MARKET STRATEGY OF PEN INDUSTRY

Presented by-
PRITIKSHA DAS
 Project Report
(Submitted for the Degree of B.Com. Honours in Accounting & Finance
under University of Calcutta)

MARKET STRATEGY OF PEN INDUSTRY

Case Study: Cello

Submitted by
Name of the Candidate: Pritiksha Das

Registration No.: 042-1211-0143-19

Roll No.: 191042-11-0026

Name of the College: Deshbandhu College for Girls

College Roll No.: 594

Supervised by
Name of the Supervisor: Rupasmiti Ghose Biswas

Name of the College: Deshbandhu College for Girls

June 2022

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 Supervisor's Certificate

This is to certify that Ms Pritiksha Das a student of B.Com. Honours in

Accounting & Finance of DESHBANDHU COLLEGE FOR GIRLS under
the University of Calcutta has worked under my supervision and guidance for
her Project Work and prepared a Project Report with the title Marketing
Strategy of Pen Industry which she is submitting, is her genuine and original
work to the best of my knowledge.

Place: KOLKATA

Date:

Signature:

Name: Rupasmriti Ghose Biswas

Designation: State Aided College Teacher

Name of the College: Deshbandhu College for Girls

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 Student's Declaration
I hereby declare that the Project Work with the title MARKETING
STRATEGY OF PEN INDUSTRY submitted by me for the partial fulfilment
of the degree of B.Com. Honours in Accounting & Finance under the
University of Calcutta is my original work and has not been submitted earlier to
any other University /Institution for the fulfilment of the requirement for any
course of study.

I also declare that no chapter of this manuscript in whole or in part has been
incorporated in this report from any earlier work done by others or by me.
However, extracts of any literature which has been used for this report has been
duly acknowledged providing details of such literature in the references.

Place: KOLKATA

Date:

Signature:

Name: Pritiksha Das

Address: G-3/6, Birla Tyres Colony, Baleshwar, Odisha

Registration No.: 042-1211-0143-19

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 Acknowledgement

No task however small can be completed without proper encouragement. In this

I greatly indebted to Ms Rupasmriti Ghose Biswas for being of immense help to
me and guiding me and giving constructive suggestions throughout the project.
Mere words will never be able to express the gratitude towards her, who not only
stimulated the idea of undertaking the project, but also interacted with me
frequently giving valuable advice during critical stages of work.

My heartiest thanks to my parents who helped me, despite of their busy

schedules in gathering information, collecting data and guiding me from time to
time in this project.

Finally, I would be grateful to our Principal, Dr. Anita Chattopadhyay Gupta and
all of those who directly or indirectly have been of great help and obliged me
with their support and have helped me in converting my collection of data and
information into a finely polished project.

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CONTENT

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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

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 1.1 DEFINITION
Marketing strategy is a long-term, forward-looking approach and an
overall game plan of any organization or any business with the
fundamental goal of achieving a sustainable competitive advantage by
understanding the needs and wants of customers. It also contains the
company's value proposition, key brand messaging, data on target
audience and customer demographics, and other high-level elements.

The broad marketing strategy is what used to fall under the term
“branding’’ back in the more ambiguous days of marketing. It's a practical
summary of the key details of the strategy and some of the broad goals
and methods used to achieve them. Sometimes marketers and
eCommerce owners get lost in the weeds, in the bits and bytes. They lose
track of the overall vision of the business and the large goals. They lose
track of the target audience and the main pain points that their product
solves for the customer. When that happens, the business employs lose
their effectiveness.

Here are the 4 fundamental principles of Marketing Strategy –

1. Specialization: First determine where you are going to specialize.

Specialisation is a product or a service, rather than the entire market
area. The strategies must be independent of the enemy, you must
plan and ignore who must plan, who your competitions, how great
they are and who they are.

2. Differentiation: How is it different and better than competitors?

All of your advertising and promotional efforts are to tell them your
unique selling point. If your product is the same, your USP becomes
your brand or your personality.

3. Segmentation: Segmentation means looking at who are those

specific customers in the market who value my differentiation and
will pay more for your area of specialization. We need to segment
and identify those customers who are most likely to buy from you
and the fastest.

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 4. Concentration: You focus all your energies, resources, budgets
and time on promoting your business. Moreover, it consists of
following and fixing on a goal or something specific and direct.

