
in filling up the following questionnaire. Your inputs are greatly valued.’
Name (optional) _______________
1. Why do you buy jewellery? (tick all that apply)
Fashion Statement
Status Symbol
Investment/Security
Gift
Any other ____________
2. When do you buy jewellery? (tick all that apply)
At least once a month
At least once a quarter
At least once a year
Only on festivals
Only on special occasions
Any other __________
3. What kind of jewellery do you buy? (tick all that apply)
Gold
Diamond
Silver
Semi-precious
Precious gems
Pearls
Any other _____________
4. Where do you buy the jewellery from? (tick all that apply)
Company showrooms
Jewellery shops
Branded jewellery showrooms
Multi brand outlets (e.g., Shoppers’ Stop)
Any other ____________
(Whoever ticked jewellery shops, take them to question 7)

5. What kind of designs do you buy? (tick all that apply)

Traditional Indian
Classic Western
Any other ___________

6. Given below are some attributes that one considers while buying jewellery. Please evaluate
them on their importance for you on the given five-point scale. (VI – Very Important; I –
Important; N – Neutral; UI – Unimportant; VUI – Very Unimportant)

Brand Name
Variety of designs
Location of the outlet
Known jeweller
Discount schemes
Quality assurance
Recommendation from friends/relatives
Brand endorsement by a celebrity
Cordial and helpful personnel at the shop
Availability of desired grade of carat

7. What will encourage you to buy at branded jewellery outlets? Please evaluate them on their
importance for you on the given five-point scale. (VL – Very Likely; L – Likely; MB – May be;
UL – Unlikely; VUL – Very Unlikely)

Discount schemes
Variety of designs
Brand endorsement by a celebrity
Showroom at a convenient place
Customization of designs
Buy back of jewellery
Quality certification
Any other

8. Please give the following personal details about yourself.

(a) Gender
Male Female
(b) Age group
20 – 25 26 – 30
31 – 35 36 – 40
41 and above
(c) Marital status
Married Unmarried
(d) Occupation
Business Salaried Retired Housewife
Student Any other ______________
(e) Family income (in INR/month)
Less than 25,000 25,000 – 50,000 50,000–1,00,000
1,00,000 and above
(f) Address _______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
 CASE 6: KESHAV FURNITURE PVT. LTD.

Keshav Furniture Pvt. Ltd. was established in 1950, and since its inception, has shown an
average growth rate of 12 per cent per annum. Specializing in home and office furniture, it has
also been exporting its products for the last seven years. Over the years, the company has gained
reputation for its durable and comfortable designer products, which offer lots of convenience
to the users. Mr Keshav Prasad, the owner of the company, was happy with the growth of the
company. According to him, ‘Our products are far superior to that of our competitors in terms
of quality, durability, range of designs and value for money.’ The real estate prices in Delhi
and its neighbouring areas of Gurgaon and Noida have gone up at an exponential rate.
Therefore, the demand for studio apartments and small two-bedroom flats is increasing. Mr
Prasad is considering launching three styles of sofas ideally suited for two-bedroom flats. These
sofas are compact, occupy very little space and are affordable. The price range for the three
styles varies from `70,000 to 75,000. There is a difference of about 10 per cent in their cost of
production. Mr Prasad was wondering which style of sofa would sell the most, and the reasons
thereof. A meeting of the top management was called to discuss the same. During the
discussion a point that came up was that the sale need not only depend on the style of the sofa
but also on the size of store where the sofas are sold. It was therefore decided to conduct an
experiment which would help to answer whether the sales would vary across styles and store
size.

