L.E.C.

T’s

MARATHWADA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH,

AURANGABAD

A MINI PROJECT REPORT

ON

A Study on
“MOST PREFFERED TOILET SOAP IN 20 FAMILIES’’

Submitted By

MR. SHRIKANT M SAMALE

M.B.A [1st semester]

SUBMITTED TO
DR.BABASHEB AMBEDKAR MARATHWADA UNIVERSITY,
AURANGABAD

1
 DR.BABASHEB AMBEDKAR MARATHWADA UNIVERSITY,
AURANGABAD.

CERTIFICATE

This is to certified that “Shrikant M. Samale” Students of LECT’s “Marathwada

Institute of Management & Research”, Aurangabad pursuing MBA Semester 1, as a
part of study they have completed MINI Project of three month on

“MOST PREFFERED TOILET SOAP IN 20 FAMILIES ’’

And had submitted a satisfactory report as per the requirement of Dr.Babasheb

Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad in the partial fulfillment of Master
of Business Administration, two years full time degree course in the academic year
2010-2011.

Prof. Pooja Deshmukh Prof. Dr.Vasant Sawant

Guide Director

2
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I deposit my sincere gratitude to Prof. Pooja Deshmukh our Guide for defining
the scope and clarifying the objective of the Mini Project along with consistent feed
back at every phase of this study.
Secondly I would like to extend my heartiest thank to our Director, Dr.Vasant
Sawant for giving us appropriate support.
Last but not least I would like to pay credit to my subject teacher Prof.
Vandana Kocher from the bottom of my heart for his support & direction for making
my mini Project report successful.

SHRIKANT M.SAMALE
M.B.A [1st semester]

3
 DECLARATION

This is to certify that this Mini Project report is genius which has been prepared by
undersigned after successful completion of three month study on “ MOST
PREFFERED TOILET SOAP IN 20 FAMILIES ’’ Which is partial fulfillment of
Master of Business Administration It is not copied or used anywhere for Academic
Purpose .

Shrikant M. Samale
M.B.A [1st semester]

4
 INDEX

SR.NO. TOPICS PAGE NO.

1
Executive Summary

2
Introduction of project

3
Research Methodology

5
Data Analysis & Interpretation

7
SWOT Analysis of Lux soap

8
Findings

9
Conclusion

10
Suggestion

11
Bibliography

EXECUTIVE SUMMURY
5
As per the norms and syllabus of university, I SHRIKANT M. SAMALE doing research on
the “Most Preferred Toilet Soap in 20 Families” is pure research based project. It is attempt
to determine the market of the toilet soap in Aurangabad.

I am trying to research the people those are in different professionals, personalities

but which soap they are preferred most? And why? In this research I am trying to focus on
the marketing strategy, perceptions of these people .Toilet soap is a daily need product in
human life. In this age different cosmetics are in market and are it any effect on soap.

INTRODUCTION OF PROJECT

The Project “Most Preferred Toilet Soap in 20 families” is related to research based. It is
small attempt to research on the analysis of toilet soap. This Project is helpful to determine
market research for the company.

PROJECT TITLE:
A Study on “Most preferred toilet soap in 20 families.”

The Reason for selecting the PROJECT?

As per the syllabus of university I have study on Research methodology subject ,in that we
learn whole aspects of research and on that basis I want to learn practically this subject and
gain more knowledge regarding this subject.

LOCATION

This study is only confined with Aurangabad city [Urban].

6
DURATION OF THE PROJECT

The duration of this project is Three month

HOW DID YOU CARRYOUT THIS PROJECT?

The research is carryout in systematic process Firstly we have identify the problem then
make research design and collect data , after collection date we made Analysis &
interpreted it then made report and presentation .

OBJECTIVE:

Our objective of the survey project report is to find out which “most preferred toilet soap in
20 families.” is more preferred by people .and the study of various soaps and our main
objective of the project to know what is satisfaction level of respondents.

1) To know about the level of consumer satisfaction.

2) To study customer decision behavior and factor influence the decision process.

3) To influence consumer preference.

4) To gather competitive marketing strategy adopted.

