1.

INTRODUCTION OF PARLE

When the name Parle come to our mouth the first thought come is Parle G. Parle Products
has been India’s largest manufactures of biscuits and confectionery for 86 years now. Time
changed, variety of biscuits did come and go but nothing has changed with these biscuits.
Yes, the size of their packing has definitely changed but for the consumers good asthese are
money savers pack. The Parle name conjures up fond memories across the length and
breadth of the country. After all, since 1929, the people of India have been growing up on
Parle biscuits & sweets.
Currently Parle’s reach spans even in the remotest villages in India. Which initially started as
a small factory in the suburbs of Mumbai city in the area of Parle, to manufacture sweets
and toffees. It started in 1929 and the market was dominated by famous international
brands that were imported freely. It was the rule of British dominance therefore the British
biscuits were in demand as British had their dominance even in biscuits. Despite the odds
and unequal competition, this company called Parle Products, survived and succeeded, by
concentrating to high quality and improvising from time to time.
A decade later, in 1939, Parle Products began manufacturing biscuits, in addition to sweets
and toffees. Having already established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand name grew
in strength with this diversification.
Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the first brands of biscuits to be introduced, which
later went on to become leading name for gret taste and quality.
For around 75 years, Parle have been manufacturing quality biscuits and confectionery
products. Over the years Parle has grown to become a multimillion-dollar company with
many
Of the products as market leaders in their category. According to Nielson survey in 2011,
Parle G is the largest selling brand biscuits in the world.
The major brands of Parle Products Limited are Parle-G, Mango Bite, Sixer, Melody, and
Hide and Seek.
All Parle Products are manufactured under most hygienic conditions. Parle Products Limited
produces various categories of biscuits like salted and sweet cream, cumin seed, milk and
cheese. The company also produces a wide range of confectionery items such as candies
and toffees that are available in different flavours like mint, tropical fruit, cola and
chocolate. Parle Products has 4 manufacturing unit for biscuits and confectionaries at
Mumbai, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bangalore. It also has 14 manufacturing units for biscuits
& 5 manufacturing units for confectioneries, on contract. All these factories are located at
strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output & easy distribution.
Today, Parle enjoys a 40% share of the total biscuits market and a 15% share of the total
confectionary market, in India.
 2. HISTORY OF PARLE

Parle Products company was founded in 1929 in British India. It was owned by the Chauhan
family of Vile Parle, Mumbai.
Parle began manufacturing biscuits in 1939. In 1947, when India become independent, the
company launched an ad campaign, showcasing its Gluco biscuits as an Indian alternative to
the British biscuits

SINCE 1929, PARLE HAS BEEN A NAME THAT YOU CAN TRUST.
 Mr. Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan founded the house of Parle in 1928. The first factory
was set up with just 12 people making confectionery.
 In 1938, came in the famous Parle glucose biscuits. The first biscuit of Parle
company.
 In between 1940-45 the famous Monaco Parle biscuit was launched the first even
salted cracker.
 Parle not only had its reputation in biscuits and confectionery but it also was leading
in technology. In 1946 Parle build the India’s longest over – 250 feet long.
 In 1956 came the cheeslings with which the nation found a new way to enjoy cheese
snacks.
 In 1963 Parle expended its confectionery market with the introduction of Parle kismi
and poppins in 1966.
 In 1971, Parle received their first Monde selection Award.
 In 1974, Parle introduced the original sweet and salty biscuit, Krackjack.
 In 1983, Parle glucose was changed to Parle-G where G stood for glucose.
 Parle launched the chocolately melody in 1983 and India’s first mango candy Mango
bite in 1986.
 Hide and seek, India’s most loved and moulded chocolate chip biscuits were
introduced in 1996.
 Since then Parle is a symbol of quality, nutrition and trust over generations.
2.1 PRODUCTS

Biscuit goodies:
Parle -G, KrackJack, Monaco, Kreams, Golden Arcs, Parle Marie, Milk Shakti, Parle Hide &
Seek
Bourbon, Parle Hide & Seek Fab, Top, Parle Gold Star, Happy Happy, 20-20, simply good,
Namkeen parle magix, coconut, Cheeselings, Parle-G Gold
Sweets:
Melody, Mango Bite, Poppins, 2 in 1 Eclairs, Mazelo, kismi Toffee Bar, London Dairy, Kaccha
Mango Bite
Snacks:
Monaco Smart Chips, Parle’s Wafers, Fulltoss, Parle Namkeens, Parle rusk

