Annexure-V- Cover Page for Academic Tasks

Course Code:MKT509 Course Title: Consumer Behavior

Course Instructor: Dr. Rajesh Verma

Dr. Pretty Bhalla
Academic Task No.: CA3 Academic Task Title: Design Problem

Date of Allotment: 04th April 2020 Date of submission: 27th April 2020

Student’s Roll no: Q5E51 B51 Student’s Reg. no:11910040

Evaluation Parameters: (Parameters on which student is to be evaluated- To be mentioned by students as
specified at the time of assigning the task by the instructor)

Learning Outcomes: (Student to write briefly about learnings obtained from the academic tasks)

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I declare that this Assignment is my individual work. I have not copied it from any other student‟s work
or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made explicitly in the text, nor has any
part been written for me by any other person.

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 Surf Excel- Daag Ache Hain

Surf Excel is the first detergent powder of India. It was launched as a replacement of bar soap,
indiscriminately used by housewives. The product was launched in India in 1959. It was known as Surf
and later in 1996 its name was changed to Surf Excel. The product name is presently replacing the word
detergent powder in the entire country. Surf Excel is a home care brand associated with FMCG sector. It
is a subsidiary of its parent company Unilever and was launched in Indian consumer market in year 1959.
Surf Excel is a detergent that has constantly upgraded its product to meet the changing needs of Indian
Homemaker. Its outstanding ability to remove most stain marks is one of its major plus points. Surf Excel
faces competition from several brands.

Timeline:-

From the journey of Surf to the replacement name of detergent powder in India shows its popularity in
the nation. The product has been constantly innovated and modified with time, in order to get an edge
over the competitors. It also helps to retain its market share. 

Here goes a summarized form of its entire timeline, as it launched new products – 

 HUL or Hindustan Unilever is a company running its business from pre-independence time. But
Surf had remained a presentation from the company since 1959. It had found great success in
Pakistan, after its launch in 1948. But in India, Surf created a new history. 
 In 1990, to get an edge over its uprising competitors, Surf launched its first sub-product and
named it Surf Ultra. The product became very much handy for the householders of India because
people already used the word Surf to denote detergent powder. 
 Surf Excel totally led the monopoly stage until the 1990s.  Only then it found its competitors to
raise voice after 30 years of its launch in the sub-continent. In 1996, Surf changed its name to Surf
Excel to show its robust and drastic marketing practice and market capturing ability. 
 In 2002, to get an edge over Ariel from P&G, Surf Excel launched Matic detergent powder. It
came with low lather for washing machines, announcing its dedicated service for the Indian
housewives. 
 2004 remained the year when Surf Excel extended their product line with Quickwash. This gave
another edge to their brand name. It also helped them to retain their hold in the market share over the
competitors, like Ariel, Tide, Nirma, and others. 
 The latest innovation from the company was in the form of bar soap with Rin being a competitor.
It was merged with Surf Excel and came to be known as Sur Excel Bar from 2007. 
 In the later years, Surf Excel developed Easywash. They also launched the liquid version of all
Matic named Quickwash. It helped them to remain a pioneer in the detergent market of the sub-
continent. 

 Marketing Mix of Surf Excel:-

 Surf Excel Product Strategy:

The product strategy and mix in Surf Excel marketing strategy can be explained as follows:
Surf Excel is a leading detergent & soap brand which is synonymous with cleaning clothes & apparel.
Surf Excel categorises its product offerings as a part of its marketing mix into Hand wash and Machine
wash sub segments. The hand wash category is targeted at mid-rise population who cannot afford to have
washing machine or because of preferences.
Surf Excel products in the category include Surf Excel liquid detergent, Surf Excel bar and detergent
powders such as Surf Excel Quick Wash and Surf Excel Easy Wash.
For machine wash, Surf Excel has launched its product under the sub-brand name of Matic. Matic line of
products are specially manufactured for the front load and top load washing machines.
Its products include Surf Excel Matic Liquid front load, Surf Excel Matic Liquid top load, Surf Excel
Matic front load detergent powder and Surf Excel Matic top load detergent powder.
 Surf Excel Price/Pricing Strategy:
Surf Excel targets premium and mid-tier consumer with maximum market share pricing strategy. All its
products are priced lower than the rival P&G brand Ariel. This is due to price sensitivity of Indian
consumers across the market segment. Surf Excel deploys product line pricing by pricing its products line
targeting premium segment higher than the price of products targeting mid-rise segment. The company
sells its product in different packet sizes based on weight to capture the customers who want to spend less
in one time. Surf Excel follows product-bundling price strategy for the selected line of products which it
wants to promote. Surf excel offers periodic price discounts and revises its prices quite often in response
to market changes. The discounts offered are broadly of two types, one is quantity discount available on
bulk purchase as it wants to inculcate the habit of bulk purchase in Indian consumers to achieve
efficiency in its operations and second it gives seasonal discounts.