5) To determine the exact market of this product

7
 INTRODUCTION OF PROJECT

HISTORY OF SOAP

The First Soap

This certainly cannot be documented; but it is quite possible soap could have been
discovered even in ancient times. Early people cooking their meats over fires might have
noticed after a rainstorm there was strange foam around the remains of the fire and its
ashes. They might have even noticed when water was put in a pot that had been used for
cooking meats and then got ashes in it, which often happens with outdoors cooking, also
had this strange foamy substance. This woman, most likely who was doing the washing,
might have also observed the pot became cleaner or at least her hands became cleaner then
usual.

It is recorded that the Babylonians were making soap around 2800 B.C. and that it was
known to the Phoenicians around 600 B.C. These early references to soap and soap making
were for the use of soap in the cleaning of textile fibers such as wool and cotton in
preparation for weaving into cloth.

The European Dark Ages

After the fall of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, there was little soap making done
or use of it in the European Dark Ages. In the Byzantine Empire, the remains of the Roman
world in the eastern Mediterranean area, and in the expanding Arab world soap was made
and used. Around the 8th century soap making was revived in Italy and Spain. By the 13th
century, France also became a producer of soap for the European market. During the 14th
century, soap making was started in England. Soaps produced in the south of Europe, Italy,
Spain, and the southern ports of France (Marseilles and Castle soaps) were made from
olive oils. These soaps made using olive oils were of a higher quality than those made by

8
the soap producers of England and northern France. These northern soap makers, not being
able to obtain the olive oil, made their soaps with only animal fats. Tallow, the fat from
cattle, was the chief fat used.

Northern European soap makers even resorted to making soap from fish oils. Soaps made
from the poor quality animals fats and oils, while adequate for laundry and textile usage,
were not desirable for bathing and washing. The soap from southern Europe with their
olive oils were superior. This resulted in a lively trade of exporting fine soaps from
southern Europe.

Wait a minute you say, people did not take baths in the Middle Ages. That is a popular
misconception. They did. There were public bath houses, called stews, where the patrons
bathe in large wooden tubs and were given bars of soap to use. Nobles and rich merchants
had their own private baths. It was during the later Medieval Times, when bathing fell out
of favor.

Public baths were closed because the authorities of the time thought these baths promoted
the spread of the Plague. In general people of the Renaissance moved away from the idea
of keeping the body clean. They preferred to cover the body with heavy scents.

Soap, however, did remain a useful item for cleaning and washing clothes. Soap also was
still used for personal washing as well but by our standards far less frequently than was
needed. The fact that soap was a valuable item in the 17th and 18th centuries even though
the idea of bathing was not popular is shown by the efforts the settlers to the New World
took to make it. While maybe bathing the whole body was out of fashion keeping you and
your surroundings clean was not.

9
Soap with some work and luck could be made for free. Soap making was performed as a
yearly or semiannual event on the homesteads of the early settlers. As the butchering of
animals took place in the fall, soap was made at that time on many homesteads and farms
to utilize the large supply of tallow and lard that resulted.

On the homes or farms where butchering was not done, soap was generally made in the
spring using the ashes from the winter fires and the waste cooking grease, that had
accumulated throughout the year.

Modern Soap

Most products on the market today are not real soaps by the true definition but rather are
detergents which have been created from petroleum based products. Other products, which
called themselves soap, contain ingredients found in nature; but these ingredients have
been radically changed by high energy processes. The resulting soap bears little similarity
to the soap made historically down thru the ages.

Soap Making Takes Three Basic Steps.

1. Making of the wood ash lye.

2. Rendering or cleaning the fats.
3. Mixing the fats and lye solution together and boiling the mixture to make the
soap.

10
First Let's Make The Lye.

In making soap the first ingredient required was a liquid solution of potash commonly
called lye.

The lye solution was obtained by placing wood ashes in a bottomless barrel set on a stone
slab with a groove and a lip carved in it. The stone in turn rested on a pile of rocks. To
prevent the ashes from getting in the solution a layer of straw and small sticks was placed
in the barrel then the ashes were put on top. The lye was produced by slowly pouring water
over the ashes until a brownish liquid oozed out the bottom of the barrel. This solution of
potash lye was collected by allowing it to flow into the groove around the stone slab and
drip down into a clay vessel at the lip of the groove.