1.2 MARKETING STRATEGY- RELEVANCE TO THE PEN INDUSTRY

Marketing strategy is the prime mechanism to achieve sustained growth
and prosperity of the nation. It is the power house for industrial growth.
Like other industries, marketing strategy has been found to be an
important tool for expanding sales of the Writing instrument Industry as
well. Though with the increased competition in the market and
development of a variety of pens, the pen manufacturers have started
placing greater reliance on marketing strategy to create a distinct and
unique position of their product and their corporate positioning in the
market.

The Pen Industry offers ample employment opportunities to millions of

people in the peripheral sectors such as distribution, field services, etc.
The present production of pens in India has created job opportunities for
more than one lakh people in the service sector of which most of these
people are self-employed.

1.3 BACKGROUND
Tremendous progress has taken place in the Pen industry in India since
Independence. A number of large, medium, small as well as cottage units
scattered all over the country have started manufacturing a wide range of
pens. One such renowned pen industry is Cello. ‘Cello’ as a brand made
its inception through its founder Shri. Ghisulal Rathod and started the
company on May 10,1986 at small factory in Goregaon, Mumbai, with
just 60 workers and 7 machines, manufacturing casseroles or hot-pots.

Cello® started its journey in 1995 by manufacturing & marketing wide

range of classic ball pens with imported tips and German inks. Cello®
Pens is India's most recognized stationery brand and the leading
manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments Focusing on
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innovation, high quality pens and leading-edge technologies, Cello soon
became India’s most loved writing instruments brand over the years.

In December, 2015, the French stationary major BIC ® acquired 100 %

ownership in Cello ® writing and the company was renamed as "BIC Cello
(India)".

BIC Cello, they consistently introduced modern technology & maintained

international standards. They lead in introducing contemporary products
to Indian consumers with their well-trained team of passionate
employees, a rigorous quality control system. A robust and growing
distribution network makes the products accessible across demographics
and geographies. Empowered by their vision and values, they work to
make a difference in the lives of all their stakeholders. Their
manufacturing expertise, consumer requirements, constant research on
tips and inks and offering of broad range of writing instruments makes
the company the market leader in the category.

Over the years, BIC Cello has expanded its product portfolio offering
world-class products in stationery categories like permanent markers,
white board markers, colour markers, mechanical pencils, roller pens,
fountain pens & office & school stationery products.

BIC, the no.2 worldwide leader in stationery combined with Cello ®, the
no.1 Indian writing instrument manufacturer, will help to accelerate
growth of Cello pens in India and support its integration within the BIC
Stationery Category, with a focus on investing in local manufacturing unit
with high safety standard & quality.

For more than 60 years, BIC® has honoured the tradition of providing
simple yet high-quality, inventive yet reliable choices for everyone,
everywhere, every time.

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1.4 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• To understand the marketing strategy of Cello,
• To study strategies to increase sales,
• To build up a brand loyalty,
• To study how they captured the market,
• Strategy behind increased sales and flagship in ball pen industry.

1.5 LITERATURE REVIEW

❖ James H. Leigh, Terrance G. Gabel (Journal of Consumer
Marketing)- claims the concept of symbolic interactionism within
context of consumer behaviour. Surmises, marketers can create a
product′s symbolic image, manage it via clear and consistent
marketing program.

❖ Shaheen Ballpoints claims that setting new standards for

technology and packaging being used in the writing instruments
industry, to compete against established ballpoint pen brands in a
growing market

❖ Pascale Quester, Ai Lin Lim (Journal of Product & Brand

Management)– future researchers in the area should be mindful
that product involvement and brand loyalty are not universal
constructs. They should be examined within specific consumer and
product parameters.

❖ Yun Sik Nam, Jin Sook Park, Yeonhee Lee, Kang‐Bong Lee–
Application of Micro‐Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier
Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to Ink Examination in Signatures
Written with Ballpoint Pen on Questioned Documents, Journal of
Forensic Sciences

❖ Yoo-Jin Kim, Sung-Bin Youn, Dong-Hwan Har– Analysis on

Sequence of Ball-pen and Pencil by using Digital Infrared

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 Photography- with Emphasis on the Documents Authentication-,
The Journal of the Korea Contents Association.

❖ Jihye Lee, Seon Hee Kim, Youn‐Jeong Cho, Yun Sik Nam,
Kang‐Bong Lee, Yeonhee Lee– Characterization and sequence
determination of pen inks, red sealing inks, and laser toners by
TOF‐SIMS and ATR FTIR, Surface and Interface Analysis.

❖ Paula Querol Sabater, Oscar Díaz Santana, Daura Vega Moreno–

Determining Intersecting Ball-Point Ink Strokes with Different
Aging, Journal of Analytical Chemistry.

