A STUDY OF MARKETING MIX / 4P’S

OF
PARLE COMPANY

INTRODUCTION OF PARLE COMAPANY

A cream-coloured yellow stripped wrapper with a cute baby photo
containing10 – 12 biscuits with the company’s name printed in Red and you
know these are Parle G biscuits. Times changed, variety of biscuits did come
and go but nothing has changed with these biscuits. Yes, the size of their
packing has definitely changed but for the consumers good as these are money
savers pack. The Parle name conjures up fond memories across the length and
breadth of the country. After all, since 1929, the people of India have been
growing up on Parle biscuits & sweets. Initially a small factory was set up in the
suburbs of Mumbai city, to manufacture sweets and toffees. The year was
1929 and the market was dominated by famous international brands that were
imported freely. Despite the odds and unequal competition, this company
called Parle Products, survived and succeeded, by adhering to high quality and
improvising from time to time. A decade later, in 1939, Parle Products began
manufacturing biscuits, in addition to sweets and toffees. Having already
established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand name grew in strength
with this diversification. Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the first brands
of biscuits to be introduced, which later went onto become leading names for
great taste and quality. For around 75 years, Parle have been manufacturing
quality biscuits and confectionery products. Over the years Parle has grown to
become a multimillion-dollar company with many of the products as market
leaders in their category. The recent introduction of Hide & Seek chocolate
chip biscuits is a product of innovation and caters to a new taste, being India’s
first ever chocolate-chipbiscuits.1
All Parle products are manufactured under most hygienic conditions. Great
care is exercised in the selection and quality control of raw material and
standards ensured at every stage of the manufacturing process. Parle Products
has 4 manufacturing units for biscuits and confectionaries at Mumbai,
Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka. It also has 14 manufacturing units for
biscuits & 5 manufacturing units for confectioneries, on contract. All these
factories are located at strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output &
easy distribution. Today, Parle enjoys a 40% share of the total biscuit market
and a 15% share of the total confectionary market, in India. The marketing mix
of Parle for this project has been studied from the point of view of Parle
biscuits; mainly Parle-G and Parle hide & seek.

PARLE G - THE EVOLUTION !!!

Parle-G has been a strong household name across India. The great taste, high
nutrition, and the international quality, makes Parle-G a winner. No wonder,
it's the undisputed leader in the biscuit category for decades. Parle-G is
consumed by people of all ages, from the rich to the poor, living in cities & in
villages. While some have it for breakfast, for others it is a complete
wholesome meal. For some it's the best accompaniment for chai, while for
some it's a way of getting charged whenever they are low on energy. Because
of this, Parle-G is the world's largest selling brand of biscuits. Launched in the
year 1939, it was one of the first brands of Preproduces. It was called Parle
Glucose Biscuits mainly to cue that it was a glucose biscuit. It was
manufactured at the Mumbai factory, Vile Parle and sold in units of half and
quarter pound packs.2
The incredible demand led Parle to introduce the brand in special branded
packs and in larger festive tin packs. By the year 1949, Parle Glucose biscuits
were available not just in Mumbai but also across the state. It was also sold in
parts of North India. The early 50s produced over150 tones of biscuits
produced in the Mumbai factory. Looking at the success of Parle-G, a lot of
other me-too brands were introduced in the market. And these brands had
names that were similar to Parle Glucose Biscuits so that if not by anything
else, the consumer would err in picking the brand. This forced Parle to change
the name from Parle Glucose Biscuits to Parle-G. Originally packed in the wax
paper pack, today it is available in a contemporary, premium BOPP pack with
attractive side fins. The new airtight pack helps to keep the biscuits fresh and
tastier for a longer period. Parle-G was the only biscuit brand that was always
in short supply. It was heading towards becoming an all-time great brand of
biscuit. Parle-G started being advertised in the 80's. It was advertised mainly
through press ads. The communication spoke about the basic benefits of
energy and nutrition. In 1989, Parle-G released its Dadaji commercial, which
went on to become one of the most popular commercials for Parle-G. The
commercial was run for a period of 6 years. Parle-G grew bigger by the minute.
Be it the packs sold, the areas covered or the number of consumers. It became
a part of the daily lives of many Indians. It wasn't a biscuit any more. It had
become an icon. The next level of communication associated the brand with
the positive values of lifelike honesty, sharing and caring. In the year 1997,
Parle-G sponsored the tele-serial of the Indian superhero, Shaktimaan that
went on to become a huge success. The personality of the superhero matched
the overall superb benefits of the brand. Parle extended this association with
Shaktimaan and gave away a lot of merchandise of Shaktimaan, which was
supported by POS and press communication. The children just could not get
enough of Parle-G and Shaktimaan. In the year 2002, it was decided to bring
the brand closer to the child3
who is a major consumer? A national level promo - `Parle-G Mera SapnaSach
Hoga' was run for a period of 6 months. The promo was all about fulfilling the
dreams of children. There were over 5 lakh responses and of that, over 300
dreams were fulfilled. Dreams that were fulfilled ranged from trips to
Disneyland at Paris &Singapore; free ride on a chartered plane; 20scholarships
worth Rs 50,000; a special cricket coaching etc. The year 2002 will go down as
a special year in Parle-G's advertising history. A year that saw the birth of G-
Man - a new ambassador for Parle-G. Not just a hero but also a super-hero that
saves the entire world, especially children from all the evil forces. A campaign
that is not just new to the audiences but one that involves a completely new
way of execution that is loved by children all over the world – Animation To
make the brand much more interesting and exciting with children, it was
decided to launch a premium version of Parle-G called Parle-G Magix in the
year 2002. Parle-G Magix is available in two exciting tastes - ‘Cocoh’ and
‘Cashew’. The year 2002 also witnessed the launch of Parle-G Milk Shakti,
which has the nourishing combination of milk and honey, especially launched
for the southern market.

