APEAL Study Project Report

PROJECT REPORTatTHE NIELSEN COMPANY (India)onAutomotive Performance, Execution, and Layout (APEAL) Study

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree ofPost Graduate Diploma in Management

Submitted byArjun GiriRegistration No: B11220838Under the guidance of Prof. Madhuri Sharma

Acharya Institute of Management & Sciences1st Cross, 1st Stage, Peenya Industrial AreaBangalore 560058

All India Management AssociationSeptember, 2013ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI would like to express my sincere thanks to the Coordinator Mr. Rajesh for accepting me as an Intern in the organization. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to my company guide Mr. Venkatesh for his continuous cooperation, support, suggestion, encouragement and providing input and suggestion that I needed to complete my project successfully.I also would also like to express my gratitude towards my Project guide Prof. Madhuri Sharma for her valuable guidance and support during the period of my summer training. She has corrected and guided me through every step in my project. She also inculcated in me a systematic approach and professionalism.I would also like to thank all those people at THE NIELSEN COMPANY who though being total strangers to me lifted my spirit with their cheerful smiles and gave me the courage & inspiration to work zealously on the project assigned to me and do justice to it.Lastly, I wish to express my gratitude to my colleagues and friends for their constant encouragement and support.At last but not the least I would like to thank God for giving me patience and power for the successful completion of the project.

Arjun GiriPGDM (MARKETING).AIMS

TABLE OF CONTENTSTitlePageChapter I1. Introduction42. Industry Profile63. Company Profile114. Products Profile125. Competitors Profile17Chapter II6. Organisation Structure207. Organisational Chart21Chapter III8. Functional Departments22Chapter IV9. SWOT Analysis23Chapter V10. Ethical/Best Practices & Policies27Chapter VI11. Special Task28Chapter VII12. Findings, Suggestions & Conclusion4813. Bibliography52

1. Introduction

Market researchMarket Research is any organized effort to gather information aboutmarkets or customers. It is a very important component ofbusiness strategy.The term is commonly interchanged with marketing research however; expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in thatmarketingresearch is concerned specifically about marketing processes, whilemarketresearch is concerned specifically with markets.Market research is a key factor to maintain competitiveness overcompetitors. Market research provides important information to identify and analyze the market need, market size and competition.Market research, which includes social and opinion research, is the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision making.Market research is for discovering what people want, need, or believe. It can also involve discovering how they act. Once that research is completed, it can be used to determine how to market your product.There are two major types of market research.Primary research sub-divided into Quantitative and Qualitative research and Secondary research.Marketing research is often partitioned into two sets of categorical pairs, either by target market: Consumer marketing research, and Business-to-business (B2B) marketing researchOr, alternatively, by methodological approach: Qualitative marketing research, and Quantitative marketing research

Survey is a key factor to get advantage over competitors. Survey provides important information to identify and analyse the market need, market size and competition.Survey, as defined by the International Code on Market and Social Research, includes social and opinion research, and is the systematic gathering and interpretation of information about individuals or organizations using statistical and analytical methods and techniques of the applied social sciences to gain insight or support decision making.Survey began to be conceptualized and put into formal practice during the 1920s, as an offshoot of the advertising boom of theGolden Age of radioin theUnited States. Advertisers began to realize the significance ofdemographicsrevealed by sponsorship of different radio programs.Survey is for discovering what people want, need, or believe. It can also involve discovering how they act. Once that research is completed, it can be used to determine how to market your product.Questionnaires and focus group discussion surveys are some of the instruments for survey.

2. Industry Profile

As Asias third largest economy and with consistent annual growth of around 9-10 % expected for the near future; India is undeniably an emerging force on the world business stage. As both local and international companies look to reap the rewards this burgeoning market, effective research will become an ever more crucial tool for organisations looking to expand in India.Emergence of new age sectors like Telecom, Media (Digital) & Insurance are helping the Market Research Industry to climb to new heights with varied analysis of Consumer Insights. Despite slowdown in the past coupled with talent crunch and dog pricing by agencies, the roughly 900 crore MR Industry (Excludes KPO) is well poised to take a big leap. The Overall Market gets divided into full services MR agencies and the KPO Services clocking around 18% of CAGR(Source: Industry Estimation). During the last couple of years there has been a consolidation between MR agencies in their scale of operations and data management practices. No wonder despite all these, India still becomes the popular destination for the MNC based research agencies since there is untapped potential of new sets of consumers with an opportunity to serve huge population. MR Team (Part of Advertising Agency during 70s) moves from the boardrooms of Consumer Durable or FMCG companies into the boardrooms of every sector of the economy. First, we look in more detail at the challenges of conducting survey in India, as well as the operational and technological developments that can be expected in the industry there in the years to come With all the movement and action, Indian research has well and truly arrived on the global scene The current business model is of low cost, high volume but. This is changing with the advent of MRO (market research outsourcing) and KPO (knowledge process outsourcing). The research environment is growing as research needs grows those new to commissioning research realise that some information is better than nothing . As per the ESOMAR report, India is among the lowest in the world in terms of low prices charged to clients. This off course is due to change in next 5 years.Internationalization of market research: Rise of foreign Indian researchersThe Indian economy is booming, growth is prevalent and this has brought in an internationalization of research. Is there a truly Indian research company now? With on-going mergers and acquisition (Nielsen org marg; kantar IMRB; TNS NFO MBL) and the establishment of offshore partner / captive centres, there is a lot consolidation, which brings in certain advantages.Virtual captive centres and offshore partnerships drive the low and high end of research in India: from coding and data entry, through to data analytics and business intelligence. This has contributed to the standardisation wave when companies can now work on a common platform with set processes.There is a definite organisation structure evolving professionalizing Indian market research, gone are the days when a researcher was an all-rounder doing everything from thinking, execution, client management, and commercials . The focus is on specific divisions for specific research, leading to in depth knowledge.