2.2 REVOLUTION OF PARLE:

Parle-G has been a stong household name across India. The great taste, high nutrition, and
the international quality, makes Parle-G a winner. No wonder, it’s the undisputed leader in
the biscuit category for decades. Parle-G is consumed by people of all ages, from the rich to
the poor, living in cities & in villages. While some have it for breakfast, for others it is a
complete wholesome meal. For some it’s the best accompaniment for chai, while for some
it’s a way of getting charged whenever they are low on energy. Because of this, Parle-G is
the world’s largest selling brand of biscuits.
Launched in the year 1939, it was one of the first brands of Parle Products. It was called
Parle Glucose Biscuits mainly to cute that it was a glucose biscuit. It was manufactured at
the Mumbai factory, Vile Parle and sold in units of half and quarter pound packs.
The incredible demand led Parle to introduce the brand in special branded Packs and larger
festive tin packs. By the year 1949, Parle Glucose biscuits were available not just in Mumbai
but also across the state. It was also sold in parts of North India. The early 50s produced
over 150 tons of biscuits produced in the were introduced in the market. And these brands
had names that were similar to Parle Glucose Biscuits so that if not by anything else, the
consumer would in picking the brand. This forced Parle to change the name from Parle
Glucose Biscuits to Parle-G.
Originally packed in the wax paper pack, today it is available in a contemporary, premium
BOPP pack with attractive side fins.
The new airtight pack helps to keep the biscuits fresh and tastier for a longer period.
Parle-G was the only biscuits brand that was always in short supply. It was heading towards
becoming an all-time great brand of biscuits.
Parle-G started being advertised in the 80’s. It was advertised mainly through press ads. The
communication spoke about the basic benefits of energy and nutrition. In 1989, Parle-G
released its Dadaji commercials, ehich went on to become one of the most popular
commercial for Parle-G. The commercial was run for a period of 6 years.
Parle-G grew bigger by the minute. Be it the packs sold, the areas covered or the number of
consumers. It become a part of the daily lives of many Indians. It wasn’t a biscuits any more.
It had become an icon.
The next level of communication associated the brand with the positive values of life like
honesty, sharing and caring.
In the year 1997, Parle-G sponsored the tele-serial of the Indian superhero, Shaktimaan that
went on to become a huge success. The personality of the superhero matched the overall
superb benefits of the brand. Parle extended this association with Shaktimaan and gave
away a lot of merchandise of Shaktimaan, which was supported by POS and press
communication. The children just could not get enough of Parle-G and Shaktimaan.
In the year 2002, it was decided to bring the brand closer to the child who is a major
consumer. A nstional level promo- ‘Parle-G Mere Sapna Sach Hoga’ was run for a period of 6
months.
The promo was all about fulfilling the dreams of children. There were over 5 lakh responses
and of that, over 300 dreams were fulfilled.
Dreams that were fulfilled ranged from trips to Disneyland at Paris & Singapore; free ride on
a chartered plane; 20 scholarships worth Rs50,000; a special cricket coaching etc.
The year 2002 will go down as a special year in Parle-G’s advertising history. A year that saw
the brith of G-man – a new ambassador for Parle-G.
Not just a hero but also a super-hero that saves the entire world, especially children from all
the evil forces. A campaign that is not just new to the audiences but one that involves a
completely new way of execution that is loved by children all over the world – Animation To
make the brand much more interesting and exciting with children, it was decided to launch
a premium version of Parle-G called Parle-G Magix in the year 2002. Parle-G Magix is
available in two exciting tastes ‘Choco’ & ‘Cashew’.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH

Marketing strategies of Parle

3.2 FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

 Unit of Analysis – Parle

 Characteristics of Interest – It’s marketing strategies in India
 Time and space boundary – 2 months
 Environment conditions – Difference in consumer preferences, competition among
the major players

3.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH

o To understand the influence of Parle as a brand on consumers mind set.

o To understand the requirement of the product.
o To understand the sources of marketing strategies of Parle as a company and its
proict offerings.
o To study the effectiveness of Parle’s marketing strategy for its different products.
o To analyze how Parle is able to cater consumer needs in competitive environment.

3.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY:

The respondent who are interested and tend to buy Parle products will be chosen as the
population of the study. The research is conducted in Mmbai through questionnaire. The
sample will be students and working people.

