SHIFTING TRENDS IN CONSUMER CHOICES FROM UNBRANDED TO BRANDED PLYWOOD

INDUSTRY PROFILE
Trees are natures greatest bounty to man. They provide shelter, fuel, medicine and tools for war or commerce or transport. It was a timber from trees, which in the early days helped man to conquer the oceans and to fly in the air. Nature develops trees as a mother brings up children, making each one separate individual. It is an amazing sight to see the natural abstract rhythm of line, color and texture in wood. Nothing from nature indoors give such a long lasting enjoyment as the natural beauty of wood.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PLYWOOD INDUSTRY

In India, the modern sector of small, large scale manufacturer have played a significant role in socio economic development of the country. Our country is blessed with immense stock of natural resources both, above and beneath the soil surface. Forest is one of the important natural assets of India. Of the various areas of wood processing, plywood manufacturing is an important sector wing to its employment potential and value addition. In India, plywood as a product was commercially developed first in Assam and its neighboring areas by enterprising industrialists.

INDUSTRY TRENDS
Competition is keen in furniture industry. Indian plywood is as big as Rs. 5000 crore and the laminate industry is almost Rs. 3000 crore. The industry is growing at a rapid speed of 10-20% per annum. Approximately 600 units are currently functioning all over the country. There is a tremendous growth potential as the players are yet to penetrate the majority of the market.

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The history of plywood industry in India is old. It is more than 75 years that this industry was started here on a very modest scale.

INDUSTRY SECTOR
Greenply Industries Limited is engaged in the business of interior infrastructure. The company deals in products that are used to build or decorate interiors across residential, commercial and retail spaces.

BUSINESS VERTICALS:
For enhanced focus, the companys business has been segregated into three verticals, namely:

Ply and board division (Plywood)

Decorative (Laminates and allied products)

Engineered Panel Division (Medium density fiber boards)

RICH

PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
Greenply is the only company in Indias interior infrastructure industry to cater to all related product segments across various price points. This makes it possible for all of us to service all customer requirements at a single point. This cross-scale enhances the companys marketing effectiveness, accelerating revenue growth.

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ON A GROWTH PATH

Greenply has been growing from strength to strength, faithfully reflecting the boom in Indias construction Industry. The company reports a CAGR of 32.6% vis--vis the industry CAGR of 13-15% over the last four years.

HIGH INDUSTRY RANKINGS

This outperformance of the average industry growth resulted in Greenply emerging as the largest interior infrastructure company in India and the fifth largest in the world (in terms of capacity).

CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION AND SOCIETY

Greenply helps stimulate the local and national economy. The company employs more than 4000 talented people across the offices and factories and is the highest contributor in the industry to the exchequer by way of taxes (excise and VAT)

GLOBAL PRESENCE

The company has an international presence with four offices across four countries, including two subsidiaries in the US and Singapore. Greenply brands are available in over 65 countries (including Taiwan, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Russia)

LISTING

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The company is listed on the Bombay and National stock exchanges in India after going public in 1994.

MILESTONES
1984: Established as a small unit in Ngaland by Shiv Prakash Mittal 1988: Commenced plywood manufacture at Tizit, Nagaland 1990: Incorporated as Mittal Laminates Private Limited, a private limited organisation 1993: Commenced its manufacturing facility at Behror, Rajasthan 1994: Converted into a public limited company 1996: Changed name to Greenply Industries Limited 2002: Grant of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification 2003: Commenced the manufacture of decorative veneers at the Behror unit. 2005: Amalgamated with Worthy Plywood Limited 2006: Acquisition of Greenlam Asia Pacific Pvt. Ltd., Singapore as a wholly owned subsidiary Established a manufacturing unit at Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) for plywood and particle boards

2009: Analgamated with Galaxy Dcor Pvt. Ltd. And Platinum Veneers Pvt. Ltd.

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COMPETITIVE STRENGTHS
RICH EXPERIENCE
The promoters of Greenply Industries Limited possess a near three decade business experience across industry cycles, regions and products.

SCALE
Greenply is Indias largest integrated manufacturer of plywood, decorative and engineered products.

MARKET SHARE
Greenply is a leading player in each of the business spaces. The company accounts for almost 35% of the organised plywood market and 22% of the organised laminates market in India.

PRODUCT RANGE
Greenply is respected for the extensive product range that it provides across different business verticals extending from the economy end to the premium end. Greenply covers most price points and is able to graduate consumer choice based on growing budgets.

BRAND APPEAL
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Greenply is the most prominent interior infrastructure brand in India. The Greenply brand generates an immediate recall for an international product quality at an Indian price.

PRESENCE
Greenply makes it easy to buy products by reaching customers through itsn13,000 dealers/distribution network, presence across more than 650 Indian Urban locations and 44 pan Indian branches.

QUALITY CERTIFICATIONS
Greenplys state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are certified for ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 18001 (health and safety).

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
Greenply holds production licenses in the ply and board segment where the government regulates industry entry.

PIONEERING CULTURE
The company was the first in its industry in India to earn Carbon credits and attract FII investments.

STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
Greenplys facilities are located near raw materials or markets. Ita Nagaland and Uttarakhand units are located near abundant raw material resources; its West Bengal and Gujarat units are located near ports, leading to low transportation costs.

BRAND AWARENESS
Greenply positioned its products around the catch line Greenply- Chalta Rahe in its advertisements, highlighting product durability and longevity.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCES

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The companys environment management policy is in compliance with local, state and central laws and regulations concerning ecological protection.

SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES
GIL makes positive contribution in local communities through environment-friendly initiatives and community products. GIL derives 75% of its energy consumption in laminate manufacturing plants through renewable energy resources. GIL purchases biomass husk, generating livelihoods for farmers. Most importantly, GIL is involved in planting nearly 0.5 million saplings in tribal areas.

BRANDING
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers. Therefore it makes sense to understand that branding is not about getting your target market to choose you over the competition, but it is about getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem. The objectives that a good brand will achieve include: Delivers the message clearly Confirms your credibility Connects your target prospects emotionally Motivates the buyer Concretes user loyality

To succeed in branding, we must understand the needs and wants of our customers and prospects. We do this by integrating our brand strategies through our company at every point of public contact. Brand resides within the hearts and minds of customers, clients and prospects. It is the sum total of their experiences and perceptions, some of which you can influence, and some that you cannot. A strong brand is invaluable as the battle for customers intensifies day by day. Its important to spend time investing in researching, defining and building your brand. After all brand is the
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source of a promise to the consumer. Its a foundational piece in your marketing communication and one you do not want to be without.

COMPANY PROFILE
Greenply Industries Limited (GIL) is Indias largest interior infrastructure company with a whopping turnover of Rs. 1420 crores. It stands at top when it comes to plywood, decorative veneers and particle boards. They account for almost 25% of the organized plywood and 15% of the organized laminate market in India. The continuous efforts towards achieving excellence helped them to gain a significant position in the thriving Indian economy. They are a partner of choice for a large number of office and home builders. Greenply markets the most comprehensive portfolio of residential and commercial floor products available- plywood and block boards, decorative laminates, decorative veneers and MDF under the brand name of Greenply plywood, Green Club Premium Ply, Greenlam Laminates, Green Deco wood and Ecotec. With a strong retail network, 32 branches across India, and presence in over 300 cities, Greenply Industries Limited is committed to provide international quality products to its customers. The company has six state of the art manufacturing products of global standards. Greenply Industries Limited is a leader in the manufacturing and marketing of a wide range of interior infrastructure products. Backed by expertise in supplying high-quality products, it provides both surface finish and foundation/structural products for homes, offices and retail establishments. The extensive experience in interior infrastructure projects and overwhelming growth in real estate sector such as residential, commercial and retail has enabled them to gain a competitive advantage in the market.