Focus of the India market research agencies are - Understanding consumers the trends of the customers are tracked by the market research agencies .their needs, perceptions, projected demands are all studied and marketing strategies are formed accordingly.Investigating market - this method helps in mapping the market conditions and demands are estimated.Conceptualizing product development positioning strategies, product and service strategies are formed accordingly after taking into consideration the marketing research results.

Major marketing research companies in India Cross tab - online market research agency Delphi Research Services market research organisation IMRB International , Mumbai market research agency Lamcon Finance & Management market research , financial planning and consultancy Market Pulse market research & entry strategy services Nielson India a leading market research agency Protech India market research , consulting & database publishing services Rural Relation rural marketing services Sampling Research market research and analytics services Tns India market research services provider in Delhi Telebrands India offers telemarketing services

Inside MR: Challenges & Opportunities Market Research is changing and that too from its early days of data collection (Pen n Paper Method) to technically prowess devices like PDAs, mobile phones & in-built cameras which can record exact state of the matter of every interview. At the same time, MR has become more of a commodity rather than delivering differential value to the end consumer. Still MR is being performed in mega cities and towns rather than pushing it to the rural economy which undoubtedly is the next biggest growth opportunity in our country for all the products/services. MR industry is also facing a crunch in having the right kind of people skilled with a good training background to understand the nitty gritty of the clients brief. Moreover, todays most of the research work is being covered with a regular monitoring job like tracking, audience measurement, syndicated studies etc rather than with a specific problem. Another eaten away factor could be the nature of the industry which is fragmented and largely being driven by price factor worrying clients ranging from products to service industry. As a result, absence of talents due to low price factor has resulted in MR firms having a project to project assignment system where in they do the piecemeal job i.e. data collection and not the analysis which is done at the client side. Also adding the factors like communisation of the information and the proliferation of smaller firms have led the industry not being able to get out of the talent-price circle. To get rid of this problem many MR Firms like TNS, Synovate or Nielsen is planning to arrange their own sets of training to fresh graduates for the industry. Nielsen has opened up its training centre near Mumbai with two years curriculum in the field of Market Research, similarly TNS is hiring from various backgrounds to notch up its mid-level research function. Another important factor could drive the market in future - data mining or statistical tools which could help the customers to understand the intricacies of the problem in a more simple term rather statistically define it.

Traditional Vs New Ones:Every marketer possibly can count numerous numbers of advertising agencies but unfortunately this is not true for MR industry, as the industry is very fragmented in nature with many small firms on the spectrum and a few firms dominating the scene. Sadly, there is no studies available judging the ranks of the MR firms and left with more of a guess than on scientific calculations. The leading domestic firms are IMRB International, TNS India, Nielsen & Milward Brown etc. As per the Industry approximations, IMRB continues to be the market leader followed by Nielsen, TNS India & Others. Though there is a Society created by the market research professional, MRSI (Market Research Society of India) which has tried their best to get an agglomerative view on market research but has achieved modest success. Meanwhile, in the last couple of years the Industry has also seen the emergence of new sets of players namely Analytics, Data Mining or Warehousing firms like Absolutdata Systems, Annik Systems, and Datamation. Many of these firms earlier were Knowledge Process Organisations (KPOs) who served foreign clients and now turning up to cater the local demand. There is another set of genre which has emerged during the past few years like HP Decision Analytics Firm or IBM Business Decision Centre or McKinsey Strategic Research Division providing their research based services to their parent companies adding values to their strategic teams. In fact what has been observed also in the past that many IT giants like Oracle, Microsoft has started expanding their own research resources within their marketing team for providing critical inputs on consumer behaviour to their strategic group. It is also observed that the consulting firms like PwC or Ernst & Young or KPMG has started advising their clients in giving them the end to end solution from sharing the market insights to conceptualization of ideas to product designing and in turns creating lot of problems for the full service market research agencies to hold their clients.

New Tools & Techniques: Besides the emergence of the improved data collection technique, there was a major rise towards analytics, data-mining and warehousing agencies during the last couple of years. Data warehousing is a technique to store and maintain the data that can be used for generating information and insights while data mining helps to draw a consumer insights from the large pool of longitudinal data series or a time series data. Many emergent sector like Telecom or Insurance which has grown phenomenally in the past, need these kinds of data sets to draw strong insights of their consumer behaviour towards the services of the same. Though traditional players are enjoying a strong one to one relationship with their clients especially in the FMCG and Consumer Durable sector but these new set of genre with varied skill sets are giving lots of competition to the full services MR agencies. Undoubtedly, the market research has travelled a long journey from piggybacking advertising job to the mainstay of the decision component of one organization. Market research seeks to align the enterprise with the expectation of its consumers and delivering value with its systematic analysis of the information captured. Although there were lots of changes in the past the way research is being carried but off course the IT enabled market research is a new trend which propounds ways to maximize an enterprises returns in the newly emerging liberalized market in India. Now is the time for the MR agencies to reap the ever growing and burgeoning customers with rapidly changing lifestyles through research work, so that Indian Marketers could be more productive, result oriented and globally the best workforce to cater the demands of their consumers. 3. Company ProfileNielsen is a leadingglobal information and measurement company that enables companies to understand consumers and consumer behaviour. Nielsen measures and monitors what consumers watch (programming, advertising) and what consumers buy (categories, brands, products) on a global and local basis. The company has a presence in approximately 100 countries spread across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America and Russia.While the Nielsen brand is most often associated with television ratings, those TV ratings services comprise approximately one-quarter of the company's business and revenues. After substantial work to simplify the company over the last several years, Nielsen today aligns their business into two divisions: What Consumers Buy and What Consumers WatchWhat Consumers Buy Nielsen's Buy division (approx. two-thirds of global revenues) primarily helps packaged goods companies and retailers understand what consumers are buying in terms of categories, brands and products. For example, it is Nielsen's data that measures how much Diet Coke vs. Diet Pepsi is sold in stores, or how much Crest versus Colgate toothpaste is sold. They accomplish this by purchasing and analyzing huge amounts of retail data that measures what is being sold in the store, and they combine it with household panel data that captures everything that is brought into the home. They also can provide insights into how changes in product offerings, pricing or marketing would change sales. Major clients include The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, The Procter & Gamble Company, Unilever Group and Wal-Mart.What Consumers Watch Nielsen's Watch division (approx. one-third of global revenues) primarily measures what consumers are watching on all of the screens in their life: TV, computer, mobile/Smartphone, tablets, etc. The company measures consumption of programming and advertising across all distribution points. Nielsen's ratings are used by advertisers and networks to shape the buying and selling of advertising. Major clients include CBS, NBC Universal, News Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.4. Products ProfileNielsen is a global market research firm whose best known creation is the Nielsen ratings, an Audience measurement system that measures television, radio and newspaper audiences in their respective media markets. It does market survey for the company.The main products of A C Nielsen are:(1) Marketing Research(2) Data Mining(3) Audience Measurement(4) Management Consulting