Some colonists used an ash hopper for the making of lye instead of the barrel method. The
ash hopper was kept in a shed to protect the ashes from being leached unintentionally by a
rain fall. Ashes were added periodically and water was pored over at intervals to insure a
continuous supply of lye. The lye dripped into a collecting vessel located beneath the
hopper.

Now The Fats Are Prepared.

The preparation of the fats or grease to be used in forming the soap was the next step. This
consists of cleaning the fats and grease of all other impurities contained in them.

11
The cleaning of fats is called rendering and is the smelliest part of the soap making
operation. Animal fat, when removed from the animals during butchering, must be
rendered before soap of any satisfactory quality can be made from it. This rendering
removes all meat tissues that still remain in the fat sections. Fat obtained from cattle is
called tallow while fat obtained from pigs is called lard.

If soap was being made from grease saved from cooking fires, it was also rendered to
remove all impurities that had collected in it. The waste cooking grease being saved over a
period of time without the benefits of refrigeration usually became rancid, this cleaning
step was very important to make the grease sweeter. It would result in a better smelling
soap. The soap made from rancid fats or grease would work just as well as soap made from
sweet and clean fats but not be as pleasant to have around and use.

To render, fats and waste cooking grease were placed in a large kettle and an equal amount
of water was added. Then the kettle was placed over the open fire outdoors. Soap making
was an outside activity. The smell from rendering the fats was too strong to wish in
anyone's house. The mixture of fats and water were boiled until all the fats had melted.
After a longer period of boiling to insure completion of melting the fats. The fire was
stopped and into the kettle was placed another amount of water about equal to the first
amount of water. The solution was allowed to cool down and left over night. By the next
day the fats had solidified and floated to the top forming a layer of clean fat. All the
impurities being not as light as the fat remained in water underneath the fat.

You can observed this today in your own kitchen. When a stew or casserole containing
meat has been put in the refrigerator, you can see the next day the same fat layer the
colonists got on the top of their rendering kettle.

Finally The Soap Making Can Begin.

In another large kettle or pot the fat was placed with the amount of lye solution determined
to be the correct amount. This is easier said than done. We will discuss it more later. Then
12
this pot was placed over a fire again outdoors and boiled. This mixture was boiled until the
soap was formed. This was determined when the mixture boiled up into a thick frothy
mass, and a small amount placed on the tongue caused no noticeable "bite". This boiling
process could take up to six to eight hours depending on the amount of the mixture and the
strength of the lye.

Soft and Hard Soap

Soap made with wood ash lye does not make a hard soap but only a soft soap. When the
fire was put out and the soap mixture was allowed to cool, the next day revealed a brown
jelly like substance that felt slippery to the touch, made foam when mixed with water, and
cleaned. This is the soft soap the colonists had done all their hard to produce. The soft soap
was then poured into a wooden barrel and ladled out with a wooden dipper when needed.

To make hard soap, common salt was thrown in at the end of the boiling. If this was done a
hard cake of soap formed in a layer at the top of the pot. As common salt was expensive
and hard to get, it was not usually wasted to make hard soap. Common salt was more
valuable to give to the livestock and the preserving of foods. Soft soap worked just as well
as hard and for these reasons the colonists, making their own soap, did not make hard soap
bars.

In towns and cities where there were soap makers making soap for sale, the soap would be
converted to the hard soap by the addition of salt. As hard bars it would be easier to store

13
and transport. Hard bars produced by the soap maker were often scented with oils such as
lavender, wintergreen, or caraway and were sold as toilet soap to persons living in the cities
or towns.

Hard soap was not cut into small bars and wrapped as soap is sold today. Soap made by the
soap makers was poured into large wooden frames and removed when cooled and hard.

The amount of soap a customer wanted was

cut from the large bar. Soap was sold
usually by the pound. Small wrapped bars
were not available until the middle of the 19th century.