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BUSINESS AND SUSTAINABILITY:

Sustainability brings about the reflection about how do we effectively consume and harness resource built around Economy, Society and Environment. For businesses, as they have a basic lifeline around these three, thus lies the value of the integration between Businesses and Sustainability. Being a responsible organization, Greenply is committed to embrace sustainable business practices as a core business strategy. Green business practices will not only be a solution for social and environment problems, it will also create a balance between the Technology & Environment. To build on our thoughts of being a socially responsible organization, mindful of using our Natural Resources effectively and to have the lowest possible carbon footprint of consumption, Greenply has committed itself to the path of Sustainability. As a first, company has initiated an initiative on a path to imbibe sustainabilty at its core. To achieve this, the company has formed a specific department named Green Strategy Group (GSG), which will act as the nodal agency to create, sustain and harness the Green Initiatives across the entire value-chain of the organization. The prime mandate of the Green Strategy Group is to systematically monitor environment impact on entire value chain, reduce our carbon footprints, incorporating clean technologies and also bring innovation into product design, by building environmental considerations. Greenply has been a leader in bringing in new designs & products category in the industry in the fields of Laminates and Plywood.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS
To carry out this commitment, it is Greenplys policy to strive to ensure that all aspects of the business have the least harmful effect on the environment by implementing an environmental management system to: Ensure all employees, in the course of their duties, act in accordance with the environmental policy. Encourage suppliers, contractors and vendors to act in accordance with our environmental standards. In addition, areas of particular attention where business will be the selection of non-polluting technology, waste minimization, environment friendly material consumption.

PRODUCT/SERVICE PORTFOLIO
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The companys product portfolio comprises ply and board products like: Basic and premiun Ply Decorative Ply Marine Ply Shuttering Ply Flush Door Block Board Teak Ply Lamintes and Allied Products Medium Density Fiberboards

NATURE OF BUSINESS
Greenply Industries Limited ia a world leader in manufacturing plywood, laminates, medium density fiber boards (MDF) and allied products. GIL collects timber and firewood through import from Malaysia, Africa, Burma, Russia, etc. and local purchase. Thus it is being processed at the factory and convert into various finished products such as different varieties of plywood, MDF and panel blocks, etc. GIL grew over two decades into a well integrated wood processing unit with finely tuned skills in new product development and manufacture. Through its 25 years of experience, GIL has been singularly responsible for the most significant product innovations in the Indian Plywood Industry.

AREAS OF OPERATION
The company runs three strategic business divisions plywood and allied products, laminates and allied products and medium density fiber board. It has 45 branches all across India, and a presence in more than 300 cities. The company has its registered office in Tinsukia (Assam) and corporate office in Kolkata. Greenlam, the decorative laminate brand from Greenply, is exported to more than 70 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Dubai, Russia, USA, Australia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, China and Europe.

STRATEGIC INTENT

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VISION:
Make every house full of colors and life Help India to gain significant position globally Transform every house to a home

MISSION:
To ensure on time delivery og high quality products Create a cordial atmosphere within the organization Implement environmentally and socially considerate decision for our company and community

COMPETITORS INFORMATION
Plywood industry has grown rapidly in the past few years and there are many brands which are available worldwide. The ones which are prevalent in India other than Greenply and give it a togh competition are:

Plywood companies in India

Kitply Industries Ltd.

Plywood brands in India

Brand names: 'Kitply Gold', Kitply Curvy, Swastik MR grade, Vista (MR and BWR grade)

More Information
Kitply is a one of more famous plywood brand in India. The company started its operations in 1982. Other than plywood the company also manufactures blockboards, decorative laminates, and it's 'KitCol' brand of wood adhesive. The company also manufactures blockboards, veneers, laminates, MDF and Prelaminated Particle boards. The company manufactures plywood, decorative plywood,
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Century Plyboards (India) Ltd.

'Century Ply'

Sarda Plywood Industries Ltd.

DuroPly, DuroFlex, Duro-PumaPly as well as several other brands.

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Anchor plywood Industries Ltd.

Anchor Commercial Plywood, Anchor 2000 Commercial Plywood, Anchor Blockboard (Interior & Exterior) Plywood, Decorative plywood, Flush Doors, Fleece Backed Veneers

Hunsur Plywood Industries Ltd.

blockboards and flush doors etc. The company manufactures decorative plywood, laminates, veneers, etc. The company is common amonngst the local suppliers and dealers.

INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES:
The company provides a praiseworthy infrastructure facilities in its office and surely it will because it is one of the leading Infrastructure company in the country.

ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS:
Greenply has been awarded with the BEST BRAND award in the 'Wooden Laminates' category of 'Good Home Awards' by Zee Business, which is part of India's largest news media conglomerate Zee News Ltd. Greenply is the first company in Indian industry and the only non-US company to receive the prestigious GREENGUARD certificate for Indoor Air Quality and the renowned GREENGUARD certificate for children and schools. Greenply is the first Indian brand to be certified with GREEN LABEL SINGAPORE by the Singapore Environmental Council. Greenply was honored with 'State award for Export Excellence' by Government of Rajasthan in 2012 Awarded as No. 1 Exporter in India by PLEX (Plastics Exports Promotion) Council, sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Department of Commerce, Government of India 2011. Greenply has launched several initiatives towards the betterment of society. These include:

Education, accommodation and facilities for girl children in UP and West Bengal Greenply has a tie-up with an NGO called Udayan Care.The company supports an Udayan Ghar in Uttar Pradesh and also sponsors 10 girl students for the Udayan Fellowship Programme in West Bengal. Greenply takes responsibility of their basic needs, shelter, family environment and education.

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 Mera Abhiyaan Meri Pehchaan The company has adopted 65 villages with a total population of 100,000 including 25,000 adolescents to help unmarried, married, school students, drop-outs, working and non-working young girls and boys by teaching them.This helps them take decisions related to their education and reproductive health. Tree plantations in tsunami-affected Tamil Nadu Resting on its commitment towards a cleaner and greener environment, Greenply planted sapling in Chinnankudi Village, Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, an area affected by the tsunami.This campaign was made in association with HOPE Worldwide and the land area where plantation was done is called Greenply Orchard. Save Tiger movement with ARTIGER Greenply lends its support to the movement to save the tigers. Around 56 renowned artists made fiber glass sculptures and each magnificent piece was allotted a partner and kept at 56 prominent locations across Delhi. This noble initiative brings together artists, corporate houses and conservationists to enhance related awareness. All proceeds will go to the Ranthambore Forest Management for the welfare and management of tigers.

BRAND IDENTITY Name: The name Greenply has been chosen for showing the environmental commitments as
a vision for the company. The name is intended to demonstrate the value of environment and to serve the interest of the society.

Symbol: The name Greenply is paired with the symbol of a leaf clove. The leaf shows
the eco-friendliness of the company.

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WORK FLOW MODEL:

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FUNCTIONAL DEPARTMENTS:
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PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT PURCHASE DEPARTMENT MARKETING DEPARTMENT SALES DEPARTMENT CENTRAL EXCISE DEPARTMENT IMPORT EXPORT DEPARTMENT FINANCE DEPARTMENT

1) PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT:
Five important raw materials are used in manufacturing process in GIL. They are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Steam Wood Chemicals Plastics Papers

ANNUAL INSTALLED CAPACITY OF GIL

The annual installed capacities of various products being manufactured in the company are: PRODUCT PLYWOOD MDF BOARD PRE-LAMINATED MDF BOARD FLUSH DOORS SPECTRUM WOOD LAMINATES VENEERS ANNUAL CAPACITY 28 Million Sq. Meter 193600 Cubic Meter 2055000 Sq. Meter 516000 Sq. Meter 5001 Cubic Meter 10.2 Million Sheets 4.2 Million Sq. Meter

2) TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT:

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GIL has a separate TQM department and is well known for its quality throughout the world. It has recognition of ISO 9001 on certification for the quality management schemes. GIL has both, internal and external auditing system. To receive all documents and procedure: this includes quality manual, quality procedures and work instructions.

QUALITY OBJECTIVES:
Sustainable equipment and machinery for process control at all stages. Provision of adequate resources including raw materials and personnel to ensure consistent product quality. Well defined processes and product characteristics to enable monitoring analysis and continual improvement.

3) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT:

GIL has an in house R&D Department approved by the Department of Science & Technology and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). The benefits of successful R&D projects are readily transferred to commercial scale of operation. The company has well equipped R&D laboratory, which is one of the best research centers in wood working industry in the country. The company has also diversified its activities into the manufacture of Resorcinol based glues, Di Allyl Phthalate and sheet molding components. This R&D work enabled India to become third country in the world (other two being USA and Japan) to produce such special items.

4) HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT:

GIL has a well structured Human Resource Department. The personnel department of the company runs to look after the welfare and to control the employees. GIL is having the best governed Human Resource Department, which is the heart and soul behind the success of gigantic establishment. Managing Director is the head of the department followed by the factory executive who deals with all the matters in the personnel department. He is assisted by the personnel officer and welfare officer. JOB ENVIRONMENT: Reporting to factory executive/head of personnel functions; however keep rapport and liaison with section in-charges in all functional areas.

5) PURCHASE DEPARTMENT:

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GIL is a production oriented company. It deals with number of products. Hence, the company requires wood and other raw materials for production at the right quantity with required quality. GIL usually makes two kinds of purchases, namely: Local purchase Import purchase Company has broadly classified its purchase department into Timber purchase department and all other purchase departments. Other department does the buying of all items other than woods i.e. timber. It is involved in purchasing of consumer product, spares, oils, acids, chemicals and other ancillary raw materials used for manufacturing products.

6) MARKETING DEPARTMENT
Marketing is the art of selling products. It is also defined as a societal process by which individual and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering and freely exchanging products and services of value with others. Due to high standard of quality maintained by the quality control department of this company, the product of the company have found readily acceptance in markets, both in India and abroad. The company has succeeded in arranging manufacturing programs on the basis of firm orders, which is regularly for all types of products. The plywood manufactured by the company is being regularly used for manufactures of T.V. cabinets, bus bodies, building constructions, railways, furniture industry, etc. The furniture manufactured by the company is being absorbed the market in drawing rooms, bedrooms, schools, offices, etc. The products of the company are being exported to West Germany, France, USA, Sweden, West Asia and South Asia regularly. The following factors are helpful to influence the consumers to buy the products of Greenply Industries Limited:

1) BRAND IMAGE: The brand name assures certain quality by identifying the manufacturer behind the product. The brand image of Greenply also helps in attracting a lot of customers. 2) HIGH QUALITY: GIL has a great success in attaining a major position in the minds of consumers. GIL follows HIGH QUALITY COMPETITIVE PRICE POLICY. The consumers are ready to buy their products at this price because of its high quality assured products.

FUTURE GROWTH AND PROSPECTS:

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Greenply is present in a high growth industry with a lot of potential, and is expected to register a CAGR of 25% from Financial Year 2010-12. GIL is well placed to service future demand, as it has the largest production capacity in India, which is complemented by the largest distribution network in the industry. The laminate capacity expansion and the introduction of the MDF unit will also lend a fillip to the company's expansion plans in the coming years. To meet the growing demand for MDF in India, Greenply established a new line of business through the introduction of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) in FY2011. MDF is an environment-friendly product made from 100% sustainable plantation timber. The company has installed India's largest MDF board plant, with an annual production capacity of 180,000 cu mt. The total cost of the plant (including machinery) stands at Rs250cr, which has been raised through 70% debt and 30% equity. The plant is located at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. This is considered to be fruitful for the company as it will help in letting India attain a renound position globally. The total demand for MDF in India is said to be around 600,000 cu mt, and, as of now, only 200,000 cu mt is produced domestically, while the rest of the demand is met through imports. Almost 100% of the thin MDF in India is presently imported from various countries. Greenply has a huge potential in this segment, as it will reduce the dependence on imports of the current buyers, and as MDFs of these thicknesses can easily marketed and sold (Greenply has an extensive distribution network, of 32 branches across the country, with a strong dealer/distributors/sub dealers and retailers network of more than 15,000). Currently, the estimated consumption of plywood in India is around 25 lakh m3/yr, and the demand is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5-7%. However, the government has reduced the issue of new licenses on on addition of new capacities of plywood, which will result in a shortage and increase the prices of plywood. Thus, as the production of plywood cannot be increased from the current levels, we expect this 5-7% increase in plywood demand to be substituted by MDF (and allied products),which will result in a huge demand for MDF in the coming years. Currently, the estimated demand for MDF is around 600,000 m3/yr, which is set to grow at a CAGR of around 25-30% (to substitute for the increasing demand in plywood). Thus, there are a lot of chances for the company to grow and boost in the plywood sector of India in the upcoming years.

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The McKinsey 7S Framework

The McKinsey 7S Framework is a management model. The model is most often used as a tool to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of an organization. The model is based on the theory that, for an organization to perform well, these seven elements need to be aligned and mutually reinforcing. So, the model can be used to help identify what needs to be realigned to improve performance, or to maintain alignment (and performance) during other types of change.

OBJECTIVE OF THE MODEL: To analyze how well an organization is positioned to

achieve its intended objective.

Usage

Improve the performance of a company Examine the likely effects of future changes within a company Align departments and processes during a merger or acquisition Determine how best to implement a proposed strategy

The Seven Interdependent Elements

The basic premise of the model is that there are seven internal aspects of an organization that need to be aligned if it is to be successful.

Hard Elements

Strategy Structure Systems

Soft Elements

Shared Values Skills Style Staff

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Mckinseys 7S frame work with special reference to Greenply Industries Limited

STRATEGY:
Establishing small business units. Expansion of plan all over the world. Central control of all the units. Establishment of plant at the places where transport facility is easily available. Planting trees in order to maintain the eco-friendliness of the products. Maintaining a high brand value.

STRUCTURE:
Company is divided into ten different departments. Each department is clear with its roles and responsibilities and the work is carried out accordingly. The industry follows a top to bottom hierarchy model. The decision making process is centralized. All the departments send their reports time to time. The representatives of each department meet time to time to discuss the proceedings of the various departments.

SYSTEMS:
The total quality management department and the Research & Development department are mainly responsible for maintaining the quality of the products. The central offices are located in one or two important cities or states of the country and the remaining centers are controlled from these places. The team work in the industry is commendable. The employees maintain the confidentiality in the industry, assuring that no information is leaked out. The best part is that they follow the principle of employee citizenship.

SHARED VALUES:
Make India gain a significant position globally. Ensure the timely delivery of the products. Follow a strict corporate culture. Follow the work hierarchy.

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 SKILLS:
A strong HR Department is there to ensure that they get the best employees. The employees utilise their skills in the best possible manner. An employee from one department has the knowledge of the other department as well. Skills are monitored annualy on a feedback pattern and interviews are conducted in order to grant promotions and award incentives.

STYLE:
At the center where I worked, participative leadership style is followed. It is quite effective since it helps in dealing with the employees that come from different backgrounds. The employees need to be more and more competitive since the level of competition in the market is quite high.

STAFF:
I found the appropriate Staff members to be missing since one employee is loaded with too many responsibilities. The positions which were available at the center were all filled but according to me, they need some more employees. There are no gaps in the communication amongst the staff members.

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SWOT ANALYSIS
SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is the tool for auditing an organization and its environment.

STRENGTHS:
1) The company has been maintaining a high quality for its products and as its products are well accepted in the market by quality conscious customers, it does not anticipate any marketing problem. They are considered to be The leaders in Quality since 1985. The products of GIL are certified by ISO. 2) The company has a well established R&D unit, one of the best kinds in the wood based industry. 3) GIL use highly technological manufacturing process through its imported hi-tech machines. This helped the company to produce quality products. 4) The company has a very high brand image that has built overlast 50 years. 5) Since company is in existence for the last 25 years, it is highly experienced company with high specialization. 6) The installation and licensed capacity is very high so that it can improve upon its production, if necessary. 7) Company utilises maximum of all resources by raducing wastages. The waste products of the company are recycled or refused. 8) The company has a very effective and efficient distribution network to compete in the prevailing dynamic market.