Marketing Research Marketing researchis "the process or set of processes that links the consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collectrion process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications.It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitativeand quantitativedata about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to identify and assess how changing elements of themarketing mix impacts customer behaviour. The term is commonly interchanged with market research however, expert practitioners may wish to draw a distinction, in thatmarketresearch is concerned specifically with markets whilemarketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.

Marketing research is often partitioned into two sets of categorical pairs, either by target market: Consumer marketing research, and Business-to-business (B2B) marketing researchConsumer marketing research is a form of appliedsociology that concentrates on understanding the preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of in a market consumer-based economy, and it aims to understand the effects and comparative success of marketing campaigns. The field of consumer marketing research as a statistical science was pioneered by Authur Nielsen with the founding of theA C nielsenCompany in 1923.Thus, marketing research may also be described as the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems and opportunities in marketing.The task of marketing research (MR) is to provide management with relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information. Competitive marketing environment and the ever-increasing costs attributed to poor decision making require that marketing research provide sound information. Sound decisions are not based on gut feeling, intuition, or even pure judgment.Marketing managermakes numerous strategic and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. These decisions are complicated by interactions between the controllable marketing variables of product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. Further complications are added by uncontrollable environmental factors such as general economic conditions, technology, public policies and laws, political environment, competition, and social and cultural changes.

Data Mining Data mining(the analysis step of the "Knowledge Discovery in Databases" process, or KDD),an interdisciplinary subfield of computer science,is the computational process of discovering patterns in largedata setsinvolving methods at the intersection ofartificial intelligence,machine learning, statistic, and database systemThe overall goal of the data mining process is to extract information from a data set and transform it into an understandable structure for further use. Aside from the raw analysis step, it involves database anddata managementaspects,data pre processing, model andinference considerations, interestingness metrics,complexityconsiderations, post-processing of discovered structures,visualization, and online updating.The term is abuzzwordand is frequently misused to mean any form of large-scale data or information processing (collection,extraction ,warehousing,analysis, and statistics) but is also generalized to any kind ofcomputer decisions support system, includingartificial intelligence,machine learning, andbusiness intelligence. In the proper use of the word, the key term isdiscovery, commonly defined as "detecting something new". Even the popular book "Data mining: Practical machine learning tools and techniques with Java"(which covers mostly machine learningmaterial) was originally to be named just "Practical machine learning", and the term "data mining" was only added for marketing reasons.Often the more general terms "(large scale)data analysis ", or "analytics" or when referring to actual methods,artificial intelligenceandmachine learning are more appropriate.The actual data mining task is the automatic or semi-automatic analysis of large quantities of data to extract previously unknown interesting patterns such as groups of data records (cluster analysis), unusual records (anomaly detection) and dependencies (association rule mining). This usually involves using database techniques such asspatial indices. These patterns can then be seen as a kind of summary of the input data, and may be used in further analysis or, for example, inmachine learningandpredictive analytics. For example, the data mining step might identify multiple groups in the data, which can then be used to obtain more accurate prediction results by adecision support system.The related terms data degrading,data fishing, anddata snoopingrefer to the use of data mining methods to sample parts of a larger population data set that are (or may be) too small for reliable statistical inferences to be made about the validity of any patterns discovered. These methods can, however, be used in creating new hypotheses to test against the larger data populations.Data mining uses information from past data to analyze the outcome of a particular problem or situation that may arise. Data mining works to analyze data stored in data warehouses that are used to store that data that is being analyzed. That particular data may come from all parts of business, from the production to the management. Managers also use data mining to decide upon marketing strategies for their product. They can use data to compare and contrast among competitors.Data mining interprets its data into real time analysis that can be used to increase sales, promote new product, or delete product that is not value-added to the company

Audience MeasurementAudience measurementmeasures how many people are in anaudience, usually in relation toradio listenershipand television viewership but also in relation to newspaperandmagazines readershipand, increasingly,web trafficonwebsites. Sometimes, the term is used as pertaining to practices which helpbroadcastersandadvertiserdeterminewhois listening rather than justhow manypeople are listening. In some parts of the world, the resulting relative numbers are referred to asaudience share, while in other places the broader termmarket shareis used. This broader meaning is also calledaudience research.Measurements are broken down by media market which for the most part corresponds tometropolitan areas, both large and small.

