INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY


In the year 1946 the first milk union was established. This union was started with 250 liters of milk per day. In the year 1955 AMUL was established. In the year 1946 the union was known as KAIRA DISTRICT CO-OPERATIVE MILK PRODUCERS’ UNION. This union selected the brand name AMUL in 1955.

The brand name Amul means “AMULYA”. This word derived form the Sanskrit word “AMULYA” which means “PRICELESS”. A quality control expert in Anand had suggested the brand name “AMUL”. Amul products have been in use in millions of homes since 1946. Amul Butter, Amul Milk Powder, Amul Ghee, Amulspray, Amul Cheese, Amul Chocolates, Amul Shrikhand, Amul Ice cream, Nutramul, Amul Milk and Amulya have made Amul a leading food brand in India. (The total sale is Rs. 6 billion in 2005). Today Amul is a symbol of many things like of the high-quality products sold at reasonable prices, of the genesis of a vast co-operative network, of the triumph of indigenous technology, of the marketing savvy of a farmers' organization. And have a proven model for dairy development (Generally known as “ANAND PATTERN”).

In the early 40’s, the main sources of earning for the farmers of Kaira district were farming and selling of milk. That time there was high demand for milk in Bombay. The main supplier of the milk was Polson dairy limited, which was a privately owned company and held monopoly over the supply of milk at Bombay from the Kaira district. This system leads to exploitation of poor and illiterates’ farmers by the private traders. The traders used to beside the prices of milk and the farmers were forced to accept it without uttering a single word.

However, when the exploitation became intolerable, the farmers were frustrated. They collectively appealed to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was a leading activist in the freedom movement. Sardar Patel advised the farmers to sell the milk on their own by establishing a co-operative union, Instead of supplying milk to private traders. Sardar Patel sent the farmers to Shri Morarji Desai in order to gain his co-operation and help. Shri Desai held a meeting at Samarkha village near Anand, on 4th January 1946. He advised the farmers to form a society for collection of the milk.




These village societies would collect the milk themselves and would decide the prices at which they can sell the milk. The district union was also form to collect the milk from such village co-operative societies and to sell them. It was also resolved that the Government should be asked to buy milk from the union.

However, the govt. did not seem to help farmers by any means. It gave the negative response by turning down the demand for the milk. To respond to this action of govt., the farmers of Kaira district went on a milk strike. For 15 whole days not a single drop of milk was sold to the traders. As a result the Bombay milk scheme was severely affected. The milk commissioner of Bombay then visited Anand to assess the situation. Having seemed the condition, he decided to fulfill the farmers demand.

Thus their cooperative unions were forced at the village and district level to collect and sell milk on a cooperative basis, without the intervention of Government. Mr. Verghese Kurien showed main interest in establishing union who was supported by Shri Tribhuvandas Patel who lead the farmers in forming the Co-operative unions at the village level. The Kaira district milk producers union was thus established in ANAND and was registered formally on 14th December 1946. Since farmers sold all the milk in Anand through a co-operative union, it was commonly resolved to sell the milk under the brand name AMUL.



At the initial stage only 250 liters of milk was collected everyday. But with the growing awareness of the benefits of the cooperativeness, the collection of milk increased. Today Amul collect 11 lakhs liters of milk everyday. Since milk was a perishable commodity it becomes difficult to preserve milk flora longer period. Besides when the milk was to be collected from the far places, there was a fear of spoiling of milk. To overcome this problem the union thought out to develop the chilling unit at various junctions, which would collect the milk and could chill it, so as to preserve it for a longer period. Thus, today Amul has more than 150 chilling centers in various villages. Milk is collected from almost 1073 societies.

With the financial help from UNICEF, assistance from the govt. of New Zealand under the Colombo plan, of Rs. 50 millions for factory to manufacture milk powder and butter was planned. Dr.Rajendra Prasad, the president of India laid the foundation on November 15, 1954. Shri Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India declared it open at Amul dairy on November 20, 1955.


PEOPLE POWER: AMUL'S SECRET OF SUCCESS



The system succeeded mainly because it provides an assured market at remunerative prices for producers' milk besides acting as a channel to market the production enhancement package. What's more, it does not disturb the agro-system of the farmers. It also enables the consumer an access to high quality milk and milk products. Contrary to the traditional system, when the profit of the business was cornered by the middlemen, the system ensured that the profit goes to the participants for their socio-economic upliftment and common good.


Looking back on the path traversed by Amul, the following features make it a pattern and model for emulation elsewhere.


