UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI

PROJECT REPORT ON

MARKETING STRATEGY OF TITAN WATCHES

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR BACHELORS OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

2011-2012

PROJECT GUIDE

PROFESSOR: PRERNA SHARMA

SUBMITTED BY:

ABHILASHA SRIVASTAVA

SPECIALISATION IN

MARKETING

MAHATMA EDUCATION SOCIETY’S

PILLAI’S COLLEGE OF ARTS,COMMERCE AND SCIENCE

NEW PANVEL

[1]

[2]

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work entered in this journal is the work of Ms. Abhi-

lasha Srivastava TY BMS, have successfully completed a project report on the

topic “MARKETING STRATEGY OF TITAN WATCHES” terms of the year

2010 – 2011 in the college as laid down by the college authority.

Professor/Guide name Co-ordinater’s sign

Signature : _________ ___________

Date : _____________ External Examiner

_______________

[3]

DECLARATION

I, Ms. ABHILASHA SRIVASTAVA student of TYBMS,MAHATMA EDU-

CATION SOCIETY’S PILLAIS’S COLLEGE OF ARTS,COMMERCE &

SCIENCE , hereby declare that I have completed the project report on

“MARKETING STRATEGY OF TITAN WATCHES” in the academic year

2010-2011 . The information submitted by me is true & original to the best

of my knowledge.

Ms. Abhi-lasha Srivastava

[4]

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With great pleasure and a deep sense of gratitude I hereby acknowledge everyone

who provided me with their help, assistance and sustained support without which,

even if I have had done this work, it would not have been as it has turned out to be.

Their enlightened feedbacks and directions can be sensed as the project moves on.

I am sincerely thankful to my project guide, Prof. Prerna Sharma; who provided

me with all the theoretical and practical inputs for my project. Without his thoughtful

support this project would not have been completed.

[5]

INDEX

S.NO. CONTENT PAGE NO.

Executive summary

List of tables

List of graphs

1 Introduction

1

2 Research Methodology

7

3 Conceptual Framework

9

4 Company profile

50

5 Data collection and Survey Analysis

53

6 Data interpretation

69

7 Conclusion

73

8 Suggestion / Recommendation 74

9 Appendices 75

10 Bibliography 78

[6]

\List of Tables

S.No. Content Pg.No

1 Titan sub-brands possessed by respondents 53

2 Period of Titan watch’s use 54

3 Reasons for brand preference 55

4 Recall of Titan’s original tagline 56

5 Major advertisement media 57

6 Awareness of brand ambassador 58

7 Awareness of new tagline 59

8 Consumer perception of new designs 60

9 Awareness of new campaign 61

10 Consumer perception of new campaign 62

11 Consumer perception of store ambience 63

12 Consumer perception of sales personnel 64

13 Consumer perception about after sales service 65

14 Consumer perception about display of watches 66

15 Overall perception about Titan showroom 67

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List of Graphs

S.No. Content Pg.No

1 Titan sub-brands possessed by respondents 53

2 Period of Titan watch’s use 54

3 Reasons for brand preference 55

4 Recall of Titan’s original tagline 56

5 Major advertisement media 57

6 Awareness of brand ambassador 58

7 Awareness of new tagline 59

8 Consumer perception of new designs 60

9 Awareness of new campaign 61

10 Consumer perception of new campaign 62

11 Consumer perception of store ambience 63

12 Consumer perception of sales personnel 64

13 Consumer perception about after sales service 65

14 Consumer perception about display of watches 66

15 Overall perception about Titan showroom 67

[8]

Executive Summary

Today, a wristwatch is considered as much of a status symbol as a device to tell time. In an

age when cell phones and digital pagers display tiny quartz clocks, the mechanical wristwatch

has slowly become less of an object of function and more a piece of modern culture. The In-

dian watch industry began in the year 1961 with the commissioning of the watch division of

HMT. The first watch model manufactured by HMT was the Janata model in the year 1962.

HMT was the leader in the watch market till the Tata’s formed Titan Watches in association

with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation in the year 1987. Titan was the first

company to launch quartz watches in India. The Indian watch market is today of 40 million

units, out of which 60% is in the unorganized sector in which the maximum number of

watches are sold are below Rs.300. Quartz watches form two third of the organized sector

and the rest is split between mechanical and digital watches. Even in the organized sector,

three fourth of the sales by volume comes from watches that are priced below Rs.1000.

Watch is one of the consumer durables whose replacement rate is very high. The re-

placement rate of watch is 33.8 %( Source: India market demographics report, 1998). This is also due to the fact that the estimated scrap rate of wrist watches is 7.8%,

which is applicable after 6 years (Source: India market demographics report, 1998). So, due to high scrap rate, outdated models, and the shift from the mechanical

watches to the quartz watches it is causing a very high replacement demand for watches. This

along with the low penetration level represents the untapped market potential for watches in

India.

After liberalization of Indian economy in 1992 many international players have entered the

Indian Watch market posing as competitive threat to the Indian companies.

[9]

Lately Titan has tried to reposition its Brand to capture more segments of the watch mar-

ket retaining the already served market segment. The strategy has been studied in deep during

the project.Many brands and companies are constantly reinvigorating their businesses and po-

sitioning them for growth. There is a constant need to innovate, reinvigorate, update, recali-

brate, or just simply fend off the competition in an effort to better explain "why buy me."

Brand positioning creates a specific place in the market for the brand and product of-

ferings. It reaches a certain type of consumers and delivers benefits that meet the needs of

several key target groups and users.

The actual approach of a company or brand's positioning in the marketplace depends

on how it communicates the benefits and product attributes to consumers and users. As a re-

sult, the brand positioning of a company and/or product seeks to further distance itself from

competitors based on a host of items, but most notably on five key issues: Price, Quality,

Product Attributes, Distribution, and Usage Occasions.

In recent times, consumerism has undergone a sea change. Consumers today are well

informed about the products, as compared to earlier times. Hence, the marketplace has be-

come customer centric. Recognizing the importance of the customers in the business struc-

ture, companies have started effecting brand repositioning exercises on a regular basis.

In the recent times, a major brand repositioning exercise has been planned by Titan

Industries Ltd. in order to provide more to its customers. The company has first gone for

change in logo and tagline. Then the communication strategy has been revamped to convey

its new position. The present study consists of reviewing the positioning strategies of Titan

watches. An analysis of repositioning strategies of Titan also forms part of the study.The

main objective of the study is to find out whether the loyal consumers of titan watches are

aware of the new positioning strategies of the company and how they perceive them.

Primary and secondary sources of data have been made use of in the study. The first

part of the project, i.e., analysis of brand repositioning strategies of Titan Company has been

completed on the basis of secondary data. For this purpose, internet, journals, books, maga-

zines and so on have been made use of.The second part of the project comprises of conduct-

ing a survey with the help of questionnaire. The survey is proposed to be conducted on a sam-

ple of 50 consumers who are loyal to Titan Company, selected through convenience sampling

technique. The questionnaire consists of appropriate mix of open ended and closed ended

questions. The data is presented using pie charts and bar diagrams.The conclusion part of the

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report would provide an insight of consumer awareness regarding brand repositioning strate-

gies and their effectiveness in revamping the brand, Titan.

Chapter 1 - Introduction

1.1 Theory & Concept

"A business has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and inno-vation." - Peter Drucker

The rapid pace of change and intense competitive pressure in today's marketplace de-

mand that brands continuously innovate and reinvent themselves to maintain their relevance

and market position. In this context, brand repositioning and other revitalization strategies

have become a business imperative for battling brand erosion. The appeal of brand reposi-

tioning is further heightened by the rising costs and high risk associated with launching a new

brand.

Brand repositioning has received little attention in the marketing literature and has

mostly been treated as a variation of brand positioning. Biel, for example, has defined brand

positioning as "building (or rebuilding) an image for a brand". The goal of positioning and

repositioning strategies relates to the management of consumers' perceptions. However, posi-

tioning focuses on the creation of brand associations - consumers' perceptions of the at-

tributes that differentiate the brand from competitive offers – while repositioning also implies

managing existing brand associations. The unique challenge of a repositioning

strategy, thus, lies in rejuvenating the brand image to make it relevant in an evolving environ-

ment, while honoring the brand equity heritage.

Repositioning can be required as the market changes and new opportunities occur.

[11]

Through repositioning the company can reach customers they not intended to reach in the first

place. If a brand has been established at the market for some time and wish to change their im-

age they can consider repositioning, although one of the hardest actions in marketing is to re-

position a familiar brand.

According to Solomon, position strategy is an essential part in the marketing efforts

because companies have to use the elements in the marketing mix to influence the customers

understanding of the position. During the movement from something less attractive and rele-

vant towards a more attractive and relevant position several of strategic choices has to be

made. The ones responsible for the repositioning have to evaluate why a reposition is neces-

sary, and if the offer is the one who will change or just the brand name. There are several risk

factors that have to be taken into consideration when preparation for a repositioning of the of-

fering or the brand. During repositioning, the risk of losing the credibility and reliability is

high and the need for a thorough strategy is therefore necessary to avoid this occurrence. Some

analyst argue that to successfully reposition a establish brand name is almost impossible be-

cause repositioning of a brand can make the most loyal customer to switch brand. But, in

some circumstances a repositioning is necessary to gain credibility if the brand is eroded.

Whenever a reposition is in question it has to be of relevance from a customer perspective, is

this achievable? Some brands will on no account be thought on as a luxury brand and there-

fore an attempt to reposition will only damage the brand image or the actual company.

Numerous failed attempts at brand repositioning testify to the difficulty of developing

and implementing such a tactic. For example, while the soft drink brand, Mountain Dew has

remained relevant to the youth market through continuous repositioning in its thirty years of

existence, Levis' Jeans has been losing market share to newcomers such as The Gap, despite

numerous campaigns designed to reposition the brand as trendy.

The strategic importance of brand repositioning in preserving and enhancing brand

equity, coupled with the mixed results of repositioning attempts, underscores the need to de-

velop a better understanding of the dynamics of brand repositioning. Specifically, questions

of whether, when and how brands should be repositioned need to be addressed.

Research into brand repositioning is relevant not only to the development of brand

management theory, but also extends to corporate strategy through an examination of corpo-

rate brands.

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1.2 Literature Review

The repositioning strategy is rolled out in three stages: introductory, elaboration and

fortification stages. This involves the introduction of a new or a repositioned brand, seeking to

underline the brand’s value over others, and to broaden the brand proposition. It is truly tough

to change the customer’s perceived attitude towards a brand, and therefore the risk is great that

the attempt to repositioning might be unsuccessful.

After rolling out the strategy, it is time to modify the proposition through update of the

personality and through repositioning. There are benefits and risks with both of this segments

and it is of great significance that they are truly evaluated when deciding the next step in the

process. To further understand the stages stated above, figure.1 will guide you through the dif-

ferent phases that follow after establish a brand proposition.

