"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

PROJECT REPORT

On

"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

With special reference to

"PRABHA COMMUNICATION, KOLHAPUR”

SUBMITTED TO

SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT

OF MASTER OF COMMERCE
By
Miss. Shraddha Krushnat Shinde

Under the guidance of

Dr. SANDEEP S. PANARI

( [Link].,[Link].,NET,SET,PH.D.,G.D.C.& A. )

THROUGH THE PRINCIPLE

PADMASHRI [Link] MAHAVIDYALAYA,

GAGANBAVDA ,KOLHAPUR
2022-2023
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Miss. Shraddha Krushnat Shinde student of final [Link]. has
prepared a project report entitled to the Study of Product Mix. as a partial fulfillment of
[Link]. Degree for the academic year 2022-2023.
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

CERTIFICATE OF GUIDE

This is to certify that the project entitled “A STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX” with
special reference to"PRABHA COMMUNICATION, KOLHAPUR” is submitted by
Miss.. Shraddha Krushnat Shinde for the partial fulfillment of her work for the
award of master of commerce submitted to SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR
Under my supervision and guidance.

To the best of my knowledge and belief the matter presented by the candidate is
original in nature and has not been copied from any sources. Also, this report has not
been submitted earlier for award of any degree or diploma of Shivaji university or any
other university.

Date:. ResearchGuide

Place:Kolhapur. Prof. Sandeep S Panari.

"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

DECLARATION

I here by the undersigned declare that the project report “A STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”
with special referenceto "PRABHA COMMUNICATION, KOLHAPUR" Is a genius
and bonfire work prepared by me the under guidance of [Link] S. Panari and it
is my original work. It is the field study project. The empirical finding conclusions in
this report are based on the information collected by me during project work. The
matter presented in this project is not copied from any sources. I understand that such
copying is liable to be punished, in any way the university authorities deem to be it.

This work is humbly submitted to SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR for the

award of the degree of MASTER OF COMMERCE.
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

ACKNOWLEGEMENT

I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to management authority of

“PRABHA COMMUNICATION, KOLHAPUR.” for their kind permission. I undertake this
study in their organization.

I would express gratitude to our Director for giving me an opportunity to conduct this
study. I consider this as a privilege that I have been given an opportunity to carry out
the study under guidance of [Link] S Panariand I know that without his help
project would not been successful.

Lastly, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all others who have directly or
indirectly helped in making this project a successful one.

Place:Miss. Shraddha Krushnat Shinde

( Student )

Date:
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

INDEX

Sr. No. Contents PageNo.

1 IntroductionToSystem 1-2

2 Objectives 3-4
3 ER-Diagram 5-6
4 DFD-Diagram 7-10
5 System modules and database 11-13

6 Web-design stages 14-16

7 TechnologyUsed 17-19
8 SystemRequirements 20-21
9 OutputScreen 22-26

10 Future scope and evaluation 27-28

11 Conclusion&Enhancement 29-30

12 References/Bibliography 31
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION

Marketing is the process of exploring, creating, and delivering value to meet the needs
of a target market in terms of goods and services, potentially including selection of a
target audience; selection of certain attributes or themes to emphasize in advertising;
operation of advertising campaigns; attendance at trade shows and public events;
design of products and packaging attractive to buyers; defining the terms of sale, such
as price, discounts, warranty, and return policy; product placement in media or with
people believed to influence the buying habits of others; agreements with retailers,
wholesale distributors, or resellers; and attempts to create awareness of, loyalty to, and
positive feelings about a brand.

Marketing is typically done by the seller, typically a retailer or manufacturer. Sometimes

tasks are contracted to a dedicated marketing firm or advertising agency. More rarely, a
trade association or government agency (such as the Agricultural Marketing Service)
advertises on behalf of an entire industry or locality, often a specific type of food (e.g.
Got Milk?), food from a specific area, or a city or region as a tourism destination.

It is one of the primary components of business management and commerce. Marketers

can direct their product to other businesses (B2B marketing) or directly to consumers
(B2C marketing). Regardless of who is being marketed to, several factors apply,
including the perspective the marketers will use. Known as market orientations, they
determine how marketers approach the planning stage of marketing.

The marketing mix, which outlines the specifics of the product and how it will be sold, is
affected by the environment surrounding the product, the results of marketing research and
market research, and the characteristics of the product's target market. Once these factors are
determined, marketers must then decide what methods of promoting the product,including
use of coupons and other price inducements.
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Marketing is currently defined by the American Marketing Association (AMA) as "the

activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and
exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large".
However, the definition of marketing has evolved over the years. The AMA reviews this
definition and its definition for "marketing research" every three years. The interests of
"society at large" were added into the definition in 2008. The development of the definition
may be seen by comparing the 2008 definition with the AMA's 1935 version: "Marketing is
the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods, and services from
producers to consumers".The newer definition highlights the increased prominence of other
stakeholders in the new conception of marketing.
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The 4 Ps of Marketing :
The four Ps are the key considerations that must be thoughtfully reviewed and wisely
implemented in order to successfully market a product or service. They are product, price,
place, and promotion.

