BACKGROUND

Our Client is a manufacturer and marketer of Velvet soaps, which is a brand in the
Mid-priced Popular price segment Velvet has a strong presence in the state of !P "t
is also present in Orissa #also growing$%, &est 'engal, (harkhand and 'ihar #stagnating
in these three markets% "n all these states, the strength of Velvet is primaril) in towns
with * + *, lakh population
One of the competitors of our Client has changed its soap packaging to a cheaper
plastic format and taking that cue, the packaging team of our Client has come out
with a new packaging format for Velvet soap -he new format is a plastic wrap
packaging, which has a lower production cost and is .uite different from the current
paper wrapper packaging -he paper wrapper pack is the usual format of packaging in
which most soaps are available in the market
Our client has a feeling that if plastic wrap packaging is used in Velvet, there might be
erosion in its brand image on /ualit) and Value perceptions 0lso, the soap might seem
to be smaller in si1e in the plastic pack
"n this conte2t, our Client would like to conduct a research 'ased on the outcome,
the) would take a decision on whether to go ahead with the new plastic pack or
continue with the e2isting paper wrapper pack
-his document outlines the research design, information areas, timelines and cost of
conducting this research
OBJECTIVES
-he business obecti!e here is to understand if the packaging format of Velvet soap
can be changed so that Velvet, as a brand, can be made more profitable
-he "ar#et researc$ obecti!e is to understand whether perception o% Vel!et in
plastic wrap pac#a&in& is si&ni%icantl' lower than its perception in paper wrapper
packaging in areas related to
- 3i1e of soap
- /ualit)
- Value for mone)
ACTION STANDARD(
I) I"a&er' o% *lastic *ac# is not si&ni%icantl' lower #3tatisticall), at 456
confidence level% t$an *aper *ac# #on /ualit) and V7M Perception%
GO A+EAD ,IT+ *-ASTIC *ACK
RESEARC+ DESIGN
&e recommend a primar) surve) using .uantitative research tools 7ace-to-face
interviews would be conducted using structured .uestionnaires b) inviting target
respondents to a Central 8ocation #C8- venues to be used%
Tar&et &roup9
- 3:C ';C;<
- 0ge9 =* + 55 )rs
- <ecision maker and;or purchaser of soap brand in the household
- >egular user of Velvet or an) other competition brand of soap in the mid-priced
popular segment
"f a competition brand user is selected for the stud), he;she should be at least aware
of Velvet
.ar#ets o% stu/'9
&e would recommend the stud) to be conducted in !P #strong market%, Orissa
#growing market% and at least one of the two states + &est 'engal or 'ihar #due to
large si1e of these markets% 'etween &est 'engal and 'ihar, our choice would be
&est 'engal due to cost efficiencies
-he stud) would be conducted onl) in * + *, lakh population towns, with proper
representation of the two pop-stratas + O8Ps and 78Ps
-he tentative list of markets will be as follows9
Towns U* Orissa ,est Ben&al
)-*s(
* oiiwbe * wbefucu *wd.wd
=evuer =fwef =neerbg
O-*s(
*htrgww *ewrsh *shsdw
=sgaab =svwf =ubvf
? fu)uv
@vibuu
Sa"ple Si0e9
-he recommended sample si1es are as follows9
O*TION 1
U* Orissa ,est Ben&al
)-*s 3ample 3i1e )-*s 3ample 3i1e )-*s 3ample 3i1e
* oiiwbe =,, * wbefucu *,, *wd.wd *,,
=evuer =,, =fwef *,, =neerbg *,,
Total %or )-*s 233 433 433
O-*s O-*s O-*s
*htrgww *,, *ewrsh *,, *shsdw *,,
=sgaab *,, =svwf *,, =ubvf *,,
? fu)uv *,,
@vibuu *,,
Total %or O-*s 233 433 433
TOTA- U* 533 TOTA- Oris 233 TOTA- ,B 233
GRAND TOTA-( 1633
"n each market, the sample will be broken up into Velvet users #5,6% and competition
users #5,6%
-hus, findings can be reported b) each 3tate, within pop-strata #78P;O8P% and within
brand usership #Velvet vs Competition% with a minimum sample si1e of *,, in Orissa or
&' and with a minimum sample si1e of =,, in !P
O*TION 4
0 sample si1e of 5,6 in each of the towns in the above table, and thus, a total sa"ple
si0e o% 533
&ith this sample si1e, findings can be reported at the same level of granularit) in !P,
with a minimum sample si1e of *,, 7or the other two states, reporting can be done
among Velvet and Competition brand user level separatel) at a combined #78PAO8P%
level
Sa"plin&9
Biven the above facts, we are thus going to use a .uota sampling e2ercise Cowever,
attention would be taken to have a good geographical coverage for each town to
represent the .uotas
Or/er o% *ac# e7posure an/ %low o% in%or"ation(
"n this kind of a research on pack stimulus feedback, a lot of debate can happen on
whether one should e2pose one pack for an absolute rating in isolation #monadic% or
one should show both the packs and take a comparative feedback 3ince the change in
pack format here is .uite drastic, we feel that a monadic feedback of the pack is
absolutel) essential &e have also built in a comparative assessment of the packs at a
later stage and thus, a monadic as well as comparative feedback can be obtained in
our design
-he flow of information will be as follows9
3CO& 0DE OD: P0CF #P0P:> O> P803-"C%
0sk .uestions related to likes, dislikes, etc
0sk ke) decision .uestions on .ualit), vfm perception
>:MOV: P0CF 0D< 3CO& -C: 3:COD< P0CF #P803-"C O> P0P:>%
0sk .uestions related to likes, dislikes, etc
0sk ke) decision .uestions on .ualit), vfm perception
>:MOV: P0CF
3CO& 'O-C P0CF3 -OB:-C:>
0sk .uestions as comparison of two packs on ke) decision areas
-he sample should be e.uall) split b) first e2posure of each pack + Paper or Plastic
-hus, if the data is to be anal)1ed b) first e2posure, the sample si1e available will be
half of what has been proposed above
0lso, looking at the research b) first e2posure, we can sa) that there are two panels
being studied here + one being e2posed to Paper Pack and the other being e2posed to
the Plastic Pack "n both panels, the other pack is also being e2posed at a later stage
and finall) a direct comparison of both is being taken
IN)OR.ATION AREAS
7ollowing information will be captured in recruitment and main .res9
Recruit"ent9
- 3:C
- <ecision maker
- 0ge
- 'rand of soap used
- Dumber of times the brand has been bought in the last ? purchase occasions
- 3ome other profiling .uestions like ownership of durables or media habits
.ain(
#7or each pack separatel) during the se.uential monadic e2posure%
- 8ikes, <islikes
- Overall likeabilit)
- Pack 0ttractive in shop shelf
- Perception on si1e of soap
- /ualit) of packaging material
- /ualit) perception of soap
- Value for mone) perception
- "ntention to purchase in future, if available in the market
#7or both packs e2posed together%
- <irect comparison on pack attractiveness and overall likeabilit)
- <irect comparison on 3i1e, /ualit) and V7M perception
TI.E-INES AND COST
-he total time re.uired to complete the stud) would be G weeks with the following
break-up
<iscussions and .re preparation *5 weeks
7ield briefing and 7ieldwork =5 weeks
<ata preparation, 0nal)sis and >eporting = weeks

Cost of conducting the stud) will be HHHHH "n addition a service ta2 of 26 will be
charged