Figure: Stages in brand strategy developmentThe implication with the term” repositioning” is that a company modifies something that is

already present in the market and in the consumer’s mind. The definition of repositioning

changes different individuals and professions. To view the different definitions and perceive

a greater understanding about this concept, three examples of repositioning given by individ-

uals in different professions is stated below:

“Repositioning is a change, principally about trigging the vision, mission and value in a new direction that is more suited for the brand in the fu-ture”. (Brand manager consultant)

“Principally, reposition concerns change the consumer’s perception of the brand”

(PR- consultant)

“Repositioning is built upon the change unique and differentiated associa-tions with the brand in some kind of direction, it is about having a balance between the category party and differentiation when using reposition strategies” (Leading brand strategist)

From these definitions, it is obvious that reposition is about moving something to a

newer and hopefully to a more attractive and relevant position. The purpose of the movement

differs with regards to what the company wants to achieve. A company might want to reach

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out to a larger target group, or be involved in several different positions at the market. There is

also a visible relation between price and quantity aspects. When a company perceives the mar-

ket as a demand curve, the purpose is to down stretch or up stretch in this curve. When moving

down it is often spoken of as an expansion down wards, and when moving up and there is a

need for reaching the premium segment and expand up wards.

When striving towards a new position in the market, it is important to understand that con-

sumer’s minds are limited. People’s minds select what to remember and it is therefore signifi-

cant to convince the consumers with great arguments. The market demand changes rapidly

and therefore reposition can be necessary to meet these demands, newer and stronger argu-

ments have to be established to convince them to stay as loyal customers.

As stated in the literature, repositioning is a very complicated matter and therefore

there are no detailed theories or models. The aim with repositioning differ from person to per-

son, and the only connection between all the different theories is that repositioning is moving

something from somewhere towards a greater position at the market.

Corstjens and Doyle (1989) identified three types of repositioning strategies:

(1) zero repositioning, which is not a repositioning at all since the firm maintains its ini-

tial

strategy in the face of a changing environment;

(2) gradual repositioning, where the firm performs incremental, continuous adjustments

to its positioning strategy to reflect the evolution of its environment; and

(3) radical repositioning that corresponds to a discontinuous shift towards a new target

market and/or a new competitive advantage.

After examining the repositioning of several brands from the Indian market, the fol-

lowing 9 types of repositioning have been identified. These are:

1. Increasing relevance to the consumer

2. Increasing occasions for use

3. Making the brand serious

4. Falling sales

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5. Bringing in new customers

6. Making the brand contemporary

7. Differentiate from other brands

8. Changed market conditions.

  It is not always that these nine categories are mutually exclusive. Often one reason

leads to the other and a brand is repositioned sometimes for a multiplicity of reasons.

A four-phased brand repositioning approach can be followed to achieve the intended

benefits:

Phase I. Determining the Current Status of the Brand

Phase II. What Does the Brand Stand for Today?

Phase III. Developing the Brand Positioning Platforms

Phase IV. Refining the Brand Positioning and Management Presentation

The benefits that can be derived from brand repositioning exercises can be summa-

rized as:

· Value over others

· Updated personality

· Relevant position

· “Up to date” image

The risks associated with such strategies are:

· Loss of focus

· Neglecting original customers

· Losing credibility for the brand

· Confusing the brand

Therefore, brand repositioning is more difficult than initially positioning a brand be-

cause one must first help the customer “unlearn” the current brand positioning (easier said

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than done).  Three actions can aid in this process: (1) carefully crafted communication, (2)

new products, packaging, etc. that emphasize the new positioning and (3) associations with

other brands (co-branding, co-marketing, ingredient branding, strategic alliances, etc.) that re-

inforce the new brand positioning.

This exercise is so critical to an organization’s success that the organization’s leader-

ship team and its marketing/brand management leaders should develop it, preferably with the

help and facilitation of an outside brand-positioning expert.

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Chapter 2 - Research Methodology

2.1 Objectives

· To review the brand positioning strategies of different sub-brands of Titan watches

· To analyze the brand repositioning strategies of Titan watches.

· To study consumer awareness and perception about the brand repositioning

strategies of Titan watches

· To recommend suitable measures to be taken by the Titan Company to further

improve its brand perception and loyalty among its customers.

This study would help titan industry to understand the gaps in its communication

strategy regarding brand repositioning exercises and the further measures to be taken for ef-

fective marketing communications.

2.2 Limitations

The study is confined to Navi Mumbai area only

There is possibility of sampling errors in the study

The responses of the consumers may not be genuine

The questions included in the questionnaire may not be comprehensive.

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The relevant data was collected from both primary sources and secondary sources. The starting point of my information gathering has been the secondary sources

such as internet, books, and journals and so on.

First, I made a study of the brand positioning and repositioning strategies of Titan

watches through secondary sources such as internet, insurance magazines, and journals and

so on. Then I conducted a consumer awareness survey on brand repositioning strategies un-

dertaken by Titan watches in recent times.

2.4 Sampling Procedure

A sample of 50 consumers who are brand loyal to Titan watches since more than a

year and in the age group of 20 – 30 years have been considered for this study. As Titan has

taken up brand repositioning strategies since July 2008, consumers who have seen the previ-

ous and new campaign have been targeted

2.5 Primary Data Collection

Data was collected through an interview schedule, consisting of both open ended and closed ended questions. The schedule covered parameters like reasons for con-

sumers’ brand preference; recollection of earlier tagline and advertisement, brand ambassador

of Titan; awareness of new tagline and campaign featuring Aamir Khan, new designs and so

on. The data was collected through e- mails, telephone contacts and one-to-one personal in-

terviews.

[18]

Chapter 3 - Conceptual Framework

3.1 History of the watch market

The Indian watch industry began in the year 1961 with the commissioning of the

watch division of HMT. The first watch model manufactured by HMT was the Janata model

in the year 1962. HMT was the leader in the watch market till the Tatas formed Titan

Watches in association with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation in the year

1987. They took a major strategy decision, which later changed the face of the Indian watch

market- to manufacture only quartz watches. Liberalization in 1992 and the removal of quan-

titative restrictions due to WTO has opened the doors for many foreign brands in the Indian

market viz. Tissot, Swatch, Omega, Rado, TAG Heuer, Rolex and many others. The import

duties on watches are falling which makes the Indian market look attractive for the global

majors like Casio, Swatch and Citizen.

3.2 Indian Watch industry:  SUPPLIER POWER

No strong suppliersLack bargaining powerRise of China, Taiwan as low cost suppli-ers

BARRIERS

TO ENTRY Cluttered MarketLack of Differentia-tion

DEGREE OF RIVALRY

Increased number of firms Low switching costsStrategic stakes are high

THREAT OF

SUBSTITUTES No close substi-tutes

  BUYER POWER Price sensitivity , Buyers’ Preferences

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Figure 3: Porter’s Five Forces Model

1. Supplier Power:

HMT has its own fully integrated operation for production of its watches. Titan has

its own production facilities for which it has invested roughly 120 crore rupees over the

years, the manufacturing capacity of which is 6 million units. Also there has been a rise of

low cost producers in China & Taiwan which has provided an opportunity for watch makers

to outsource watches at low cost, just as Titan has done to outsource the components for

Dash. Due to the large supply of watch movements available, there is little supplier power in

the watch market.

2. Buyer Power:

The Indian watch buyers are very price sensitive, especially in the lower end of the

market. There is still a huge untapped market in India with market penetration of only 20

units per thousand people while the world average is more than 100. At the same time there

are a segment of people who are willing to pay a premium for watches with good perfor-

mance and with a recognized brand name. So understanding the buyers’ preferences is very

crucial in this industry in order to gain a substantial market share.

3. Entry Barriers:

The Indian watch market in the recent years has shown a dramatic increase in the

number of brands available in the market due to removal of quantitative restrictions. So the

new entrant has to have an offering, which can be positioned and differentiated from the other

players in the market. This could be either price or functional or emotional appeal. So the

prime barrier for entry, in the current context, for a new entrant is to build a brand image and

price competitively.

4. Threat of Substitutes:

There are no such substitutes to watch as a product. However, in terms of the compa-

nies offering various variations for watches such as pendant watches and jewellery watches,

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some sort of substitution has developed. Rich consumers prefer to purchase watches more as

a fashion accessory rather than simply for its typical use.

5. Degree of Rivalry:

There are many companies in the Indian watch market, however, the product ranges

offered by them are manifold. This makes the competition very stiff. Also at the lower end

of the market it is basically the Value for Money, which differentiates the players. The strate-

gic stakes for the producers are very high. Titan Ltd., the largest company in terms of market

share in the organized sector has faced losses in the quarter ended June 2001 despite increase

in the market share due to macroeconomic situation. HMT faced a similar situation when Ti-

tan was introduced in the 1980s leading to a sharp fall in its market share.

3.3 Present Situation of the Indian Watch Market

The Indian watch market is today of 40 million units, out which 60% is in the unorga-

nized sector in which the maximum number of watches are sold are below Rs.300. Quartz

watches form two thirds of the organized sector and the rest is split between mechanical and

digital watches. Even in the organized sector, three fourth of the sales by volume comes from

watches that are priced below Rs.1000.

Plastic as such is not acceptable to average Indian consumers, especially those from

the small towns and rural areas who regard it as cheap and flimsy. They want toughness-

which translates into a good quality metal model at a reasonable price.

Watch is one of the consumer durables whose replacement rate is very high. The re-

placement rate of watch is 33.8%(Source: India market demographics report, 1998). This is also due to the fact that the estimated scrap rate of wrist watches is 7.8%,

which is applicable after 6 years (Source: India market demographics report, 1998). So due to high scrap rate, outdated models, and the shift from the mechanical

watches to the quartz watches is causing a very high replacement demand for watches. This

along with the low penetration levels represent the untapped market potential for watches in

India.

[21]

3.4 Major brands in the Indian watch market

The major players in the Indian watch market include HMT, Titan and Timex. The

other players include Westar, Shivaki, Maxima, SITCO. Foreign brands such as Cartier, Pi-

aget, Omega, Tiffany’s and Corrum, Gucci, Longines, Casio, Citizen, Tag Heuer and Espirit

are also making an inroad into the Indian market.

Titan has been consolidating its market share over the past decade. Timex watches,

which entered in India with collaboration with Titan, now independently has also gained sub-

stantial market share.

3.5 Segmentation of Indian Watch industry

Based on price

← Mass (Rs.350-600),

← Popular (Rs.600-900),

← Premium (Rs.900-1500),

← Super-premium (Rs.1500-8000)

← Connoisseur segments (above Rs.8000)

Based on user category

← Men’s watches

← Women’s watches

← Youth watches

← Kids watches

← Sports watches

 

3.6 Titan Watches: Brand Positioning Strategies

Overall strategies

Since its introduction, Titan has been positioned as a premium brand, provid-

ing high quality products. With its numerous sub-brands catering to different segments, the

[22]

challenge that Titan faces is to create a strong brand image. It follows different positioning

strategies, these strategies can also be analyzed as given below:

Attribute Positioning:   When the company launched its products, it was the first to bring quartz watches to

the Indian market. The company successfully leveraged this to penetrate the market and gain

a market share. Raga, Classique and Regalia come under this strategy. Classique has been po-

sitioned as elegant corporate wear that leaves a quiet, but definite impression and fusion of

function and sophistication. Power dressing now has a new weapon! As Magic in gold and bi-

colour look, the 'Regalia' range represents the essence of dress-wear. Raga has been differen-

tiated and positioned as exclusive watches for women. The Raga and Silver Raga collection

is elegant, delicate and feminine with each piece being truly unique.