Management ConsultingManagement consultingis the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and access to the consultants' specialised expertise.As a result of their exposure to and relationships with numerous organizations, consulting firms are also said to be aware of industry "best practices", although the transferability of such practices from one organization to another may be limited by the specific nature of situation under consideration.Consultancies may also provide organizationalchange managementassistance, development of coaching skills, technology implementation, strategy development, or operational improvement services. Management consultants often bring their own proprietarymethodologiesor frameworks to guide the identification of problems, and to serve as the basis for recommendations for more effective or efficient ways of performing work tasks.

5. Competitors Profile

The main competitors of A C Nielsen Company are as follows: TNS (Taylor Nelson Sofres) Millward Brown IMRB International

TNSTNS (formerly known as Taylor Nelson Sofres)is a leadingmarket researchand market information group. Formerly listed on theLondon stock exchangeand a constituent of theFTSE 250 index, the firm was acquired byWPP groupin October 2008 for 1.6 billion pounds.TNS is structured around specific areas of marketing expertise: Brand & Communication; Innovation & Product Development; Retail & Shopper; Customer Experience; Employee Engagement; Qualitative; Automotive; and Political & Social.TNS separates its worldwide operations in over eighty countries into a number of regional divisions: North America; Northern Europe; Southern Europe;Asia Pacific; Latin America; and Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East. Its Headquarters is in London and website is www.tnsglobal.com.

Millward BrownMillward Brown is a global company focused on brands, media and communications. It is part ofKantar Group, the insights arm ofWPP plc, and the worlds second largest market research organization afterNielsen Company.Some facts about Millward Brown: Founded 1973 86 offices in 56 countries Research conducted in over 70 languages Millward Brown is part of Kantar, WPP's insight, information and consultancy group

Millward Brown Specialist Practices:

Corporate Branding & Reputation Dynamic Logic / Millward Brown Digital Firefly Millward Brown MaPS Millward Brown Optimor Neuroscience Practice 2,100 tracking studies currently running 84,000 Link copy tests conducted More than 13,000 Brand Dynamics and Brands projects covering over 80,000 brands Over 1,000 brand sales modeled BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Brands ranking released annually in May 13 years of Digital experience 7,000 campaigns measured across 27 digital platforms

IMRB InternationalIMRB International (formerly Indian Market Research Bureau) is a multi-country market research, survey and business consultancy firm that offers a range of syndicated data and customized research services. Headquartered in Mumbai, India with operations in over 15 countries IMRB is a part of the Kantar Group, WPPs research, insights and consultancy network.Established in 1970, IMRB was modeled on the lines of the British Market Research Bureau. IMRB is now a leading provider of market research and insights across South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa with specialist divisions in quantitative, qualitative, media, retail, industrial, and customer satisfaction, business to business and social and rural research. IMRBs syndicated research offerings include the Market Pulse, the National Food Survey, Web Audience Measurement (WAM), I Tops, and I-Cube reports.With over 1200 employees, IMRB is one of the largest providers of market research in India in an industry estimated to be worth a minimum of $ 187 million. As the oldest extant market research company in India, IMRB has been responsible for establishing the first and only household panel, the first television audience measurement system and the first radio panel in the country and has played a key role in the development of market research in India. It has been rated the Best Market Research Company by MRSI [disambiguation needed], an industry body for several years.IMRB International's specialized areas are consumer markets, industrial marketing, business to business marketing, social marketing and rural marketing.IMRB is the vision of Mr. Subhas Ghoshal, the legendary head of HTA (now JWT).They are born out of conviction that good advertising can only be built on sound consumer insight. They are the University of the Indian market research. They are one of the top 20 Market Research companies in the world. IMRB was set up in 1970, a full 37 years after BMRB was set up in UK by JWT.

Major competitors in India Cross Tab Delphi research company Market pulse TNS India Protech India Tele brands India Sampling research Merg

6. Organisation Structure

Figure: Organisation Structure, The Nielsen Company

7. Organisational ChartMANAGING DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SENIOR MANAGER

JUNIOR MANAGER

SENIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

JUNIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

DATA VERIFIER

DATA SUPPLIERS8. Functional Departments

Nielsen India has strategically organised its functional departments into 9 different areas: Human Resources Infrastructure Retail Measurement Services Product Leadership Retailer and Shopper Practice Media Consumer Finance Communications and Marketing

9. SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHSThe strengths of a business or organisation are positive elements which are under the control of the organisation and give an edge over its competitors.WEAKNESSESWeaknesses of a company or organisation are the internals factors of an organisation which hinder it from meeting its goals.OPPORTUNITIES Are the external changes, trends or needs that could enhance the business, organisations strategic position or may help in encountering its competitors.THREATS Threats are the external environmental factors of business which may adversely affect the present or future business of the organisation.The following diagram shows how a SWOT analysis fits into a strategic situation analysis:

SWOT Analysis of Nielsen India

Strengths1. Huge Capital: - In the past five years the Nielsen Company has invested in or purchased dozens of companies at all stages of development.1. Strong Management:-The Nielsen client management team is very efficient in delivering integrated business analytics. They have strong analytic skills and strategic thinking to develop solutions that serve their clients.1. Innovative Culture: - The Nielsen culture is build upon core values of simple, open and integrity. The work done by Nielsen improves their clients understanding of consumer media trends and purchasing behavior. They succeed as a company because the invest in products, people, and the communities and foster an environment of creativity and fresh thinking from diverse perspectives. This shapes the future business leaders through training, development and mentoring programs. 1. Efficient Manpower: - Nielsen has very diverse and efficient manpower in the major countries to serve their clients efficiently. This gives cost advantage to the clients and close analysis of consumers.1. Unique Products: - Nielsen provides unique sets of products that examine key business trends by products, category or market using different surveys.1. Customer Brand Loyalty: - Customers know Nielsen all around the globe and have faith in their customer satisfactions surveys, opinions and polls which give it a head over the competitors. Weaknesses1. High Staff Turnover: - Nielsen salaries are low for the caliber of recruits with respect to the other MR firms. This has a bearing on high attrition rate.1. Low Online Presence: - Nielsen is involved basically in field surveys and face to face interviews. It can use online opinion survey to make polls reaching maximum consumers.Opportunities1. Innovation: - Having 30 years of expertise, Nielsen has evolved an end to end innovation for each campaign.1. New Services:-Services like Nielsen/net ratings, Buzz Metrics and Expositions cover the entire B2C andB2B segment of the market.1. New Technology:-the increase in use of internet, faster mailing and use of apps. Have given great exposure for Nielsen to interact with the consumers and clients.1. New Products:-Nielsen has the best road map for clients product offerings that anticipates consumers future needs that can put it ahead of competitors.1. New Markets:-as of todays business environment, the increase in competition and race for offering best products to consumers have led clients to move towards market research, where Nielsen has great scope to get more clients.1. International Expansion: - As now companies are going global, Nielsen began expanding internationally in 1939, and now operates in more than 100 countries.Threats1. Intense Competition:- Nielsen receives huge competition from GFK,IMRB etc, so it must deliver research solutions faster and more cost efficiently.1. Change in Tastes: - Due to regional disparities in tastes, preferences and shopping it has become hard to anticipate consumer satisfaction measurement accurately.

10. Ethical/Best Practices & Policies

Nielsen is committed to accurately measuring a broad range of consumer behaviour representing a wide range of ethnicities, cultures and organizations worldwide.Your opinions and ideas matter. And no two consumers are the same. That is why we have invested in the best technology, the best methodology and the best people we can to assure that all ethnic communities are fairly represented.As the worlds leading marketing and media Information Company, Nielsen involves and reaches out to local and national communities and ethnic organizations to ensure we are providing our clients with the most complete understanding of what consumers buy and what consumers watch. These insights help businesses launch or expand their product offerings and establish meaningful customer relationships, to better serve you.

NIELSEN ETHICSCopyrighted Material and SoftwareThe Company does not allow employees to make copies of the legally protected works of others or to use and distribute it without proper permission. Protected works include most publications, computer software, video and audiotapes, and certain databases. Copying or using materials without the owners consent is theft. The use of pirated or illegally obtained software is strictly prohibited. Most software programs used by Company employees are owned by other parties who license the software under specific conditions.Confidential InformationThe Company expects its employees to respect and protect the Companys confidential information, which includes confidential information of the customers and vendors who entrust it to them as part of their business dealings with them. Employees may have access not only to confidential information of the Company, but to confidential information concerning the Companys clients or business partners. No employee may ever (whether during or after their employment with the Company), and each employee agrees not to, disclose to any third party or use for any purpose other than the business of the Company any confidential information acquired during the course of his or her employment with the Company.Each employee must recognize the confidential nature of the Companys commercial activities and not disclose to anyone, or make use of any information about the procedures, clientele, results or findings of the Company or any clients affairs. Within the Company, confidential information may be shared only with those with a need to know it in order to perform their job properly.Examples of confidential information include any information that gives the Company an advantage or an opportunity to obtain an advantage over our competitors; non-public information about Companys operations, results, strategies and projections; non-public information about the Companys business plans, business processes and client relationships; non-public employee information; non-public information received in the course of your employment about customers and suppliers; and non-public information about Companys technology systems and proprietary products. They must take precautionary measures to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of proprietary and confidential information. Accordingly, they should take steps to ensure that business-related information, paperwork and documents are produced, copied, faxed, filed, stored and discarded by means designed to minimize the risk that unauthorized persons might obtain access to proprietary and confidential information. They should also ensure that access to work areas and computers is properly controlled.

Integrity of Financial Accounting And ReportingThe Company requires fair, timely, full and accurate recording and reporting of financial information in order to make responsible business decisions and appropriate disclosures under applicable securities laws. Within their areas of responsibility, employees are responsible for making sure that the Companys financial statements, records, accounts, and supporting documents are maintained in reasonable detail, appropriately reflect the Companys transactions and financial condition and comply with applicable legal and accounting requirements and reporting procedures. In order to achieve this, each employee must be familiar with his or her responsibilities in connection with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Company.

No employee should knowingly misrepresent, or knowingly cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Company to others, whether within or outside the Company or to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations. Employees must not forge, falsify or omit important facts to mislead others in any documents or in any communications. All Company accounting records, financial reports and supporting documents must be kept and presented in accordance with the standards and laws of each applicable jurisdiction and generally accepted accounting principles, and must accurately and fairly reflect the Companys assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. Employees must not engage in any conduct calculated or likely to inhibit management, operational audit, external audit, or the legal or finance functions from achieving a proper understanding of relevant aspects of the business and the risks associated with it. When litigation or a governmental investigation or audit is pending or imminent, relevant records must not be altered or destroyed. Destruction of records to avoid disclosure in a legal or governmental proceeding or in an internal investigation is a violation of Company policy and may also be a criminal offense.

Do not dispose of documents without knowing what is being discarded or whether the documents are subject to legal preservation requirements.

Each employee must, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other employees or management with the goal of promoting full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosures in the reports and documents which the Company files with, or submits to, governmental bodies and in public communications made by the Company. The Company has established a Disclosure Committee, chaired by the Corporate Controller, to review and supervise the Companys disclosure process, facilitate appropriate Companywide disclosures and evaluate the Companys disclosure controls and procedures on an on-going basis. Any questions or concerns in this area may be addressed to the Committee, your manager, or the Companys finance or legal functions.