WEAKNESSES:
1) From my work in GIL, I have found that the promotion of competitors is little bit ahead than that of GIL. There ia an essential need to promote the product to surpass others. 2) The price of GILs products is high as compared to its competitors but GIL perceives it as a strength and brand value.

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OPPORTUNITIES:
1) Several products have been developed for the specific requirements of the automobile, transport and communication sectors. 2) The company diversified from the production of commercial plywood to manufacture Decorative plywood, Block Boards, Shuttering plywood and Aircraft plywood. 3) The products of the company are being exported to more than 32 countries including Germany, France, USA, Sweden and Asian countries.

THREATS:
1) There is an acute shortage of good raw materials which has forced the company to import a substantial portion of its main raw material viz. timber, which has also seen a considerable increase in price. 2) Promotion of the competing companies is better ot than that of GIL. 3) The high power tariffs and increasing costs of furnance oil and other petroleum products and chemicals. 4) There are many medium scale and small scale plywood industries. They fix low price for their products. 5) In some product ranges, imported items are available at lower costs than is currently produced in India. 6) In general, the working of the company has been adversely affected by the effects of globalization. The company is facing competition from local as well as international market. 7) Since the deforestation is the talk of the day, the company faces severe environmental problems. However, selection of non-polluting technology, waste minimization and environment friendly consumption has made GIL committed towards environment.

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Financial Overview
In FY2009, the company registered a robust growth of 31% in sales, even during the economic downturn. In FY2010, GILs net sales increased by 10% to Rs 613.6 cr from Rs 557.8 cr, aided by strong volume growth. The average realisation for plywood were quite stable at Rs184/sq. metre, and the average realisation for decorative veneers increased from Rs 626/sq. metre to Rs 731/sq. metre. Going ahead in FY2010, GIL estimated the sales volume to be quite stable, as the economy was back on track, with an estimated GDP growth of around 7%. Most of the major real estate projects that were either stuck or scraped due to the liquidity crisis were back on track in FY2009. GIL expected an increase of around Rs 70 cr yoy in the top-line in FY2010 , mainly due to the additional laminate capacity added during the year. For FY2010, GIL expected a marginal growth of 14% in the top-line. In absolute terms, GIL estimated the net sales to increase from Rs 724.9 cr to Rs 824 cr in FY2010. Going ahead, GIL expected the net sales to increase to Rs1,043cr and to Rs1,291cr in FY2011 and FY2012, respectively. After FY2010, volume growth was mainly driven by the new MDF and Laminate units, and complemented by improving average realisations. GIL expect the company's Top-line to register a CAGR of 25% over the upcoming years.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
STAKEHOLDERS DEALERS:
A dealer is a trade partner who provides what the customer wants at a fair price across the counter. A dealer is not merely a point in the supply chain; he is the brand-enhanching ambassador in a competitive marketplace.

Dealer Appointment:
Thoughtful dealer appointments always catalyze sales. In view of this, the following factors need to be kept in mind:

The appointment of a new dealer needs to be approved by the Zonal manager. The company, as a policy, prefers to deal directly in all district HOs; areas beyond can be represented by distributors/RSD (Rural Sales Dstributors)

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Dealer Selection:
While selecting a channel partner/dealer, the following criteria should be followed: Goodwill in the marketplace. Attractive store location. The number of outlets owned by the dealer. Strength of relationship with carpenters/interior designers/architects. Size of customer base. Financial strength. To ensure about his track record with companies he has dealt with earlier.

Dealers Role:
Deakers are primary touch points for generating business in following ways: They provide relevant product information to end-users, covering quality, applications, availability, pricing and uses among others. They guide customers in makingthe right choice from the companys vast product portfolio. They enhance the price-value proposition for customers by addressing their stated and implied needs through appropriate product deliveries. They make it possible for the company to deliver to customers, the large product range spread across a wide geographical area in the shortest possible time. They help GIL to build consumer relationships, which inspire repeat off take from the same customer. They collect comsumer opinions and, in doing so, play a meaningful role in product evolution and development.

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Primary and Secondary Sales Ratio:

Greenply has a policy of helping its direct dealers with secondary/tertiary sales generation through its employees, though the decision to sell and collect money from the customer is entirely the decision of the concerned dealer. The company does not, in part or full, takes the responsibility of the same. This is the gesture of goodwill by the company to help the dealer/trade partner stand on his own, and is not binding on the company. For day-to-day working and mutual growth, the company expects to get a primary business for the secondary sales generated and given to the dealer by its employees. The ratio of the primary orders given by the dealer to the company differs from product to product. These ratios are indicative only and can increase if the dealer wants so.

CONTRACTORS/CARPENTERS:
A contractor/ carpenter ia an important touch point in the plywood trade. He is the biggest influence in a transaction and can tilt the scales in any companys favour. The carpenter/contractor needs to be constantly met and provided knowledge of the various products and the benefits. A conscious effort needs to be put in ensuring that relationships with a given set of A grade contractors, while constantly remaining in touch with, and having full details of the remaining carpenters/contractors in the assigned areas.

Ways to build relationships with contractors/carpenters to enhance their morale:

Bonding Regular Interactions/ Engagement Respect Training Gifts Subsidy

INTERIOR DESIGNER/ARCHITECTS:
There is a great investment going into home than ever before. This is enhanching the role of interior designers and architects. These days, the interiors and architects take jobs on a turnkey basis where they present themselves as a one-stop shop to their customers. In these cases, their significance as a decision maker goes up. The regular interactions with them and providing them with solution/ knowledge/ applications for their needs go a long way in establishing Greenply as their preferred choice.
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Some elements that really help the company to build a good relationship with the stakeholders like Interior Designers are given below: Knowledge Demonstration Trips Relationships

ARCHITECT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL:

ALC was initiated by GIL in 2008. ALC takes the interaction with selected pan-India architects/interior designers to a new high. This award winning initiative was widely appreciated. A website was created (www.greenalc.com) serving as an interactive platform for all members. The concerned architects/interior designers can avail the following benefits from ALC: Updates to new designs and finishes of laminates and decorative veneers. A platform to celebrate events (festivals, birthdays, exhibitions, award ceremonies, design competitions among others) A list of Indian/International architects. A list of related books.

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STANDING OUT IN THE MARKET PLACE

Dealing with Competition:
At Greenply, they believe that We areour own competitors. Therefore, the goal is to consistently beat their own performance. Marketplace Competition is important as it drives and inspires them to do their best and excel. At the ply and Board business, they expect the field and other staff to be ethical in their behavior while dealing with the competition and their personnel.

Dos and Donts

Do not indulge in negative publicity about the competitors. Believe in the power of marketing philosophies rather than make negative observation of competitors. As a matter of prudence and company policy, focus on FAB Analysia (Features, Attributes & Benefits) and USP of products instead of demeaning the competing products. Be in constant touch with competitors market strategy (Pricing, Promotions, Discounts, Product Pitching Style, new launches and new projects, among others)

Debtors Management:
Being a trade friendly organization, GIL believes in maximizing benefits for dealers willing to invest in a business. In line with this, they introduce various discounts for deserving and interested dealers. The involvement of the dealers eventually helps the dealer and the organization in the long run leading to a healthy and profitable business.

