Study of Fairness Cream in Indian Market

“If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me “A faster horse”- Henry Ford
The above statement of Henry Ford captures the essence of consumer behaviour which is not always based on rational thinking. Decisions taken by consumers are based on mental and social processes which precede their actions. Hence analysis of consumer decision making process must take into account the factors of external influence such as social perception, cultural influence among others. Stages which are involved in buyer’s decision making process are:

Frame work followed for gathering consumer responses

Type of brand used
1. Fair & Lovely
2. Lotus
3. Ponds

Desired attributes of the product
1. Instant effect, Non stickiness, Suitable for all age groups
2. SPF protection, price
3. Fragrance, Instant effect, Popular brands

Benefits of using the product
1. Skin lightening
2. Less sweating and tanning
3. Soft and supple skin

Factors influencing purchase decision
1. Discounts & Schemes, Reference from friends
2. Celebrity endorsements
3. Catchy ads and endorsement by celebrity one identifies with

Occasions or seasons of maximum product utility
1. Seasonal variants- Winter – Moisturiser , Summer – sun block lotion
2. When travelling outside
3. Daily care, function, parties

Frequency of product use
1. Twice a day, after bath and before going to bed
2. Once a day
3. Twice a day, morning and night

Consumption pattern of product
1. 1 tube of 200ml for 3 months
2. 1 tube of 175ml for 3 months
3. 1 bottle for 6 months or till expiration

Decision for switching or not
1. Switched to Nivea but not happy with the result, so switched back
2. If similar product is less priced
3. Explore to seek better products

Place of purchase
1. Not fixed but mostly big bazaar
2. General stores
3. Health & glow since it has many options and all latest products

Category of product preferred
1. General, not herbal
2. Ayurvedic product
3. Anything but herbal as I don’t trust herbal companies

Trigger for using this product
1. To cure aging and rough skin
2. To cure tanned skin
3. To manage dry skin

Drawbacks of the current product

1. Fragrance not strong
2. Not easily available
3. Does not provide complete care

Analysis of Consumer Responses Collected
Problem recognition: Perceiving a need

Need to Tackle skin care related problems such as fairness, tanning, aging skin, roughness and dryness

Customer Perceived benefits of increased confidence, appeal to opposite gender

Information Search: Seeking Value

Instant effect, non-stickiness, possibility of use between different age groups (Mother & Daughter), value for money, fragrance are values customers seek in their product

Evaluation of Alternatives: Assessing value

Available products are evaluated based on nature of product, whether herbal, ayurvedic or chemical

Availability of cheaper alternatives, attitude to explore different products to seek better value

Purchase Decision: Buying value

Decision of customers is based on seasonal discounts on products, catchy ads, ability to identify with celebrity endorsing the brand, reference from friends, peers, family etc

Accessibility and availability of products based on user consumption pattern

Post purchase Behaviour: Value in Consumption or use

Evaluation of satisfaction level with current product

Assessing drawbacks such as fragrance, need for multipurpose etc

Implications for Marketing Decisions
From above analysis we can infer that below factors play a major role in decision making for consumers:

Personal

Psychological

Social

Personal Factors:

Buyer decisions are dependent on gender, demographics, Age etc

Income level and family background of buyer

Implications:
1. Pricing of the product must be in line with the income level of target consumers
2. Promotions must emphasize on the gender, demographic related benefits Psychological Factors:

Product value proposition of individual varies such as one might look for brand association and other might consider realised benefit such as fair skin

Implications:
1. Segmentation of customers based on their value proposition they realise such as pride of being associated with a brand, effectiveness of brand etc 2. Promotions to underline their need for affiliation with celebrity brand endorsements, catchy ads

Social Factors:

Decisions influenced by popular opinions, reference groups, class and culture

Implications:
1. Product promotions should center around affiliations for social groups such as different products for different age groups, cater to aspirations of different class of people for example fair and lovey for middle class etc