 

User Positioning:    Titan caters to several user groups- children (the Dash), sportspersons and ad-

venturers (PSI4000 and Fastrack range). The Fastrack range is seen as being contemporary,

sturdy and reliable. The advertising, packaging and merchandising of this range is young, vi-

brant and ‘cool’ (the ad line says “Cool watches by Titan”)

 

Benefit Positioning:    The Fastrack Digital range offers the customer a functional watch that  is also

attractive. The digital watch has a “techno-geek” image, but Titan seeks to differentiate its of-

fering on the basis of superior style and attractiveness.

Competitor Positioning:    With the entry of several foreign watchmakers into the market, Titan had to

counter the threat. Most of the entrants are catering to the upper end of the market- Omega,

Tissot,Cartier etc. Titan already had the Tanishq brand in this segment. However, it has tried

to reposition this brand by increasing the price range to encourage more customers.

Quality or Price Positioning:

[23]

In the overseas market, especially in Europe where it is competing with Swiss and Ja-

panese watches, it is positioning itself as ‘value- for- money’: reasonably priced (less than

Swiss watches and higher than Japanese), attractively styled and of good quality. In Indian

market, Sonata is a perfect example of Price positioning, titan came up with this segment

when it was facing heavy competition from lower end segment.

3.7 Titan Watches: Brand Repositioning Strategies

Titan Industries decided to revamp its flagship watch brand, Titan, with the intention

of making it more youthful and relevant to the changing times. The brand, launched more

than 24 years ago, has undergone a major repositioning exercise only once before – five years

ago, when Hindi film actor Aamir Khan was appointed brand ambassador. What followed

later was the ‘What’s Your Style?’ campaign, which tried to increase watch consumption per

person, by suggesting the use of different watches for different occasions.

New logo and tagline - “Be More”

Beyond styleNow, Titan wants to move from style statements to personality statements. According

to Harish Bhat, chief operating officer, watches, Titan Industries, a watch ought to denote the

wearer’s mood and personality. “With the explosion of options in a person’s life, our core

consumer is changing. And to keep up with them, Titan has evolved too,” he says.

On the adoption of ‘Be More’, Bhat says that that statement is supposed to denote the

aspirations of consumers to make more of their lives and be whatever they want to be. “The

watch allows for such imaginative travels,” he says.

Titan’s agency, Ogilvy India, has devised a campaign featuring Aamir Khan that en-

courages people to find a new strand of their personality every day. It all started with a logo

change a few months ago (the same font in a red and white combination), followed by a cam-

paign rolled out now.

[24]

The ad film opens on a shot of Aamir Khan sitting alone on a roller coaster, stating,

‘Be born every day’. Next, he is seen chasing the shadow of an aircraft on a beach, then, sit -

ting beside a truck driver, in the middle of nowhere, with a trail of chassis trucks behind him.

Here, he asks the viewers to try the adventure of getting off at an unknown station, of explor-

ing unknown lands.

As he crashes his vehicle while go-karting, Khan waves to the others around him,

while his voiceover explains the importance of making one’s own mistakes. Further on, he

talks of not making your passport photos last longer than three months – you need to con-

stantly reinvent yourself and adopt a new look every day (cut to shots of Khan’s varied hair-

styles and looks in his movies, shown in an ambient way through posters and T-shirts).

“Shock your reflection!” says Khan, as we see him with funny accessories framing his

face. The next vignette has him practising meditation while slyly checking out a girl walking

past (‘Explore’). Cut to a shot of children, with Khan explaining how we aspired to be differ-

ent people as kids – “let’s revive that aspiration today”. Wearing armour (sword and all),

Khan reiterates, ‘Be Born, Every Day. Titan. Be More’.

Malvika Mehra, group creative director, Ogilvy & Mather Bangalore, says, “‘Be

More’ pushes people to live many lives in one. We want to trigger people into questioning,

‘Why should we be single minded and boring? Time to be multi-faceted, just like Titan!’”

Khan fit the bill as Ogilvy borrowed from his own life and work and his need to con-

stantly experiment and reinvent himself. “Be it Mangal Pandey or Lagaan or Dil Chahta Hai,

Aamir always manages to look different in every role,” explains Mehra. “So we showed him

doing things that were spontaneous, such as exploring places or go-karting.” The idea, simply

put, is to live life to the fullest – with Titan being the instrument of such expressive libera-

tion.

The film was conceptualised by Mehra along with Amit Akali, Anil Thomas, Kunj

Shah (who wrote the script) and N Ajesh of Ogilvy. In a sense, says Mehra, the spontaneity in

the ad is an indication of Titan’s gradual shift from the old to the youthful (from ‘My Dad’s

Brand’ to ‘My Brand’). “That is the way many categories are moving,” she says.

[25]

The ad making – Aamir Khan

The ad was directed by Prasoon Pandey of Corcoise Films; this is Pandey’s third Ti-

tan film, the earlier two involved Khan and his assistant, played by the late Vihang Nayak.

The first film had Khan confused about which watch to match with each outfit he’s packing

before a trip, while the second film showed him delighting a girl in a mall with a watch. “This

third film has a much stronger script than those two,” shrugs Pandey. “It’s about bringing a

mindset onto the screen with a better celeb-brand marriage.”

Shot entirely in Chennai, the film has been shot in a way that suggests that multiple

locations were used for the shoot, as opposed to one city. “We had fast paced shots to spread

the look of the film,” says Pandey. When asked why Chennai, he quips, “Because it was

raining in Mumbai then!”

Several layers were added to the film. To show the aspirations of children, a young

girl was shown staring at an object and, later in the frame, you see the object is a butterfly –

the girl wants to fly.

“Kids are freer in their thinking than adults and we hope this has been portrayed,”

Pandey says. Even the last frame of the ad, which has Khan dressed as a mock warrior (with

an impromptu utensil serving as his helmet), was made to look like the man had made use of

things lying nearby in a spontaneous way.

New Collections and DesignsSonata’s sub-brands

Sonata has launched the Yuva 2008 collection, a series of colourful watches. They

are available in both casual and formal styles to complement the young, new look for college

or office wear. The collection has watches for both men and women at price s starting at Rs

645. They are available in both gold and steel looks, with both metal and leather straps.

Sonata, the watch brand from the Tatas, launched the Super Fibre, targeted at the

sub-Rs 500 market in urban, semi-urban and rural India. The watches have been designed

[26]

primarily for youth in the 16-30 age group, and will be available in a price range of Rs 275 to

Rs 550. The tag line for this sub-brand is ‘Super Strong, Super Style.’

The company announced 360-degree marketing campaign for the new offerings. It

also unveiled its TV commercial featuring Indian ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, “in a

brand new avatar”.

Titan Raga – Hazel CollectionTitan Raga has launched the Hazel collection, inspired by the hues of nature. Priced

between Rs 2,195 and Rs 4,000, this range comprises five styles with versions in gold, steel

and bi-metal finish. They are available as bracelets and kadas with textured or patterned

look and mother-of-pearl dials.

Octane Titan has launched the Octane collection of chronograph, multifunction and retro-

grade watches for the urban man. The range is described as blending style and technology.

The collection has over 35 styles and is priced between Rs. 5,000 and Rs 7,500.

Nebula CelesteIt is a limited edition collection of jewellery timepieces. They are crafted in 18k white

and yellow gold. Prices range from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 12 lakhs.

Raga CrystalsTitan Industries Ltd has unveiled its new Raga Crystals collection of watches in Ker-

ala. The two new watches, called Venus and Fairy Dust, are available in yellow metal and bi-

metal versions. Venus is priced at Rs 4,450 and Fairy Dust at Rs 4,750.

Titan’s StambhaA new ladies Heritage wrist watch ‘Stambha’ signifying fame, prosperity and good

luck was unveiled as part of Heritage collection. MrVijesh Rajan, Regional Sales Manager

(South), launching the watch collection, said that plans are on the anvil to launch one new

collection every month, reflecting the 3000-year old art and cultural history of the country. A

[27]

sale of around 7,500 watches has been fixed as a target for this fina ncial year in the Heritage

collection, he added. The prices in the collection range between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000.

Nebula ZeusIt is a mechanical automatic watch in solid gold for men. Priced at Rs.1,10,000, the

limited edition watch (500 pieces) harks back to an older era of luxury and romance.

The Nebula Zeus watch has been crafted using Swiss made mechanical automatic

movement with gold finish and a sapphire crystal back cover. Other features include an in-

stant start, a second hand stop device for accurate time setting; 42 hours reserve powers and

auto wind convenience. The watch collection was launched by singer and actor, Vasundhara

Das.

Raga ShimmerIt comprises of a collection of exquisitely designed studded watches that complement

both Indian-wear as well as Western-wear. Priced between Rs 2,995 and Rs 4,495, the new

collection comprises watches in gold, steel and bi-metal finishes.

Raga DivaAn exquisite range of watches for women in the Kerala market. Inspired by traditional

Kundan work, this collection has been rendered in a delightfully contemporary form. It is

priced between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000.

Titan Nebula – Duet CollectionTitan Nebula, the premium 18K gold watch brand from Titan, today launched the

Duet collection – three pairs of specially crafted gold watches for the wedding season. The

most premium collection for this wedding season was unveiled by popular actor Gul Panag.

Available in mother of pearl dials in both champagne and white options it is priced between

Rs.30, 500/- and Rs.1,35,000.

Other Strategies

[28]

· Titan is also trying to reach new customer segments. They are now trying to target all

adults in socio economic classes A&B.

· Titan is also looking at innovative retail strategies and planned to launch ten innova-

tive product collections soon.

3.8 Market share of the Competitor in Domestic Market

HMT 19%

Maxima 13%

Rado 7%

Casio 3%

The strongest selling point of Titan is that it is available and affordable. Titan pro-

vides watches for all segments, like from low-cost Sonata for first time user, Fast-track for

the trendy young, Dash for the kids, and the higher priced Regalia and Nebula to the premium

segment customer.

The Indian watch market is estimated at 25 million watches a year, where the domes-

tic sale is 6 million watches per annum. The rural segment is the diverse market in the present

scenario. The key success story of Titan is capturing the rural market on a large scale. The

range cost is between Rs. 495 to Rs. 1200. And the model is available exclusively in all

showrooms and is sold mainly in small-town in India.

Though, The Company faced enormous challenges from its big list of competitor, the

company still in the number one position in domestic market because of the weakness of the

competitor. The company becomes more reliable and more acceptances to the consumer be-

cause of its marketing mix. The company has adopted the new marketing innovation to im-

prove the feature of the product by time to time.

[29]

Though the current financial environment is not in favor, but the company performing well

and saw an increasing trend in the profit chart.

The company trying hard to convert its weakness into strengths and threats into

strengths and threats into opportunities by bring revolution in the product style, model, fea-

tures, pricing policy, product quality, etc.

Companies certain initiatives and policy such as new innovative design, guarantee,

the research and development, wide dealer network, committed service team, discount and

offers make the company.

To find out the brand preference for watches.

Environmental Analysis

A. The marketing environment.

Competitive Forces

Major Competitor

There are lots of competitor in wrist watch segment which directly or in directly affecting the

titan watches industry. The major players’ are-

Domestic Level:

· HMT

· Maxima-quartz

· Rado

· Casio

International level:

· Espirt

· Swatch

· Citizen

[30]

· Tag heuer

· Seiko

· Cartier

· Giordano

Fashion Houses:

· Dkny

· Gucci

· Adidas

· Nike

· Bvlgary

Among all these competitors, Maxima-quartz and HMT are major players .The strength and

weakness of the companies varies from segment to segment

Industry’s Role

As there have many competitor exists in this Industry, the competition is too much. When-

ever any company bring changes in its marketing mix, all the companies also implement

changes in their marketing mix to sustain in the competition. By that the structure of whole

industry is changing and affects the competitive forces in the Industry.