NIELSEN POLICIESCompetition and Fair DealingThe Company seeks to outperform its competition fairly and honestly. Stealing proprietary information, possessing trade secret information obtained without the owners consent or inducing such disclosures by past or present employees of other companies is prohibited. Each employee should endeavor to respect the rights of and deal fairly with the Companys customers, suppliers and competitors. No employee should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts or any other intentional unfair-dealing practice.

Integrity of Customer RelationshipEmployees may be given access to confidential information of the clients. The Company is committed to treat clients information confidentially, and to take appropriate care to ensure that client confidential information will not be disclosed to any third parties. They must not do anything that undermines this commitment.Employees should not discuss these matters outside of work, or share any results of their work with anyone outside of the office without prior authorization to do so. It is also important to protect confidential information by securing it in a safe place, and by not making unnecessary copies that may be misplaced. No employee may disclose any confidential information about a client to any other client, or to any other third party, nor use any client confidential information to advance the employees personal interests

PrivacyThe Company is committed to handling personal data responsibly and in compliance with applicable privacy laws. Employees may collect process and use personal data for legitimate business purposes only and may transfer this data between countries only in compliance with applicable law and with the Companys policies for such transfers. Care must be taken to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of personal data.

Nielsen best practicesManagement ResponsibilityManagement at all levels must handle all reports seriously, confidentially and promptly. All evidence and documentation should be preserved.The manager or department to which the report was initially made must promptly inform the Ombudsman of the report and managements recommendation on how to proceed.The Ombudsman will report regularly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chairman of the Audit Committee, and others as appropriate with regard to specific employee reports.Unless the report was made anonymously, and unless otherwise inappropriate, the employee making the report will be informed of the status of the report.

Antitrust

The Nielsen Company will not tolerate any business transaction or activity that violates antitrust and competition laws of any country in which it operates. Antitrust and competition laws define acceptable behaviour for competing in the marketplace. These laws are complex and global in reach but the general aim of these laws is to promote competition and let businesses compete on the basis of quality, price and service. The Company endorses these laws and seeks to compete in a fair and ethical manner.Therefore, employees must pay careful attention to the possible antitrust implications of the Companys business activities.

Dealing with CompetitorsEntering into agreements with competitors on prices or other terms of sale, or to divide territories or customers among the Company and its competitors is prohibited.Price Agreements: Employees should never communicate with a competitor about prices, pricing policies, bids, costs, discounts, promotions, terms and conditions of sale, credit terms, freight charges or royalties. The basic rule in determining prices is simple: the Company must, on its own, determine the price and conditions of sale of its products and services based on its costs, market conditions and our experience in the marketplace.Allocation of Territories or Customers: Employees must never agree with a competitor to sell or refrain from selling in any geographic area or to any customers or class of customers, or to divide or share a customers business.Agreements to Limit or Restrict Production: Employees should never agree with a competitor to restrict or increase production. It may also be illegal in certain instances to agree with competitors to limit the amount of data/material and to agree to standardize products or services.Boycotts and Refusal to Deal: Employees should never agree with a competitor, supplier or customer not to sell or buy from particular individuals or firms. Generally the Company has the right to refuse to buy from or sell to anyone. However, it must reach these decisions independently without consulting with a competitor. In some cases, a refusal to buy or sell made independently may also be illegal in the US or EU if a company has a dominant market share.

Dealing with Customers and SuppliersCertain arrangements with customers and suppliers may cause antitrust problems, including:Exclusive Dealing Arrangements, in which there is an agreement to buy from or sell to certain customers or suppliers. Reciprocal Arrangements, in which buying a suppliers product is conditioned on the suppliers purchasing of our services Tying Arrangements, in which the sale of one product or service is conditioned on the customers purchase of another product or service. The latter is especially true if the first product has a dominant market share.Whenever an employee is discussing any arrangement with a supplier or customer of the type discussed above, the employee should consult with the Legal Department for guidance. It is in every circumstance illegal to have an agreement or understanding with dealers or distributors on prices the reseller will charge. It is, however, legal to suggest resale prices, but the reseller must remain entirely free to make its own resale pricing decisions. It is also legal to establish a price that a sales agent acting on behalf of the Company will charge. Since it is often not clear whether a party is an agent or an independent dealer or distributor, the Legal Department should always be consulted in case of doubt.

Other Anti-Competitive PracticesPredatory Pricing: Pricing with the aim of forcing competitors out of a market is illegal when the Company has a dominant market share.Disparagement: Making critical statements about competitors which are false or misleading are disparaging and can violate the antitrust laws as well as fraud and deception laws.Interference with Competitor Contracts: Encouraging a customer or prospective customer to violate the terms of a contract with a competitor could be illegal. Price Discrimination: It may be prohibited to charge competing customers different prices for the same commodity or tangible product where the effect may substantially lessen competition.However, the Company may offer to sell products in bulk or at other similar discounts if such discounts reflect differences in the cost of manufacture, sale or delivery. Also, the Company may sell to one customer at a lower price than another in order to meet a competitors offer at a lower price. However, employees may not contact the competitor to verify the price it is charging.

Social Discussions and Company CommunicationsThe illegal practices outlined above need not take the form of official or written agreements. Any kind of casual understanding between two companies that a business practice adopted by one and followed by the other may be used in court as evidence of an illegal agreement. You should avoid contact of any kind with competitors that could create the appearance of improper agreements or understandings. Even social conversations can be used as evidence that an agreement existed. Memos and other written communications that use casual or inappropriate language might someday be examined by government agency or opposing lawyers.