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1.6 CHAPTER PLANNING
The entire study is divided into four chapters -Chapter 1, Chapter 2,
Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5. A brief description or content of the
chapters below:

Chapters Topic
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Conceptual Framework
Chapter 3 Data findings & Analysis
Chapter 4 Recommendations, Conclusions & Limitations
Chapter 5 Bibliography
Questionnaire

In Chapter 1 I discussed about the definition, marketing strategy

relevance to pen industry, background, objective of study, literature
review.

In Chapter 2 I discussed the conceptual framework of the topic. It

includes the history and national and international scenarios.

In Chapter 3 I discussed research methodology, sample design, tools and

instruments used, data collection, company profile, competitors of Cello
pen. Also, analysis from primary data has been incorporated here.

In Chapter 4, based on analysis and overall discussions,

recommendations, conclusions and limitations are provided.

In Chapter 5, bibliography is provided.

At last, it contains the questionnaire.

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CHAPTER 2
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

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2.1 HISTORY
Cello® started its journey in 1995 by manufacturing & marketing wide
range of classic ball pens with imported tips and German inks. Cello®
Pens is India's most recognized stationery brand and the leading
manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments.

When G.D Rathod, founder and chairman of Cello Group, introduced Hot
Pot category, this concept was very new to the Indian market. Through
aggressive media network, they spread awareness among the public
about the benefits and utility of the product which was a runaway
success.

Rathod family was in the business of manufacturing plastics, plastic

bangles, and plastic PVC footwear. That is where Mr Rathod learnt the
tricks of trade. Also inspired by manufacturing of plastic bangles from
celluloid films, he decided upon the brand name Cello. He was the first to
bring out a pen with rubber grip.

Focussing on innovation, high quality pens and leading-edge

technologies, Cello became the country’s largest manufacturing writing
instruments brand over years. In December, 2015, the French stationary
major BIC® acquired 100 % ownership in Cello ® writing and the
company was renamed as "BIC Cello (India)". This acquisition
accelerated Cello pen’s growth in India and supported its integration
within the BIC stationary category, with a focus on investing in local
manufacturing, safety and quality.

2.2 NATIONAL SCENARIO

‘Cello- The pen India trusts’ has been at the core of the brand’s
communication while the company aimed at fulfilling its objectives by
expanding its magnitude of stationary products like permanent markers,
white board markers, fountain pens, roller pens, colour markers, office
and school stationary. During its launch year, Cello Pens was India’s
largest manufacturer of pens, holding a 37 % market share and producing
over five million units daily. While price of pens lowered than Rs 10 have

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a larger share in value terms, in volume terms, the premium offerings-
like permanent markers, highlighters, fountain pens lead the net sales.

The company recently opened a new factory in Gujrat, claims to be Asia’s

largest stationary factory. The factory will manufacture products not just
for India but for the international market as well.

2.3 INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO

The company spans across 160 countries like United Arab Emirates,
United Kingdom, Sweden, Maldives, Somalia, Togo, Mexico and so on
and is listed on Paris Stock Exchange. India is around 10% of stationary
turnover and the net sale of stationary globally stands at 800 million
euro. Cello offers one of the largest range of pens offered by any
manufacturer in the world. All conforming to highest global standards.
The result of a well-equipped assembly line with over 175 ultra-
sophisticated injection moulding machines and highly trained and
dedicated work force of 5000. Cello’s extensive global R & D, cutting-
edge manufacturing technology, production, processes, globally sourced
material and exhaustive quality standards are among the best in the
world.

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 CHAPTER 3
DATA FINDINGS & ANALYSIS

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3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is a systematic way, which consists of series of
action steps, necessary to effectively carry out research and the desired
sequencing to the steps. The marketing research is a process involving a
number of interrelated activities, which overlap and do rigidly follow a
particular sequence. It consists of following steps:

• Formulating objective of study

• Designing the methods of data collection
• Selecting the sample plan
• Collecting the data
• Processing and analysing the data
• Reporting the finding

Objective of Study

Research Design

Sample Design

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Report of Finding

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3.2 SAMPLE DESIGN
A sample Design is a definite plan for obtaining a sample from a given
population. It refers to the technique to the procedure adopting in
selecting items for the sampling design are as below:

• Sample size: The substantial portions of the target customers that

are sampled to achieve reliable results are 100.
• Sampling method: In this project, I am using Random sampling
method
• Sample area: Rash Behari Ave, Lake Market
• Sample technique: I have taken the statistical tool of percentage
method to analyse and interpretation of the collected data.

