BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Internal Assessment

Higher Level

RESEARCH QUESTION:

Should ‘Rasm' change its Marketing Mix to increase sales in Hanoi, Vietnam?

Main Session: May 2023

Research proposal word count: 497

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Research Proposal

Research question :Should ‘Rasm' change its Marketing Mix to increase sales in Hanoi,

Vietnam?

Rationale

Rasm is an Indian restaurant which serves Indian cuisines. The restaurant is located in Hanoi,

Vietnam. The restaurant was opened with an aim to bring Indian food culture to Vietnam. The

restaurant serves all kinds of North and South Indian food. The restaurant was established in

2018 by Rahul Date. Rasm faces huge competition as there are many other Indian restaurants

located nearby to Rasm. Rasm is not meeting its monthly breakeven these days. Hence, the

owner of the Rasm wants to increase its sales and market share by a change in its marketing mix

style. This research paper will come up with some changes in the marketing mix to increase

Rasm’s sales.
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Key areas of the syllabus:

Units Business tools Explanation

1.3 Organizational Objectives SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis will help in

identifying the restaurant’s
strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats to
check where the restaurant
stands as of now.

4.2 Marketing Product, Place, Promotion, Assessing the marketing mix

Price (4P’s) and identifying the mistakes
in the business itself and
finding and finding solutions
for it.

4.4 Market Research Market Research Analyzing the customer’s

needs. Market Research will
explore the Primary /
Secondary data collection.

4.5 Product Product life Cycle Evaluating the marketing mix

of Rasm and investigate the
problems and solution.
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Methodology

Primary Research

1. An interview with Mr. Divya Ramraika and Rahul Date, owners of Rasm.

Reason: Ask about Rasm's operations, marketing, and sales.

2. Questionnaire

Reason: Recognize the needs and preferences of the customers. The sample will be

chosen at random. Respondents, however, could give inaccurate information such as

biased answers.

Secondary Research

1. Examine Rasm’s online ratings and reviews

Reason: Collect different opinions of restaurants through marketing.

2. Examine Competitor’s (other Indian restaurants) online ratings and reviews

Reason: Competitive analysis will provide information about how competitors market

their business.

3. Review Rasm’s Social media accounts

Reason: Most of the people use social media these days and can gain the preferences

of different customers.

4. Review Rasm’s internal information

Reason: Get to know the restaurant more in depth.

5. Newspaper articles
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Reason: Read by everyone.

Anticipated Difficulties

Anticipated difficulties Solutions

1. Language Barriers Survey will be written in Vietnamese.

Reason: Most of the customers And it will be translated to English.

(Vietnamese) might not speak English

Therefore, misunderstandings and

misinterpretation between the

interviewers might result in inaccuracy

of the results.

2. Distance Use of Video calls to connect.

Reason: It can cause communication
gaps.

3. Biased Reviews Confirm all the sources (primary and

Reason: Owner results may contain secondary resources)
biased information.

4. Time Inform the owners and customers a few weeks

before and take their consent.
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Action Plan

TASKS MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV

Research Proposal

Data Collection

Main Findings

Analysis and Evaluation

Conclusion and
Recommendation

Final Formatting

First Draft

Final Submission
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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Internal Assessment

Higher Level

RESEARCH QUESTION:

Should ‘Rasm' change its Marketing Mix to increase sales in Hanoi, Vietnam?