3.5 EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SURVEY:

The data has been collected from various news, articles and websites.
3.6 DEVELOPING OF HYPOTHESIS:

A supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting

point for further investigation.
The null hypothesis is generally assumed to be true unit evidence indicates otherwise. In
statistics, it is often denoted H0. The null hypothesis is what we test through the use of
statistics and is abbreviated H0. Since we are testing the null, we can assume then that if the
null is not true then some alternative to the null must be true. The research hypothesis
stated earlier becomes our alternative, abbreviated H1. In order to make reserch as specific
as possible we typically look for one of two outcomes, either the null or the alternative
hypothesis. To conclude that there is no difference between the two groups means we are
accepting our null hypothesis. If we,however, show that the null is not true then we must
reject it and therefore conclude that the alternative hypothesis must be true.
Null hypothesis H0 – Parle brand loyal Consumer doesn’t get influence by competitor’s
advertisement.
Alternate Hypothesis H1 – Parle brand loyal Consumer get influenced by cometitor’s
advertisement.

3.7 RESEARCH DESIGN:

The research will be carried out in the form of a survey which will be done in areas of
Mumbai. The population has been segmented on the basis of Age Group and Class of
People.

Sample Design:
The target population for our study is consumers. The sample will be selected by a simple
random sampling method.
Sample Size:
The sampling unit is 50 people.

3.8 SOURCE OF DATA:

Data Gathering: (Primary Data and Secondary Data)
This study involves data collection (primary research) from different consumers in different
areas of Mumbai.
The research conducted as a part of our study would include Primary as well as Secondary
research. Primary research would include collection of information by face-to-face and
direct interviews with the consumers for the preparation of the report where the responses
of consumers would be recorded through a designed questionnaire. They provide the
relevant information regarding the profit of the company as compared to the other
company in the Indian market. Secondary research would include various aspects of
marketing strategies through internet, journals, company reports, expert views, etc. It was
of great help to conduct the research work. Research in addition to secondary research as
stated earlier. The survey research method will be descriptive research design.

3.9 LIMITATION:
1. The results are based on primary data. The accuracy of the result is also limited to
the reliability of the methods of investigation, measurement and analysis of data.
2. The data collected may or may not be accurate because the respondent might have
been bias.

4. STRATEGIES AND STP OF PARLE

4.1 THE MARKETING STRENGTH
The extensive distribution network, built over the years, is a major strength for Parle
Products. Parle biscuits & sweet are available to consumers, even in the most remote places
and in the smallest of villages with a population of just 500. Parle has nearly 1,500
wholesalers, catering to 4,25,000 retail outlets directly or indirectly. A two hundred strong
dedicated field force services these wholesalers & retailers. Additionally, there are 31
depots and C&F agents supplying goods to the wide distribution network.
The Parle marketing philosophy emphasizes catering to the masses. They constantly
endeavour at designing products that provide nutrition & fun tithe common man. Most
Parle offerings are in the low & mid-range price segments. This is based on their
understanding of the Indian consumer psyche. The value-for-money positioning helps
generate large sales volumes for the products.
However, Parle Products also manufactures a variety of premium products for the up-
market, urban consumers. And in this way, caters arrange of products to a variety of
consumers.

4.2 MARKETING MIX OF PARLE

 PRODUCT:

Parle-G is one of the most popular, oldest and largest selling brands in India. Over
the years, this brand has been a symbol of health, quality and taste. On the similar
lines of Britannia’s Tiger, which already has its five different variants; Parle-G
followed line-extension branding strategy to introduce recently two of its variants,
Parle-G Milk Shakti and Parle-G Magix, distinguished basically on flavours.

 PLACE:

The extensive distribution network built over the years is a major strength for Parle
products. Parle biscuits & sweet are available to consumers even in the remote
places in the smallest of villages with a population of 500.

DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL LEVEL

Parle has nearly 1,500 wholesellers, catering to 4,25,000 retail outlets directly or
indirectly. A two hundred strong dedicated field force services these wholesellers &
retailers. Additionally, there are 31 depots and C&F agents supplying goods to the
wide distribution network. So, it is seen that Parle has 1 Level, 2 Level & 3 Level
distribution level channels.

LEVEL 1- availability to all departmental stores.

LEVEL 2- Since it’s an FMCG product this channel exists for customers scattered
throughout the country.
LEVEL 3- Mass consumption & suitable national and international coverage.
For example-
Parle’s international operations consist of serving markets in the middle East, Africa,
South America, Sri Lanka,Australia and North America for which 3 Level distribution
channel exists.
Parle-G along with Hide & Seek employs two-channel marketing system to reach
customers as they use two distribution channels (i.e. five-level and three-level);
whereas Tiger and Sun feast uses multi-channel marketing system as they are
distributed through three-level, four-level and five-level distribution channels.