The four Ps are often referred to as the marketing mix. They encompass a range of factors
that are considered when marketing a product, including what consumers want, how the
product or service meets or fails to meet those wants, how the product or service is
perceived in the world, how it stands out from the competition, and how the company that
produces it interacts with its customers.

The 4Ps of marketing is a model for enhancing the components of your "marketing
mix" – the way in which you take a new product or service to market. It helps you to
define your marketing options in terms of price, product, promotion, and place so that
your offering meets a specific customer need or [Link] marketing mix and the
4Ps of marketing are often used as synonyms for one another. In fact, they are not
necessarily the same thing.

"Marketing mix" is a general phrase used to describe the different kinds of choices
organizations have to make during the process of bringing a product or service to
market. The 4Ps is one way – probably the best-known way – of defining the
marketing mix, and was first expressed in 1960 by E. J. McCarthy in his book, "Basic
Marketing – A Managerial  Approach."

4 PS are :

 PRODUCT

 PRICE

 PLACE

 PROMOTION
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PRODUCT :

Creating a marketing campaign starts with an understanding of the product itself. Who needs
it, and why? What does it do that no competitor's product can do? Perhaps it's a new thing
altogether and is so compelling in its design or function that consumers will have to have it
when they see it.

The job of the marketer is to define the product and its qualities and introduce it to the
consumer.

Defining the product also is key to its distribution. markets need to understand thel life cycle
of product, and business executives need to have a plan for dealing with products at every
stage of the life cycle.

The type of product also dictates in part how much it will cost, where it should be placed,
and how it should be promoted.

Many of the most successful products have been the first in their category. For example,
Apple was the first to create a touchscreen smartphone that could play music, browse the
internet, and make phone calls. Apple reported total sales of the iPhone for FY 2022 at
$205.4 billion. In 2021, it hit the milestone of 2 billion iPhones sold.
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

PRICE :

Price is the amount that consumers will be willing to pay for a product. Marketers must link
the price to the product's real and perceived value, while also considering supply costs,
seasonal discounts, competitors' prices, and retail markup.

In some cases, business decision-makers may raise the price of a product to give it the
appearance of luxury or exclusivity. Or, they may lower the price so more consumers will
try it.

Marketers also need to determine when and if discounting is appropriate. A discount can
draw in more customers, but it can also give the impression that the product is less desirable
than it was.

UNIQLO, headquartered in Japan, is a global manufacturer of casual wear. Like its

competitors Gap and Zara, UNIQLO creates low-priced, fashion-forward garments for
younger buyers.

What makes UNIQLO unique is that its products are innovative and high-quality. It
accomplishes this by purchasing fabric in large volumes, continually seeking the highest-
quality and lowest-cost materials in the world. The company also directly negotiates with its
manufacturers and has built strategic partnerships with innovative Japanese manufacturers.

UNIQLO also outsources its production to partner factories. That gives it the flexibility to
change production partners as its needs change.

Finally, the company employs a team of skilled textile artisans that it sends to its partner
factories all over the world for quality control. Production managers visit factories once a
week to resolve quality problems.

PLACE :
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Place is the consideration of where the product should be available—in brick-and-mortar

stores and online—and how it will be displayed.

The decision is key: The makers of a luxury cosmetic product would want to be displayed in
Sephora and Neiman Marcus, not in Walmart or Family Dollar. The goal of business
executives is always to get their products in front of the consumers who are the most likely
to buy them.

That means placing a product only in certain stores and getting it displayed to the best
advantage.

The term placement also refers to advertising the product in the right media to get the
attention of target consumers.

For example, the 1995 movie GoldenEye was the 17th installment in the James Bond movie
franchise and the first that did not feature an Aston Martin car. Instead, Bond actor Pierce
Brosnan got into a BMW Z3. Although the Z3 was not released until months after the film
had left theaters, BMW received 9,000 orders for the car the month after the movie opened.

PROMOTION :
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The goal of promotion is to communicate to consumers that they need this product and that
it is priced appropriately. Promotion encompasses advertising, public relations, and the
overall media strategy for introducing a product.

Marketers tend to tie together promotion and placement elements to reach their core
audiences. For example, In the digital age, the "place" and "promotion" factors are as much
online as offline. Specifically, where a product appears on a company's web page or social
media, as well as which types of search functions will trigger targeted ads for the product.

The Swedish vodka brand Absolut sold only 10,000 cases of its vodka in 1980. By 2000, the
company had sold 4.5 million cases, thanks in part to its iconic advertising campaign. The
images in the campaign featured the brand's signature bottle styled as a range of surreal
images: a bottle with a halo, a bottle made of stone, or a bottle in the shape of the trees
standing on a ski slope. To date, the Absolut campaign is one of the longest-running
continuous campaigns of all time, from 1981 to 2005.