OBJECTIVE OF PARLE COMPANY

• What are organizational objectives?
Organizational objectives for Parle-G are the short to medium term targets
and goals that the organization sets to achieve the bigger strategic goals set for
the long term. The organizational objectives are important in shaping resource
allocation within Parle-G as well as in determining the policies, schedules and
processes that are implemented in Parle-G.
Components of objectives
Specific
All objectives set by Parle-G are specific and clear. This helps employees, as
well as managers, manage and maintain focus on the targets and the end
results that need to be achieved. At the same time, specific objectives help
managers determine skill development and training needs within their
departments as well.

Measurable
Objectives at Parle-G are also measurable. This means that all objectives can
be tracked for progress. This is important for Parle-G as it helps in meeting
deadlines. The element of measurability is added in objectives by adding
quantifiable criteria for determining progress and objective achievement.

Attainable
The goal should be attainable that even in stretching the abilities of the
employees and challenging them, it should remain possible to achieve. The
objectives at Parle-G are attainable in that they push the employees out of
their comfort zones but remain possible to achieve.

Realistic
Objectives at Parle-G are also attainable in that they are realistic. This means
that Parle-G sets objectives keeping in view the organizational resources and
constraints to be able to achieve objectives effectively and within time.

Timely
Objectives at Parle-G are also time-bound in that they have a specified start
and finish date. The timeliness of the objective helps Parle-G maintain a sense
of urgency in employees, and keep them motivated towards achieving the
objective.

How to implement objectives?

Communication
• Objectives at Parle-G should be discussed with employees mutually
• Purpose of the set objectives should be clearly discussed, and
communicated with the employees
• This discussion should entail not only the objective, but also the time
period within which it is expected to be completed, and the processes
and means to achieve it
• Objectives should also include aspects of personal and individual growth
and development of employees to make sure that employees remain
motivated throughout
Performance appraisal
• The performance appraisal at Parle-G helps managers and supervisors
keep track of objective achievement and employee performance
• The performance appraisal also helps keep the objectives time bound
through regular reviews and discussions
• The performance appraisal also helps identify skills development aspects
that employees need and helps the managers develop suitable and
needful strategic training programs for skill development and skill
improvement

MISSION AND VISION OF THE

PARLE COMPANY
What is a vision statement?
The vision statement for Parle-G is its strategic plan for the future – it defines
what and where Parle-G Company wants to be in the future. The vision
statement for Parle-G is a document identifying the goals of Parle-G to
facilitate its strategic, managerial, as well as general decision making
processes.

