Market research at ITI EC Unit- ITI EC Uint.

Abstract

In response to the liberalized economic and Telecom policies of Govt. of India, ITI has decided to diversify and introduce new products, in non- DOT market. ITI has realised that extensive marketing and market research activities have to be carried out ongoingly, if it has to be competetive and growth oriented, in the coming years. ITI EC Unit has planned for Rs.17.50 Crore business from new products for the year 1995-96. This project work is to gain experience in marketing research activities that needs to be done before launch of a new product based on a new concept. The product chosen for the study is Video Door Phone, which is used in households to see and speak to a visitor before letting him/ her inside the house, using an automatic doorlatch. After conducting an unstructured, exploratory survey and brain storming sessions amongst some officers of ITI, some businessmen and a few users of similar products, a questionnaire was designed to find out the following : • The desirable product features, • The target price of the product, • The desired buying process, • Personal details like household monthly income, D Convenience, Security and Life Style consciousness and O Willingness to spend money on products which offer similar attributes. This questionnaire was administered personally, telephonically and postally on 107 respondents. After codifying the responses and using a DBASE package, the responses were analysed. The findings simplified the task of estimating the national demand on the basis of historical data, which could be easily located. To complete the exercise, an action plan is drawn up for ITI, EC Unit on the basis of the research findings. It is proposed to ITI EC Unit, that this product be taken up seriously for in-house manufacturing and selling to affluent households, builders of luxury flats/ villas and small/ medium scale production units. This will be beginning of a new range of products namely "Electronic Security Product for Home and Office". Apart from the research, some more relevant data has been collected in the areas of media planning and expenditure, trend followed by similar Indian companies and also some of my personal experiences in doing the market survey - from design to analysis.