 Surf Excel Place & Distribution Strategy:

Surf Excel line of products are available in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Major portion of
brand’s revenue comes from India. The product line similar to Surf Excel is marketed by Unilever
globally under different brand names like Ala in Brazil & Argentina, Omo in Bolivia, and Persil in
United Kingdom. HUL had country wide distribution network as a part of its marketing mix in all these
countries. In India, the brand was available mostly through traditional channels of distributors and
wholesalers. As on 2014 data the Surf Excel had the direct coverage in over 1 million retail outlets and
had a network of 7000 stockists and more than 2000 suppliers and associates. HUL though sales Surf
Excel also in rural markets with smaller pack size through rural retailers but its focus is largely on selling
Surf Excel in Urban markets.
 Surf Excel Promotion & Advertising Strategy:
Surf Excel adopts 360-degree promotion for its products. The company has based all its campaign on the
baseline of “Dirt is Good”. HUL has adopted both above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL)
promotion strategy for the brand. In ATL, the company focuses heavily on effective TV advertisements.
To establish emotional connect with the customers, Surf Excel has featured children in its ad campaign
using various themes. The company has used various TV and movie celebrities for its ad campaigns. The
company has also used billboards, posters, print media such as newspaper, magazines, and major radio
channels. In its BTL campaigns the company has organised various competitions like hand painting
competition. It has launched initiatives like “Surf Excel and You” to suggest mothers to inculcate the
habit of active learning in their children. On this forum, mothers can share their pride stories and special
moments with their children. Surf Excel has also used social media platform like Facebook and Twitter to
build the community relationship. Hence this concludes the marketing mix of Surf Excel.

 Analysis of Marketing and promotional strategies

One of the key reasons for Surf to capture the Indian market successfully is its appropriation of Niche.
Unlike targeting the whole market, it targeted the middle-income group and the householders. However,
in terms of promotion, Surf Excel made some miracle in the Indian market. The sensation had such a root
that, the entire name of detergent powder has been replaced by Surf. 

From the beginning itself, it focused on the TV screen. They have assumes it as the future knowledge box
of the middle class. One after another, it telecasted important messages as taglines. Alongside with that,
applied some easy techniques to attract the middle class towards it. Here are some of the best strategies
that it followed to find immense success –
  Conceptual Analysis of Ad Campaigns:- 

 Surf Excel Telecasted Lalita ji as the middle-class housewife in reply to the star-casts of its
competitors. Thus, they established itself as the most essential household product for all Indian
families.

 ‘Jaise Bhi Daag Ho… Surf Excel Hai Na!’ is the tag of them, they adopted for next campaign. It
showed the confidence its consumers are having on it. The tagline also made it very much popular
to the next generation, standing at the dawn moment of Y2K. 

 It then came up with a campaign – ‘Do Bucket Pani ab Rojhana hi Bachana’. This campaign marked
its technique adopting skill and with that established householder’s ease for using it. This particular
campaign promoted their Quickwash product perfectly. Even this campaign shows how they
consumers will be able to contribute to environment while saving water which make them to feel
doing good for environment. 
 Daag Accha Hain’ remained their latest tagline from 2005 till now. This tag line is standing out from
them with different changes in TV ads. This tagline made a real difference for them. Because it
shows the philosophical relation of dirt with humanity and hence providing a social message to all. 

 In 2006, Surf Excel 1010 offered INR 5 lakh scholarship for students, alongside with ‘Dirt is
good’. This particular campaign helped Surf to make a comeback with a new approach. 
 Analysis of Internal Influence
 Perception:-

After analyzing the advertising campaigns of surf excel it has be seen that they were able to identify
the consumer need and their perception towards the surf in India like they target middle level
consumer and in order to attract them Surf Excel has used campaign that it is ok to have stains on
cloth when you have Surf Excel with you which actually changed the perception of consumers
towards the dirty cloth and detergent powders.

 Motivational:-

Surf Excel has used motivational factors to influence the behavior of consumer and same can be
analyzed from their one of the campaign like Do Bucket Pani ab Rojhana hi Bachana’ in which they
showed that while using Surf Excel one can save water while using Surf Excel which influenced the
consumer to use Surf Excel

 Emotions:-

Another factor that influences the consumer behavior towards Surf Excel is emotional attachment that
they established with the Surf Excel. They have used various campaigns like Scholarship to Students,
During Holi Festival in India where they connect by showing that even while playing with colors one
can enjoy and still have stained free clothes. Moreover they used Kids so that they can influence their
parents to buy their product.