 PRICE:

The Parle marketing philosophy emphasizes catering to the masses. It certainly

endeavours at designing products that provide nutrition and fun to the common
man. Most parle offerings are in the low and mid-price segments. This is based on its
cultivated understanding of the Indian consumer psyche. The value for money
positioning helps generate large sales volumes for the products.
 Parle G has adopted the Market penetration strategy i.e., low price along with
capturing of the whole market. Also, they focus on low prices and provide good
quality product at the same time, which means it uses the value pricing method. This
benefits Parle G by having a competitive edge in terms of large market share which is
around 40% both rural and urban currently.
For setting the price of parle Hide & Seek biscuits, a survey was taken in the urban
and semiurban markets on the basis of which hide and seek was introduced. It was
found that the potential customers were ready to pay for the innovative product the
chocolate chip biscuits. Thus, Parle adopted the market skimming where the product
is high priced and also of high quality. It includes the cost of chocolates, packaging
and other processing cost. All these shows customer status which is also one of the
reasons for parle hide and seeks high price.
A separate example for explaining the pricing strategy of parle is its product Parle
Creams. For this product uses going rate method only as a reference rate. In this
case, Parle creams were introduced after Britannia’s Cream Treats with similar
variants but at Rs. 5 per packet of biscuits and not Rs. 10 like that of Britannia’s
cream treats.
Cost: Price of 100gm Parle-G has been maintained at 4Rs/- for last 25 years, which
was raised from 3.75Rs/- in 1994.
In 2003 Parle-G tried to change its price from 4Rs/- to 4.5Rs/- for a small brief
period; but since customers of glucose-biscuits are very price-sensitive, it caused a
big dip in its sales (Tax Guru,2009).
Therefore, Parle-G had to change its pricing strategy back, although by then it
allowed Tiger to gain significant glucose-market share. Since then, there has been
reductions in the pack size (e.g. from 100gm to 82.5gm) without any price change.
For Parle-G biscuits, raw-material costs 60% and packaging costs 20-25% of the total
cost. It charges prices from 1,2 and 4 to 50Rs/- depending upon the pack size.

 PROMOTION:

The marketing mix tools used by Parle are Sales promotion, Adverting, and Public
relations.

Sales Promotion

Parle uses the Sales force promotion tool for all its employees. Every year it holds
day fairs at branded venues where games and fun events are organised for the
employees of Parle and their families; where Parle products are gives away prizes.

Advertising

Parle-G started being advertised in the 80’s. It was advertised mainly through press
ads. The communication spoke about the basic benefits of energy and nutrition. In
1989, Parle-G released its Dadaji commercial, which went on to become one of the
 most popular commercials for Parle-G. The commercial was run for a period of 6
years. Parle-G grew bigger by the minute. Be it the packs sold,are as covered or the
number of consumers. It become a part of the daily lives of many Indians. It wasn’t a
biscuits any more. It had become an icon. The next level of communication
associated the brand with the positive values of life like honestly, sharing and caring.
The year 2002 went down as a special year in Parle-G’s advertising history. A year
that saw the brith of G-Man a new ambassador for Parle-G. Not just a hero but also a
super-hero that saves the entire world, especially children from all the evil forces.
Just a few month back a reminder TV commercial was launched for Parle-G where
the product is being called ‘hindustan ki takat’. Most of the Parle-G TV commercials
tell us that brand awareness is being done by capturing consumer emotion. Heavy
promotion plays a major role in creating brand awareness. Such is the case of Parle
hide & seek biscuits television advertisements. The ads of parle hide & seek are
portraying actor Hrithik Roshan. This tells us that the product is being promoted by
celebrity endorsement to increase awareness of this product and help capture the
consumers attention.

 PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Parle has done the following for enhancing public relations: In the year 1997, Parle-G
sponsored the tele-serial of the Indian superhero, Shaktimaan that went on to
become a huge success. The personality of the superhero matched the overall
superb benefits of the brand. Parle extended this association with Shaktimaan and
gave away a lot of merchandise of Shaktimaan. The children just could not get
enough of Parle-G and Shaktimaan. In the year 2002, it was decided to bring the
brand closer to the child who is a major consumer. A national level promo – ‘Parle-G
Mera Sapna Sach Hoga’ was run for a period of 6 months. The promo was all about
fulfilling the dreams of children. There were over 5 lakh responses and of that, over
300 dreams were fulfilled. Dreams that were fulfilledmranged from trips to
Disneyland at Paris & Singapore; meeting their favorite film star Hrithik Roshan; free
ride on a chartered plane; 20 scholarships worth Rs 50,000; a special cricket coaching
camp with the Australian cricketer – Ricky Ponting; etc.