Economic forces

Economic landscape

Indian corporate sector is nervous because of current Inflation. This problem occurred not

only in India, but it affected all the countries due to United State financial crisis.

As we came to know from Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

that 64% of the 413 companies are running currently in worst condition from last 6 months.

[31]

Consumers view

As we know that Inflation is in double digit figures, but the people who lives in urban area or

metro city, are having optimistic view towards economy.

People think that the economic condition of our country will be improved in the near future.

Purchasing power of consumers

BRAND PURCHASING POWER (PRICE) RS

CATEGORY

FAST TRACK 550-1,430 YOUTHEXCTA 595-1,430 LOWER MIDDLE

CLASS(Office wear)SPECTRA 650-1,830 COMMON CLASSROYAL 960-2,830 UPPER- MIDDLE

CLASSRAGA 1,420-4,000 UPPER CLASSBANDHAN 1,675-8,085 COUPLESREGALIA 1,725-7770 UPPER MIDDLE

CLASS-UPPER CLASS

EDGE4,500-5,200 BUSINESS CLASS

NUBULA 10,000-45,000 UPPER CLASS

The company’s watch sales grew by 18.8 per cent and its income increasing from Rs255.34

crore during the second quarter of last year to Rs303.45 crore during the second quarter of

this year. On the basis of the above table and profit figure we easily understand consumer

buying power in target market.

[32]

Spending habit of consumers

Despite of high inflation, high oil prices and high volatility in gold prices, watch segment of

Titan Industries doing well in the current fiscal. For these, watch segment sales income in-

creased from Rs.168.83 crore during the first quarter of last year to Rs.171.89 crore during

the corresponding period this year. These data indicate that consumer’s spending pattern is

increasing respective target market.

From the above information we can easily understand that consumers buying more of Titan

wristwatch. There are few reasons behind the growth in sales of Titan .They are as follow.

Brand name

Quality of the products

Features ,which differentiate from others

Attractive models

New innovation

Political forces

Political landscape:

In 2004 /05 the new Government came through election in India.

Our new Government took lots of steps to make the global relation as well as some steps to

develop our country GDP, decreasing the rate of Inflation by decreasing rate of Cash Reserve

ratio (CRR) as well as by decreasing the Repo rate. These all steps help the Industries to get

sustain in the market.

As all the steps help the Titan industry to compete in the watch industry. The performance of

this sector for last few years are-

Relation with political officials

As we all know that TATA group is the one of reputed companies in the world, it really helps

the country development.

[33]

Moreover, the companies always want to make good relation with the political parties, be-

cause we know that India is a democratic country which is it- self elected by the people the

country.

Legal and regulatory forces

As the titan industries operates their business in the global area ,they have to follow lots of

regulatory norms.

The industry can be directly affected by the certain rules such as change in Taxation rate.

Technological forces

Impact of Technology

Changing in technology always play a great role in the target market. Titan decided to manu-

facture only QUERTZ (Analog and digital) and not mechanical and they would start plant to

manufacture watches in wide variety in design and prices.

Titan changes the technology in that ways which help in enhance the quality and the features

to increase buyers’ value. Titan gets advantages in the target market through innovative tech-

nology.

As there is too much competition, if Titan not accept the changes in technology then they

can’t sustain in the market. In premium segment, competitor will capture whole market by

improve technology. And in the mid-price segment, other companies will give a tough com-

petition to titan.

Technological changes

The new marketing innovation can bring a drastically changes in the marketing activities of

the company. The new innovations which can differentiate the company from the competi-

tor are

Implementation of Heart-beat checking system in wrist watch.

Implementation of Blood pressure checking system in the wristwatch

Some companies can come with the watch which help in knowing the mood of

the person.

[34]

Sociocultural Forces

Tata believes that improve the quality of the life of people and the employee is the primary

purpose of their business. It uses its resources in the best possible way. They also takes some

reasonably steps to improve the quality of life of the people of the areas in which they oper-

ates.

Tata adopt the Corporate Citizenship Index, Tata Business Excellence Model and Tata Index

for Sustainable Development which reflect its commitment to its Corporate Social Responsi-

bility (CSR). Tata spends 5-7% of its profit after tax on several CSR initiatives.

These CSR initiatives are spread across three core areas, such as employee welfare, the envi-

ronment and the welfare of the community at large.

B. Target market

Identification

The titan industry basically deals in three segments for its watches. They were as follow.

High Income/Elite consumers

In this segment mainly the consumer who buys a wrist watch as a fashion accessory.

Middle group:

In this segment mainly consumers like some fashion in their watches. These consumers

would not purchase a watch without comparing various offers in the market.

[35]

Lower-income people:This segment mainly consisted of lower- income consumers who

want watch mainly as the time –keeping device and purchase on the basis of price

3.9 Marketing Mix:

· PRICE

· PRODUCT

· PROMOTION

· PLACE

Price:

As achieve our marketing our marketing objectives, we can do some change in the pricing .

The main consideration will be in changing price are followings.

A. Survival:

In case of some of the watches titan prices them according to the features .The Exacta is a

simple steel watch priced at Rs.600-1,100. As the company also deals with Spectra, Raga

through pricing policy.

B. Market share:

As we know that 70% of sales in watches come from the lower segment, therefore by pricing

Sonata at 350 onwards with guarantee.

[36]

Types of media No. of respondents TV 46

Magazines 25

Newspapers 36

Hoardings 15

Radio 4

Titan prices its world watches which compared equal to an international players like Calvin

Klien where a customer pays 4 times as value of the world watch, therefore market with low

prices to international players to gain market share.

C. Market Skimming: In Indian watch industry there is no one offering pure gold

watches, watches in pair, jewellery watches. Here Titan offers there product with the Indian

touch in its design, the product, the love.

Product:

Quality and leadership are the two main terms for the Titan. As to achieve the marketing ob-

jectives this aspects should also be considered.

A. Product line: To increase the sales, the difference in the prices of the watches are justi-

fied by the features.

B. Product pyramid: Portfolio of Titan’s product is of 3 distinct price-range that can be

defined in general, as Popular, Mid, and Premium. At the popular segment, the emphasis is

on in volumes but not in margins. At the premium segment, the emphasis is on profits and

image but not in volumes. Obviously, company giving more emphasis at the top of the pyra-

mid as profits at the top of the pyramid is very high. This pyramid guided the strategy of Ti-

tan.

C. Product strategy: Titan was first focused only on the premium segment of the watch

market. As per the product strategy they took, Titan moved in to the mass market for

watches. To widen base, Titan created new segments and increasingly focusing on segments

individually. In the past few years Titan has took a lot of initiatives to focused on specific

segments.

D. Product Quality: Quality and leadership are synonymous to Titan. It seek to achieve

both through their value for products compared to their prices. 

Promotion:

Promotional pricing:

[37]

A. Marketing pricing: As by opening new shops such as the world of Titan – buy di-

rectly from the dealer and hence the element of middleman is not there.

Here the retailer in this category buys watches for 17-18% lesser than MRP and hence they

are able to get the 17% profit margin on sales.

It is managing to successfully convince to the customer of the perceived value of ‘WORLD

WATCH’ using hoarding all around the city, increasing buyer image, trust worthiness, inno-

vation, differentiation, value for the product.

Price discount and allowances: Every year Titan comes with a price discount sale on

the MRP of the watches. The allowances varies from one segment to another.

B. Creative advertising: Titan introduces a contest on cartoon network in india.com

which invites children to use creativity and design watch.

The prize winning design was launched as a new watch in summer 2002 collection .

Type of advertising: Titan believes in making its ads clean, well made, touch on emo-

tional chord. As the company is using celebrities or superstars that is Amir Khan for the Titan

watches.

As here we can say that a female actress would be more effective for the promotional pur-

pose. It can be Katrina Kaif, as now she is one of the popular actress in Bollywood.

C. Promotion on occasion: Titan is one of the company which formally believes in

the policy of promotion the product based on the occasions.

Place:

Keeping in mind about the young trendy and fashionable consumers, Titan distribute its prod-

uct and set up ‘world of titan’ in different region. The consumers life style in India, especially

in urban area(because the turnover in urban area is 210 million, while the turnover in rural

area is 90 million) plays a significant role in the success of Titan.

A. Time Zone: Titan Industries brings together the country’s leading watch brands under

one roof, providing the customer with variety in brands, looks and price ranges and also effi-

[38]

cient after-sales service. These 1142 Time Zones located across 89 towns which offer its cus-

tomer the complete watch shopping experience.

B. Value Mart: These outlets sell surplus stocks of Titan watches at reduced prices. By do-

ing these it offering fabulous value for money with the same warranty as a regular full-priced

watch enjoy. However these shops would not be placed in the main locations and not working

as a normal shops. This is to make the customer go to the shop rather than the shop calling

the customer and hence the locations are not very suitable for shopping.

C. Sonata Stores: Sonata stores is also an Authorized Service Centre for Sonata & Titan

brands. Sonata store meet the large scale demand for the watch and also to attract customers

in more. These shops had full stocks of the watch in demand whereas the others could afford

to maintain only limited stock.

3.10 Consumer Buying Behavior

Cultural

Social

Culture

Subculture

Social Class

Reference group

Family

Roles and statuses

Personal

Age and life-cycle stage

Occupation

Economic circumstances

Lifestyle

Personality and self-con-cept

Psychological

Motivation

Perception

Learning

Beliefs and attitudes

Buyer

A. Cultural Factors

· Value, perception, and preferences

· Nationalities, religion, race, geographical regions

· Social class

B. Social Factors

[39]

· Reference GroupsSocial Class

· Roles & Status

C. Personal Factors

· Economics Circumstances

· Occupation

· Age & Life Cycle Stage

· Lifestyle

· Personality and self-concept

D. Psychological Factors

· Motivation

· Perception

· Learning

· Beliefs and attitudes

Men’s segment:

With Titan positioning its range of watches as a life-style, the Indian market started

viewing watch more as a complement to dress than just a time showing machine. They are

also realising that, unlike other forms of art that are meant to be admired, high-end jewellery

watches have that added bonus: practical luxury with a function other than beauty. Watches

have joined the list of tie, deodorant and shoes to represent the occasion and flaunt your

status.

- Dress WearTitan has three brands positioned for this segment: Nebula, Regalia and Insignia.

Nebula:Marketed as the “Jewellery collection from Titan”, Nebula is targeted towards afflu-

ent men who consider wearing gold jewellery a symbol of status. Magical blend of most

coveted of metals, Gold and craftsmanship; Nebula is more of a connoisseur watch with the

lowest price model at Rs.5500. It is marketed as a “watch for discerning individual” posi-

tioned as a gold jewel.

[40]

Regalia: “Incredibly eye-catching…. magic in gold”.

The watch uses the unique combination of gold and bicolour looks representing the

essence of dress-wear. In India, gold-look is associated with status but at the same time, the

silver-look is the fashion of the day in international watches. With the combination of both,

this watch is targeted towards affluent businessmen. The elegant looks and colours make it a

strong competitor to the foreign brands like the Tissot, Piaget and Rado.

This is also marketed as a watch for gift “Special Watch for special occasion”, posi-

tioning this as a costly gift.