3.3 TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS USED FOR THE STUDY

It is necessary for a researcher to define conceptual structure which
research would be conducted. The function of research design is to
provide for collection of relevant evidence with minimal expenditure of
efforts, time and money. In this research the research design was as
follows:

1. Time available for the research is every Thursday of the week

2. The means of obtaining the information is through primary and

secondary data.

3.There is no cost factor related to researcher.

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3.4 DATA COLLECTION
This study was conducted by the means of personal interview with
respondents and the information given by them were directly recorded on
questionnaire.

For the purpose of analysing the data it is necessary to collect the vital
information. There are 2 types of data:

I. Primary Data
II. Secondary Data

I. Primary Data: Primary data can be collected through questionnaire.

Questionnaire can be classified in 4 main types:

• Structured non disguised questionnaire

• Structured disguised questionnaire
• Non structured non disguised questionnaire
• Non structured disguised questionnaire

For my project, I have selected structured non disguised questionnaire

because my questionnaire is well structured, listing of questions are in a
prearranged order and where the object of enquiry is revealed to the
respondents.

To make a well-structured questionnaire, here adopted three types of

questions:

• Open ended question

• Dichotomous questions
• Multiple choice questions

II. Secondary Data: Secondary data means data that are already
available i.e., they refer the data which have already been collected and
analysed by someone else. When the researcher utilises secondary data,
then he has to look into various sources from where he can obtain
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information, in this case he is certainly not confronted with problems
which are usually associated with the collection of original data.
Secondary data may be published or unpublished data.

Published data are usually found in technical or trade journals, books,

magazines, newspapers, public records and statistics, historical
documents and other source of published information.

Sources of unpublished data includes unpublished biographies and

autobiographies, diaries, letters, and also may be available with scholars
and scholars and research workers, trade associations and other public
private individuals and organisations.

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 3.5 COMPANY PROFILE
BIC Cello (India) Private Limited is an unlisted private
company incorporated on 1st April, 2008. It is classified as
a private limited company and is located in Daman, Daman
and Diu. Its authorized share capital is INR 47.63cr and the
total paid up capital is INR 41.49cr.
Business Type – Manufacturer
Product/Services – Pens (All kind), Books, Thermo ware, Banker boxes made of
PP, Stationary Items

Address – 5 Vakil Industrial Estate, Walbhat road, Gurgaon (East), Mumbai

Year of Establishment – 1982

Number of employees – About 1000 people

Ownership/Capital – Authorized Capital: Above US $100 million
Ownership Type: Corporation/Unite Liabilities Co.

Trade & Market – North America, South America, Eastern Europe, South East
Asia, Africa, Oceania, Eastern Asia, Western Europe

Total Annual Purchase volume (2008-09) – Above US $ 100 million

Total Annual Sales volume (2008-09) – Above US $ 100 million

Export Percentage (2008-09) – 51% - 60%

Factory Information – Factory size: Above 100,000 sq. meters
Factory location: Daman (India)
No. of production line: Above 10
Product portfolio

• Cello Maxima • Cello Butterflow • Cello Softek

• Cello Advantic • Cello Delta • Cello X-Caliber
• Cello Axis • Cello Faster • Cello Impact
• Cello Pronto • Cello Pinpoint • Cello Jetflow
• Cello Pyramid • Cello Maxriter • Cello Gripper
• Cello Rito • Cello Grace • Cello Liquiflow
• Cello Sleek • Cello Lucky Express
• Cello Trigrip • Cello Merti Gl • Cello Nice
• Cello Speed • Cello Optima • Cello Papersoft
• Cello Executive • Cello Speed O • Cello Superguide
• Cello Finer • Cello Swift • Cello Techno Tip
• Cello Inbox • Cello Technotip Xs • Cello Topball

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3.6 COMPETITORS OF CELLO PENS
A. REYNOLDS PENS
Reynolds is the major competitor of Cello. G.M. Pens International Pvt.
Ltd. is the exclusive licensee of Reynolds, France, in India and the SAARC
countries Headquartered in Chennai G.M. Pens has pioneered the writing
instruments revolution in the Indian market. Commencing operations in
1986, G.M. Pens introduced to India, international quality writing
instruments, and marketed them under the brand name Reynolds. It was
also the first company to build a brand in a category that behaved more
like a commodity till then. Over the last 20 years, G.M. Pens has invested
substantially in building a large manufacturing base with facilities in
Chennai and Pondicherry. A state-of-the-art R&D facility, one of the most
sophisticated in the Reynolds family worldwide, has ensured that the
latest in writing technology is available to the Indian consumers.