QUESTION

1. How would you design an experiment to achieve the objectives stated above?
 CASE 7: SECOND-HAND CLASSIFIED WEBSITES IN INDIA: USAGE AND
TRUST AMONG CONSUMERS

There are a number of second-hand classified (SHC) websites that offer a forum for selling and
buying second-hand items by posting ads. The leaders in this sector in India are OLX.com and
Quikr.com. People can buy and sell anything—used car, bike, music system, mobile phone,
laptop, furniture or household appliances. The information is publically available, but due to
heavy information asymmetry in the marketplace, there is barely any trust, and the clearing rate
stands as low as 28 per cent.
A survey was conducted in which the respondents were chosen using convenience
sampling. A total of 1000 respondents were contacted for filling up the questionnaire, out of
which only 600 successfully completed the survey. The questionnaire was prepared by
identifying the variables by conducting unstructured interviews with 25 people. The objectives
of the study were as follows:
• To gauge the level of awareness about the second-hand classified websites
• To identify the sources of information
• To understand the concerns of people while using the website for buying second-hand
products
• To examine whether there is any relationship between the concerns of the respondents and
the demographic variables
• To understand the steps needed to increase the clearing rate of this site
The results of the survey are given in the following tables:
QUESTIONS

1. What are your conclusions based on univariate analysis?

2. What conclusion can be drawn based on bivariate analysis? Are all the percentages cast in
the correct direction for the interpretation of the table? In case the percentages are not cast in
the right direction, correct them and interpret all the bivariate tables.
3. Suggest by identifying any bivariate table where a ‘moderator variable’ could be used.
4. Write a note on the major findings of the study.

CASE 8: COMPARATIVE PERCEPTION OF MESS FOOD VIS-À-VIS DHABAS – A

CASE OF IIFT

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) was set up by the Government of India in 1963.
This is an autonomous organization engaged in teaching, training, research and consultancy in
the area of foreign trade management. Besides students, it has provided training to executives
of both the corporate sector and the Government in the field of international business. The
institute runs a two-year MBA programme in International Business at New Delhi, Kolkata
and Dar-e-Salaam. It also conducts a three-year part-time MBA course in New Delhi and
Kolkata. The Institute also holds executive Masters Programme and a certificate programme in
export management at Delhi.
The institute has conducted a number of research studies for WTO, World Bank, UNCTAD
and Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The Institute has also trained more than 40,000 business
executives across 30 countries through its Management Development Programmes.
IIFT MBA(IB) programme has 260 students under it, both first and second year. There is
one mess serving all of these students. There are a few eating options outside in the local
roadside dhabas. It has been observed that many students do not like the mess food. As a result,
students frequently eat at the dhabas outside IIFT.
Recently, a scheme of taking four meals under the plan of `1,800 or two meals under the
plan of `1,200 was launched by the IIFT mess and some students have availed of the latter plan
and some are planning to avail it. This has led to the identification, the various reasons because
of which students are not taking mess food.
The students of IIFT conducted a comparative study of both IIFT mess and the dhabas to
find out the factors that could improve mess for the benefit of the student community at IIFT.
It was felt that the results of the study could help the mess committee in coming up with some
innovative plans to make it better.
A qualitative research was undertaken that helped in outlining the various attributes which
could be incorporated in the design of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was emailed to 260
students but only 45 responses were obtained. The response rate was 17.3 per cent. Among the
various questions asked to differentiate the perception of mess with dhabas around IIFT, the
following attributes were considered:
1. Taste of food
2. Quality of ingredients
3. Hygiene
4. Cost
5. Ambience
6. Nutrition
7. Menu variety
8. Quality of service
9. Timing at which they are open
10. Total time taken for the meal
The following questions were asked incorporating the above attributes:
• How do you rate IIFT mess/dhabas on a scale of 1 – 5 on the following parameters? (1 =
Extremely Unsatisfied, 2 = Unsatisfied, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Satisfied, 5 = Extremely Satisfied)

The survey data on a sample of 45 respondents is given in Table 1.

It may be noted that the data on variables X1, X2, - - - -, X10 correspond to the ratings of ten
attributes for IIFT mess, whereas Y1, Y2, - - - -, Y10 are the corresponding rating for dhabas.
Table 1 Data on rating of various attributes of IIFT mess and outside dhabas
QUESTIONS
1. By using a paired sample t-test, identify the parameters on which the dhaba food has an edge
over the mess food. You may use a 5 per cent level of significance.
2. Based on the results obtained, what are your recommendations?
(Use the SPSS data provided in Table 1 to answer the above questions.)

CASE 9: MALHOTRA SPICES COMPANY PVT. LTD.