Insignia: ‘The World Watch from Titan.’

The watch with fascinating designs and precision engineering was targeted towards

the European markets. The complexity of this watch is 10 times more than a regular titan

watch. Though it didn’t meet with much of a success in Europe, this tag line and keyword

“International” are used to position this watch as a world-class watch for international travel-

ler with European tastes.

- Classic WatchesWatches that are for every-day use and those with less frills and more value are classi-

fied as Classic watches. These watches are normally targeted towards middle and upper

middle-income class consumers.

Classique:“Power dressing now has a new weapon!”

“Timeless elegance captured on the wrist.”

Classique' is marketed as a fusion of function and sophistication. Classique with its

looks fits the formal corporate image and is positioned as a watch for corporate employees.

This also reinforces the importance of watch along with the dress worn. These watches are

generic in their simplicity and find no real competitors except HMT.

Royale:“Collection of designs that suit everyday wear”.

[41]

Royale with its gold plated case and golden straps represents a formal every day

watch targeted towards the employees who can’t afford multiple watches for occasions. The

watch includes designs from simple to dressy eveningwear switching between informal and

formal looks based on the place and situation.

Spectra:“Designed for those who look beyond the ordinary”.

This brand from Titan extends over wide range of prices from 900-7000. It is a classic

premium watch with style, which boasts of combining the sturdiness of steel with richness of

gold. The positioning of the watch is not very clear as it is targeted towards the salary

earners with its lower price point models and appealing models for the corporate executives

at the higher end.

- Sports WatchesIn the Indian scenario the sport awareness is not quite there. And the market is not

mature enough that consumers buy special watches for sporting except in the super-premium

and segments above that. A sports watch in the mind of an average Indian is a polyamide

watch with stopwatch and trendy look. So there is no clear distinction between sports

watches and casual watches. But in the available market Timex, Casio, and Titan are major

players and after the lifting of QR restrictions, world famous Tag- Heur has also entered In-

dia but in the Connoisseur segment of sports watches.

PSI2000:Titan has introduced a range of contemporary Precision Sports watches. The brand is

marketed as tough, outdoor, adventure brand. (Psychographically segmented) Ranging from

800 to 7500, these watches are in direct competition with foreign brands like Swatch Irony.

- Casual Wear:

The segment of watches that has a variety of brands and models to appeal to the youth

and mentally young people is casual wear. The watches in this segment are mainly sporty

watches, which are unconventional and typically symbolize the attitudes of younger genera-

tion.

[42]

Titan Fast Track“Cool watches from Titan”.

The target audience for this watch, in the 20-35 age group include working adults and

postgraduate students of both sexes in metros and mini metros. The Fast Track user, in terms

of attitude is one who wears an informal dress, wears branded jeans, shirts, sunglasses and

branded informal shoes. The Fast Track personality is that of a young, energetic, achieve-

ment oriented person, who seeks to express his or her individuality by braking free from

constraints of formal environment, without being a rebel. Built around the Cool concept, this

watch from Titan has virtually very few competitors because no one offers the feature com-

bination and price but Casio (in digital range) and Espirit and Swatch (in the analog range)

can be considered as competitors feature-wise.

- Technology WatchesWrist Watches have changed a lot from the inception- a time showing convenience

machine to a status symbol. But the underlying concept remained unchanged, convenience.

Stretching this concept a bit with the development of technology are the technology watches

available in the market. Watch for time, status has in the new technology era is looked for

convenience of carrying data. In to the competitive market with people willing to pay a pre-

mium for that advantage, a good number of brands have ventured.

Technology (2350-8200):“Multi-functional watches for the Tech-savvy”.

This brand is marketed as mergers of classic elegance and technological mastery giv-

ing rise to multi-functional chronographs using the solar power. This brand is positioned to

compete against the Citizen’s EcoDrive.

Women’s segment

- Dress WearTitan has chiefly three brands in this category.

[43]

Nebula (6000-65000)-

“The Jeweler’s Collection”

Nebula is a precious jewellery watch from Titan. It is marketed as ‘a magical blend

of most coveted of metals and engineering excellence’. The Nebula range of watches is posi-

tioned as objects of ornamentation. A 21 carat gold watch, studded with gems it is targeted at

the upper most end of the market in competition with brands such as Rolex and Cartier.

Regalia

Regalia range is positioned as “Essence of dress wear”. It is marketed as “Incredibly

eye catching…magic in gold”. With the unique combination of gold and bicolor looks and

sleek case, Regalia is targeted towards middle-aged women who consider watch to be a status

symbol and also representing their delicacy. It is available in many price points between

Rs.1800 onwards.

Raga and the Silver RagaRaga and the Silver Raga collection are positioned as “Ethnic Indian styling for the

sophisticated woman”. Each piece is truly unique and represents elegance, delicacy and fem-

inine. The designs and the bracelets represent traditional Indian ornaments as well as con-

temporary style.

Both the watches are exclusively designed to appeal to women more as an ornamental

possession than a watch. The Silver Raga has been crafted exclusively for the sophisticated

woman who believes in value-for-money and who wears silver jewellery with élan.

At the beginning, when the brands were launched, they were positioned as “Watches

for all dresses” with changeable dials matching the sari color. But the proposition was viewed

with skepticism and hence didn’t meet with much success. Keeping in mind Indian women’s

love for jewellery, both these brands are repositioned as a perfect accessory that completes a

woman's wardrobe.

- Casual Wear

FastrackThe woman's collection presents the all-new international 'Frosted' look, which is

trendy and chic. The ad line : ‘Fastrack- ‘Cool watches from Titan’, aims at building the

brand around the ‘cool ‘ concept.

[44]

Fastrack is targeted at a personality that is young, energetic, achievement-oriented,

who seeks to express her individuality by breaking free from constraints imposed by formal

environments, without being a rebel. The positioning of Fastrack for men and women is al -

most the same.

Children’s Segment

Titan has a brand called Dash! for kids. These are bright, colorful watches targeted at

children aged 6-14 years. These watches are priced Rs.250 onwards to Rs.495 and are mar-

keted under the ad line: “Wow! Watches from Titan”. The three main collections from Dash

include the ‘Popeye Collection’, which feature cartoon character Popeye, and his friends.

There is also a Digital Range, which has features like Ellight, compass, Velco straps. So Ti-

tan is positioning Dash watches as ‘Fun’ watches for kids. Its features such as comic charac-

ters also appeal to the frivolous nature of the children. Dash also has a special collection

for girls, with changeable bezel rings, priced at Rs.295.

Need Analysis:

Consumers need

The demand and the need vary one market segment to another segment on the basis of prices

& quality.

The current need can be satisfied by the following ways in the different segment.

High class: Titan offered Aurum and Royale in gold watch range .They were

stylish watches in all gold and precious metals.

The price is between Rs.20,000 -1,00,000.

Middle income class: Titan offered the Exacta range in stainless steel.

There were 100 different models in the range. The prices ranges are between

Rs.500-700.

Lower-income group: Titan offered the Timex watches and later, when the

arrangement with Timex was terminated, the SONATA range.

[45]

The prices ranges were Rs.350-500.There was 200 different models in the

ranges.

Current Marketing Objectives and Performance:

Review of Marketing Objectives

Current marketing objectives of TATA is to strengthen India’s Industrial base through the

proper utilization of resources like employee and materials. Besides, the company seeks to

reach the height of excellence atmosphere which is free from fear and threat.

Performance Analysis

Titan Industries achieved significant growth during the year ended 2007-08. Watch segment

sales also grew by 17.2 per cent to Rs 918.7 crore. All brands of the company have performed

well and new introductions in gents’ watches, the Raga Crystal for ladies.

3.11 STP Analysis

The STP Process

[46]

SEGMENTATION

Dividing the market by grouping the customer with similar tastes and preferences into one segment is called is called “segmentation”. Segmenta-

tion help marketers understand the needs of different customers better and serve them with

better value propositions.

A market comprises of different consumers possessing innumerable tastes

and preferences. Depending on their marketing approach and the nature of the products mar-

keters can adopt different level s of segmentation. The levels of market segmentation are:

· Segment Marketing

· Individual Marketing

· Niche Marketing

· Local Marketing

A) SEGMENT MARKETING : Marketers target more than one segment when it is not

economically feasible to design products and services for individual segments. The

focus of segmenting the market will be on providing enhanced service to the customer

[47]

by offering customized products that will satisfy the needs and wants of customer

in that particular segment to a large extent. Segmentation is also sometimes identify-

ing, capturing and retaining potential new markets.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan has segmented its business into three main categories:

Mass

Mid-premium

luxury

B) INDIVIDUAL MARKETING : Individual Marketing is the extreme level of segmen-

tation in which marketers focus on individual customers.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan has not applied this for its marketing.

C) NICHE MARKETING : A niche is more narrowly defined group, typically a small

market whose needs are not well served. Marketers usually identify niches by divid-

ing a segment into sub segments or defining a group seeking a distinctive mix of ben-

efits.

TITAN PRESPECTIVEIn a study conducted to study the customers of watch market, it is revealed that 42%

of them are youth. So, TITAN tried to target this by:

· introducing FAST TRACK· price offering from Rs 500(affordable)

· watches with style statements

D) LOCAL MARKETING : Marketing programs being tailored to the needs and wants of

local customer groups. The prominence of local marketing has also become very

dominant.

[48]

TITAN PERSPECTIVEAll the products of TITAN are addressed to all the customers as a whole. Localized

products are not available. But some products which are available in UK have some

pictures of eminent personalities on their Dial like M.K. Gandhi, Mr. Jawaharlal

Nehru, etc. so that the customers can identify the product with those dignitaries.

CRITERIA FOR SEGMENTING CONSUMER MARKET:

Markets are mostly segmented on the basis of geographic, demographic and psychographic

factors:

Geographic segmentation: It calls for dividing the market into different geographic

units such as nations, states, regions, countries, and cities.

Demographic segmentation: In this the market is divided into groups on the basis of

variables such as age, family, size, life cycle, gender, income, occupation, education, religion,

race, generation, nationality, social class. These variables are the most popular basis for dis-

tinguishing customer groups. The following are some of the demographic variables used to

segment the market:

· Age and life cycle stage: Consumer wants and preferences change with

age. These tastes and preferences are not constant and change with time.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan markets its products for all following age groups:

a) For the age group 12-20, brands like TIMEX, Sonata, etc.

b) For the age group 18-30, brands like FAST TRACK, TECHNOLOGY, SONATA,

etc.

c) For the age group 30-55, brands like SONATA, NEBULA, RAGA, STEEL, RE-

GALIA, BANDHAN, etc.

[49]

· Gender: Gender segmentation has been applied to clothing hairstyling cos-

metics, wristwatches, magazines etc. There are certain brands, which are posi-

tioned exclusively for a specific sex.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan markets its product across:

Sex (steel, regalia, nebula, fast track, technology, sonata, edge, flip)

Gents (flip)

Ladies (raga)

Married couples (bandhan)

Income: Marketers tend to segment product and services on the basis of income

groups. Nowadays, companies have recognized the potential of lower end income

groups and have started targeting them.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan offers its products with a price range to suit the different income groups such as:

- Below Rs 500

- Between Rs (500-1500)

- Between Rs (1500-3000)

- Between Rs (3000-5000)

- Between Rs (5000-10000)

- Above Rs 10000

[50]

· Generation: Generation plays a major role in segmenting markets. Every

generation is deeply influenced by various activities. Such influences deeply

impact their product purchase pattern.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan has many products to satisfy all the generations. And through constant innova-

tion Titan developed many products for new generations like FAST TRACK, TECH-

NOLOGY, FLIP etc.