Main Session: May 2023

Executive Summary Word Count: 177

Main Report Word Count: 1511

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Table of Contents:

SECTION PAGE NUMBER

Letter of Authentication—-------------------------------------------------------------9

Acknowledgement —------------------------------------------------------------------10

Executive Summary —----------------------------------------------------------------11

1)Introduction —-----------------------------------------------------------------------12

2)Methodology —----------------------------------------------------------------------12,13,14

3)Main Results and Findings —------------------------------------------------------14-19

4)Data presentation and Analysis —-------------------------------------------------19

4.1)Product —---------------------------------------------------------------------------20

4.2)Price —------------------------------------------------------------------------------20

4.3)Place —---—------------------------------------------------------------------------20

4.4)Promotion —------------------------------------------------------------------------20

4.5)Summary of Analysis (SWOT) —-----------------------------------------------21,22

5)Conclusions and Recommendations —--------------------------------------------23

6)Limitations —-------------------------------------------------------------------------23

7)Bibliography —-----------------------------------------------------------------------24

8)Appendices —-------------------------------------------------------------------------25-35
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my special thanks to Mr. Divya Ramraika and Mr. Rahul Date, the owner

of the restaurant ‘Rasm’ for permitting me to investigate their restaurant. I would also like to

thank them for providing me with the information needed to complete this research paper. In

addition to that, I would also like to extend my gratitude towards all the customers, managers,

and competitors of Rasm for filling out the questionnaire. At last, I am very grateful for getting

constant encouragement, support and guidance from the Internal assessment supervisor for

guiding me throughout this research.

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Executive Summary

Rasm is an Indian restaurant which serves North and South Indian cuisines in Vietnam.

The restaurant is located in Hanoi, Vietnam. The restaurant faces competition from the other

Indian restaurants nearby Rasm. Change in consumer preferences affects the sales of the

restaurant. Currently, the restaurant is not able to meet its monthly breakeven. Rasm wants to

increase its sales Hence, the owner of the Rasm wants to increase its sales and market share by a

change in its marketing mix style. This research paper will come up with some changes in the

marketing mix to increase Rasm’s sales.

The two main ways used to collect data were to conduct interviews with the owners and

questionnaires which were given to the customers of Rasm. The majority of secondary sources

used from different websites, business tools, research papers related to the marketing of the

restaurant, specifically the Marketing Mix, Product Life Cycle, and SWOT analysis.

The promotion and target market are the places which need improvements to increase

restaurant’s sales. It was advised to use a variety of promotional strategies.

Word count: 177

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1) Introduction

Rasm is a partnership business. The restaurant was established by Divya Ramraika and Rahul

Date in 2018. Rasm serves Indian cuisines such as North and South Indian food. ‘The RASM

restaurant, the name translates to ‘tradition’ (Mehta). The restaurant is located in the city of

Hanoi, Vietnam and is located in twin bungalows.The restaurant faces competition from the

multiple companies located nearby. The restaurant uses below the line promotional strategies

such as sales promotion, word of mouth, Sponsorship, utilizing email, etc. However, these

strategies are not working for the restaurant ‘Rasm’ to increase its customers. In addition to that,

there are internal and external factors that are affecting Rasm’s marketing strategies. Therefore,

the marketing strategies will be investigated further in this research paper using primary and

secondary research. As a result, the aim of this research paper is to determine whether changing

the restaurant's marketing mix will increase its sales. I want to research this because this research

paper examines marketing strategies. I was motivated to work on it. Application of the business

knowledge I've learned in class is included in this research. As a result, I will be able to

comprehend the marketing strategies of a company.

2) Methodology

Primary Data Collection

Data Collection Methods:

1. Interview- Conduct interview with Mr. Divya Ramraika and Rahul Date, owners of

Rasm. I will ask them about Rasm's operations, marketing, and sales.
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2. Questionnaire- Recognize the needs and preferences of the customers. The sample will be

chosen at random. Respondents, however, could give inaccurate information such as

biased answers.

Sources of data collection were:

1) In-depth details regarding the company were obtained through an interview with Rasm's

owner. Understanding the company's history and learning more about its operations,

sales, and marketing were the key objectives of this interview. Google meet was used to

conduct the interview. Additionally, because the interviewee was overworked and gave

the interview in sections, the results could be biased.

2) Customers who had visited Rasm were mailed a questionnaire. The survey received

responses from about 30 customers. This has made it easier for me to get client feedback

and learn about their requirements and preferences. Thus, this would assist me in creating

various marketing plans and product offerings for Rasm.