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LEARNING EXPERIENCE
It is said that An arrow goes the farthest when its stretched the longest. For me, this phrase was pretty aptly suited by the time the project is getting over. Before this, never did I realise that I would be able to work for so long on something. I wanted the project to get completed as soon as possible for the sweat, the travelling, the shoving at the entry gates and the reprimands. But as the time passed, I realized why marketing is said to be the most intriguing and exciting department of any company. At the beginning, it was pretty tough to acclimatize with the corporate culture. But, slowly after getting a hang of it, it became all more interesting. Sitting in the office, travelling 50-75 kilometers a day, meeting with clients in big, swanky offices and shops and finally, learning a lot beyond marketing was really something that was unexpected. The training and project saw me to transform by leaps and bounds, both in terms of knowledge and personal grooming, etiquettes and soft skills really came handy during the project. Who says everything we learn in the classroom doesnt really apply to the real corporate work? Infact, for me, my learning in the classroom was really helpful to carry out this project pretty smoothly. Not in every case, but at some instances, the skills of marketing learnt in the classroom really helped. Not to forget his learning that, Classroom coaching only builds the base for a successful career, the effort lies in the person himself to stand up and deliver. The project was a real eye-opener for me as I really didnt imagine there would be so many industries around, with such diverse work cultures. Apart from learning marketing lessons, there were many others too, which build oneself morally like how to deal with people, how and why should one follow the business ethics, etc. Every second of the days in the training, I used to breathe the project. The only thing I dreamt of is how to make the best use of it and how to grow while working on this project. It was an experience of lifetime. One stands, falls and stands again to walk, this is what happens in the real corporate world. There are many other learnings with respect to Greenply Industries Limited, which I learnt while working on the project. Being a marketeer, one needs to understand that different people need to be dealt in different ways. Ways of talking, explaining and dealing changes from person to person. One needs to learn it while in the organization as per the culture and values of the organization. I am really thankful to the GIL staff and the industry guide, who helped me learn a few minute things about the market which are discussed as under.

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Preparing for Presentations:

GIL always chooses to be part of the solution, rather than being a part of the problem. One thing which I got to learn there was Customers always buy benefits and not features of the product. It really helped me to determine about the proceedings which I had to take with the customers. As sales personnel, I tend to realize about a few things which are mentioned below:

Things to Remember:
Introduce yourself with a salutation and warm gesture. Always speak about the company as a whole (brand, market strength and sales). Describe the product portfolio and the product you deal with.

Things to be Avoided:
Never underestimate the importance of the client. Never underestimate the clients knowledge. Never complain about one dealer to another as both are important to the business.

Pitching to various Stakeholders:

As GIL deals in a product category which requires dealing with various stakeholders, there is a pertinent need to address them in a different manner. The product and services need to be pitched differently to contractors/ architects/ dealers.

Sales pitch to dealers:

Emphasis on Greenply being among the largest companies in the trade with a pan-India presence. Tell them about the bigness of the organization comprising more than 40 branch offices, direct presence in more than 335 Indian cities, and more than 400 field staff. Be proud to say that company is growing rapidly and doubling turnover almost every third year. Stress that organizations size will always lead to economies of scale, providing a strong VFM (Value for Money) proposition for the consumer. Talk to them about the tried and tested sales support system that the company provides to its dealers. Stress the partners in progress theme.
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Sales Pitch to Contractors/ Carpenters:

Create an emotional connect. Establish price-value superiority, which means even if the products are costlier, they lasy long and enhance the reputation of the contractor, which means more repeated business from the same customer. Highlight the percentage value theory (the higher the price, the larger the margin for them). Since Greenply products are expensive, it will benefit contractors if they use those Greenply products that drive their business. Talk about the companys product guarantee. Highlight Subsidy Benefits (Commission).

Sales Pitch to Architects/Interior Designers:

Talk about the latest Industry Trends. Speak about the advantages of the Value- added products. Do a FAB Analysis. Highlight product advantage (Density, Dimension stability and other properties). Speak to them about the reach of the organization in providing services across India. The ability to service them through dedicated teams on a pan-India basis for architects and interiors.

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OVERVIEW
In todays era of customer oriented and increasing competition it is said if a customer doesnt find a way to your business, then put on the sales shoes and reach at his/her doorstep and try developing a business relationship with him. The basic driving forces for any company as per Michael Porters five forces model are: a) b) c) d) e) Threats of new entrants Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threats of substitutes Competitive rivalry

These forces keep the company on the edge and always warn the company about the harsh realities of cut-throat competition along with high rate of brand switching among the customers. For any company, the challenge is to effectively manage these forces to achieve the objectives and goals of the organization. Companies cannot be complacent and should acclimatize to the change very fast. What matters is the speed of change, adaptability to change value to customer and quality of offering. Relationship marketing helps the company in developing the competitive advantage, which is essential for the growth of the company. Customer satisfaction is an important aspect of relationship marketing. Relationship marketing has been defined as the task of creating strong customer loyalty. It embraces all those steps that companies undertake to know and provide value to its customers. In the customer-development process, which moves from suspects to partners in business, relationship marketing is the key concept that helps the companies in developing loyal customer base. And therefore, its pretty sensible and safe option to retain some old customers rather than venturing out to create new markets afresh. The real challenge for any company is to find out about this customer and convert them into partners. Relationship marketing helps the company in achieving this to a great deal.

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OBJECTIVE:
To observe and evaluate the shifting trends of consumers choices from unbranded (including local brands) to branded plywood.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:
1. To evaluate the shifting trends of consumer choices from unbranded (including local brands) to branded plywood. 2. To analyze the buying behavior of the customers of Plywood.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:
1. 2. 3. 4. To study the brand preference of dealers and customers of Plywood. To know the major brands of plywood and Block Board. To find the awareness of the customers towards the Greenply Plywood. Collate data critical for market intelligence and analyze it to arrive at information useful for business purpose.

TIMELINE: One and a half months (45 days)

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SCOPE:
Geographical Area: The area covered for study in this project was Lucknow District as
it was the place of work.

Industry: The project was conducted in the plywood sector of Greenply Industries
Limited. It was to study the shifting trends in consumer choices from unbranded to branded plywood.

Players: There are many competitors of Greenply plywood present in the market which
give it a tough competition like Kit ply, Century Ply, Sonear Ply, Anchor Ply, etc. along with many local competitors.

Respondents: The respondents who filled up the questionnaire were dealers of

plywood in Lucknow District. The study was conducted as per their perspective and their outlook towards the customers of plywood.

Variables/Factors: The variables are consumers buying behavior and choices in

purchase of plywood as per the perspective of dealers.

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MARKET SEGMENTATION:
GREENPLY INDUSTRIES LIMITED is a well-established organization manufacturing high quality goods. Company believes in quality. In order to ensure the quality, each batch undergoes quality tests. Company has an effective marketing strategy. The prices of GILs products are comparatively high but of high quality too. The company has been targeting at the high income as well as the low-level income groups. GIL is marketing more than 300 products. Products are segmented as: 1) 2) 3) 4) Local Industrial Export Application based segments

1) LOCAL MARKET These include the customers who purchase the plywood and MDF for the purpose of ceiling separation, door separation and block separation.

2) INDUSTRIAL MARKET: The main industrial consumers of GIL are: Car manufacturer Clock manufacturer 3) EXPORT MARKET GIL exports their products to the following countries: Germany Sri Lanka UAE USA Oman Malaysia Saudi Arabia

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4) APPLICATION BASED SEGMENTS As wood based panels are essentially intermediate products that are utilized for further processing and value addition, the most logical segmentation variable is end use or application. Application based segments are: Building construction industry Interior designing Board building industry Automotive building

OVERALL MARKETING STRATEGY:

Marketing strategy of the company revolves around its product quality. The companys emphasis on product performance and reliability has enabled it to command a performance premium in the market it has entered. Significant brand equity in its target market, coupled with superior product development capabilities has enabled GIL to sustain its performance premium equity into new market segment it enters. IT WOULD BE APT TO CALL GIL AS COMPANY WITH CONSCIENCE.

COMPETITORS:
GIL is facing strong competition from Indian plywood manufacturing company (IPM) and CENTURY PLY. Other players like KITPLY, SONEAR are also giving slight competition along with a chunk of local companies.

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MARKETING MIX
1) PRODUCT
GIL produces a range of plywood to suit specific requirements in industrial as well as domestic sector of the market to support its philosophy of value added products only. Phenol bonded boiling water resistant plywood and other superior grades are manufactured by GIL.

2) PRICE
Consequent to superior raw materials and additional processing incorporated in the manufacture of GILs plywood panels; they are more expensive than product offered by the competitors. GILs philosophy of continuously upgrading its machinery to keep in line with the state of art technology also adds to the final produced cost. However the additional perceived value arising out of such investment is more than the marginal cost addition and hence customers are willing to retain it.