Components of the vision statement

Concise
The vision statement of Parle-G is brief and to the point. This means that the
company has not used long dialects and dialogues to delivers its opinion ad
stance to the public and relevant stakeholders. The vision statement should be
brief and comprehensive – it should communicate the essence of the business,
and its future plans to help the stakeholders understand its business
philosophy and business strategy.

Encompassing description
The vision statement of Parle-G should be brief but should be holistic in nature.
This means that the visions statement should be complete in its description
and information of what the company desires, and how it plans to achieve its
long term goals strategically. The vision statement should be a comprehensive
statement identifying the company’s core strengths, which would enable it to
achieve its futuristic goals.
How to implement a vision statement
Gathering for a meeting and idea generation
• Parle-G should gather all employees from different managerial
levels in groups
• These groups should work towards generating ideas based on
what the organization stands for, and what it offers
• The idea generation should be based on the employee's
perception
• The ideas should also involve where the progression of the
company should be focused on
 • In addition, the employees should also focus their ideas on
foreseeing a potential future for Parle-G
Grouping similar ideas and developing drafts
• Similar ideas should be grouped
• Senior level employees should develop and compare descriptions for
grouped ideas
• The grouped ideas should be categorized according to themes
• The thematic groupings should be prioritized with the organizational
offerings and values
• Draft vision statements should be created based on high priority groups
of ideas and descriptions
Evaluating the vision statement
• Visions statements should be evaluated on their criteria of matching
with the organizational offering and potential
• The vision stamen should also reflect the work environment and
business potential of Parle-G
• The vision statement should be in line with the values of Parle-G
Communication of vision statement
• The visions statement should be communicated to all relevant
stakeholders of Parle-G
• The visions statement should be incorporated in the annual statement
• The visions statement for Parle-G should also be updated, and
transparently be drafted within the organization
• The visions statement should be sued to guide the drafting of the
mission statement

The mission statement of Parle-G

What is a mission statement?
The mission statement for Parle-G is a public document that details the values
and strategic aims of Parle-G. The mission statement of Parle-G also identifies
the purpose of the organization existence, highlighting the services and the
products it offers. Further, the mission statement also identifies the
organization’s operational goals for Parle-G, the processes the company uses
to achieve those, the target customer groups, and the region where the
company operates.

Components of a mission statement

Customer satisfaction
The mission statement of Parle-G focuses on addressing issues of customer
satisfaction. The mission statement of Parle-G has identified its target
customer groups, and also identified their needs and demands. The mission
statement reflects on how its products and services work towards increasing
customer satisfaction for its target customers.

Based on core competencies

The mission statement of Parle-G is based on its integral strengths and
competencies. This is important for Parle-G as the mission statement will
highlight the different systems and processes as well as strategic tactics that
the company uses to achieve its organizational and strategic goals. The
achievement of the goals will depend on how well Parle-G makes use of its
core competencies.

Realistic and clear

The mission statement for Parle-G is also realistic and clear. This means that
Parle-G has used simple, string, and easily understood words and phrases in
the drafting of its mission statement. Clarity is important so that the mission
statement is understood by all relevant stakeholders of Parle-G Company.
Parle-G’s mission statement is also realistic, which makes it able to achieve
various set goals and targets.
Motivational and inspirational
The mission statement of Parle-G is motivational in that it works towards
inspiring the employees and the workforce towards giving their optimal best
performance towards the goal achievement of Parle-G. The mission statement
of Parle-G is also inspirational in that it develops the need for growth and
progress in individuals – for the betterment of not only the company but also
for their own selves.

Specific and sharp

The mission statement of Parle-G is precise and to the point. It is easy to
understand and delivers what the audience must know about Parle-G’s
offerings and operations. It is important to keep the missions statement short,
sharp and precise to be able to successfully communicate the company’s
standing to stakeholders, instead of dragging it on into long pages with
repetition and non-important aspects.