Product, price, promotion, and place form the four Ps of the marketing mix. These are the
key factors that are involved in introducing a product or service to the public.
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The theory behind the 4 PS of marketing is that converting all 4 PS

Will higher sells, but, sadly nothing is quite the easy

Brand Discount
Services Offer Price
packaging Credit Policy

PRODUCT PRICE

PLACE PROMOTION

Market Advertising
Channel Publicity
Distribution Sales Promotion
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PRODUCT MIX :
Product marketing is sub-field of marketing that
is responsible for crafting messaging, go-to-market flow, and promotion of a product. Product
marketing managers can also be involved in defining and sizing target markets along with
other business stakeholders such as business development and sales as well as technical
functions such as product management. Other critical responsibilities include positioning and
sales enablement.

Product marketing deals with marketing the product to prospects, customers, and others.
Product marketing works with other areas of marketing such as social media marketing,
marketing communications, online marketing, advertising, marketing strategy, and public
relations, to execute outbound marketing for their product.

Product mix, also known as product assortment, is

the total number of variety of products that a firm sells to their customers. It measures the
total number of product lines. Some companies will focus solely and sell only one type of
product that they specialise in.

PRODUCT LINE :
A product line is a group of products that a
company creates under a single brand. The products are similar and focus on the same market
sector. Maybe their function or channel distribution are the same or similar. Perhaps their
physical attributes, prices, quality, or type of customers are the same. We call the activity
product lining.

A company can have more than one product line. The number of product lines it has reflects
its resources, i.e., how powerful it is.

Product line numbers might also show the other players in the marketplace how competitive
the company is. In this context, the term ‘marketplace’ means the same as ‘market’ in its
abstract sense.
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Objective :

The main function of a product mix is to provide companies with an understanding of a

particular product and The methods to advertise it to as many customers as possible. A good
product mix can provide detailed information about each and every product and the target
customers.

The main function of a product mix is to provide companies with an understanding of a

particular product and the methods to advertise it to as many customers as possible. A good
product mix can provide detailed information about each and every product and the target
customers.
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CHAPTER-2

CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
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1. MEANING OF PRODUCT MIX

A product mix is the total number of product lines and individual

products or services offered by a company. Additionally referred to as product
assortment or product portfolio. Product mixes vary from company to company. Some

have multiple product lines with lots of products in each line.

A product is an item that a company manufactures to distribute to its customer base. A
product mix is the total number of product lines or individual products that a company
manufactures. Understanding the basics and importance of product mix can be helpful
to the professionals working in product development and related departments. In this
article, we find the answer to "What is product mix?", explore its basics, dimension,
its importance and review an example of product mix.
A product mix is the total number of individual products and the product lines that the
company manufactures. The product mix is something that keeps varying from
company to company. Some companies have a limited number of products, while
others have several lines of products, which include a number of different products in
each product line. A company can have a number of product lines containing several
products.

A product line is basically a group of several products which are similar in terms of
their basic attributes. The products which fall into the same product line generally
target the same customer base and have almost similar prices. Professionals working
in the product development department often create flowcharts to illustrate their
different various product lines and to explain how the product lines relate to one
another.

Companies with large product lines often focus on product mix. Focusing on product
mix allows companies to analyse the needs of customers so that they can introduce
some new products to the line. It helps businesses to fulfil the demands of their
customers better. Using product mix perfectly helps companies to stay with the latest
trends, as there can be many competitor companies that focus on several customer
bases.
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2. FUNCTION OF PRODUCT MIX

The main function of a product mix is to provide companies with an understanding of

a particular product and the methods to advertise it to as many customers as possible.
A good product mix can provide detailed information about each and every product
and the target customers. For example, if a soap company produces a basic budget
soap, an expensive soap and nature-friendly soap, then a good product mix contains
all the varieties of soaps that the company produces with the types of consumers and
their needs.
Product marketing is responsible for developing positioning, messaging, competitive
differentiation, and enabling the sales and marketing teams to ensure they're aligned
so they can work efficiently to generate and close opportunities. Product marketing is
strategic marketing at the product or product-line level.

FUNCTIONS

ECONOMIC
AESTHETICS
MANUFACTURE

 FUNCTION
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 The way a product works.

 Does it do what it needs to do?
 Is the product reliable?

 AESTHETICS

 How the product appeals to the customer in terms of how it looks,

feels etc.
 Based on the subjective judgement of customer
 A popular way to differentiate a product

 ECONOMIC MANUFACTURE

 Does the design allow the product to be made and sold

profitably?
 How much value is added during the production process?
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3. DIMENSIONS OF PRODUCT MIX

A product mix strategy helps to define each product category and the number of total
products which the company offers. A product mix has the following four dimensions:
A part of the marketing mix, the product mix is at the heart of every business. Undoubtedly, a
solid product mix is a key to growing your company and achieving new heights.

Truth be told, a poor product mix could have a detrimental impact on your company’s brand
image and of course, profitability. That’s a nightmare and you certainly don’t want that!

 WIDTH

The total number of product lines that a company suggests refers to as the width of the
product mix. For example, if a clothing company sells only ties and belts, then it has
two product lines. If it starts selling shirts, then it has three product lines.
Width or breath of the product mix means the total number of product lines that a
company offers to sell. For instance, if a company offers milk and yogurts, it indicates
that it has two lines. Similarly, a cosmetic company manufactures four different types
of products – jewelry, cosmetics, fashion, and household items. Its product mix width
is 4.