Another thought to remember is the soap making procedure described is not only how the
homesteading colonial women made their soap. Soap making was generally a task the
women did. This was essentially the method used by all soap makers of the period. Soap
making was always considered one of the most difficult jobs on the farm or homestead.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION:

The first and the most important step of research is properly defining the problem.

14
RESEARCH DESIGN:

Research design indicates the methods and procedure of conducting research study.
Research design can be done in following three types:-

1 Exploratory Research:-

Exploratory research focuses on the discovery of new ideas and is generally based on
secondary data.

2 Descriptive Researches:-

Descriptive research is undertaken when the researcher want to know the characteristics of
certain groups.

TYPE OF RESEARCH:

Study of “MOST PREFFERED TOILET SOAP IN 20 FAMILIES ’’ We has gone

through various books, websites and survey.

DATA COLLECTION:

1) PRIMARY DATA :
Primary data collected through survey using determine method collect
information people.
2) SECONDARY DATA:
In data collection method we shall collect the secondary data from the following
sources.

15
 Magazine, Internet, diary etc.

METHOD OF SURVEY:

This survey is happened through direct method in which surveyor is the actively
participated at the time of the survey. The selected region is Aurangabad city in which
main five public places are covered and on the one place minimum fifty form will covered
as well as the respondents have choose by the surveyor which is belong to the various age
group for the perfect findings and conclusion .

PROCESS OF RESEARCH:

The research is done in systematic process .The Researcher has pursued the below process.

16
 Problem Identification

Research Design

Data Collection

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Research Report and Presentation

Figure. Process of research

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

In this study we have collect the date i.e. primary and secondary and detail
study of that data .using collection of questionnaire (primary) we interpret whole date in
graphics and suitable manner.

17
RESEARCH AND REPORT PRESENTATION:
After the data analysis and interpretation .I recommend suggestion
conclusion and bibliography.

18
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

Q. 1. In which profession you are?

Particular Number percentage

Housewife 9 45%
Private/govt employee 5 25%
Business person 3 15%
Any other 3 15%

housewife
Private/govt emp
Business person
any other

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 45 % respondents are housewife, 25% are private/govt employee,
15% respondents are business person and 15 % are belongs to any other profession.

Q.2 How many members in your family ?

19
 Particular Number Percentage
Less than 3 10 50%
Less than 7 5 25%
Less than 15 4 20%
More than 15 1 5%

Less than 3
Less than7
Less than 15
More than 15

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 50 % of the respondents family has less than 3 members,25 %
are less than 7 ,20% family are less than 15, 5% family are more15 .

Q.3 Which Soap does you like most for bath?

20
 Particular Number Percentage
Santoor 6 30%
Lux 8 40%
Lifebuoy 1 5%
Dove 2 10%
None of these 3 15%

santoor
Lux
Lifbuoy
Dove
none of these

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 30 % respondents are using santoor soap, 40% are using Lux, 5% are
using Lifebuoy, 10% are using Dove and 15 % respondents are using any other soap.

Q.4 what attributes attracts you towards this soap?

Particular Number Percentage

Quality 13 65%
Size,colour,flavour 3 15%
Packing 2 10%
None of these 2 10%

21
 Quality
size&flavour
packing
none of these

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 65% respondents attracts towards quality of soap, 15% attract towards
size, colour and flavor, 10% attracts towards packaging and 10% are not attracts above
options.

Q. 5 in your family who taking the decision about buying?

Particular Number Percentage

Daddy 5 25%
Mummy 7 35%
Yourself 3 15%
Any other 5 25%
22
 Daddy
Mummy
Yourself
Any other

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 35% respondents have take decisions to his Mummy, 15%
respondents have take decisions to buy soap, 25% respondents have take decisions any
other from his family, and 25% in family have take decisions his Daddy.
Q.6 since when you are using this soap?

Particular Number Percentage

Last 5 year 0 0%
Last 2 year 3 15%
Last 1 year 10 50%
Last few month 7 35%

23
 Ladt 5 year
Last 2 year
Last1 year
recently few months

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 35% family uses this soap recently few months,50% family uses
this soap from last 1 years,15% family uses this soap from last 2 months
0%family uses this soap from last 5 years and above.