G.M. Pens offers the widest range of writing instruments and accessories
in the Indian market. A variety of writing instruments including ball
pens, gel pens, fountain pens, mechanical pencils, markers, are marketed
under the brand name Reynolds. A continuous focus on consistent
quality and a constant endeavour to provide quality products at
affordable prices have ensured that Reynolds has been the numero uno in
the Indian writing instruments market. A substantial investment has also
been made in establishing the Reynolds brand name through the mass
media, especially through television and press ads, in an effort to convert
the category from a commodity to a brand dominated one. The
company's products are available in three hundred thousand retail
outlets across India covered through a network consisting of 1800
redistribution stockists and 27 main stockists. This is facilitated by a sales
and marketing team of over 300 professionals.

B. LINC PENS
Linc is one of India’s leading manufacturers and exporters of ball pens,
gel pens and all other Stationery Suppliers. It’s a leading Exporter,
Manufacturer of Ball Pen and other writing instruments in India.

Linc pen is India's Prime Manufacturer and Exporter of Ball Pens, Roller
Ball Pens and Gel Pens too. To endorse the commitment, Linc has already
taken up some programmes with leading educational institutions and is

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closely related to these programmes by financial support and writing
instrument.

Linc Pens believe that writing instruments form an integral part of

education and being responsible corporate citizens, they make humble
contribution to the society where literacy seems to be a major issue. This
prompted Linc to go for the corporate slogan of Encouraging Literacy, a
very apt platform for a company dealing in Writing Instrument. Linc has
also put forward a commitment of contributing 1% of its profits for
promoting literacy drives.

Their Mission is to deliver innovative, user friendly and better-quality

products at best value to the customers, keeping in mind the prosperity of
the company and its stakeholders. Their Vision is to establish Linc as a
global brand, known for its values, assertiveness and the acumen to adapt
to the ever-changing environment.

C. MONTEX PENS
The goal to see the world proudly writing with the perfect writing
instrument led to the formation of Montex Group in the seventies,
headed by Mr. Raman Jain. Starting off as the world’s largest
manufacturer of nibs, the company carved its niche in offering a host of
quality writing instruments. Montex became the only Indian company to
have everything – from manufacturing accessories to assembling under
one roof. Under the camaraderie of Mr. Raman Jain, Montex today is a
force to reckon, with a product profile as versatile and innovative.
Montex has been the first in India to introduce Transparent Ball Pens,
Trendy Fountain Pens, Precision Tips, Gel Ink Pens, Roller Ink Pens,
Tank Pens, Rubber Grip Pens and Co-molded Pens. Montex is recognized
as a pioneer in the Indian pen industry with innovations to its credit.

In its endeavour to offer the best, the company has combined the
advantages of its infrastructure with the uniqueness of its raw material
Supplying associates, who are world-renowned names in their respective
fields. The machineries used for production are some of the biggest
brands from Switzerland and Germany. One up than all these is the
thrust on regular updates in the field, and also consistent research and
development. The company has 3 state-of-the-art manufacturing units,
located in the commercial capital of India – Mumbai, along with other
prominent locations.
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Montex is not only the most popular brand in India, but also recognized
world over. Its products reach out to over 35 countries in the world,
covering almost all the continents. Fountain pens, ball pens, gel pens and
free ink system pens are the broad categories, under which one could
have several models ranging in colours, design and packaging. All
categories have a choice of blue, black, red and green ink colours. While
price too plays an important role in defining the range, of most
importance is the distinctiveness of each product.

As per the current market trends, the company foresees a growth of 8-

10% on annual basis in the next 5 years, coupled with introduction of new
models, upgraded technology, competitive framework, planned
distribution and promotions.

D. ROTOMAC PENS
Rotomac Pens Pvt. Limited, belonging to a multi –million-dollar turnover
VIKRAM KOTHARI ENTERPRISES, was incorporated in the year 1992.
The promoters and the manufacturers had conceived this project with an
objective to provide a good quality and economically priced ball pens in
the market. Rotomac today is a leading manufacturer of writing
instrument in lower price range and has now increased the product
portfolio under its umbrella. Rotomac is committed to manufacture and
supply products of consistently high and reliable quality to meet and / or
exceed the customer’s expectation and special needs – which confirm to
accepted international standard of Quality, Safety and Reliability.