Amul has been able to:

• Produce an appropriate blend of the policy makers farmers board of management and the professionals: each group appreciating its rotes and limitations,
• Bring at the command of the rural milk producers the best of the technology and harness its fruit for betterment.
• Provide a support system to the milk producers without disturbing their agro-economic systems,
• Plough back the profits, by prudent use of men, material and machines, in the rural sector for the common good and betterment of the member producers and



• Even though, growing with time and on scale, it has remained with the smallest producer members. In that sense. Amul is an example par excellence, of an intervention for rural change.



The Union looks after policy formulation, processing and marketing of milk, provision of technical inputs to enhance milk yield of animals, the artificial insemination service, veterinary care, better feeds and the like - all through the village societies. Basically the union and cooperation of people brought Amul into fame i.e. AMUL (ANAND MILK UNION LIMITED), a name which suggest THE TASTE OF INDIA.








MARKETING RESEARCH


Marketing research plays an important role in the process of marketing. Starting with market component of the total marketing talks. It helps the firm to acquire a better understanding of the consumers, the competition and the marketing environment.


DEFINITION

“Marketing research is a systematic gathering, recording and analysis marketing problem to facilitate decision making.”
- Coundiff & Still.

“Marketing research is a systematic problem analysis, model building and fact finding for the purpose of important decision making and control in the marketing of goods and services.
- Phillip Kotler.


MAIN STEPS INVOLVED IN MARKETING RESEARCH

Defining the Marketing Problem to be tackled and identifying the market research problem involved in the task.

(1) Define the problem and its objectives.
(2) Identify the problem.
(3) Determine the information needed.
(4) Determine the sources of information.
(5) Decide research methods.
(6) Tabulate, Analyze and interpret the data.
(7) Prepare research report.
(8) Follow-up the study.





(1) Define the problem and its objectives :- This includes an effective job in planning and designing a research project that will provide the needed information. It also includes the establishment of a general framework of major marketing elements such as the industry elements, competitive elements, marketing elements and company elements.

(2) Identify the problem :- Identifying the problem involves getting acquainted with the company, its business, its products and market environment, advertising by means of library consultation and extensive interviewing of company’s officials.

(3) Determining the specific Information needed :- In general the producer, the manufacturer, the wholesaler and the retailer try to find out four things namely :-

(1) What to sell
(2) When to sell
(3) Where to sell
(4) How to sell

(4) Determine the sources of information :-

(a) Primary Data :- Primary datas are those which are gathered specially for the project at hand, directly – e.g. through questionnaires & interviews. Primary data sources include company salesman, middleman, consumers, buyers, trade association’s executives & other businessman & even competitors.
(b) Secondary Data :- These are generally published sources, which have been collected originally for some other purpose. Source are internal company records, government publication, reports & publication, reports & journals, trade, professional and business associations publications & reports.





(4) Decide Research methods for collecting data :- If it is
found that the secondary data cannot be of much use, collection of
primary data become necessary. Three widely used methods of
gathering primary data are

A) Survey
B) Observation
C) Experimentation


A) Survey Method :- In this method, information gathered directly from individual respondents, either through personal interviews or through mail questionnaires or telephone interviews.

B) Observation Method :- The research data are gathered through observing and recording their actions in a marketing situation. This technique is highly accurate. It is rather an expensive technique.

C) Experimental Method :- This method involves carrying out a small scale trial solution to a problem, while at the same time, attempting to control all factors relevant to the problem. The main assumption here is that the test conditions are essentially the same as those that will be encountered later when conclusions derived from the experiment are applied to a broader marketing area.

D) The Panel Research :- In this technique the same group of respondents is contacted for more then one occasion; and the information obtained to find out if there has been any in their taste demand or they want any special quality, color, size, packing in the product.


a) Preparation of questionnaire
b) Presetting of questionnaire
c) Planning of the sample



(5) Tabulate, Analysis and Interpret the Data :-
The report must give/contain the following information:-

a) The title of research
b) The name of the organization for which it has been
Conducted
c) The objectives of research
d) The methodology used
e) Organization and the planning of the report
f) A table of contents along with charts and diagrams used in the reports
g) The main report containing the findings
h) Conclusion arrived at end recommendations suggested
i) Appendices (containing questionnaire / forms used sample design, instructions.)


(6) Follow-up the study :- The researchers, in the last stage, should follow up this study to find if his recommendation are being implemented and if not, why

RESEARCH DESIGN



“Advertising is a paid form of non-personal presentation and promotion of ideas, goods or services by an identified sponsor.”




1. RESEARCH PROBLEM




 Increase the awareness level of AMUL CHOCOLATE.

 Seek the general perception of consumer towards AMUL CHOCOLATE.

 To find the performance of AMUL CHOCOLATE vis-à-vis other Brands.

 To know the consumer psyche and their behaviour towards AMUL
CHOCOLATE.
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