 LENGTH

The total number of products in a product mix is the length of the product mix. You
can determine the length by adding all the products together. For example, if a
company has three product lines with five products in each line, then the length of the
product mix is 15.
The length of the product mix means total number of products within the company product
lines. For example, if a company has 10 product lines and each line has 3 products, then
length is (10×3) = 30.
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 DEPTH

The total number of variations or types of product in a product line is the depth of the
product mix. The variations may depend on the shape, size, flavour or any other
features that the company provides. For example, a company may sell potato chips of
different flavours that fall into the same product line.
Depth of a product mix means the total number of variations for each product a company
offers within. There may be different variations in the product e.g., size, flavor, taste, and
many other characteristics. For example, Medicam sells four sizes, and two flavors of
toothpaste mean that this line has a depth of eight. 

Another thing I want to discuss is the average depth of the product line. Suppose a company’s
first line depth is 8, and the second one is 10 then the average depth is 18

 CONSISTENCY

The relationship between different products of product mix is called consistency. This
relationship can be about the production process and the distribution criteria of the products.
Focusing more on consistency can help companies in reducing the production cost of the
products. If there is more product variation, then there is less product consistency.
Consistency refers to how closely related product lines are to each other. It is in reference to
their use, production, and distribution channels. The consistency of a product mix is
advantageous for firms attempting to position themselves as a niche producer or distributor.

4. STRATEGIES OF PRODUCT MIX

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 Bringing a change to an existing product strategy can help improve an existing

product

 Eliminating low-performing lines or products can simplify product mix.

 Implementing a depth strategy is useful if a company keeps and expands its current
lines.

 Identifying and communicating new uses for existing products without affecting the
existing products or lines.

 Increasing the number of product lines or product variations.

 Adding a product with lower cost to its existing line of products.

 Adding a product with a higher cost to an existing line to increase the demand for its
low-cost products

5. KEY OF PRODUCT MIX STRATEGIES

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There are four key product mix strategies:

 Expansion:
A company increases the number of product lines or depth (i.e., product variations)
within lines.

 Contraction:
A company narrows its product mix to eliminate lower-performing products or lines
or to simplify remaining products or lines.

 Change an Existing Product:

A company improves a current product rather than creating a completely new
product.

 Product Differentiation:
Without modifying the product in any way, a company positions it as a superior
choice to a competitive product.

6. FACTORS AFFECT OF PRODUCT MIX

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The product mix can be modified or expanded based on eight factors:

1. Financial Position

8. Government Rules
2. Area of Operation
and Restriction

7. Fluctuation in Factors Affect of

Product Mix 3. Production Costs
Demand Due To
Other Facts

6. Demands of The 4. Brand

Consumer Identity

5. Objectives and
Policy of Company
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

o Financial Position

A company with good financial standing will likely have more products in their product mix,
compared to a company that doesn’t have the budget to build and introduce new products.
Moreover, a company that is not doing well financially might even slash down its existing
products or product lines.

o 2. Area of Operation

If a company is operating in an industry where making more products is feasible and easier,
then it would definitely have a larger product mix. For instance, there is a lot more scope for
innovation in the smartphone industry that in the chip industry.

o 3. Production Costs

Every company has a set budget, and a company will always produce those products that fall
within its budget. So, a product mix is widened or narrowed as per the production costs of the
items. If the manufacturing cost of a certain product rises, the company might decide to drop
the product and reduce its production costs.

o 4. Brand Identity

Sometimes, a brand becomes so well-known and loved, that it is easier for it to add new
product lines or items – whether they are related or unrelated. For example, the rumors of
Apple coming up with a car have been floating around for quite a long time.
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

o 5. Objectives and Policy of Company

A company always formulates its product mix according to the objectives it has established.
Therefore, the modification or addition of product lines and products are completely
dependent on what the company is planning to achieve as well as the policies of the
company.

o Fluctuation in Demand Due To Other Facts

Apart from the preferences of the consumers, demand might also get affected due to an
increase in population, war, flood, drought, non-availability of substitutes. seasonal effects, or
any other reason. In such scenarios, a company is bound to adjust its product mix.

o Government Rules and Restriction

The legal framework has a huge impact on the size and composition of a product mix.
Generally, companies only produce products that are not banned/restricted by the
governments. At times, when a particular product is declared illegal, a company has to stop
its production, which narrows down the product mix.
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7. EXAMPLE OF PRODUCT MIX

Here is an example that can help you understand the product mix and its dimensions:
There is a company which has two product lines, a soft drink product and a juice.
Under both the lines, they manufacture varieties of soft drinks and juices of different
flavours but in the same size and quantity. All the products the company is producing
are in the beverage category, the production and the distribution process is the same
for all of them.

In this example, we have two product lines, so the width of the product mix is two.
The length of the product mix is the total variety of products under each line. Let us
assume the company produces three different flavours of soft drinks and four flavours
of juice. Here the length is seven, the depth for the soft drink product line is three, and
for the juice product line, it is four.