3) PLACE
GILs products are sold through retail outlets, which are either owned by the company or agents representing the company. In some areas established dealers are appointed to increase availability and reach of the products. Company directly deals with customers regarding the high density industrial lamination.

4) PROMOTION
GIL operates in niche market by selling technologically superior products, where quality is the determining criterion. Short term sales promotion schemes are not undertaken. Long term brand building is undertaking through personal selling and direct mail marketing besides promotional visits by selling agents. GIL also participates in trade exhibitions; carpenter meets and conducts exclusive exhibition carpenter meets and conducts exclusive exhibition in order to create brand awareness and build brand image.

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SALES DEPARTMENT:
INDIRECT SALES:
GIL markets their products through agencies and depots. Following are procedures involved: Enquiries are made with depots/agents/representatives Depots will quote showing samples, if required Receives order Issues orders to head office Prepares production order Manufacturing

DIRECT SALES:
Sales representatives plays vital role also. GILs main promotion method is direct contact by sales representatives to canvass customers. Enquiries are made through tenders. The main tool used to catch the orders is by the lowest quotation. Generally the GIL gives 15 to 30 days credit for parties. Even though the timber world is facing crisis, the GIL is able to withstand by marketing variety of products like plywood items (fire resistant, marine wood, densified wood, DAP). The main sales promotion method used by GIL is direct contact. GIL has many dealers throughout India.FIL also conduct exhibitions and issues international magazines. GIL outstands for their quality. Every batch of products will go to testing for identifying glue failure and other defects.

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METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH TYPE: Descriptive Research
In my endeavors of carrying out a careful marketing research project the objective of research chosen, was of Descriptive Research type. As Greenply had no such requirements for gathering any kind of preliminary information, hence, this factor itself ruled out the exploratory research type objective; reason being that Greenply already had predefined set of problems and requirements with it before this project was assigned to me. The predefined set of problems identified by Greenply included sales generation through proper understanding of the current market needs and trends in plywood market. Thus, I was expected to choose descriptive research as the research objective and carry out works like market penetration, reach and demand of each product that Greenply provides, determining the service or product that holds the maximum percentage of market demand of all and comparing the market penetration and demand of the products of Greenply.

RESEARCH DESIGN:
Type of Research: Descriptive Research Research Method: Survey

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SAMPLING
POPULATION
The sample of 50 has been taken by me in Lucknow District. The people residing in an around these areas were considered as the population for the study. Whenever I had the opportunity to visit to sites or dealers, I asked the questions pertaining to brand choices.

SAMPLE SIZE
The sample size of 50 was selected by me. The study requires on in depth survey and keen observation in collecting data regarding the branded plywood and unbranded too along with the brands local to that area.

SAMPLING UNIT: Dealers SAMPLING ELEMENTS: Managers SAMPLING FRAME

List of dealers provided by the company along with the list available on the internet.

SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Multistage Area Sampling and Convenience Sampling

EXTENT
Lucknow District

PERIOD
June-July, 2013

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LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Although the project was an eye opener for me to the harsh realities of the corporate world and was a source of huge amount of value addition, at certain junctures of the project, there were setbacks which we all face in life. At the same note there were certain limitations which were encountered during the course of the project. Most of them being under my own scope, some were beyond my control. A few of those are stated below: 1) First and foremost, the most difficult part of the project was travelling long distances during the initial part of the project. But later on, it just became a habit and with time, I learnt travelling is the most indispensable part of marketing. 2) Secondly, time was one of the major constraints. Meeting so many dealers and visiting project sites within the limited amount of time was pretty tiring but then I almost achieved to maximum number of dealers and consumers situated in Lucknow District. 3) Certain customers in all zones didnt have adequate knowledge about Greenply. And if they would know, then there was major reluctance to go for it due to high price. This created a little hindrance but after describing them all about Greenply, they showed their interest towards it and wanted to know more about it.

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PROJECT RATIONALE:
Initially this project was undertaken to complete a two months internship program which is necessary to complete the course. The topic provided by the company was undertaken to solve the following problems: Help the company face its competitors. Gain a remarkable position in the local market. Know the brand preferences of the customers from dealers perspective. Evaluate the shifting trends in choices of customers from unbranded to branded ply wood.

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DATA ANALYSIS
The study is conducted empirically using both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected with the help of well structured questionnaire. Around 50 potential customers were surveyed to understand the brand awareness level of Greenply in Lucknow District. All the persons interviewed were either dealers or customers who are willing to use plywood. It has been deliberately decoded to conduct the survey among this because they are the people who are generally looking ahead for the purchase of ply woods. The secondary data was collected from Greenplys website and by going through their corporate records; brochures and annual reports of the company along with their newsletters were used to substantiate the information. The details about the plywood market were collected from a few specialized magazines to get information regarding the organization and products.

PRIMARY DATA:
Primary data has been collected through questionnaires. The questionnaire was mostly related to the brand awareness and opinion about brand purchase.

SECONDARY DATA:
Secondary data has been taken from the following sources: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Reports Pamphlets Advertisement Newspapers Internet

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DATA COLLECTION PROCESS

Based on needs and objectives, types of data required for study and other sources of data are identified.

OBSERVATION

PRIMARY QUESTIONNAIRE DATA INSIDE THE ORGANISATION SECONDARY

NEWS LETTERS DOCUMENTS

OUTSIDE THE ORGANISATION

LIBRARIES, MAGAZINE, Etc.

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GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE SURVEY

Q.NO. 1 Have you heard about Greenply?

RESPONSE

FREQUENCY

CALCULATION

PERCENTAGE

YES

43

43*100/50

86%

NO

07

7*100/50

14%

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PERCENTAGE

GREY= NO BLACK= YES CHART SHOWING WHETHER CUSTOMERS ARE AWARE OF GREENPLY INDUSTRIES LTD. OR NOT

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Q.NO. 2: Which are the major brands of plywood & Block Boards the dealers are stocking in their shops?

BRANDS Greenply & Centuryply Sonear Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Hunsur Ply Others Total

NO. OF DEALERS 19 6 9 4 9 2 1 50

PERCENTAGE 38 12 18 8 18 4 2 100%

INFERENCE: From the above table and analysis it can be inferred that most of the dealer stocked Century ply and Greenply brand of ply wood and Block Board in their shop. It shows that there is a great demand of Branded Plywood among the consumers despite high prices. They do not want local products which fail to meet on quality specifications.

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40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Centuty Ply & Greenply Sonear Kit Ply Sharada Ply Anchor Ply Hunsur Ply

Graph showing major brands of plywood and Block Boards the dealers are stocking in their shops.

Q. NO. 3: Why the brands sell more in the market? Reasons Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service Others Total No. of Dealers 10 11 3 5 20 1 50 Percentage 20 22 6 10 40 2 100%

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45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Quality Price Brand Name Availability Service Others

Graph showing the reason why brand sells more in the market

INFERENCE: From the above table and analysis, it can be inferred that according to most of the dealers, the service of the company is the reason why the brand sells more in the market. However, it can be also considered that price and quality also matters a lot for which the brand sells more in the market.

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Q.NO. 4 How the customers come to know about Greenply plywood & Block Boards? Sources Advertisements Company Sales Person Hoardings Contractors Others/Carpenters Total No. of Dealers 3 26 1 12 8 50 Percentage 6 52 2 24 16 100%

INFERENCE: From the above table and analysis, it can be concluded that most of the dealers were aware of Greenply plywood and Block Boards through the company sales person.
60

50

40

30

20

10

0 Advertisements Sales Person Hoardings Contractors Others/Carpenters

Graph showing how the customers came to know about the Greenply Products
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Q. NO. 5: Does advertising help increase in sales?

Response

No. of Dealers

Percentage

Yes

30

60

No

20

40

Total

50

100%

Grey= No Black= Yes Graph showing whether advertisement helps in increasing sales or not

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Q. NO. 6: What would be the rating of the sales services of Greenply? Rating Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor Total No. of Dealers 3 21 20 6 0 50 Percentage 6 42 40 12 0 100%

INFERENCE: After sales service of Greenply is quite satisfactory and customers are satisfied with the service provided.