Political Contributions and Government Relations Employees are not permitted to make any political contributions on behalf of The Nielsen Company without the express consent of Nielsens Chief Legal Officer, nor seek reimbursement from the Company for any personal contributions they may make. All notifications of or requests to attend any political event or to make a political contribution from anyone within the Company must receive prior approval from Nielsens Chief Legal Officer. No one in the Company may require you to contribute to, support or oppose any political group or candidate.Only authorized employees may take a public position on government actions on behalf of the Company. Before any employee publicly expresses an opinion on government actions on behalf of the Company, they must consult with the Legal Department.Employees who serve on government advisory boards should also be aware that there are restrictions on their ability to promote Company business interests in conjunction with their work on such boards. Any questions should be referred to the Legal Department.

Unlawful PaymentsIt is illegal under U.S. law and under the laws of many countries in which we do business, and against Company policies, to make payments to government employees or officials in order to obtain business or to induce favorable action by such employee.

It may also be unlawful and is against the Companys policies to make any such payment to an employee of a customer or supplier or other third parties. These laws, which include the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, prohibit corporations and individuals (including the Company and its employees) from doing certain things, directly or indirectly, to obtain or retain business or to influence a person working in an official capacity. It is illegal to pay, offer to pay or authorize the payment of anything of value to any non-U.S. (and U.S.) government official, government employee, political party or political candidate for these purposes. No employee may make any payment or offer that is prohibited by the Act.

Prohibited payments include cash, gifts and free samples, use of automobiles and aircraft, payment of non-essential travel and entertainment expenses, over billing of sales with the expectation that part of the sale price will be returned to the buyer, and making contributions to charities chosen by an official. Offers to pay can be punished even if they are not accepted or never paid.

The Act prohibits not only bribes to government officials, but also bribes to non-U.S. political parties, party officials or candidates for public office. The law assumes that any of these persons may be in a position to influence buying decisions in favor of the person paying the bribe. It is not always clear, however, who is or is not an official. It could also be a violation of the Act to ignore evidence of an employee or agent making prohibited payments in order to promote the Companys business.

11. Special Task

IntroductionAs a part of my internship at Nielsen India, I was assigned to the 2013 India IQS-APEAL Study conducted for J.D. Power, a global leader in customer satisfaction measurement.

J.D. Power & Associates is a leading global marketing information services companythat conducts independent consumer surveys of product and service quality, customer satisfaction, and buyer behavior. Each year, J.D. Power interacts with millions of consumers around the world to better understand their opinions, perceptions, and expectations about a variety of products and services.

The J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study examines what consumers like about their new vehicles after 90 days of ownership. Often referred to as "things gone right," APEAL is based on eight categories of vehicle performance and design: engine/transmission; ride, handling and braking; comfort/convenience; seats; cockpit/instrument panel; heating, ventilation and cooling; sound system; and styling/exterior.

The J. D. Power India APEAL Study is a study conducted every year in India to gauge the performance of the Indian Car Industryin terms of customer satisfaction. It was started is 1998 to analyze the satisfaction of customers with the cars as well as improvements made by the car companies to meet the requirements of the customers. Last year it was conducted from November 2011 to July 2012 and 8000 owners of new cars responded to the study within two months of ownership. The categories for the study are vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; storage and space; audio/ entertainment/ navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); driving dynamics; engine/ transmission; visibility and driving safety; and fuel economy.Now in its 15th year, the India APEAL Study is an owner-reported measure of what gratifies vehicle owners in India with the design, features, layout and performance of their new vehicle during the first two months of ownership. The study measures satisfaction across 10 performance categories: vehicle exterior; vehicle interior; storage and space; audio/ entertainment/ navigation; seats; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); driving dynamics; engine/ transmission; visibility anddriving safety; and fuel economy. Overall APEAL performance is reported as an index score based on a 1,000-point scale, with a higher score indicating higher satisfaction.

The study finds that during the past four years, the impact of the vehicle interior on overall satisfaction has increased consistently, particularly in the two fastest-growing vehicle segments in India--small car (which includes entry compact, compact and premium compact cars) and utility (which includes MUV/ MPVs, SUVs and vans). However, visibility and driving safety, followed by fuel economy, continue to be the leading drivers of satisfaction among new-vehicle owners in India. The interior factor has experienced a 28-point improvement compared with 2009, and an 8-point improvement over 2011. The overall APEAL score in 2012 averages 836, which is a seven-point increase from 2011. The industry improves across all 10 categories, similar to 2011, with the largest improvements in fuel economy and vehicle interior.

Satisfaction is higher among owners of diesel-powered vehicles than among owners of petrol-powered vehicles. Moreover, the gap in satisfaction scores between owners of diesel and petrol vehicles has changed significantly during the past four years. In 2012, the APEAL score for diesel vehicles is 22 points higher than for petrol vehicles, while in 2009 the score for petrol vehicles was 3 points higher than that for diesel vehicles. Further, diesel vehicles achieve an average APEAL score of 839 for fuel economy in 2012, which is 24 index points higher than for petrol vehicles.

Statement of Problem: Customer satisfaction depends on car APEALThe objective of the survey was to determine whether the APEAL of the car affected Customer Satisfaction and also other parameters such as Customer Loyalty and Brand Recognition.My role was to collect data through survey/questionnaire method which would help in identifying the factors that affect buying decisions among car owners and also how their satisfaction was dependent on the number of problems they faced with their car.

Objectives: To identify various problems faced by new car owners To find out whether any problems relating to automobiles Performance, Experience, and Layout affects the Customer Satisfaction To acquire statistical data that shows that APEAL of an automobile has direct impact on customer satisfaction Features of a car that affect customer choice Assess the customer expectation and perception about the brands

Research Methodology:

Research methodology is the processused to collectinformationanddatafor the purpose ofmakingbusinessdecisions. The methodologymay include publication research,interviews,surveysand other researchtechniques, and could include both present and historical information.