Malhotra Spices Company came into operation in 1960 and has its operations in all parts of the
country. It was in the business of manufacturing and selling spices suitable for the Indian
kitchen. They ventured into the export markets in the 1980s as there was a huge demand for
the spices in North America, Europe, Australia and in the Middle East. This is because the
number of the Indians residing in these countries had been increasing at an exponential rate.
The spices were packed into tetrapacks containing spices in different quantities like 100, 150,
200, 250 and 500 gm. The 500 gm packages were mostly used by restaurants and hoteliers. Mr
K P Malhotra, Chairman of Malhotra Spices, was wondering whether they should change the
packaging from tetrapack to plastic or glass bottle packaging. Before taking a final decision, as
an experiment, the company introduced plastic and glass bottle packaging in addition to the
existing tetrapacks packaging in the national capital region (NCR) of Delhi. Mr Malhotra was
thinking that switching over to a new packaging would involve a huge investment and if the
results were not different for the other two types of packaging, they would drop the idea of
change in packaging.
The company on an experimental basis came up with three types of packaging—plastic,
glass bottles and tetrapacks— for the NCR market. They wanted to observe the sales of spices
for the three types of packaging. Mr Malhotra’s younger brother told him that it is not only the
type of packaging that influenced the sales but also some external factors like the size of the
store selling the spices. The relevant results taken for 30 months are reported in Table 1.
Table 1 Data for select variables

Type of packaging
1 = Plastic
2 = Glass
3 = Tetrapacks
Type of store
1 = Large store
2 = Medium store
3 = Small store

QUESTIONS
1. Use a one-way analysis of variance to examine whether the type of packaging has any
effect on the sales volume. If a significant difference exists, carry out an appropriate
further analysis. Write a summary of your findings.

2. If the size of the store is to be treated as a block, carry out the two-way analysis of
variance to examine whether the size of the store has any impact upon the sales of the
spices.
 CASE 10: MRP BISCUIT COMPANY PVT. LTD.

The Indian biscuit industry has a turnover of around `3,000 crore. India is the second largest
manufacturer of biscuits, after USA. The industry employs almost 3.5 lakh people directly and
30 lakh people indirectly. The biscuit industry can be segmented into the organized and
unorganized sectors. There are about 150 small and medium sector units besides a few large
units. The proportion of the production in the organized to unorganized sector is in the ratio of
55 to 45 per cent. Exports of biscuits have been generally to the tune of 10 per cent of annual
production. The industry is showing an annual growth rate of about 14 to 16 per cent since
2003. The per capita consumption of biscuits in India is only 1.8 kg per annum as compared to
2.5 kg to 5.5 kg in the South East Asian countries, European countries and USA. The biscuits
could be broadly classified into various categories such as Glucose, Marie, Sweet, Salty, Cream
and Milk.

MRP Biscuit Company started its operations in Ambala city, Haryana, in 2001. The company
was growing at an annual rate of 20 per cent, which was above the industry average. However,
for the last three years, the growth has been only to the tune of 5 to 6 per cent. This very factor
has been of a main concern to the top management of the company. Mr P K Malhotra, the
Senior Vice President, Marketing, had a meeting of the senior marketing team and was
wondering why their company, which has been doing so well, has slowed down in the last few
years. During the discussion it was suggested by one of the senior managers to identify the
factors which influence the preference for biscuits. It was argued that once these are known, it
will help the company to concentrate on those factors accordingly. Therefore, the company
decided to get a study done from a research agency to identify the various factors that influence
the preference for biscuits. A sample of 40 individuals was chosen randomly from Ambala.
The data was collected on variables like preservation, quality, taste, nutrition value and
preference on a 7-point scale with the higher number indicating a more positive rating. The
data is presented in Table 1.

Table 1 Data on preference for biscuits

QUESTIONS

1. Run a multiple regression explaining the preference for the brand of biscuits in terms of the
nutrition value, taste and preservation quality.
2. Interpret the partial regression coefficients.
3. Test the overall significance of the regression using the ANOVA table.
4. Examine the significance of the partial regression coefficient using a 5 per cent level of
significance.
5. As a marketing manager of the biscuit company, on what attributes will you concentrate
more so as to improve the marketability of the brand?