4.3 PRODUCTS & MARKETING MIX OF PRODUCTS

[Link]-G:

Product:

Parle-G or Parle Glucose biscuits are one of the most popular confectionary biscuits
in India. Every nation dreams of a better tomorrow. And every nations tomorrow lies
in the hands of its children; the young stars who shape the future of the nation. So,
it’s important to nourish these young stars, after all it’s a question of the nation’s
future. Filled with the goodness of milk and wheat, Parle-G is a source of all-round
nourishment. Treat yourself to a pack of yummy Parle-G biscuits to experience what
has nurtured and strengthened millions of people for over 70 years. A meal
substitute for some and a tasty and healthy snack for many others. Consumed by
some for the value it offers, and many others for its taste. Whatever the occasion, it
has always been around as an Instant source of nourishment. Little wonder that it’s
the largest selling biscuit brand in the world.

Place:

It is available in mostly every retail shop.

Promotion:

It is relishing a delectable experience as they melt in your mouth. Parle-G’s tag line
is: “HINDUSTAN KI TAKAT”

[Link]:
Product:

Life namkeen banaiye! When life hits a dull patch, just pull out a Parle Monaco to
make it exciting. The light, crispy biscuit sprinkled with salt, is the perfect namkeen
twist you can add to your ordinary boring moments. Go ahead, Life namkeen
banaiye, anywhere, anytime with Parle Monaco. To spice up your life further, try the
variant of Parle Monaco – The Zabardast Jeera. This salted, crispy biscuits delicately
seasoned with jeera, has a unique taste that makes those namkeen moments even
more exciting.

Place:

It is available in mostly every retail shop.

Promotion:

“BACHPANSE BADA KOI SCHOOL NAHI CURIOSITY SE BADI KOI TEACHER NAHI”

[Link] & SEEK:

Product:

Play a game of hide and seek with your taste buds. Indulge in the mouth-watering
delight of India’s best moulded chocolate chip biscuits, Hide & Seek. All it takes is
one bite, and you are transported to chocolate Heaven. Packed with a bounty of
chocolate chip, once you try Hide & Seek, you will never want any other biscuits
again. A treat for the mouth, and heart, khate hi dil aa jaye!

Place:

It is available in mostly every retail shop.

Promotion:

It is relishing a delectable experience as they melt in your mouth. Hide & Seek tag
line is:
“TASTY ITANA, KI DIL AAJAYEE.”

[Link] BISCUITS:
Product:

The name itself suggests everything. The moment you take a bite your tongue starts
playing bourbon with the rich chocolaty cream resting between two lovely sugar-
coated biscuits. The melting chocolate cream will feel rich and luscious in your
mouth. It’s a complete treat for your taste buds.
Moreover, it’s like falling in love at first bite.

Place:

It is available in mostly every retail shop.

Promotion:

Bourbon’s advertisement is very famous. It helps to increase the sale of product and
make it popular. It is also helpful to make leader at time of new entrance.

[Link] BISCUITS:
Product:
Parle Kreams Orange Biscuits are filled with orange cream these biscuits are priced
economically.
It is very attractive by the cover and the taste attracts all the class of the society.
Place:
It is available in mostly every retail shop.
Promotion:
Tag line of Orange is in every mouth of the people: That is, “Treat yourself all year around!”

[Link]:
Product:
Give the orange to a friend and the mango to a stranger. Or try the lemon for a neighbour
and the strawberry for teacher. Give the black currant to the school bus driver and the
pineapple to anyone else you please. With so many flavouring each pack of Poppins, you will
have only one thing to say to everyone you meet;
“Doon Kya”.
Place:
It is available in mostly every retail shop.
Promotion:
Tag line of ‘POPPINS’ is in every mouth of the people: That is “Goli Rainbow vali”

[Link]:
Product:
Parle Melody comes with an irresistible layer of caramel on the outside and a delightful
chocolate filling within. Pop it in your mouth and relish the unique experience. It won’t be
too long before you find yourself asking the age-old question ‘Melody itni chocolaty kyun
hai?’
Place:
It is available in mostly every retail shop.
Promotion:
Tag line of MELODY is in every mouth of the people: That is,
“Melody Khao, Khud Jaan Jaao”.