Let us take a look at a simple product mix example of Coca-Cola. For simplicity, assume that
Coca-Cola oversees two product lines – soft drinks and juice (Minute Maid). Products
classified as soft drinks are Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and products
classified as Minute Maid juice are Guava, Orange, Mango, and Mixed Fruit.

The product (mix) consistency of Coca-Cola would be high, as all products within the
product line fall under beverage. In addition, production and distribution channels remain
similar for each product. The product mix of Coca-Cola in the simplified example would be
illustrated as follows:
 "STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

EXAMPLE :

C0CA-COLA

PRODUCT WIDTH

SOFT DRINKS MINUTE MAID

Coca-cola Guava

Fanta Orange
PRODUCT DEPTH
PRODUCT DEPTH

Sprite Mango

Diet coke Fixed fruit

Coke Zero

PRODUCT LENGTH
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

CHAPTER-3

LITERATURE
REVIEW
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

 HISTORY OF PRODUCT MIX

In marketing, the whole product concept is an adaptation

of the total product concept developed by Ted Levitt, a professor at Harvard Business School.
In his book entitled “The Marketing Imagination” Levitt drew attention to the fact that
consumers purchase more than the core product itself.
Simply put the Marketing Mix is a tool used by businesses and Marketers to help determine a
product or brands offering. The 4 Ps have been associated with the Marketing Mix since their
creation by E. Jerome McCarthy in 1960.

The term "marketing mix" is a foundation model for businesses, historically centered around
product, price, place, and promotion (also known as the "4 Ps"). The marketing mix has been
defined as the "set of marketing tools that the firm uses to pursue its marketing objectives in
the target market".
Marketing theory emerged in the early twenty-first century. The contemporary marketing mix
which has become the dominant framework for marketing management decisions was first
published in 1984. In services marketing, an extended marketing mix is used, typically
comprising 7 Ps ( product, price, promotion, place, people, process, physical evidence), made
up of the original 4 Ps extended by process, people and physical evidence. Occasionally
service marketers will refer to 8 Ps (product, price, place, promotion, people, positioning,
packaging, and performance), comprising these 7 Ps plus performance.

In the 1990s, the model of 4 Cs was introduced as a more customer-driven replacement of the
4 [Link] are two theories based on 4 Cs: Lauterborn's 4 Cs (consumer, cost, convenience,
and communication), and Shimizu's 4 Cs (commodity, cost, channel, and communication).

Given the valuation of customers towards potential product attributes (in any category, e.g.
product, promotion, etc.), and the attributes of the products sold by other companies, the
problem of selecting the attributes of a product to maximize the number of customers
preferring it is a computationally intractable problem.

The correct arrangement of marketing mix by enterprise marketing managers plays an

important role in the success of a company's marketing:
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

 develop strengths and avoid weaknesses

 strengthen the competitiveness and adaptability of enterprises
 ensure the internal departments of the enterprise work closely together

First coined in 1952 and made popular in 1964 by Neil Borden, the marketing mix focused on
outlining the key ingredients needed to understand what a product or service provides
consumers, and how marketers can best align those ingredients to market products and
services effectively.
The classic marketing mix, as established by Professor of Marketing at Harvard University,
Prof. James Culliton in 1948 and expanded upon by Jerome McCarthy, incorporates Product,
Price, Placement, and Promotion into a theory of marketing that has been important to the
industry for more than 70 years.

The father of product mix is Edmund Jerome McCarthy

(February 20, 1928 – December 3, 2015) was an American marketing professor and author.
He proposed the concept of the 4 Ps marketing mix in his 1960 book Basic Marketing: A
Managerial Approach, which has been one of the top textbooks in university marketing
courses since its publication.
According to the Oxford Dictionary of Marketing, McCarthy was a "pivotal figure in the
development of marketing thinking".He was also a founder, advisory board member, and
consultant for Planned Innovation Institute, which was established to bolster Michigan
industry. In 1987, McCarthy received the American Marketing Association's Trailblazer
Award, and was voted one of the "top five" leaders in marketing thought by the field's
educators.

The 4P's of marketing, also known as the producer-oriented model, have been used by
marketers around the world for decades. Created by Jerome McCarthy in 1960, the 4Ps
encourages a focus on Product, Price, Promotion and Place.13-Jun-2022.
"STUDY OF PRODUCT MIX ”

The origins of the 4 Ps can be traced to the late 1940s. The first known mention of a mix has
been attributed to a Professor of Marketing at Harvard University, Prof. James Culliton. In
1948, Culliton published an article entitled, The Management of Marketing Costsin which
Culliton describes marketers as 'mixers of ingredients'. Some years later, Culliton's colleague,
Professor Neil Borden, published a retrospective article detailing the early history of the
marketing mix in which he claims that he was inspired by Culliton's idea of 'mixers', and
credits himself with popularizing the concept of the 'marketing mix'. According to Borden's
account, he used the term, 'marketing mix' consistently from the late 1940s. For instance, he
is known to have used the term 'marketing mix' in his presidential address given to the
American Marketing Association in 1953.

