Volume XXXV • Number 9 • September 2005

Segmentation using attitude change theories

Attitude formation and change theories in consumer behaviour literature have received wide attention till date. These theories especially attitude formation theories are used by marketers to segment, target and position products and services. However, little evidence exists in the use of attitude change theories for segmenting, and targeting. This paper addresses the above concern. The paper attempts at understanding the use of attitude change theories for segmentation and targeting by using nicotine patches as an example. The choice of the product is apt considering the growing importance of anti tobacco movement across the globe.
The paper briefly describes how attitude forms and changes, followed by description of nicotine patches, segmentation and targeting scheme for nicotine patches using attitude change theories.

G. Sridhar
Doctoral Student (Second Year)
IRMA, Anand

Expectations and perceptions of service quality in old and new generation banks-A study of select banks in the South Canara regions

Recognition of service quality as a competitive weapon is relatively a recent phenomenon in the Indian Banking sector. Prior to the liberalization era the banking sector in India was operating in a protected environment and was dominated by nationalized banks. Banks at that time did not feel the need to pay attention to service quality issues and they assigned very low priority to identification and satisfaction of customer needs..

Joshua A J
Sr. Lecturer
Manipal Institute of Management
Manipal

Moli.P.Koshi
Reader
School of Management Studies
Cochin University of Science & Technology
Kochi

Satisfaction derived by the users’ of petrocard in Coimbatore city

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is the second largest oil company, in terms of market share and processing of the crude oil, in India. It processes about nine million metric tonnes of crude oil per annum. The company has its network throughout India and it reaches seven hundred million Indians in some way in their every day life. The company launched a programme known as “Smart Fleet” to satisfy the fuel requirements of fleet owners and corporates and this programme received an enthusiastic response from over 2500 clients in a very short span of time. With a view to satisfy the similar type of requirements of the individuals, who consume fuel for operating their vehicles, the company has launched a programme known as “Petro Card” during March 2000 in Mumbai as an experiment. As the programme received an excellent response from the individuals, the company has extended the same to the customers all over India.

Dr. R. Vijaykumar
PG & Research Dept. Of Commerce
VLB Janakiammal College Of Arts & Science
(Affiliated to Bharathiar University)
Coimbatore

Vijaykumar P.
PG & Research Dept. Of Commerce
Sree Narayana Guru College
(Affiliated to Bharathiar University)
Coimbatore

Distribution and Retailing trends in rural markets – A study in villages of Gujarat

The Indian rural market with enormous size and demand base, offers great opportunities to marketers. With nearly three fourth of the country’s consumers accounting for one half of the national income, India’s rural market is indeed a large one. Talking in numerical terms it consists of more than 741 million consumers, and more than 12 crore house holds, forming over 70 % of the total households in the country.
Agriculture production is growing year by year. If agriculture grows at the projected rate this year, the rural economy could receive a boost as good monsoon leads to a spurt in demand for almost all types of products. As per NCAER India market demographic report 2002 middle class is bulging in size and the increase is very significant in rural areas. New policies announced in Union Budget are expected to put more disposable money in the Indian consumers’ pockets. And this will encourage them to buy more products especially in the rural belts. As the rural market becomes more attractive competition will intensify and success will depend on reaching a large no of customers in vast geographical area cheaply and profitably.

Amit Jain
Faculty
Shri Chimanbhai Patel Institute
of Management and Research
Ahmedabad,Gujarat

Raju. M. Rathod
Lecturer
PG Department of Business Studies
Sardar Patel University
Vallabh Vidyanagar,Gujarat

A study on cotton seeds in rural market with reference to Nalgonda district (A.P.)

Cotton is fiber crop. It is one of the important commercial crops in India. It occupies an important place in the Indian economy. It is an important earner of foreign exchange. Its cultivation provides employment to 16 million people. The cotton plant yields cotton fiber and cottonseeds. The fiber is important raw material for the textile industry. Cottonseeds yields edible oil and also cake suitable for the folder. The Cottonseeds oil is largely used in the vanaspati Industry. Thus cotton is rightly described as “White Gold”. It has been aptly called the “Universal Fiber”.

M. Venkat Ramana Reddy
Assistant Professor
Department of Business Management
Osmania University PG College
Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh

Retail Banking Awareness: An Empirical Analysis (With Special Reference to Private Sector Banks)

Now a day, banking is the most important of the world’s economy. The banking functions are the routine functions of one life, which is inevitable, and this one expects to the best, convenient and speedier. The emergence of private sector banks has changed the whole scenario of the banking functions in the recent years.
Banks nowadays plans to lay greater stress on consumer banking in the coming years, with a view to achieve higher marker penetration and profitability. Technology has paved the way for expanding the horizon of consumer banking and has smartened up the staid business of banking. In the pre-liberalization days, banking was considered as a chore you would like to finish off as quickly as possible. Today the scenario is totally different. Banks driven by the ever-growing competition have improvised on existing features and created new facilities that are more customers friendly. Growing Indian middle class today has a disposable surplus income and aspires for a better lifestyle. The busy business executive needs cash at any time, at all places and is willing to pay extra for this service. New breed of financial services brand viz. convenience banking, anywhere banking, tele-banking, branchless banking and on-line banking have appeared on the banking landscape. Most of the private and foreign banks have linked up their branches enabling a customer to operate his account from any, even from different cities.

Dr. Sanjay J. Bhayani
Associate Professor
Smt. R. D. Gardi Department of Business Management
(M.B.A. Programme)
Saurashtra University, University Road
Rajkot – 360 005
Gujarat, India
email: sanjaybhayani@yahoo.com

Indian financial services sector: emerging marketing challenges and strategies

Indian economy has undergone a sea change in its structure, policy and regulation, due to liberalization and globalization, since 1991. Markets for services are no exception this. The contribution of services sector (including sizable contribution from financial services sector) for GDP has increased to 51% in 2003, from 36% in 1980. The financial services sector includes factoring, merchant banking, venture capital etc. The paper aims at a couple objectives (1) to analyze the contribution of service sector in general and financial service sector in particular to India’s GDP, (2) to outline the emerging marketing challenges/problems and strategies for Indian financial service sector in the current post-liberalized era.

Dr. Teki Surayya
Assistant professor
National Institute of Financial Management
(Autonomous Institute of Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India)
Sector-48, Pali Road, Faridabad-121001
email: teki@nifm.ac.in, teki9@rediffmail.com