Limitations of Primary Data Collection

Limitations

1) Small sample size

Random sampling was used. Sample size is small.Therefore, it was not able to
represent the whole population.

2) Self Interpretation of responses

Customers have their own perspectives about the restaurant which can lead to self
interpretation of responses.

3) Based on bias in answering the questions

Employees and the customers might worry that their answers will be judged.
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So, they might answer these questions in a way to please the interviewer and the owner
and manager but against their will.

Secondary data collection

Secondary research was collected from websites, books, articles and journals to analyze the

marketing strategies for Rasm. In addition to that, online reviews were also examined.

Limitation of Secondary Data Collection

The secondary can be old and out-dated as the data collected already exist. The data which was

collected might be biased and inaccurate too. And the samples collected were small.

3) Main Results and Findings

Primary Data Collection findings:

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Figure 1: According to Fig.1, the majority of the respondents have heard about ‘Rasm’ through

walk by.

Figure 2: Fig.2 above shows that almost 55% of respondents live 5+km away from the

restaurant. It also states that people who live far away from Rasm also prefer coming to Rasm.

Only 20% of the respondents live close to Rasm.

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Figure 3: According to fig.3 almost majority of the respondents which is 54% of the respondents

rarely visits Rasm. This indicates that people in Vietnam are still unaware of the restaurant. And

26% of the respondents visit on special occasions whereas 20% of respondents visit very

frequently..
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Figure4: According to fig.4 35% of the respondents visit Rasm to try Indian food as they are

Vietnamese. 34% of the respondents visit for family outings and 21% for social gatherings.

Hence, it indicates that most of the respondents visit to try Indian food and for family outings.

Ratings of the following:

Figure 5: According to fig.5, the majority of the respondents has rated 4 stars for the ambience

of the restaurant. Majority of the respondents have rated more than 4 stars for the quality of the

food. Customer service and Hygiene has been rated more than 5 stars by most of the

respondents but the price of the restaurant has been rated 6 star by most of the respondents which

indicates that the customers find the food a little expensive.

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Figure 6: According to Fig.6, most of the respondents usually spend around INR 3000 at Rasm.

30% of the respondents spend INR 4000 and followed by 20% of the respondents spends INR

2000 when they visit Rasm.

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Figure7: According to fig.7, 30% of the respondents prefer Namaste Hanoi in the area other than

Rasm. Followed by some other Indian restaurants in the area. After this report, we can observe

that there is a lot of competition in the city which is Hanoi in Vietnam.

4)Data Presentation and Analysis

Recent Marketing Mix of Rasm

4.1) Product

Rasm offers Indian cuisine like Tandoori chicken, Wasabi and Bhel, Pani Puri, etc. Almost 54%

of the respondents like Butter Chicken while 46% of the respondents want to see other Indian

dishes on the Rasms’s menu.

Product life cycle

Rasm was founded in 2018 in Hanoi, Vietnam. Sales in this partnership firm were expanding

slowly. To spread the word about the Indian restaurant and build a sizable client base, extensive

advertising is required.

Figure 8
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4.2) Price

The pricing strategies used by the restaurant is

4.3)i) Place

The restaurant is located in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is very close to the beach.

4.4) Promotion

The restaurant doesn’t use any specific promotional strategies. As we have already seen in our

data collection, most of the respondents chose word of mouth as the reason for their visit.

Followed by newspaper, and articles.

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4.5) Summary of Analysis

In conclusion, after looking at the market research, changes in product, price, place, and

promotion would be appropriate. This is presented in the form of a SWOT analysis,

SWOT Analysis of Rasm

Strengths Weaknesses

1) Ambience of the restaurant: the neat 1) Cuisines served are overpriced and expensive for
and tidy condition of the restaurant, the locals (Vietnamese)
beautiful interior design by the artists 2) Limited promotional strategies used.
and the large space provided to the 3) Hard to find Indian ingredients (spices used in
customers. each food) in Vietnam.
2) Customer service: Maintaining a good
image with a good relationship with
the customers.
3) Quality food: Good Indian taste and
flavor.
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Opportunities Threats

1) High scope in social media marketing 1) Economic downturn due to Covid19.