· Social Class: Social Class segmentation is influenced by customer choices

of automobiles, interior decoration, clothing preferences etc. The tastes and

preferences of the social class also change according to time.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan has realized the demand of the society and has marketed its products for each of

the following social strata.

First segment: For this segment, watch is a fashion statement. Titan has

ROYALE, AURUM, and NEBULA for this segment. These products have spe-

cialties like European leather, sapphire crystal, scratch resistant, crafted with 18

ct. solid gold & inlaid with precious stones.

Second Segment: For this segment also, watch is all about fashion but price

does matter to them. In this range, Titan has RAGA,TECHNOLOGY, FAST

TRACK etc.These products have digital technology & of trendy shapes. Always

splash oomph on to your ward robes and smear danger on your look.

Third segment: For this segment, watch is just an device to show the time.

They invest after a lot of thoughts. In this category, Titan has TIMEX, SONATA,

KARISHMA, etc.

[51]

Psychographic Segmentation: Buyers are divided into different groups based on per-

sonality, values, belief, lifestyle, motivation, etc. People within the same demographic group

can exhibit very different psychographic profiles.

· Lifestyle: People generally exhibit different lifestyle depending upon their income,

social group etc. People usually buy the product which suit their lifestyle

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

According to the life style of people Titan has segmented it’s product to fit the box.-

like in the luxury section it has NEBULA, AURUM etc. In the mid-premium section

RAGA, GOLD-STEEL, TECHNOLOGY, etc. And in the mass section, it has

SONATA,TIMEX and KARISHMA .

· Personality: Marketers can use personality variables to segment markets. They en-

dow their products with brand personalities that correspond to consumer personalities.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan advertises its products by portraying movie stars as user of its products and it

offers a lot of option to its customers. For example:-

In economy category, 60 products In luxury cate -gory, 26 products

In sports & casual category, 76 products In fashion cate -gory, 99 products

In formal category, 14 products

· Values: Values affect customer behavior in the long run. Marketers can use values

and beliefs to segment the markets.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Time has the same value for all irrespective of cast, creed and sex. Still, Titan suc-

cessfully segmented its products according to customer values. But it is basically re-

lated to type of generation they are in to. So, the segmentation is also related to that.

[52]

BEHAVIORAL SEGMENTATION:

Organizations can divide markets on the basis of behavior that consumer shows towards the

usage of the products. Various variables for segmenting market on the basis of purchase be-

havior of customers are occasions, benefits, user status, usage rate, loyalty, etc.

· Occasions: Markets can be classified on the basis of various occasions that cus-

tomers encounter because people need different products for different occasions.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan also offers occasion specific products like Formal (NEBULLA, STEEL, RAGA,

GOLD&STEEL), Dress wear (REGALIA, RAGA, GOLD&STEEL, ROYALE),

Fashion (TECHNOLOGY, STEEL, RAGA, GOLD&STEEL, FAST TRACK)

· Benefits: Market is divided on the basis of the benefits customers seek from the

products. Benefit segmentation can be used to position various brands within the same

product category.

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

Titan product has benefits like:

It provides the”TITAN WORLD” SERVICE CENTRE in 174 towns.

It provides a huge product range to choose from.

It’s products have good life cycle.

· Usage Rate: The usage rate of a particular product/service can be divided into

heavy, medium and light. Marketers are usually attracted to heavy users than other

type of users.

· Loyalty Status: The loyalty status of a particular market can be divided into differ-

ent groups, according to the intensity of their loyalty to these brands.

[53]

MARKET SEGMENTATION PROCEDURE

It is a three step procedure:

1. Service stage: Here the researcher conducts exploratory interviews and focused

groups to gain insights into consumer motivations attitudes and behaviors. Then the

researcher prepares a questionnaire and collects data on attributes and their impor-

tance ratings, brand awareness and brand ratings, product usage patterns, attitudes to-

wards product category and demographics, geographic, psychographics and media

graphics of the respondents.

2. Analysis Stage: In this the researcher applies factor analysis to the data to remove

highly correlated variables then apply cluster analysis to create specific number of

maximally different segments.

3. Profiling stage: Here each cluster is profiled according to its distinguishing atti-

tudes, behavior, demographics, psychographics, and media graphics and media pat-

terns. Each segment is given a name depending on its dominant characteristics. Mar-

ket segmentation should be redone periodically because they change.

EFFECTIVE SEGMENTATION:

For effective segmentation, segmentation variables need to exhibit certain characteristics.

These are discussed below:

· Measurable: The variable used for the segmentation of the markets should be mea-

surable to be effective. For example, a variable like the purchasing power of potential

customer is measurable.

· Substantial: When dividing the market into segments, a marketer should take

enough care to see that each segment consist of adequate number of customers worth

catering to.

· Accessible: The segment of the market that a marketer is trying to target should be

accessible to him. The appropriate selection of the media, its coverage and other fac-

tors like the product distribution facilities play a major role in a marketer becoming

accessible to customers.

[54]

· Differentiable: Each segment of the market should be different from others in

terms of its needs and wants. Each segment requires different marketing strategies be-

cause it responds to different strategies differently.

· Actionable: A segmentation variable should help marketers develop effective mar-

keting programs to attract and serve potential customers effectively.

TARGETING

It is the second stage of the Segment “Target” Position (STP) process. After the most attrac-

tive segments are selected, a company should not directly start targeting all these segments.

The attractiveness of the segments is also depending on other important factors. In the main

activity of defining a target market, four sub activities are given which are the bases for de-

ciding on which segments will actually be targeted.

The four sub activities within targeting are:

1. Defining the abilities of the company and resources needed to enter a market

2. Analyzing competitors on their resources and skills

3. Considering the company’s abilities compared to the competitors’

4. Deciding on the actual target markets.

After the market has been separated into its segments, the marketer will select a segment or

series of segment and ‘target’ it/them. Resources and efforts will be targeted at the:

[55]

A) The first is the single segment with a single product. In other word, the marketer tar-

gets a single product offering at a single segment in a market with many segments.

For example, Titan’s sub brand, Raga is targeting the upwardly mobile ladies in the

upper premium segment.

B) Secondly,the marketer could ignore the differences in the segments, and choose to

aim a single product at all segments i.e. the whole market. For example, Sonata and

Fast track brands of Titan are targeting mass and mid premium segment.

C) Finally, there is a multi-segment approach. Here a marketer will target a variety of

different segments with a series of differentiated products. For example, Titan itself

provides with the number of different brands/products which are targeting different

[56]

segments in the market. Following is the table which represents the various sub

brands and their targeted segments of TITAN.

POSITIONING

Introduction:

The importance of an image has become an emotional part of everyone. A brand name repre-

sents the image, character and personality of a brand. A brand name should be clear, lucid,

easy to remember, distinct from the competition and should not be generic to the category. It

should become customer's Top of the mind brand (TOMB). Most successful brand names

would satisfy these criterions to quite an extent. Brand loyalty is one thing which has made

the branding more popular. As someone rightly said "Brand loyalty is not dead, it's just more

like loyalty to a girl/boyfriend than loyalty to a husband/wife".

Vast flow of names today makes a brand harder to differentiate them unless they come out

with their own uniqueness. This way, they could come to their special position in everyday

life. The image following a particular name is also determined by the role of communication

it undergoes; of which the followings are included: its manner, personality, behavior, ethics,

values, etc. The importance of brands depends on the true ambitions of the company.

The increasing spread and domination of international brands has seemed inevitable for at

least the last 30 years. All around the world we have witnessed the disappearance of local

brands and local variants. But despite this trend, local and regional brands still remain strong.

In India, for example, protected for many years by government policy from the invasion of

foreign brands, homegrown brands dominate many sectors - Tata automobiles and Titan

[57]

watches, to name but a few. In the end people want both global and local brands - brands that

make them feel part of wider international community and brands that root them in their

home culture.

Why are brands so important?

Strong brands help a company to maintain market share in the face of a changing competitive

environment and it has been shown that a strong market share is associated with above-aver-

age profits. Brands have become assets in their own right. In addition, they represent low-risk

opportunities for the manufacturer or service provider and they also represent reduced risk for

the consumer.

What is meant by brand positioning?

Positioning is statement that shows how you are different, better or more special than your

competition. Position is that one thing that one descriptive sentence or slogan the company is

known for that one specific idea that first comes to mind about the product. It is that one

characteristic that sets the service apart from competitors.

For

Volvo that one thing is “Safety.”

McDonalds is “A fun place for kids.”

In Jakarta, Indonesia, Bluebird is “The safest way to travel by taxi.”

Why brand positioning is important?

We need to be clear about why it is important to position a brand-and exactly what a brand is.

As consumers, we are all influenced by the effects of a powerful brand positioning-"brain-

washed," so to speak-to have preference for one versus another. But today there are so many

choices for consumers that this term has a secondary derivation-"whitewashing."

That is, the brand choices are so varied and the differentiation so minimal in terms of product

functionality that we're faced with a sea of indiscernible offerings. This is why it is critical for

a brand to be well positioned and uniquely differentiated.

[58]

What does the result of brand positioning research show?

The market position of a brand shows where a specific brand is located. It also shows the re-

lationship to competitive brands. We can determine the market position of a brand on the ba-

sis of the answers to the following four questions:

Why (which benefits and advantages does the new brand bring to the consumer)

When (determining the opportunities for which the brand is most suitable)

For whom (it is about the determination of the consumer of a brand or target group)

Against whom (determining the main competitive brands)

TITAN PERSPECTIVE

a. Titan initially pioneered the concept of "Gifting watches". The ads captured the

essence of gifting and along with the trendy music, easily caught the imagination of

the market.

b. Customers who were fed up with ugly time machines welcomed the brand and Titan

had a dream run for many years. Titan then moved away from gifting. Titan was posi-

tioning itself as a fashion accessory rather than a time keeping device. Titan also

found its persona in Mr. Aamir khan which provided the much needed edge to the

brand. Titan was careful in keeping the brand above the celebrity. The ads were fresh

and neatly executed. The idea was to make watches that would be seen as style and

fashion accessories rather than just utilitarian devices. The company decided to use

Aamir in brand and product communication on television and in the print and outdoor

media.

Though, the vast distribution and service network of TIL had served as an effective

entry barrier in the 1990s, foreign brands were becoming increasingly popular in the

early 2000s, thanks to the paradigm shifts in the retail scenario and the growing afflu-

ence of the Indian consumers.

And TIL found that it was not safe even at the bottom of the pyramid. The grey mar-

ket with cheap Chinese imports and the unorganized sector had cornered a sizable

[59]

chunk of the low-end market. The appointment of Aamir Khan as brand ambassador

for the Titan brand was seen as an attempt to broad base the appeal of the Titan brand.

c. Titan also was pushing another strategy. Watches were perceived as a onetime buy

and consumers seldom owned multiple watches. So Titan pushed the concept of

"Matching Watches to Clothes" in the recent commercials. Since men are be-

coming more serious customers of fashion accessories, this is strategy that is worth

trying out. For Titan, even if the concept fails, It has created the much needed fresh-

ness in the brand.

d. Earlier Fastrack was targeted at 20-25 year olds and positioned along the line "Cool watches from Titan". Then the company found out that the youth in the age group

of 11-20 years account for 42% of watch buying in India. Based on this insight, the

company relaunched the brand lowering the target segment to 18-30 year olds with

the baseline “How many you have?". Again the strategy aimed at promoting the

multiple watch owning concepts. Fastrack also launched a range of fashion acces-

sories like Sunglasses trying to be a lifestyle brand.