Although the idea of marketers as 'mixers of ingredients' caught on, marketers could not
reach any real consensus about what elements should be included in the mix until the 1960s.
The 4 Ps, in its modern form, was first proposed in 1960 by E. Jerome McCarthy; who
presented them within a managerial approach that covered analysis, consumer behavior,
market research, market segmentation, and planning.
Phillip Kotler, popularised this approach and helped spread the 4 Ps model. McCarthy’s 4 Ps
have been widely adopted by both marketing academics and practitioners.
The prospect of extending the marketing mix first took hold at the inaugural AMA
Conference dedicated to Services Marketing in the early 1980s, and built on earlier
theoretical works pointing to many important limitations of the 4 Ps model. Taken
collectively, the papers presented at that conference indicate that service marketers were
thinking about a revision to the general marketing mix based on an understanding that
services were fundamentally different from products, and therefore required different tools
and strategies. In 1981, Booms and Bitner proposed a model of 7 Ps, comprising the original
4 Ps extended by process, people and physical evidence, as being more applicable for
services marketing.

Since then, there have been a number of different proposals for a service marketing mix (with
various numbers of Ps); most notably the 8 Ps, comprising the 7 Ps above, extended by
'performance'.
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The 7Ps marketing model was originally devised by E. Jerome McCarthy and published in
1960 in his book Basic Marketing. A Managerial Approach. We've created the graphic below
so you can see the key elements of the 7Ps marketing mix.

The term Marketing Mix was developed by Neil Borden who first started using the phrase in
1949. “An executive is a mixer of ingredients, who sometimes follows a recipe as he goes
along, sometimes adapts a recipe to the ingredients immediately available, and sometimes
experiments with or invents ingredients no one else has tried." (Culliton, J. 1948)

According to Borden, "When building a marketing program to fit the needs of his firm, the
marketing manager has to weigh the behavioral forces and then juggle marketing elements in
his mix with a keen eye on the resources with which he has to work." (Borden, N. 1964 pg
365).

E. Jerome McCarthy (McCarthy, J. 1960), was the first person to suggest the four P's of
marketing – price, promotion, product and place (distribution) – which constitute the most
common variables used in constructing a marketing mix. According to McCarthy the
marketers essentially have these four variables which they can use while crafting a marketing
strategy and writing a marketing plan. In the long term, all four of the mix variables can be
changed, but in the short term it is difficult to modify the product or the distribution channel.

Another set of marketing mix variables were developed by Albert Frey (Frey, A. 1961) who
classified the marketing variables into two categories: the offering, and process variables. The
"offering" consists of the product, service, packaging, brand, and price. The "process" or
"method" variables included advertising, promotion, sales promotion, personal selling,
publicity, distribution channels, marketing research, strategy formation, and new product
development.

Recently, Bernard Booms and Mary Bitner built a model consisting of seven P's (Booms, B.
and Bitner, M. 1981). They added "People" to the list of existing variables, in order to
recognize the importance of the human element in all aspects of marketing. They added
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"process" to reflect the fact that services, unlike physical products, are experienced as a
process at the time that they are purchased. Desktop modeling tools such as Micro TSP have
made this kind of statistical analysis part of the mainstream now. Most advertising agencies
and strategy consulting firms offer MMM services to their clients.
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CHAPTER-4

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In a thesis, dissertation, academic journal article or other

formal pieces of research, there are often details of how the researcher approached the study
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and the methods and techniques they used. If you're designing a research study, then it's
helpful to understand what research methodology is and the selection of techniques and tools
available to you. In this article, we explore what research methodology is, the types of
research methodologies and the techniques and tools commonly used to collect and analyze
data.

Research methodology is a way of explaining how a researcher intends to carry out their
research. It's a logical, systematic plan to resolve a research problem. A methodology details
a researcher's approach to the research to ensure reliable, valid results that address their aims
and objectives. It encompasses what data they're going to collect and where from, as well as
how it's being collected and analyzed.

A research methodology gives research legitimacy and provides scientifically sound findings.
It also provides a detailed plan that helps to keep researchers on track, making the process
smooth, effective and manageable. A researcher's methodology allows the reader to
understand the approach and methods used to reach conclusions.

Having a sound research methodology in place provides the following benefits:

 Other researchers who want to replicate the research have enough information to do
so.
 Researchers who receive criticism can refer to the methodology and explain their
approach.
 It can help provide researchers with a specific plan to follow throughout their
research.
 The methodology design process helps researchers select the correct methods for the
objectives.
 It allows researchers to document what they intend to achieve with the research from
the outset.

When designing a research methodology, a researcher has several decisions to make. One of
the most important is which data methodology to use, qualitative, quantitative or a
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combination of the two. No matter the type of research, the data gathered will be as numbers
or descriptions, and researchers can choose to focus on collecting words, numbers or both.

Here are the different methodologies and their applications:

 Primary Data
 Secondary Data
 Qualitative
 Quantitative

Primary Data

Primary research is data which is obtained first-hand. This means that the researcher conducts
the research themselves or commissions the data to be collected on their behalf. Primary
research means going directly to the source, rather than relying on pre-existing data samples.