Q.7 Are you satisfied with this soap?

Particular Number Percentage

Yes 14 70%
No 6 30%

24
 Yes
No

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 70% respondents are satisfied using this soap and 30% respondents
are not satisfied from this soap.

Q.8 would you like to change this soap?

Particular Number Percentage

Yes 02 10%
No 18 90%

25
 Yes
No

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 10% respondents would like to change this soap and 90%
respondents would not like to change this soap.

Q.9 would you like to change anything in existing product?

Particular Number Percentage

Yes 06 30
No 14 70

26
 Yes
No

Interpretation:
In above pie chart 30% respondents want to change existing this soap and 70%
respondents do not want to change existing this soap.

QUESTIONNAIRE
I Shrikant M.Samale , student of M.B.A (1ST Semester) Pursuing our management degree
course from the MARATHWADA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH .I
am herewith conducting a survey for our mini project with kind request you to fill up the

27
questionnaire . The information provided by you will be kept confidential and will be used
for academic purpose only.

NAME: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AGE: SEX: MALE/FEMALE

QUALIFICATION:

ADRESS: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CELL.NO: SIGNATURE:

1) In which profession you are?

a. Govt/private Employee b. Business person
c. House wife d. none of these

2) How many members are in your family?

a. Less than 3 b Less than 7
c .Less than 15 d. More than 15

3) Which soap do you like most for bath?

a. Santoor b.Lux
c. Lifebuoy d.dove e.none of these

4) What attributes attract you towards this soap?

28
a. Quality b. size, color&saint
c. Packaging d. none of these

5) In your family who taking the decision about buying?

a. Daddy b.Mummy
c. Yourself d.anyother

6) Since when you are using this soap?

a. Last 5 yrs b. Last 2 yrs
c. Last 1 yrs d. recently few months

7) Are you satisfied with this product?

Yes [ ] no [ ]

8) Would you like to change this soap?

Yes [ ] no [ ]

9) Would you like to change anything in existing product?

Yes [ ] no [ ]

10) Any other suggestions.

SURVIOUR’S SIGN RESPONDANT’S SIGN

Date / /

29
 Place

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS:

1) Strong market research (door to door sampling- once in year-rural and urban area)
2) Many variants (almond oil, orchid extracts, milk cream, fruit extract)

30
3) Strong sales and distribution network backed by HUL.
4) Strong brand image.

5) Dynamically continues innovations.

6) Strong brand promotions but relatively lower prices.

WEAKNESS:

1) Mainly positioned as beauty soap targeted towards women.

2) Some variations like sunscreen, international variant did not do well in the market.
3) Not much popular in rural areas.

OPPORTUNITY

1) Soap industry is going 10% in India.

2) Beauty segments compounded annual growth rate is very high
3) Large market share –strong hold over the market.

THREATS:

1) High internal competition

2) New entrants
3) Maturity stage-threat of slipping down to decline stage –if constant reinvention is not
carried out.

31
FINDING:

In this research we found the most preferred toilet soap is LUX. This study is only
confined with Aurangabad city and as per the respondent, the Lux soap is quality product

32
and reliable. According to their views they like color, packaging, size, fragrance of this
product.
Now a days everyone want to become fair ,beautiful and considering all these facts
company has started making the different variety of this product .i.e. for example milky,
almond and rosy. Hence the effect of that product is respondent attracted towards Lux
soap.

CONLUSION:

After the study of this project, i have determined that Lux is best soap compare to other
soap.

33
This study shows that when product provide result ,quality then absolutely people attract
them there is not value of price .but in this product ,the price of other soaps are also same
or less .
Soap is products which have evergreen market. In this study we studied on what is soap
,history of soap ,swat analysis of soap .and find out that best soap which is most preferred
for consume.

SUGGESTION:

In this research we got following aspects.

Lux soap should improve its flavors.

34
This soap has only one color, it should be in multi color.

Marketing strategy should be improved.

35
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

Research Methodology – C.R. Kothari

Statistical Method- S.P.Gupta

Web resources

www.google.com
www.Lux.com

36
37