Chapter 4 - Company Profile

4.1 Overview

Titan Industries was established in 1984 as a joint venture between the Tata Group

and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation. The company brought about a para-

digm shift in the Indian watch market, offering quartz technology with international styling,

manufactured in a state-of-the-art factory at Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Leveraging its understand-

ing of different segments in the watch market, the company launched a second independent

watch brand-Sonata, as a value brand to those seeking to buy functionally styled watches at

affordable prices. In addition it focused on the youth with its third brand – Fastrack. It has

also premium fashion watches by acquiring a license for global brands such as Tommy Hil-

figer and Hugo Boss, while. It has also in its portfolio its first Swiss Made watch brand –

Xylys.

[60]

In 1995, the company diversified into jewellery under the brand – Tanishq to capital-

ize on a fragmented market operating with no brands in urban cities. In 2005, the company

launched its second Jewellery brand, Gold Plus, for capitalizing on the opportunity in small

towns and rural India.

The company has now diversified into fashion Eyewear by launching Fastrack Eye-

Gear sunglasses, as well as Prescription Eyewear. The Company leveraged its manufacturing

competencies and branched into Precision Engineering Products and Machine Building from

2003.

Today Titan Industries is India's leading manufacturer of watches and jewellery em-

ploying 3,800 people. Titan and Tanishq are among the most admired brands in their cate-

gories.

4.2 Products

The company manufactures over 8 million watches per annum and has a customer

base of over 80 million. It has manufacturing and assembly operations at Hosur, Dehradun,

Roorkee and Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and an ECB plant in Goa. Its main products are:

· Watches : Currently manufactures four main watch brands viz. Titan for the pre-

mium segment, Fastrack – focused on the youth and trendy fashion space, Sonata for the mass market and Xylys for the premium market. The Titan brand architecture

comprises several sub-brands, each of which is a leader in its segment. Notable

among them are: Titan Edge – The world's slimmest watch which stands for the

philosophy of "less is more"; Titan Raga – the feminine and sensuous accessory for

today's woman, Nebula - crafted in solid gold and precious stones and several other

collections like Wall Street, Heritage, Regalia, Octane, Orion, Diva, Zoop, WWF and the Aviator series, all of which form a part of the Titan wardrobe.

[61]

Sonata is today India's largest watch selling brand and is priced between Rs 295/- and

Rs 1200/-. The company's first Swiss Made watch – Xylys is for the hi-end connois-

seur and new age achiever. It also markets Tommy Hilfiger watches under a licens-

ing arrangement and is introducing Hugo Boss. Today, the Titan portfolio has about

65% of the domestic market share in the organized watch market. 

·

· The company has 255 exclusive showrooms christened 'World of Titan', making

it amongst the largest chains in its category. Titan watches are sold through over

12,000 outlets in over 2,500 cities and internationally in over 30 countries, primarily

in the Middle-East and Asia Pacific. Its after-sales-service is itself a benchmarked op-

eration with a network of 750 service centres and amongst the world's fastest turn-

around times. The company has a world-class design studio for watches and acces-

sories.

· Jewellery : Tanishq is India's largest and fastest growing jewellery brand with a pre-

mium range of gold jewellery studded with diamonds or coloured gems and a wide

range in 22kt pure gold. Platinum jewellery is also a part of the product range Tanishq

is one of India's largest speciality retailers and is transforming the jewellery market in

India 102 boutiques in 72 cities across the country. ‘Gold Plus' is the recent retail of-

fering for the mass market with plain gold jewellery selling through 19 stores

in 19 towns. The jewellery division has its own design studio.

· Eye wear : Titan Eye+ is currently on a pilot mode with 5 stores in 2 cities and

has sunglasses under Fastrack brand and prescription eyewear consisting of Frames,

Lenses, Sunglasses, Accessories and Contact Lenses of in-house brands and other pre-

mium brands.

4.3 Precision Engineering

The company's Precision Engineering Division supplies precision components to the

avionics and the automotive industry. It also manufactures dashboard clocks as OEM to car

manufacturers in Europe and America. The division also provides fully integrated Automa-

tion solutions

[62]

4.4 Awards

The company has been awarded the following distinctions:

· Being named the No.1 Brand in the Consumer Durables category in the "Brand Eq-

uity" Survey of The Economic Times, a leading Indian financial daily.

· The Titan Design Team won the Young Design Entrepreneur of the Year award at the

design awards instituted by the National Institute of Design and Business World, a

leading Indian magazine. The team has won 7 accreditations also.

· Both Titan and Tanishq have been adjudged "Most Admired Brands" as well as "Re-

tailer of the Year" by Images Fashion Forum in consecutive years.

· Retail Asia and Media Magazine – Singapore adjudged Titan Industries as amongst

the leading Retailing Companies in India.

· Titan has won the Brand Leadership award at the India Brand Summit.

· The Time Products Division of the company was awarded the JRD QV Award in

2006.

Chapter 5- Data Collection and Survey Analysis

1. Which sub-brand of Titan watches do you possess?Figure 1: Titan sub-brands possessed by respondents

Table No1: Titan sub-brands possessed by respondents

[63]

S.NO. Sub Brands Percentage%

1 Fastrack 72

2 Sonata 14

3 Raga 6

4 Nebula 4

5 WWF 2

6 Edge 2

Survey Analysis: Titan sub-brand ownedThis was a multiple choice question where respondents were asked to choose sub-

brands of Titan which they possess. It was found that around 72% of the consumers in the age

group of 20-30 years possess Fastrack brand, 14% Sonata, 6% Raga, 4% Nebula and only 2%

own WWF and Edge.

2 .Since how many months / years have you been using Titan watch?

Figure 2: Period of Titan watch’s use

Table No2: Period of Titan watch’s useS.NO. Period Of Usage

YearsPercentage

%

1 1-4 64

[64]

S.NO. Period Of UsageYears

Percentage%

2 4-7 24

3 7-10 12

Survey Analysis:Period of useThe respondents were asked to mention since how long they have been brand loyal to

Titan. This was an open ended question and hence various responses were received. The min-

imum period of use was set as one year, as mentioned earlier, while the maximum period of

use was determined. For convenience, the different responses are categorized into three:

1year – 4years, 4years – 7years and 7years – 10years.

64% of the respondents fall into first category, i.e., they are using Titan watch in the

range of one to four years. 24% respondents are in second category and the rest 12 % are us-

ing it for more than seven years.

3. Why do you prefer Titan brand?

Figure 3: Reasons for brand preference.

[65]

Table 3: Reasons for brand preferenceS.NO. Reasons No. of respondents

(out of total 50)

1 Attractive designs 39

2 Reasonable Price 7

3 Brand image 22

4 Good quality 25

Survey Analysis: Reasons for brand loyaltyThe respondents were asked to select the reasons from the options given for their pref-

erence for Titan watches. For this question, multi-responses were received.

4. Do you remember the original tagline of Titan watches? If yes, please mention.

Figure 4: Recall of Titan’s original tagline

[66]

Table No 4:Recall of Titan’s original tagline

S.NO. Recall of Titan’s Tagline Percentage%

1 YES 22

2 NO 78

Survey Analysis: Recall of Titan’s taglineTitan’s tagline, before brand repositioning exercise has been undertaken, was

“What’s your style”. This tagline was adopted during first rebranding exercise in 2004.

The respondents were asked to indicate whether they remember the tagline in dichoto-

mous way, i.e., as “yes” or “no”. It was found that only 22% of the respondents were able to

recall the tagline and the remaining 78% answered in negative.

5.Have you seen the advertisement of Titan watches? In which media have you seen the advertisement?

Figure 5: Major advertisement media

[67]

Table No.5 Major advertisement mediaS.NO. Major Advertisement Media No. of respondents

(out of 50)

1 TV 46

2 Magazines 25

3 Newspaper 36

4 Hoardings 15

5 Radio 4

Survey Analysis:Titan’s advertisementsTitan advertises its watches in almost all media vehicles. The advertisements can be

seen in TV, magazines, newspaper, hoardings, billboards, radio and so on.

All the 50 respondents have seen the advertisements of Titan watches in various me-

dia. This was a multi-response question and the options given to select were restricted to TV,

magazines, newspapers, hoardings and radio.

6.Who is the brand ambassador of Titan watches?

Figure 6: Awareness of brand ambassador

[68]

Table No 6: Awareness of brand ambassador

S.NO. Awareness of Brand Ambassador No. Of Respondents(out of 50)

1 Don’t know 4

2 Correct responses 46

Survey Analysis: Brand Ambassador of TitanAamir Khan is the brand ambassador of Titan since 2004. When the respondents were

asked to recollect the same, it was found that 46 of 50 sample size were able to correctly

mention the brand ambassador while the remaining 4 did not give any response implying that

they are not aware of it.

7. Are you aware of the new tagline of Titan?

Figure 7: Awareness of new tagline

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Table No 7: Awareness of new taglineS.NO. Awareness of new Tagline Percentage

%

1 Aware 36

2 Not Aware 64

Survey Analysis: Awareness of new tagline – “Be More”

The survey has revealed that less than half of the total numbers of respondents are

aware of new tagline. 36% of the respondents could correctly mention the tagline while the

rest are not even aware that Titan has adopted major rebranding strategies last year.

8. How do you rate the new designs of Titan?

Figure 8: Consumer perception of new designs

[70]

Table No 8: Consumer perception of new designsS.NO. Consumer Perception No. of Respondents

(out of 50)1 Poor -

2 Average 4

3 Above Average -

4 Good 39

5 Excellent 7

Survey Analysis: New designs of TitanTitan has launched several new designs in 2008 in its existing collections and as per

its plans introduced new product collections also. The respondents were asked to rate the new

designs as “poor”, “average”, “above average”, “good” and “excellent”.

7 respondents feel that their designs are “excellent”, 39 have rated them as “good”

and 4 have rated as “average”.

9. Have you seen the new campaign of Titan?

Figure 9: Awareness of new campaign

[71]

Table No 9: Awareness of new campaign

S.NO. Awareness Of New Campaign Percentage%

1 Aware 50

2 Not Aware 50

Survey Analysis: New Campaign of Titan

The survey has revealed that the percentage of respondents who have seen the new

campaign focussing on “be more” featuring Aamir Khan is 50%.

10. Do you think the new advertisement is effective in inspiring con-sumers to have a new look everyday and be more in lives?

[72]

Figure 10: Consumer perception of new campaign

Table No 10: Consumer perception of new campaignS.NO. Consumer Perception Of New Cam-

paignNo.Of Respondents

(out of 25)

1 Not at all effective -

2 Effective 16

3 Highly Effective 9

Survey Analysis: Rating of New CampaignThe 50% of the respondents who have seen the new campaign were asked to rate it

with respect to how effective the campaign is in inspiring consumers to have a new look ev-

eryday and be more in lives.