Rotomac’s Quality Objective are:

- Top Management’s commitment for continuous improvement for Total

Customer Satisfaction.
- Adoption of Quality Management System in all spheres of activities of
the Company.
- Building up a long-term relationship with the trade, customers and
suppliers.
Rotomac’s quality control measures are very stringent and demanding.
Each and every plastic component that is manufactured, is quality
checked for defects and flaws at the shop-floor level. That is once again
done at different stages of assembly. All the refills are checked manually

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as well as batch-wise on write test machine. After this, there is random
checking of material that is packed and ready for dispatch.

Zero-Defect Manufacturing
All Rotomac plants are automatic for high precision work. The state-of-
the-art production has been sourced from Germany. Many critical
components are imported from Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The
result is a finely tuned instrument that delivers ‘super smooth and super-
fast’ writing instruments. The company is in the process of establishing a
Total Quality Management System and is a candidate for ISO-14000. It is
now a matter of great pleasure for the employees at Rotomac Pens
Limited to do everything possible to adopt TQM system with an objective
to deliver greater customer satisfaction. Efforts are on to ensure that the
complete packaging process is untouched by hand with a portfolio that
encompasses over 70 products, at any given point of time.

Recycling of Waste Material

Having a dedicated towards eco-friendly measures, Rotomac maximizes
the recycling of runner-weight plastic wastage without compromising on
sheen, gloss or strength of the plastic moulded parts .

E. LUXOR
Founded in 1963 by Mr. D.K. Jain, the Luxor Group has emerged as the
undisputed market leader in the writing instruments industry – both in
India and abroad. During the journey spanning nearly five decades, the
Group has relentlessly pursued an upward growth path and our long-
term goal of building a globally acclaimed, well-diversified conglomerate
is turning into a reality.

The company started producing home-grown Indian pens using

backward integration and leveraging the most advanced technologies.
The Group currently manufactures a wide array of writing 59 IIPM
instruments, stationery and accessories– catering to an extensive range
of consumers with diverse preferences. The Luxor brand is a registered
trademark in more than 120 countries and belongs to an exclusive club of
top 101 brands hailing from various industry segments in India.

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3.7 DATA ANALYSIS
Table 1 Regular buyers of pen

Yes 83.9

No 16.1
Total 100

83.9%

16.1%

Yes No

Interpretation-
From the above tabular and graphical representation of data, it is
analysed that the total number of consumers that have been surveyed is
100, out of which 84% consumers buy Pens regularly and remaining 16%
consumers don’t buy pens regularly.

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Table 2 Sales of different pen brands

Sl. No Brands Sales Percentage

1 Cello 60%
2 Linc 20%
3 Reynolds 5%
4 Rotomac 3%
5 Luxor 2%
6 Others 10%

Sales

10% 2% 3% 5%

20%

60%

Luxor Rotomac Reynolds Cello Linc Others

Interpretation-
Above chart and table shows that sales of Cello pen are 60% which is
comparatively higher than the sale of other brands of pen. Other than
Cello, sales of Linc pens is relatively higher than that of rest.

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Table 3 Buyers of different types of pens
Types of pens Number of Buyers Percentages
Gel Pens 16 16.70
Ball Pens 75 74.09
Ink Pens 6 5.90
Markers 3 3.31
Total 100 100

Demand of pen
800 761

700
No. of buyers

600

500

400

300

200 171

100 61
34
0
Gel Pen Ball Pen Ink Pen Markers

Types of Pens

Interpretation-
Above chart and table shows that ball pen users are 74.09% of the total
pen market. Whereas users of gel pens are 16.70%, users of ink pens are
5.90% and users of markers is 3.31%.

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Table 4 Ball pen and Gel pen users

Pen type Users of Pen (%)

Ball point Pens 72

Gel Pens 82

Users of Gel pens and Ball pen

82%
72%

Ball point Gel pen

Interpretation-
Ball pens form biggest chunk of pen market in India and account for 72%
of total pen market followed by gel pen at 28%.

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Table 5 Gender wise buyers of different types of pens

Gender Gel pen Ball pen Ink pen Markers Total

Male 12.97 76.93 6.90 3.2 100
Female 21.7 70.2 4.61 3.47 100

Total 16.66 74.9 5.93 3.31 100

Gender wise users of pen

90

80

70

60
No. of buyers

50

40

30

20

10

0
Types of pen

Gel pen Ball pen Ink pen Markers

Interpretation-
From the above table and chart, it is obvious that 76.93% males and 70.2%
females use ball pens while 12.97% males and 21.7% females use gel pens.