 Analysis of External Influences:-

 Culture:-

While analyzing the Surf Excel advertisement campaigns it can be analyzed that with their new and
innovative thoughts of presenting their products has influenced the culture in India. Before Surf Excel
people in India were habitual of using Bar Soap but due to their influential ads people started shifting
from bar soap to Detergent and Liquid Detergent. For the same they have categorized their products
into various categories Like Surf Excel Quick wash, Liquid Detergent, Top Load and Front Load for
machine wash and Surf Excel Bar Soap so that customers can their products as per the need. They
have launched various categories because in India most of the middle class families do not use
Washing Machines instead they go for Hand Washing of clothes but for customers who have washing
machine but they lack in time they have product called Surf Excel Matic which is suitable for
Machine wash of clothes. By this they understood the Indian culture and provided the products
accordingly.

 Demographics

The main reason for success of Surf Excel in India is their effective STP (Segment, Target and
Position) analysis of potential market. They focused upon demographics of their target audience
which make them to establish themselves in the Indian market. Since the beginning they target urban
people moreover mother age of 25-45 years working as well as housewives. While considering
current target audience now they are targeting youth who are staying away from home and they have
to wash their cloth by themselves. For the same they have positioned it as a Detergent that caters to
the youth who is on the path of being independent.

 Analysis of Consumer Decision Making Process:-

 Problem Recognition:-

The first step in Consumer Decision Making for buying Detergent is what options they have and how
much they need to pay for the same. In case of detergent in India most of the people do not consider
quality as a factor rather they go for the products which gives them good quantity while paying the
same amount of money. This thing has been successfully analyzed by the Surf Excel and they provide
the same kind of product so that while going for shopping consumer does not think much as they will
have to pay less while not compromising with the quality. Even Surf Excel is available in various
sizes and with different discounts.

 Information Search:-

The next step in the process is searching for information about the product. Surf Excel has plus point
of huge advertisement campaigns and marketing of the product. They use Kids and Celebrities in their
Television Ad so that customers can be influenced. Moreover customers can get the detailed
information of the product from respective portals and reports. With the quality of response from the
customers one can be influenced for buying the product.

 Alternative Evaluation and Selection:-

In this step customers search for the alternative product which can satisfy their need. In case of
detergent there are various alternatives available in India like Tide, Wheel and Rin. After analyzing
the Surf Excel performance from various sources it has been analyzed that Surf Excel is economical
because it comes in even Rs 2 sachet which is bought by the rural people. They have influenced
consumers while portraying that it is good to have stains on cloth because stains are good and one can
wash it with Surf Excel.

 Purchase:-

Finally purchasing the product is the important step for consumers. After going through all the steps
they have to finalize about the purchase. In case of Surf Excel there are various size of product is
available and it ranges from different prices so customer need to think about the purchase that how
much they need and how much they can pay.
  Post Purchase Decision:-

This step varies from product to product because some product needs to be buying again and again. In
case of Surf Excel there are customers who feel that Surf Excel is good for Hands as it does not
contain harmful chemicals while other brands do contains. There are fewer customers who consider
the fragrance of Surf Excel is important for them.

 Conclusion:-

At last after analyzing the whole marketing and promotional strategies of Surf Excel it can be concluded
that with the help of huge Television advertisement they were able to influence the customer to buy their
products. Moreover they used Kids and common people in their respective ads to showcase that common
people use their products. Another factor which was giving effective result was their packaging; they
have provided the products in various size and price so that everybody will be able to buy their products.
Apart from this they have target the potential market where they got effective results. They marketed
themselves as affordable quality product which shows that it is good to have stains while one can wash it
with Surf Excel which changed the perception of consumers towards detergent powder. Finally saying,
Surf Excel sprang itself to some useful packet versions, making it available at all stores and in all forms.
For daily use at home to usage in trips and travels, it establish itself as the detergent of the nation. One of
the main facilities are the Surf Excel is available in different size of packets. One thing must be said
about Surf Excel that it is the oldest brand of detergent powder of the nation and it established the age-old
proverb, ‘Old is Gold’. Many big brands came to market some of them retained their hold in the market
and some perished. But Surf Excel always maintained their product quality. They edged above the
competitors in terms of TV Ads. Moreover, with a rigorous marketing approach, they claimed its position
at the top of all. It is one of the oldest indigenous brands of the nation and it showed its supremacy in the
market in style. In simple words, this brand is a perfect lesson to be followed by all other brands and
companies. 

 References:-
 https://www.slideshare.net/waseemashrafwaseem/marketing-management-project-surf-excel
 https://www.slideshare.net/SumedhRewatkar/consumer-behaviour-research-for-surf-product
 https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-Surf-Excel-detergent-for-front-load-and-top-load-washing-
machines-different
 https://aashu021991.wordpress.com/2014/02/02/surf-excel-marketing-strategy/