2) The market for gluten-free, low-fat, 2) High competition: other Indian restaurants like
vegan, and diet sweets, as well as the Namaste Hanoi and Dal Chini have already
potential for their introduction. expanded its website and its product portfolio.
3) Good opportunity for franchising.

5) Conclusion

Rasm is still growing. From the primary data collected it is evident that location is the positive

element for the business as it is proved in the customer survey that most of the customers got to

know about Rasm by a walk by. It is also evident that the customers find the price of the food a

little costly than they had expected it to be. Additionally, the strong competition between all the

other Indian restaurants is also an issue that results in the decreasing sales of Rasm. As a result,

extensive promotion is required in order to make people aware of the restaurant and acquire a

larger customer base.

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Recommendations:

Product: Rasm should create special dishes on their own which would make the customers feel

more special. It would make the restaurant different from the other Indian restaurants because

they all offer the same kind of Indian cuisines.

Price: Rasm should give discounts on their foods on Vietnamese and Indian special occasions

such as Lunar New Year or Tet, and Diwali. They can announce their discounts on social media

accounts.

Place: As concluded from the interview with the owner, Rasm plans to expand its business in

order to make its own range of products and increase its customer base in this location itself.

Promotion: There are many ways in which Rasm can promote their business such as social

media. It can create its own website, it can also make a presence on other social media networks

such as Instagram. Furthermore, the restaurant can offer free samples of their cuisines outside

their restaurant. It can also host events such as birthday parties and also sponsor and host

celebrities such as singers.

Limitations: Lack of competitor analysis, limitation of word count has prevented research in

other areas of the business.

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8) Bibliography

Mehta, Meghna. “Studio VDGA from Pune, India, builds timeless spaces to create a global mark.”

STARworld, 5 December 2020,

https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-studio-vdga-from-pune-india-builds-timeless-spaces-to-create-a-g

lobal-mark. Accessed 20 November 2022.

“RASM INDIAN CUISINE, Hanoi - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews.” Tripadvisor,

https://www.tripadvisor.in/Restaurant_Review-g293924-d17288042-Reviews-Rasm_Indian_Cuisine-Han

oi.html. Accessed 3 December 2022.

Kaushal, Kashish. “Rasm by Studio VDGA guarentees an exceptional culinary experience.” ELLE

DECOR India, 7 August 2021,

https://elledecor.in/article/rasm-an-exceptional-culinary-experience-designed-by-studio-vdga-weaving-the

-imprints-of-indian-culture-in-vietnam/. Accessed 3 December 2022.

Google maps (Accessed 13 December 2022)

Business Management for the IB diploma (Third Edition) - Paul Hoang (Publisher : IBID Press)

(Accessed 13 december 2022)

“The shorter side of =.” YouTube, 25 October 2021,

https://www.vdga.in/projects-gallery.php?id=77. Accessed 13 December 202.

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9) Appendices

Appendix 1: Extract of an interview with the owner of the restaurant ‘Rasm’.

(Questions and Answers of the interview with Mr. Rahul Date)

Interview Questions with the owner - Divya Ramraika

1. When did you start this restaurant?

We had a soft opening on 12th march 2019 and we fully started from July 2019

2. What was your mission at the start of your business?

Our mission to start this restaurant is to offer modern Indian cuisine

3. What made you decide to choose Vietnam?

Vietnam is a upcoming tourist destination and even a business friendly country

4. What are some of the challenges that the restaurant is facing currently?.

We still face a language issue but Vietnamese people are very nice as they understand our

difficulties.

5. What methods do you feel can be used to avoid these challenges?

Method is to adopt their language

6. Who are the main competitors of your restaurant? What was your annual

turnover of the restaurant in 2021 and 2022?