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Table 6 Age wise buyers of pens

Age group Yes No Total

20 or below 82.8% 17.2% 45.1%
20-40 90.3% 9.7% 39.3%
40-60 72.1% 27.9% 10.4%
60 or above 67.3% 32.7% 4.6%
Total 83.9% 16.1% 100%

Age wise pen buyers

100
90
80
70
No. of buyers

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
20 or below 20-40 40-60 60 or above
Age group

Yes No

Interpretation-
The total respondents are divided into four categories of age group. This
table represents that regular buyer of pen are in the age group 20-40
followed by 20 or below. Buyers of pen are least in the age group of 50 or
above.

31 | P a g e
 Table 7 Income wise buyers of different types of pens

Income Gel Pen Ball Pen Ink Pen Markers Total

5000 or below 15.18% 76% 7.14% 1.78% 100%
5000-10000 5.89% 84.94% 3.87% 2.31% 100%
10000-20000 12.86% 80.57% 4.39% 2.02% 100%
20000-30000 19.4% 70.64% 5.98% 3.99% 100%
30000 or above 37.5% 41.91% 12.5% 8.09% 100%

Income wise pen Buyers

90
80
70
60
No. of users

50
40
30
20
10
0
5000 or below 5000-10000 10000-20000 20000-30000 30000 or above
Income

Gel pen Ball pen Ink pen Markers

Interpretation-
The above chart and diagram show that out of 100 respondents in the
income group of 5000-10000, 85% users use ball pen, followed by 10000-
20000 income group. In income group of 30000 or above gel pen users are
38%.

32 | P a g e
Table 8 Occupation wise buyers of pens

OCCUPATION YES NO TOTAL

(%) (%)
Student 91.06 8.94 63.8
Businessman 85.9 14.1 8.5
Professionals 70.3 27.9 6.4
Housewife 35.6 64.4 5.9
Serviceman 79.06 20.95 14.8
Retired 33.33 66.67 0.6
Total 83.9 16.1 100

Occupation wise pen buyers

100
90
80
70
No. of buyers

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Student Businessman Professionals Housewife Serviceman Retired

Occupation

Yes No

Interpretation-From the above table and graph, it shows that pens are
mostly bought by students, businessman, serviceman and professionals.

33 | P a g e
Table 9 Frequent purchase of pens
Number of days Number of buyers (%)
Once a week 25
Once in 15 days 50
Bulk purchase 10
Others 15

Frequent purchase of pens

15% 25%
10%

50%

Once a week Once in 15 days Bulk purchase Others

Interpretation-
From the above table and chart, we analysed that people prefers to
purchase pens for once in 15 days.

34 | P a g e
Table 10 Factors considered while buying Cello Pen
Factors Number of buyers
Colour 6.67%
Design 9.22%
variety 14.12%
Price 11.68%
Smooth writing 19.59%
Easy availability 15.81%
Firm grip 12.80%
Life of refill 9.8%
Total 100%

Factors considered while buying Cello pen

25

20
No. of users

15

10

0
Colour Design Variety Price Smooth Easy Firm grip Life of refill
writing availability

Factors

Interpretation-
Smooth writing and easy availability are the most preferable factors that
consumers consider while purchasing Cello pen.
35 | P a g e
Table 11 Consumer satisfaction level of price

Yes 74.94%
No 25.06%
Total 100%

Satisfaction level of price

25%

75%

No Yes

Interpretation:
Around 75% of Cello pen users agree with that price of Cello pen matches
with the quality.

36 | P a g e
 Table 12 Sources preferred for awareness of Cello pen

Sources Number of users (%)

Advertisements 15
Colleagues 19
Friends 27
Retailers 39

Sources for awareness

19% 27%

15%

39%

Advertisements Colleagues Friends Retailers

Interpretation-
The above table and chart show that most people came to know about
Cello pens through advertisements

37 | P a g e
Table 13 Schemes offered by brands
Pen brands Schemes offered (%)
Cello 36
Linc 26
Reynolds 10
Rotomac 5
Luxor 3
Others 20

Sales

20%
3%
36%
5%

10%
26%

Cello Linc Reynolds Rotomac Luxor Others

Interpretation-
The above chart and table show that Linc pens followed by Cello pens
offer most of the schemes by 26% and 36% respectively.