The respondents were asked to rate it as “not at all effective”, “effective” and “highly

effective”. 16 out of 25 respondents consider the new campaign to be “highly effective”

while the remaining 9 rated it as “effective”

11. How do you rate Titan’s exclusive showrooms ?

[73]

Figure 11: Consumer perception of store ambience

Table No11: Consumer perception of store ambienceS.NO. Store Ambience No. Of Respondents

(out of 50)1 Poor -2 Average -3 Above Average 74 Good 365 Excellent 7

Survey Analysis: Titan’s exclusive showrooms

The respondents were asked to rate Titan’s exclusive showrooms on 5 point rating

scale – Poor, Average, Above Average, Good and Excellent. The factors related to show-

rooms that were provided to the respondents for rating are – store ambience, sales personnel,

after sales service and display of watches.

36 of the 50 respondents have rated store ambience as “Good” and 7 each rated as “Above

Average” and “Excellent”. This proves that store ambience plays an important role in con-

sumer perception of service quality.

12. How do you rate Titan’s showrooms sales personnel ?

[74]

Figure 12: Consumer perception of sales personnel

Table No12: Consumer perception of sales personnel

S.NO. Sales personnel No. Of Respondents(out of 50)

1 Poor 4

2 Average 4

3 Above Average 7

4 Good 35

5 Excellent -

Survey Analysis: Sales PersonnelWith respect to sales personnel, 35 respondents rated them as “Good”, while 4 each

rated as “Poor” and “Average”, 7 respondents gave rating of “Above Average”.

13. How do you rate after sales service of titan?

[75]

Figure 13: Consumer Perception about after sales service

Table No13: Consumer Perception about after sales serviceS.NO. After Sales Service No. Of Respondents

(out of 50)

1 Poor 7

2 Average 4

3 Above Average 4

4 Good 31

5 Excellent 4

Survey Analysis: After sales serviceIn the survey, 31 out of 50 respondents rated after sales service as” Good”, 4 each as “Aver-

age”, “Above Average”, “Excellent” while 7 respondents rated as “Poor”.

14. What is your perception about display of titan watches?Figure 14: Consumer perception of Display of watches

[76]

Table No14: Consumer perception of Display of watchesS.NO. Display Of Watches No. Of Respondents

(out of 50)

1 Poor -

2 Average 4

3 Above Average -

4 Good 24

5 Excellent 22

Survey Analysis: Display of Titan watchesMost of the respondents have given high ratings to the display of watches in Titan showroom.

22 respondents rated it as “Excellent”, 24 respondents as “Good” and only 4 respondents

gave rating of “Average”

15. What is your overall perception about Titan showrooms?Figure 15: Overall perception about Titan showrooms

[77]

Table No15: Overall perception about Titan showroomsS.NO. Titan Showrooms No. Of Respondents

(out of 50)1 Poor -2 Average -3 Above Average -4 Good 305 Excellent 20

Survey Analysis: Overall perception about titan showroomThe respondents were also asked to give overall rating to Titan’s exclusive showrooms. It

was found that out of total 50 respondents, 30 rated as “good” while the remaining considered

the showrooms to be “excellent”.

Around 50% of the respondents rated all the variables related to Titan’s exclusive

showrooms as “good”. This shows that the store ambience, sales personnel, after sales service

and display of watches in the showrooms play a major role in determining the customer per-

ception about brand.

7.2 Findings of the survey

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The findings of the consumer awareness survey are listed below:

72% of the respondents in the age group of 20 – 30 years possess fastrack watch. This

shows that the positioning strategy of these watches has been good.

Most of the consumers prefer Titan watches for their attractive designs and good qual-

ity. However, there is a misconception about pricing of Titan products among the con-

sumers. They perceive them to be high priced.

Logos and taglines are rarely noticed by the watch consumers. Hence, any change in

them also goes unnoticed.

Advertisement in mass media such as television, newspapers, and magazines are best

means to spread awareness about brand.

Celebrity endorsement of watches not only increases the visibility of the product but

also gives an assurance to the consumers that it is of high quality.

Titan watches’ designs are rated as “good” by 78% of the respondents. This indicates

that they are looking forward for more innovative designs to be introduced by the

company.

Only 50% of the respondents have seen the new campaign launched by Titan watches

in July 2008. This implies that the reach of the campaign in six months has been to

more or less half of the consumers. However, those who have seen the new campaign

consider it to be effective in conveying the message it intended to deliver, i.e., to “be

more” in lives.

The after sales service and behavior of sales personnel have been given low ratings

compared to other variables mentioned in the questionnaire with respect to Titan’s ex-

clusive showrooms.

Chapter 8 – Data Interpretation

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In India 70% of the sales in wristwatches come from the lower segment. So, Titan capture the

market by pricing the Sonata at Rs. 350 onwards. It consist of Tata guarantee. Titan prices its

world watches which are compared equal to an international competitor like Calvin Klein.

Here a customer pays about 4 times a value of the world watch hence penetrating the market

with low prices to international players to gain market share.

In the Indian watch industry there is no one offering pure gold watches, watches in pair, Jew-

ellery watches. This concept though exists with foreign competition has just come to India.

TITAN offers these products with the Indian touch in its designs, the products, and the looks.

Hence it is able to skim the market with certain products in these ranges. 

III. SWOT Analysis

A. Strength:

1. Style: Titan first introduced the ‘style’ concept in India and projected the watch as a

fashion accessory. Now a day’s style is a very much evident factor among the youth.

And there is a craze for stylish wristwatch. So, Titan makes the peoples life more glo-

rious by making stylish wristwatch.

2. Models: As Titan offers the best and the biggest range to customer to choose the

watch of their choice with an affordable price.

It offers about 14 different names with about 1000plus different varieties with a watch

for literally everyone.

3. Exclusive products: Today Titan holds the pride for say that its products both

within the country and internationally running in battle position. Its EDGE the

slimmest watch in the world position.

Other than these there have few more strength like-

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4. Contribution of owned brands and retail. The profit is accounted by being in the retail space which is booming.

5. Watches are available with popular functions like dates, multifunc-tion and chronographic.

6. Guarantee/warranty

B. Weaknesses

1. Pricing: the average price of Titan in mid-price segment is very high than the other

competitor. Average price for Titan is Rs.1100 while the price for HMT is Rs.550. In

the mid-price segment the company is not performing up to the mark due to the lack

of choice of consumers.

2. Market share: As the average price of Titan wristwatch is far more than the other

competitor, Titan has less market share. The market is more demonstrate by middle

class people and for them Titan is quite costly. Among 75% market share in mid-seg-

ment. Titan market share is between 18-20% which is far lower than HMT and Max-

ima.

3. Globalized: As the company is Indian based which leads it to the strength, where as

it is the weakness also because the company not sufficiently globalized.

C. Opportunities

1. Seasonality: At the time of festival, like Diwali Titan promotes Nebula, Bandhan

because there is demand for the products.

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- Gold watches and pairs are the like as a wedding occasion.

-The fast track brand is promoted in month of June-August when schools and

colleges re-open.

2. Gifting concept: Titan started as a brand which was associated with gifting and

relation. The fight concept sells well for people have come to associate Titan with

lovecare and makes emotion run high.

3. Exchanging offer: The Titan stores offer exchange offer of any old watch, of

any make, in any condition functional or otherwise and receive a flat discount of 25%

on their purchase of a brand new, stylish and technologically advanced watch from

Titan.

D. Threats

1. Competitor: As we know that lots of Foreign brands are entering in our country

with their branded watches. As the removal of quantitative restrictions on import watches

leads to threat to titan.

2. Premium segment: As in premium segment Titan is getting threats from re-

puted international brand such as Espirit, Swatch and Citizen.

3. Mobile: Now a days people can get the time and the other feature in mobile

phone. So, the need of wristwatch is in decreasing trend. People can talk and see the time in a

cell phone and some people think that there is no need of wristwatch.

IV. Marketing Objectives:

Titan industries in watch holds 70% in Domestic level and 60% in Share in organized sector

market.

Companies the marketing objectives is to increase in market share by 5% .

Before implementing the of marketing strategies we must have to focus on certain

things ,which include the BCG Matrix representation.

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Titan industries has registered an Income of Rs.1,104.85 crore as compared to previous year

which was Rs 7,25.11. In all the income the Titan industry had contributed Rs.3,03.45 crore.

Chapter 8 – Conclusion

← To increase its visibility, Titan Company can sponsor events similar to fashion shows

in which all latest designs launched are displayed. This would have multiplier effect

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as the latest designs launched by the company gets noticed by different segments of

the customers in varied ways.

← Tie –up with FM radio channels for reminder advertisements and informing cus-

tomers about various sales promotion offers from time-to-time.

← Invest more in R&D as customer expectations are changing rapidly. Though Titan has

got more product collections, it should focus on introducing more varieties in already

existing product collections. In other words, having a limited but more depth in prod-

uct collections would be more advantageous.

← Introduce exclusive collection for working women which is more contemporary and

complements both traditional and western wear.

← Majority of the population in India live in rural areas. So, showrooms should be set up

at places nearer to them. Introduce cheaper and rough use watches for this segment.

← After sales service has to be improved. That is, the process of servicing and repairing

of watches should be made faster. This can be done by ensuring the spare parts avail-

ability and training all sales personnel in Titan showrooms to undertake these tasks.

← Tie up with international watch brands and make them available locally.

← Make use of internet to spread awareness among consumers about the brand.

Chapter 8 – Suggestions and Recommendation

Suggestions given by the respondents to improve brand image.

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Varied responses were received for this question. All the responses have been summa-

rized as follows:

← Introduce more trendy and innovative designs

← Focus on niche markets such as working men and women

← Spread awareness about availability of watches in lower segments as most of the con-

sumers feel that Titan brand is synonymous with premium watches.

← Take steps to change consumer perception that Titan watches are high priced.

← Improve after sales service.

Appendices

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Which sub-brand of Titan watches do you possess?

a) Fastrack

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b) Sonata

c) Raga

d) Nebula

e) Others, please specify…………………………….

2. Since how many months / years have you been using Titan watch?

3. Why do you prefer Titan brand?

a) Attractive designs,

b) Reasonable price

c) Brand image

d) Good quality

4. Do you remember the original tagline of Titan watches? If yes, please mention.

5. Have you seen the advertisement of Titan watches? In which media have you seen the

advertisement?

a) TV

b) Newspaper

c) Magazines

d) Hoardings

e) Radio

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6. Who is the brand ambassador of Titan watches?

7. Are you aware of the new tagline of Titan?

a) Aware

b) Not aware

8. How do you rate the new designs of Titan?

a) Poor

b) Average

c) Above Average

d) Good

e) Excellent

9. Have you seen the new campaign of Titan?

a) Yes b) No

10. Do you think the new advertisement is effective in inspiring consumers to have a new

look everyday and be more in lives?

a) Not at all effective

b) Effective

c) Highly effective

11. How do you rate Titan’s exclusive showrooms with respect to the following:

(1–Poor, 2-Average, 3-Above Average, 4-Good, 5-Excellent)

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a) Ambience -

b) Sales personnel -

c) After sales service -

d) Display of watches -

e) Overall showroom -

13. What suggestions would you like to give to improve Titan’s brand image among

customers?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marketing Management – Philip Kotler

Special Studies in Marketing- Romeo S. Mascarenhas

WIBLIOGRAPHY

www.titanwold.com 

www.tata.com/titan 

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www.google.com 

www.indianfoline.com 

www.thehindu.com 

www.economictimes.com

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