This type of research is particularly relevant where the data collected needs to be specific to
the context. For example, a company may perform primary market research to discover
customer perceptions of their brand. This could not be collected from any existing data
source as it is unique to the business.

Primary research can also help to position a person or company as an authoritative figure in
the field. The research may then be quoted by other authors, who reference the original
researcher as the source, further increasing their position. However, the researcher retains full
control over the data, as the data owner.

You don’t have to be an expert to conduct primary research. It can be done by people at all
levels, from students who require data for their university projects to market researchers who
want to gauge reactions to a new product.
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Types of Primary Data

There are many ways of gathering primary research. The most suitable method will depend
on the questions you want to answer and the problem you’re trying to solve. The most
common primary market research methods are interviews, surveys, focus groups and
observations.

1. Interview
2. Surveys
3. Focus groups
4. Observations

1. Interview
Interviews take the form of a one-to-one or small group question and answer session, which
can be conducted over the phone or in a face-to-face environment. Interviews are most useful
where a large amount of information needs to be collected from a small sample of subjects.
Interviews are often used to obtain information from an expert about a specialist topic. This
type of research is highly personal, so follow-on questions can be asked to ensure clarity.

2. Surveys
Surveys are most frequently conducted online using paid or  free
survey tools and offer a convenient and cost-effective solution where a response is
required from a larger population. Questions are pre-written, offering the respondent little
flexibility if their answer doesn’t fit (making functionality such as skip logic essential)
and response rates can be variable. The length of a survey is a delicate balance: if a
survey is too long, participants may get bored and leave the survey incomplete. However,
if the survey is short, not enough data will be collected to form a full picture.

3. Focus groups
Focus groups are used to collect data from a small group of people who are often subject
matter experts in the topic of research. Discussion is initiated between the group members to
discover their thoughts. This method is commonly used by businesses to gain insight into
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niche markets and learn about their customers.

4. Observations
Observations are carried out impartially, by simply observing an event and taking organised
notes. In this method, there is no direct interaction between the researcher and the subject.
This method removes the potential bias which could be encountered during an interview or
survey as the encounters observed are genuine reactions. Observations can be carried out by
camera or by a trained observer. This method is commonly used by toy manufacturers when
testing their products on children.

Secondary Data

Secondary research is a research method that uses data that was collected by someone
else. In other words, whenever you conduct research using data that already exists,
you are conducting secondary research. On the other hand, any type of research that
you undertake yourself is called primary research.

Secondary research is a very common research method, used in lieu of collecting your
own primary data. It is often used in research designs or as a way to start your
research process if you plan to conduct primary research later on.

Since it is often inexpensive or free to access, secondary research is a low-stakes way

to determine if further primary research is needed, as gaps in secondary research are a
strong indication that primary research is necessary. For this reason, while secondary
research can theoretically be exploratory or explanatory in nature, it is usually
explanatory: aiming to explain the causes and consequences of a well-defined
problem.

Types of Secondary Data

Secondary research can take many forms, but the most common types are :

1. Statistical analysis
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2. Literature reviews
3. Case studies
4. Content analysis

1. Statistical analysis
A literature review is a survey of preexisting scholarly sources on your topic. It
provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant themes,
debates, and gaps in the research you analyze. You can later apply these to your own
work, or use them as a jumping-off point to conduct primary research of your own.
Structured much like a regular academic paper (with a clear introduction, body, and
conclusion), a literature review is a great way to evaluate the current state of research and
demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

2. Literature reviews

A literature review is a survey of pre existing scholarly sources on your topic. It provides an
overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant themes, debates, and gaps
in the research you analyze. You can later apply these to your own work, or use them as a
jumping-off point to conduct primary research of your own.

Structured much like a regular academic paper (with a clear introduction, body, and
conclusion), a literature review is a great way to evaluate the current state of research and
demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

3. Case studies

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject. It is usually qualitative

in nature and can focus on a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. A
case study is a great way to utilize existing research to gain concrete, contextual, and in-depth
knowledge about your real-world subject.

You can choose to focus on just one complex case, exploring a single subject in great detail,
or examine multiple cases if you’d prefer to compare different aspects of your topic.
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Preexisting interviews, observational studies, or other sources of primary data make for great
case studies.

4. Content analysis

Content analysis is a research method that studies patterns in recorded

communication by utilizing existing texts. It can be either quantitative or qualitative in
nature, depending on whether you choose to analyze countable or measurable patterns, or
more interpretive ones. Content analysis is popular in communication studies, but it is also
widely used in historical analysis, anthropology, and psychology to make more semantic
qualitative inferences.

 Qualitative Data

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-

numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It
can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.

Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research, which involves collecting and
analyzing numerical data for statistical analysis.

Qualitative research is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences, in subjects such
as anthropology, sociology, education, health sciences, history, etc.

Types ofQualitative Data

1. Content analysis:
This is one of the most common methods used to analyze documented information and is
usually used to analyze interviewees' responses.

[Link] analysis:
Researchers use this method to analyze content from several sources, including interviews,
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observations and surveys. It focuses on using people's stories and experiences to answer
research questions.