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We never take anyone as a competitor. We always try to improve ourselves. In 2021-22 we were

under Covid restrictions , the borders were closed so we were doing very low business.

7. How many customers was the restaurant dealing with last year (2021) and this year until

now (2022)?

Per day average 70 from June 2022

8. How many Employees does the restaurant currently have?

We have 5 Indian and 3 Vietnamese

9. Could you name some of your biggest customers and briefly describe your services

provided to them?

We always have parties for TECHCOMBANK AND KIARA GARMENTS . We have done

events for them up to 110 guests.

10. Does your restaurant serve any special cuisine to the customers?

Our famous dish is butter chicken .

11. Has the restaurant faced any challenges in staffing or managing employees.

Yes in the beginning but now we know how to deal with it.

12. Which department would you say faces the greatest challenges?

Kitchen of a restaurant always faces challenges as the guest may have special requests.
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13. How would you describe your restaurant currently?

It’s one of the finest upcoming Indian restaurants.

14. Do you see an opportunity for Vast growth within your industry in let's say 10 years ?

Yes of course as tourism has increased drastically.

Interview Questions with the owner - Rahul Date

1. When did you start this restaurant?

We had a soft opening on 12th march 2019 and we fully started from July 2019

2. What was your mission at the start of your business?

Our mission to start this restaurant is to offer modern Indian cuisine

3. What made you decide to choose Vietnam?

Vietnam is a upcoming tourist destination and even a business friendly country

4. What are some of the challenges that the restaurant is facing currently?.

We still face a language issue but Vietnamese people are very nice as they understand our

difficulties.

5. What methods do you feel can be used to avoid these challenges?

Method is to adopt their language

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6. Who are the main competitors of your restaurant? What was your annual

turnover of the restaurant in 2021 and 2022?

We never take anyone as a competitor. We always try to improve ourselves. In 2021-22 we were

under Covid restrictions , the borders were closed so we were doing very low business.

7. How many customers was the restaurant dealing with last year (2021) and this year until

now (2022)?

Per day average 70 from June 2022

8. How many Employees does the restaurant currently have?

We have 5 Indian and 3 Vietnamese

9. Could you name some of your biggest customers and briefly describe your services

provided to them?

We always have parties for TECHCOMBANK AND KIARA GARMENTS . We have done

events for them up to 110 guests.

10. Does your restaurant serve any special cuisine to the customers?

Our famous dish is butter chicken .

11. Has the restaurant faced any challenges in staffing or managing employees.

Yes in the beginning but now we know how to deal with it.

12. Which department would you say faces the greatest challenges?
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Kitchen of a restaurant always faces challenges as the guest may have special requests.

13. How would you describe your restaurant currently?

It’s one of the finest upcoming Indian restaurants.

14. Do you see an opportunity for Vast growth within your industry in let's say 10 years ?

Yes of course as tourism has increased drastically.

Appendix 2: Customer survey responses:

1)
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2)

3)
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4)

5)
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6)

7)
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8)

9)
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10)
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Questions

1. What is your age?

2. What is your gender?

3. What is your occupation?

How did you hear about Rasm?

● Instagram/Facebook

● Word of mouth

● Walk by

● Newspaper/ Magazine

4. How far do you stay from Rasm?

● 1 km

● 1-5

● 5+ km

5. How often do you visit Rasm?

● Frequently

● On special occasions/ Festivals only

● Rarely

6. What is the main reason for your visit?

● Social gatherings

● Family outing

● Work meeting

● Try Indian food

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7. What do you normally order at Rasm?

8. Rate the ambience of the restaurant? 1,2,3,4,5 star

9. Rate the quality of food?

10. Rate the customer service?

11. Rate the Hygiene of the restaurant?

12. Rate the price of the food?

13. How much do you approximately spend at Rasm?

14. Which other Indian restaurant do you prefer in the area?