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45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 Excellent Very Good Good Average Poor

Graph showing the rating of after sales service of Greenply

As a dealer knows the customer choices and preferences very well, the questionnaire formed (Annexure) gives a clear understanding about consumers changing choices from unbranded to branded plywood.

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SHIFTING TRENDS TOWARDS BRANDS

Brands, in fact, influence consumer behavior in a number

Brand value to consumers

1. Reassurance: A brand is a stamp of authenticity. It adds value by promising reliability and help to establish repeat purchase patterns. In a foreign country, people seek the reassurance of familiar brands, even though they are presumably travelling to find new experiences. 2. Value Expression: Greenply chooses the brands that reflect the individual values that they possess as individual. They do this to communicate the desire singles in the highly social environment they inhabit. 3. Usage: A strong brand increases a consumers usage and spends over time, either within a category or as a bridge into other categories. It has been successful in every category, because the perception has been the same- consistent value delivery to the same. 4. Brand Switch: In FMCG markets, experimenting less with competition means that the brand achieve larger proportion of the category spend by the consumer. For example, magi soup is always bought by the consumer, and is not being substituted by other soup brands.

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BRANDS- Building a brand

What factors are important in building a brand value?

Professor David Jobber identifies seven main factors in building successful brands, as illustrated in the diagram below:

QUALITY

POSITIONING

WELL-BLENDED COMMUNICATION

BRAND BUILDING

REPOSITIONING

CREDITIBILITY

INTERNAL MARKETING

LONG -TERM PERSPECTIVE

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1. QUALITY: Quality is a vital ingredient of a good brand. Remember, the core benefits- the things consumers expect. These must be delivered well, consistently. The branded washing machine that leaks, or the training shoe that often falls apart when wet will never develop brand equity. Research confirms that, statistically, higher quality brands achieve a higher market shares and higher profitability than there inferior competitors. 2. POSITIONING: Positioning is about the position a brand occupies in a market in the minds of consumers. Strong brands have a clear, often unique position in the target market. Positioning can be achieved through several means, including brand name, image, service standards, product guarantees, packaging and the way in which it is delivered. In fact, successful positioning usually requires a combination of these things.

3. REPOSITIONING: Repositioning occurs when a brand tries to change its market position to reflect a change in consumers tastes. This is often required when a brand has become tired, perhaps because its original market has matured or has gone into decline. The repositioning of the Lucozade brand from a sweet drink for children to a leading sports drink is one example. Another would be the changing style of entertainers with above-average longevity such as Kylie Minogue and Cliff Richard. 4. COMMUNICATION: Communications also play a key role in building a successful brand. Brand positioning is essentially about Customer perceptions. All elements of the promotional mix need to be used to develop and sustain customer perceptions. 5. FIRST-MOVER ADVANTAGE: Business strategists often talk about first-mover advantage. In terms of brand development, by first mover they mean that it is possible for the first successful brand in a market to create a clear positioning in the minds of target customers before the competition enters the market. There is plenty of evidence to support this. Think of some leading consumer products like Gillette, Coca Cola and Sell tape that, in many ways, defined the markets they operate in and continue to lead. However, being first into a market does not necessarily guarantee long-term success. Competitors- drawn to the high growth and profit potential demonstrated by the marketmover will enter the market and copy the best elements of the leaders brand (a good example is the way that Body Shop developed the ethical personal care market but were soon facing stiff competition from the major high street cosmetic retailers).

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6. LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE: This leads onto another important factor in brand building: the need to invest in the brand over the long-term. Building customer awareness, communicating the brands message and creating customer loyalty takes time. This means that management must invest in a brand at the expense of short-term profitability.

7. INTERNAL MARKETING: Finally, management should ensure that the brand is marketed internally as well as externally. By this, we mean that the whole business should understand the brand values and positioning. This is particularly important in service businesses where a critical part of the brand value is the type and quality of service that a customer receives. Think of the brands that you value in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors. It is likely that your favorite brands invest heavily in staff training so that the face-to-face contact that you have with the brand helps secure your loyalty.

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SHIFTING TRENDS PLYWOOD

FROM

UNBRANDED

TO

BRANDED

Above shown factors show that why consumers are craving for brands over unbranded products. There has been a drastic shift in consumer choice from unbranded plywood to branded one like Greenply. The reason is simple; Trust in brands. Consumers are aware now. They have the full knowledge about products and corresponding values. They are ready to pay higher prices if quality is being provided in products along with durability. During my study, I met with many customers and their first preference was either Greenply or Century Ply. Though some of them have the notion that these brands are very costly, yet they were ready to accept it if proper description was given. There was certain set of questionnaire which I put in front of every customer and dealer, and after analyzing it I found that today, consumers know about and rely on the branded ply woods. Even those having less income, wants branded one as this calls for only one time investment. Here are some reasons why reasons why consumers have shifted from unbranded to branded plywood: Consumers, nowadays have sense of having freedom of choices. Consumers now seek for VFM (Value for Money) Branded plywood and related products lie on high price scale but that demands only one time investment and increases reliability. Branded ply woods have great impact on the unbranded one because the sale of branded ply woods is increasing and unbranded is decreasing because of consciousness of customer regarding quality. But the main reason of consumers shifting from unbranded to branded plywood is Purchasing power. Today consumers purchasing power has been increased due to increased in come level. This has brought a sense of freedom of choices in them. They want a brand which gives them assurance and value for money, no matter how costly it is.

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RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS:

As far as my stint with Greenply is concerned, I feel the entire organization has got a pretty well managed structure and functions. But as we know, be it a company like Greenply Industries or be it other top notch companies like Century ply, Kit ply, Archid ply, etc. loopholes are bound to be there. Its pretty unfair to put entire blame on the management. There are some areas where company sub-consciously loses note of very minute details, which in a due course of time turns into a problem. Some of the facets of the entire process were taken into consideration as junctions of betterment for Greenply Industries. A few of them are stated below: 1. To start with, I would like to suggest to the higher management of Greenply Industries Limited pertaining to the advertisement aspect. Though companys advertisement in p rint media and electronic media has just accelerated, yet the competitors like Century Ply stands better in this arena. In my opinion, a separate promotional team should be formed for getting the more number of mouths saying Greenply.

TABLE SHOWING WHETHER THE ADVERTISMENT HELPS IN INCREASE IN SALES:

Response

No. of Dealers

Percentage

Yes

30

60

No

20

40

Total

50

100

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Analysis:
The above table shows that according to majority of the dealers, i.e., 60% of the opined that advertising help increase in sales, while 40% of the dealers indicated that advertising doesnt help increase in sales.

2. The questionnaires carried by the trainees for the research shouldnt contain the logo or for that matter any identification marks of the company. Because companies do not tend to answer questions about their company to any representative from another company. A student undergoing a project is more acceptable and welcome rather than a student working on a research for a company. 3. Heres one research I carried out which wasnt really discussed in due course of the project, but was an interesting finding that I felt should be added in the project as I had brain-stormed enough on it.

The problem which I felt Greenply actually suffering from was that, even though it was successful enough to create a niche for itself in the premier segment market, but when it came to smaller segments, Greenply lagged a bit behind. The answer I figured out was low cost rivals. Lets first look at the problem: {(S) and (O) depict the nature of relationship between the two factors.} i.e., same and opposite.