38 | P a g e
CHAPTER 4
RECOMMENDATIONS &
CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS

39 | P a g e
4.1 RECOMMENDATIONS
Many customers are not satisfied with the pens that Cello provides.
Company should pay attention to the customers and dealers as well as for
their grievances.

Another aspect which they highlighted was that company does not work
towards their promotion. Neither does the banners nor stands for display
that matter for displaying on the shops due to which the attention and
focus of the customer could not be tapped. Advertisement of new product
lines under this range can create positive product impression along with
sufficient availability at the same time so that Cello can get into the race
under the given price category. Cello pen also should promote its low-price
range pens like Jolly and Cello Joy.

Cello is facing threats of competition from REYNOLDS, LUXOR, ADD GEL

and LINC. It should regularly revise its schemes in the interest of the
customers. It will retain the existing customers at the same time it will help
in prospect generation.

Moreover, single visit solution should give to the customers as over and
again visiting may cause irritation and rawness which might have bad effect
on company’s goodwill.

4.2 CONCLUSIONS
Considering the findings of the survey conducted among the consumers, it
has been observed that the awareness level of product is good and it is
increasing. People are aware about Cello Pens and have full faith in the
product.

In nutshell we can say that the product is doing well in the market.
Although much advertising campaign has not been done for the product
but still it has gained popularity due to its natural feature. A strong sales
promotion programme can play a major role to boost the sales of the
product.

40 | P a g e
4.3 LIMITATIONS
Here are the limitations which I come across while undertaking my
research on the project.

• Firstly, due to pandemic I could considered small range of people

and collected a limited data.

• The project is based on secondary data, thus there is a chance of

unreliable data sources and inaccurate data which can affect the
outcome.

• The sample size of 100 might not represent the behavior of whole
population as the sample size is very small.

• The opinion expressed by the respondents may be biased.

• As it was person-based survey, the interest of level differs from

people to people.

• The only method that adopted for conducting survey is through

questionnaire (Personal Survey)

• Some respondent refused to fill up the questionnaires and didn’t

cooperate, while some gave answers dishonestly. Thus, getting the
right respondents is critical task.

• Though I covered all the categories of buyers, students influenced

my report more than other categories.

• One of the most influencing and most critical limitations is that I

am not trained for the research study and thus there is lack of
expertise in it. It is possible that some important details might have
left out.

In spite of these limitations, I tried to give best result to the reader of this
report.

41 | P a g e
CHAPTER 5
BIBLIOGRAPHY

42 | P a g e
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Marketing Management by Philip Kotler
• Previous year’s projects

Webography
www.cellowriting.com

https://m.economictimes.com

https://www.forbes.com

https://www.aha.io

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

lifestyle.livemint.com

www.socialsamosa.com

https://www.marketing91.com

https://www.ukessays.com

https://www.pensxpress.com

https://www.slideshare.net

www.zauba.com

43 | P a g e
 QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Do you use pens?

 Yes
 No

2. If yes, then are you a regular user of pen?

 Yes
 No

3. Which brand you would prefer?

 Cello
 Reynolds
 Linc
 Montex
 Rotomac
 Luxor

4. What type of pen you prefer?

 Ball pen
 Gel pen
 Ink pen
 Roller pen

5. Which of the following, you prefer the most?

 Ball pen
 Gel pen

6. If you are male, what type of pen is more preferable?

 Gel pen
 Ball pen
 Ink pen
44 | P a g e
  Markers

7. If you are female, what type of pen is more preferable?

 Gel pen
 Ball pen
 Ink pen
 Markers

8. Age wise which group mostly buys pens?

 20 or below
 20-40
 40-60
 60 or above

9. Income wise which group prefers ball pens?

 5000 or below
 5000- 10000
 10000- 20000
 20000- 30000
 30000 or above

10. Which occupational group mostly buys pen?

 Student
 Businessman
 Professional
 Housewives
 Serviceman
 Retired

11. How frequently you purchase pens?

 Once a week
 Once in 15 days
 Bulk purchase

45 | P a g e
12. What quality do you use is a good pen?

 Smooth flow
 Good grip
 Stylish
 Long writing

13.Do you think the price of Cello pen matches its quality?

 Yes
 No

14. Are you satisfied by the price of pens?

 Yes
 No

15. From where did you come to know about the pen you use?

 Advertisements
 Colleagues
 Friends
 Retailers

16. Which brand of pens offers maximum schemes?

 Cello
 Linc
 Reynolds
 Rotomac
 Luxor
 Others

46 | P a g e