Reflects the company’s offerings

The mission statement of a company should be based on what the company
has to offer in terms of products and services. This means that the mission
statement for Parle-G highlights its offerings, but ensures that this offering is in
line with the values that the company stands for. The mission statement for
Parle-G, therefore, identifies the ethical grounds through which the company
systematically works to deliver its offering.

4P’s OF MARKETING OF THE

PARLE COMPANY
Parle Product:
The product strategy and mix in Parle marketing strategy can be explained as
follows:

Parle brand is one of the most recognized biscuit manufacturing company in

India. Though famous for Parle G, Parle products offer various options in other
segments and even in the biscuit category. It offers many other products like
KrackJack, Monaco, Kream’s, Golden Arcs, Parle Marie, Milk Shakti, Parle Hide
& Seek, Bourbon, Top, Happy Happy, 20-20, simply good, Namkeen parle
magix, cheese lings. In the confectionery, it offers products like Melody, Mango
Bite, Eclairs whereas in the Snacks segment it provides Nachos, Cake, Rusk and
wafers. This gives an insight in the Parle marketing mix. Hence all the products
of Parle are such that they can be consumed at any point of time and by
anyone. In fact, the biscuits offered cater to all kinds of segment be it lower or
upper middle class and are available in different product sizes. In the
confectionery segment, the appeal has been universal.
Parle Price/Pricing:
Below is the pricing strategy in Parle marketing strategy:
Parle has followed a low-cost strategy in order to establish a market leader
position.
This is the backbone pricing strategy of the Parle brand as a part of its
marketing mix. The low price of the Parle products along with the promise of
high quality helps in fighting the competitors. Though Parle believes in focusing
on quality, it still has been able to manage low cost due to the high volumes of
production. It comes in base pack of Rs 2 for biscuits whereas the toffees range
from 1 to 2 rupees. The low pricing strategy of Parle G has enabled it to retain
its position as a market leader despite several new biscuit brands coming in the
market as its competitors. Parle G focuses on a volume strategy and hence
keeping its prices slightly lower helps it to reach out to a huge audience.
Parle Place & Distribution:
Following is the distribution strategy in the Parle marketing mix:
Parle products are widely available across all geographies across India. With a
presence of very strong distribution network, Parle has been able to reach over
6 million retailers all over India. Parle has over 23 manufacturing units which
caters to over 1500 wholesalers. Apart from that, there are depot agents which
further help in expanding the distribution network. This is the reason why Parle
products are present in every place be it small shops or grocery stores to large
retail stores/chains. Restaurants, hotels and even small dhabas prefer keeping
Parle G as the biscuit to be served along with tea or coffee.
Parle Promotion & Advertising:
The promotional and advertising strategy in the Parle marketing strategy is as
follows:

Parle brand uses all media like TVC, print, online ads etc as a part of its
marketing mix promotion & marketing strategy. Parle brand has always been
associated with positive emotions and has incorporated qualities like sharing
and caring. Parle was able to connect with the children by sponsoring shows
like Shaktimaan where Parle started giving out merchandise for the same.
Moreover, it started promotions on a national level scale by fulfilling the
dreams of selective children. Parle has been active when it comes to
promotions or tv advertisements. Specifically, to Parle G, the company
promoted using the logo of a young girl and later also had an ambassador for
the brand. Moreover, all the products have attractive and distinct packaging
which attracts the target group. Apart from Parle G, all other products of the
company are also promoted extensively with innovative marketing campaigns.
Parle has actively been involved in print and press media. Hence, this
concludes the Parle marketing mix.

FINDINGS: -The principal outcomes of a research project what the project

suggested indicates the relationship of sales with advertisements, Awareness
of people, preference & 4p’s of that company with history and motive.
CONCLUSION: -The consumers have immense trust in the brand therefore it is
one of the leading brands of India. Instead of selling the same old products, the
brand should introduce new products and variants in the market. The company
is mainly dependent on one goodwill revenue generated from the Parle-G
biscuit. The popularity of Parle products has remained unchanged for many
years.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:- 1.info@parleproducts.com
2.http://www.parleproducts.com/parlestory.html
3.http://www.parleproducts.com/contactus.html