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LOW COST RIVALS

O
MARKET SHARES

PRICES

O S

VOLUME REVENUES

S S
QUALITY OF SERVICES INVESTMENTS

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DESCRIPTION:
Increase of Low Cost Rivals in the market will reduce (O) the Market Share of Greenply as the low cost rival will be eating up the market. Reduction in market shares will cause reduced (S) Revenues that will drive reduced (S) Investments. Reduced investment will reduce (S) the Quality & Quantity of Services provided. That will reduce (S) the Volume as nobody would like to pay for reduced services. And when the volume will come down, then to earn some profit, the (O) Prices have to be raised. Rise in the prices of Greenply will again help the (S) Low Cost Rivals to conquer the market. Though its true that Greenply has its own USP of selling the products and it is successful too, but there is an ample chance in market to avoid the small and local players. There is evidence which shows that local plywood players are selling their products on that much low price which is unaffordable for any quality providing company. GILs products are costly but of quality conformation. It has been successful to beat the competitors through its brand power. Greenply cannot reduce the cost because it runs on a different business model and it is an established organization and therefore it has some fixed costs to run the business and to meet the expected standards. Therefore, if due to pressure it reduces its cost, then that will cause poor quality of products and lowering the standards which is again not good for Greenply as we can see in the diagram.

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AFTER UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM, I HAVE SUGGESTED THESE SOLUTIONS:

1. Separate team for tapping unexplored market. One or two senior sales people can head the team and they can hire project trainees on adios basis round the year. This team will be responsible to do some market research and collect data and generate leads. They will explore the untouched market and the small organizations and medium sized organizations mainly. There can be a special KAM (Key Account Management) team, who will tap the potential and prospective customers who can be big ones tomorrow. This KAM team will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with prospective and existing clients for future business.

The whole marketing and sales team will look like this:

Regular Sales Team (70%)

Project Trainees (20%)

KAM (10%)

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2. They should organize conferences and seminars, where they can invite different organizations to participate and discuss different topics related to customer choices like brand awareness, CRM, etc. and specially related to the products offered by Greenply. This will increase the brand awareness in the market and the market considers you as a thoughtful organization. This method might seem to be expensive in the beginning but such expenses will give heavy returns in the long run. Its all about capitalizing on the value of a brand name in future. 3. They should increase their value added services and should keep differentiating themselves from the others. Should provide a 24 hour Help Desk. Can provide training to the buying organizations employees. Should act like a solution provider and solve the customers problems through the products. 4. Build better and stronger relationships with the dealers. So that they are in a better position to offer some more value to the end consumers. 5. Focus on the dealers in the smaller cities. Though Greenply is a big brand and an international one, it should not forget the dealers who dwell in the smaller cities. Many of them are not properly aware about the brand. They play a very important role in reaching the end customers.

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If Greenply applies all of these, the result will be as shown in the diagram below:

PRICES O

LOW COST RIVALS

VOLUME

MARKET RESEARCH AND TAPPING S MARKET

START GIVING VALUE ADDED SERVICES

S REVENUES S INVESTMENT S S

S QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR MORE BRAND AWARENESS

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DESCRIPTION:
They need to act from all directions. So, they need to start the market research extensively, and find out newer markets to increase their (S) market shares. Increased market shares will drive increased (S) revenues. Increased revenues and implementation of the method of brand awareness will lead to increased (S) investments. Implementing the Value added services and increased investments will drive increased (S) better quality and quantity of products. It will help to sell more and to have an increased (S) volume. Increased volume will help Greenply to make up the profit. So, now they can reduce their margins and lower the (O) prices.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
Company should provide better service to the dealer as sales assistance, new product information, etc. Local publicity should be made highly for consumer scheme to create awareness to the dealer location. Introduce innovative schemes from time to time for dealers/consumers. Preemptive pricing strategy in pricing is needed. Price parity should be maintained throughout the market. The company should emphasize on new model with quality and durability and that should be unique from its competitors. The company should seamlessly calculate dealer compensation, sales commissions, adjustments, penalties and other financial transactions in a multi-hierarchal dealer environment. The following benefits can be achieved: Greater Coverage: Service providers can manage a widespread distribution of dealer networks so that they can reach out to their customers with the ability to set up complex dealer and agent relationships within the network. The system can handle infinite numbers of dealers, sub-dealers and sales agents. Monitor performance: The production of comprehensive reports, means the service provider can have a detailed view of dealer commissions generated in order to better monitor performance. The service providers can evaluate the dealers efficiency and sales patterns. They can also attach sales agents to a group of dealers and monitor their performance on different parameters such as revenue generated, customer acquired, customer churned.

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 Increase visibility: The service providers can form hierarchies as well as sales groups comprising dealers, sub-dealers, and sales agents to carry out sales operations to gain a better view of value chain. Commission sharing percentages amongst the agents, dealers and sub-dealers can also be setup. Encourage competition: The service provider can offer promotional bonuses or impose penalties to dealers, based on their performance in acquiring customers, as well as retaining existing ones.

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CONCLUSION:
Before I took this project, I never did realize that I will be able to work for so long on something. Its pretty tough to realize the hardships of any job before you take it and actually get into it. In this learning experience, I have grown a lot. It is a kind of transition from first year to second year. A transition that has made me learn a lot, right from the practical knowledge to the implementation of what I already studied in the classroom. I thank the DBS fraternity for endowing me with such a splendid learning opportunity. It was really an experience of a lifetime-my first corporate exposure. The lessons learnt during the project have seen me transform into more learned individual. The journeys, the interaction with the dealers and customers, the dos and donts of business are some of the things I have actually breathed during this project. Watching and learning about an organizations working and actually getting into the organization are two completely different things. Earlier in the class we used to study about the SWOT analysis and related things, now I can actually relate them. Its like getting into what I have already learnt. Finally, I would like to state that, every second of the day we used to breathe the project, visualize questionnaires and smell sweat, but at the end of the day when I used to retire to bed, the sleep I used to get was the best I have ever had in my whole life. It wouldnt be wrong to say that this was a trailer of what I have to undergo once I get this degree. So overall it was a great experience with best of the colleagues I would say and a very good company. The staff has been very cooperative and I got regular guidance in whatever I did. I liked working there and really felt honored when someone asked me about my college or where do I study? I felt good to implement the marketing skills I learned from the faculties of DBS, into the real world. Finally, Greenply, the undisputed leader in the Plywood industry, has carved a niche for itself in other industries as well. It boasts of 36 premium products in its range, each of whom is a benchmark in their category. Greenply continuously strives to bring innovations in all their products through in-house R&D making it superior in quality than its competitors. People working here are committed to strengthen the leading position of Greenply boards ltd. in Indian plywood industry following statutory & regulatory standard related to the products by adopting latest available technology and involving competent employees, focusing on quality consciousness, cost effectiveness and to enhance customer satisfaction through continual improvement.

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ANNEXURES
QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: . Shop Name: Address: ..

1. a. b. c. d. e.

How long have you been into this business? Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-5 years 5-10 years More than 10 years

2. Are you aware of Greenply Industries Ltd.? a. Yes b. No

3. Are you aware of Greenply brand of ply wood and Block Boards? a. Yes b. No

4. Are you stocking Greenply Plywood & Block boards in your shop? a. Yes b. No

5. What are the major brands of plywood & block boards you stock in your shop? a. Century Ply b. Green ply c. Kit Ply d. Anchor Ply e. Sonear
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f. Sharada Ply g. Honsur Ply h. Others

6. Which is the highest selling brand of ply wood & block boards which you stock in your shop? a. Century Ply b. Green ply c. Kit Ply d. Anchor Ply e. Sonear f. Sharada Ply g. Honsur Ply h. Others

7. What do you think is the reason this brand sell more in the market? a. Quality b. Price c. Brand Name d. Availability e. Service f. Others

8. What are the problems you face in keeping stock of plywood and block boards? a. b. c. d. e. Borer Attack Warping De-Lamination Termites Others

9. How did you come to know about Greenply Ply wood & Block Boards? a. Advertisements b. Co. Sales Person c. Hoardings

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d. Architects e. Others

10. Do you think advertising help increase sales? a. Yes b. No

11. How do you rate after sale service of Greenply Industries Ltd.? a. Excellent b. Very Good c. Good d. Average e. Poor Any suggestions to the company?

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Websites:
www.greenply.com www.wikipedia.com www.answer.com www.yahooanswers.in

Books & Journals:

Marketing Research by Philip Kotler Research Methodology by C.R. Kothari Company pamphlets & brochures

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