Primary source: - The data has been collected through personal interview of the respondents with the help of questionnaires, voice recorder and online forms in Bangalore.Secondary source: - The database provided by the car manufacturers.Questionnaires often seem a logical and easy option as a way of collecting information from people. They are actually rather difficult to design and because of the frequency of their use in all contexts in the modern world, the response rate is nearly always going to be a problem (low) unless you have ways of making people complete them and hand them in on the spot (and this of course limits your sample, how long the questionnaire can be and the kinds of questions asked). As with interviews, you can decide to use closed or open questions, and can also offer respondents multiple choice questions from which to choose the statement which most nearly describes their response to a statement or item. Their layout is an art form in itself because in poorly laid out questionnaires respondents tend, for example, to repeat their ticking of boxes in the same pattern.The questionnaire was comprised of both closed ended and open ended questions. This helped to keep the survey within well defined parameters while at the same time Tools for Data Collection Questionnaires Personal interviews Secondary data collection

QuestionnaireSome of the questions asked in my interview are as follows:I. Personal Information1. Name:2. Address:3. Mobile Number:4. Date:

II. Vehicle Details1. Make:2. Model:3. Date of delivery:4. Odometer reading:5. Fuel type:6. Average fuel consumption:

III. Problems FacedProblems with:-1. Transmission:2. Engine:3. Interior:4. Heating ventilation and air conditioning:5. Seats:6. Audio/Entertainment/Navigation:7. Features, Controls and Display:8. The Driving Experience:9. Exterior:10. Other Problems:11. No. of problems faced: a) More than expected b) About as expected c) Less than expected

IV. RatingRating of:1. Visibility and driving safety:2. Engine transmission:3. Driving Dynamics:4. Heating Ventilation and air conditioning5. Seats:6. Audio/Entertainment/Navigation:7. Storage and Space:8. Interior:9. Exterior:

V. Overall rating considering all the things you like and dislike:

VI. How likely would you be to purchase another vehicle of the same make?APEAL Study Project Report

P.G.D.M. 46 AIMS

a) Highlyb) Probably would notc) Not at all

Analysis and Interpretation of data:The study was conducted on all brands of four wheelers comprising of hatchbacks, sedans, MUVs, etc.The analysis is being done on a sample of 20 hatchbacks selected randomly from the total collected data.

1. Fuel type and Fuel consumption (KMPL)

Petrol

Diesel

2. Problems faced

3. Customer Loyalty with respect to Number of Problems Faced

4. Average Rating of Features (10 point scale)

12. Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion

Findings Organization study At Nielsen, the researchers are very specific about the area and demographic of consumer market they target Questionnaires are tailor made for each project so as to acquire all the relevant information and to get valid results. Nielsen has a stronghold in the market research industry because of its efficient management which handles its operations all around the world. Nielsen also provides training programs for fresh graduates to establish their career in the field of research. The desk work is very tedious due to piles of filled questionnaires arriving at the office each day, but the analysis and interpretations are done in a swift and efficient manner. Nielson has to increase their presence as people who are in the urban areas very well know about Nielsen and it is very easy to interact with them, whereas in the rural areas Nielsen needs to create more surveys to create awareness. In Bangalore, Nielsen does marketing research for nearly every industry from FMCG to aviation and automobiles industries.

Special Task Problems relating to automobiles Performance , Experience, and Layout affect the customer satisfaction or loyalty in a negative way Statistical data was collected that implies that the number of problems faced is inversely proportional to the customer loyalty to a specific brand Manufacturers need to enhance the Visibility and Driving Safety of their cars in the hatchback segment to enhance customer satisfaction How after sales service affects the experience of the car owner with a brand and in turn his satisfaction The fuel economy of automobiles in the hatchback segment is very good for diesel cars but not satisfactory for petrol cars

Suggestions Organization Study More emphasis should be made on using new data collection methods. There must be more brand awareness in the Indian market, so that consumers can understand how important their surveys are. The interviewers must be recruited and trained extensively all over India to cover the projects more efficiently. There can be more innovation and improvisation in the work culture of the organization. Nielsen can gain major market share of Indian market by venturing into new segments.

Special Task1. The list of problems must be more concise to keep the consumers interaction active and accurate1. The sample size of the respondents must also be from rural areas since there is a big consumer base for entry level automobiles1. The questionnaire should avoid personal questions that are not relevant to the current project1. Questions should not be repeated

Conclusion

My internship with The Nielsen Company was a great learning experience. It gave me a firsthand experience of working with a company that is having a global presence and is the pioneer in its industry, Market Research. I got to see facets of business, working, and corporate life that I would not have got a chance to experience otherwise.Every day was a learning experience, it gave me a chance to study and analyze the initials of data collection process and the need and importance of it. In the course of the internship I tried to understand how the research firm works in tandem with their clients to carry on their business in a mutually beneficial way.The 45 day internship at Nielsen, Bangalore gave me an all new perspective regarding Marketing Research. More than the theoretical knowledge, now I could actually relate to what makes Market Research an important function to every organisation, the hierarchy within a company as in what juniors expect from their seniors and vice-versa, the pattern of communication within the organization etc. Im now certain that Market Research is a vast and important field which requires in-depth knowledge as well as good analytical skills Regarding the company, its future prospects look bright, as the industry will always demand research, and the company is in the right place at the right time and is making itself better continuously.

13. Bibliography

1. Nielsen Official Website. http://www.nielsen.com/ http://in.nielsen.com/ http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/about-us.html http://ir.nielsen.com/CorporateProfile.aspx?iid=4260029 https://ishare.nielsen.com1. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ACNielsen&oldid=557877828.1. J D power Asia Pacific survey results. J.D. Power 2013 APEAL StudySM www.jdpower.com1. Wiki Wealth http://www.wikiwealth.com/