[Link] analysis:
This method analyzes spoken or written language in its social context and aims to understand
how people use language in day-to-day situations.

[Link] theory:
This method uses qualitative data to discover or construct a theory explaining why something
happened. It uses a comparative analysis of data from similar cases in different settings to
derive explanations.

 Quantitative Data

Quantitative methodology is the dominant research framework in the social sciences. It

refers to a set of strategies, techniques and assumptions used to study psychological,
social and economic processes through the exploration of numericpatterns.
Quantitative research gathers a range of numeric data. Some of the numeric data is
intrinsically quantitative (e.g. personal income), while in other cases the numeric
structure is imposed 

1. Descriptive research:

seeks to describe the current status of an identified variable.

These research projects are designed to provide systematic information about a
phenomenon. The researcher does not usually begin with an hypothesis, but is likely
to develop one after collecting data. The analysis and synthesis of the data provide
the test of the hypothesis. Systematic collection of information requires careful
selection of the units studied and careful measurement of each variable.

2. Correlational research:
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attempts to determine the extent of a relationship

between two or more variables using statistical data. In this type of design,
relationships between and among a number of facts are sought and interpreted. This
type of research will recognize trends and patterns in data, but it does not go so far
in its analysis to prove causes for these observed patterns. Cause and effect is not
the basis of this type of observational research. The data, relationships, and
distributions of variables are studied only. Variables are not manipulated; they
are only identified and are studied as they occur in a natural setting.

3. Causal-comparative/quasiexperimental research:

attempts to establish cause effect relationships among the variables. These types of
design are very similar to true experiments, but with some key differences. An
independent variable is identified but not manipulated by the experimenter, and
effects of the independent variable on the dependent variable are measured. The
researcher does not randomly assign groups and must use ones that are naturally
formed or pre-existing groups. Identified control groups exposed to the treatmentare
studied only. Variables are not manipulated; they are only identified and are studied
as they occur in a natural setting.

4. Experimental research:

often called true experimentation, uses the scientific method to establish the cause-
effect relationship among a group of variables that make up a study. The true
experiment is often thought of as a laboratory study, but this is not always the case;
a laboratory setting has nothing to do with it. A true experiment is any study where
an effort is made to identify and impose control over all other variables except one.
An independent variable is manipulated to determine the effects on the dependent
variables. Subjects are randomly assigned to experimental treatments rather than
identified in naturally occurring groups.
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CHAPTER-5

ORGANIZATION
PROFILE

 PRABHA COMMUNICATION (The Mobile Shopee)

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Shop name : Prabha Communication, Kolhapur.

Address : 2171 D Ward, Near Padalkar market,
Gangavesh Kolhapur.

Owner Name : Pravin V. Patil.

Owner mob no. : 9876543210
Overview : Mobile shop is retailer of telecommunications products. It sells
Mobiles, micro cards, power bank, car chargers USB cables
Earphones, mobiles, tablets, television, headsets, an accessories
Of Samsung, Lenovo, xiaomi, mi, vivo, oppo an others brands.
Business Type : Sole Proprietor
Status : Active
Founded : 2005
Sectors : Mobile & telecommunications
Consumer electronics
Destitution
Mobile provider

PRABHA COMMUNICATION
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Prabha Communications was established in 2000 at Kolhapur Gangavesh Praveen

Patil is the owner of Prabha Communication At the age of twenty, Praveen Patil was
working as a helper in a friend's shop while looking for workAt the same time, he did
a course in mobile repairing and management in KolhapurWorked as a helper in a
friend's shop while doing the courseWorked as a helper in a friend's shop while doing
the course.
After that, his friends decided to close the shop for some reason After that, Praveen
Patil boldly decided to take over the shop Praveen Patil bought the shop
furnitureAfter that they have to suffer a lot he started anewAfter that they had to work
hard every day they had to pay the daily installment as regular days did not sell as
much Sometimes they didn't even have money to go home by ST Through such
difficult conditions and immense hardships, he continued his efforts in repairing
accessories, mobile, sim card sales and mobile salesFor the first four-five years only
the installments of the shop were paid.
After that, their days of hard work began and they gained momentum He toiled for
five to six years without income and started his main business but did not stop even
after that Now their shops sell mobiles and accessories of big brands along with
repairingand now many servants work under him.
Prabha communication shop is doing very well these days.

These mobile brands are available in Prabha communication shop:

1. I phone
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2. OnePlus

3. Samsung
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4. Oppo

5. Vivo
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6. Redmi

AVAILABLE MOBILE

OnePlus Samsung Vivo Oppo

One plus 10 Pro Vivo X90 Oppo F21s

Galaxy A 22
Vivo V27
Galaxy S23 Oppo A77
One plus 11R 5G
Oppo Reno 8 Pro
Vivo Oppo
Y56
Galaxy 5G A78
A12
One plus 11 5G

Galaxy F14 Vivo Y100

One plus 10R 5G
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CHAPTER-6

DATA ANALYSIS
&
INFERENCE
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PIE CHART = 3
Bar chart = 2
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2
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3
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4
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CHAPTER-7

FINDING, SUGGESTION &

CONCLUSION.