1

INTRODUCTION ABOUT THE STUDY

This project report is about a study on effectiveness of marketing strategy on brand
building of the product of SteelMax.
Brand building means the image of a particular brand in market and in eyes of people.
Brand building decides the popularity of a brand in market. A brand having good
brand image is considered more popular than a brand with low image. In other words
we can say that brand building is the perception about a product in the mind of the
customers.
Problem faced by SteelMax is that the product is not a well known brand among the
dealers. Marketing Strategy need to be directed towards brand building. in this
industry dealers have high influence in building brand and growing business .
SteelMax is un aware about level of dealer satisfaction and the problem faced by
dealer in doing business with them.
The primary aim was to measure the methods which are used to build good brand . In
this research questionnaire is the tool used to find out the customer opinion regarding
brand building of SteelMax. We are using the method of questionnaire and interview
for collecting information from dealers.








2

INDUSTRY PROFILE
Steel is crucial to the development of any modern economy and is considered to be the
backbone of human civilization. The level of per capita consumption of steel is treated as
an important index of the level of socioeconomic development and living standards of the
people in any country. It is a product of a large and technologically complex industry
having strong forward and backward linkages in terms of material flows and income
generation. All major industrial economies are characterized by the existence of a strong
steel industry and the growth of many of these economies has been largely shaped by the
strength of their steel industries in their initial stages of development. Steel industry was
in the vanguard in the liberalization of the industrial Sector and has made rapid strides
since then. The new Greenfield plants represent the latest in technology. Output has
increased, the industry has moved up i n the value chain and exports have raised
consequent to a greater integration with the global economy. The new plants have also
brought about a greater regional dispersion easing the domestic supply position notably in
the western region. At the same time, the domestic steel industry faces new challenges.
Some of these relate to the trade barriers in developed markets and certain structural
problems of the domestic industry notably due to the high cost of commissioning of new
projects. The domestic demand too has not improved to significant levels. The litmus test
of the steel industry will be to surmount these difficulties and remain globally
competitive.
HISTORY OF STEEL
Steel was discovered by the Chinese under the reign of Han dynasty in 202 BC till 220
AD. Prior to steel, iron was a very popular metal and it was used all over the globe. Even
the time period of around 2 to 3 thousand years before Christ is termed as Iron Age as
iron was vastly used in that period in each and every part of life. But, with the change in
time and technology, people were able to find an even stronger and harder material than
iron that was steel. Using iron had some disadvantages but this alloy of iron and carbon
fulfilled all that iron couldnt do. The Chinese people invented steel as it was harder than
iron and it could serve better if it is used in making weapons. One legend says that the
sword of the first Han emperor was made of steel only. From China, the process of
3

making steel from iron spread to its south and reached India. High quality steel was being
produced in southern India in as early as 300 BC. Most of the steel then was exported
from Asia only. Around 9th century AD, the smiths in the Middle East developed
techniques to produce sharp and flexible steel blades. In the 17th century, smiths in
Europe came to know about a new process of cementation to produce steel. Also, other
new and improved technologies were gradually developed and steel soon became the key
factor on which most of the economies of the world started depending.

THE GLOBAL STEEL INDUSTRY

The current global steel industry is in its best position in comparing to last decades. The
price has been rising continuously. The demand expectations for steel products are
rapidly growing for coming years. The shares of steel industries are also in a high pace.
The steel industry is enjoying its 6th consecutive years of growth in supply and demand.
And there is many more merger and acquisitions which overall buoyed the industry and
showed some good results. The supreme crisis has lead to the recession in economy of
different countries, which may lead to have a negative effect on whole steel industry in
coming years. However steel production and consumption will be supported by
continuous economic growth

CONTRIBUTION OF COUNTRIES TO GLOBAL STEEL INDUSTRY

The countries like China, Japan, India and South Korea are in the top of the above in steel
production in Asian countries. China accounts for one third of total production i.e. 419m
ton, Japan accounts for 9% i.e. 118 m ton, India accounts for 53m ton and South Korea is
accounted for 49m ton, which all totally becomes more than 50% of global production.
Apart from this USA, BRAZIL, UK accounts for the major chunk of the whole growth.
Table NO.2.1 Country Wise Crude Steel Production During The Year Of 2011-2012
Country Crude Steel Production (mtpa)
CHINA 272.5
4

JAPAN 112.7
UNITED STATES 98.9
RUSSIA 65.6
SOUTH KOREA 47.5
F.R.GERMANY 46.4
UKRAINE 38.7
BRAZIL 32.9
INDIA 32.6
ITALY 28.4


STEEL INDUSTRY IN INDIA

Steel has been the key material with which the world has reached to a developed position.
All the engineering machines, mechanical tools and most importantly building and
construction structures like bars, rods, channels, wires, angles etc are made of steel for its
feature being hard and adaptable. Earlier when the alloy of steel was not discovered, iron
was used for the said purposes but iron is usually prone to rust and is not so strong. Steel
is a highly wanted alloy over the world. All the countries need steel for the infrastructural
development and overall growth. Steel has a variety of grades i.e. above 2000 but is
mainly categorized in divisions steel flat and steel long, depending on the shape of steel
manufactured. Steel flat includes steel products in flat, plate, sheet or strip shapes. The
plate shaped steel products are usually 10 to 200 mm and thin rolled strip products are of
1 to 10 mm in dimension. Steel flat is mostly used in construction, shipbuilding, pipes
and boiler applications. Steel long Category includes steel products in long, bar or rod
shape like reinforced rods made of sponge iron. The steel long products are required to
produce concrete, blocks, bars, tools, gears and engineering products. After
independence, successive governments placed great emphasis on the development of an
Indian steel industry. In Financial Year 1991, the six major plants, of which five were in
the public sector, produced 10 million tons. The rest of India steel production, 4.7 million
tons, came from 180 small plants, almost all of which were in the private sector. India's
5

Steel production more than doubled during the 1980s but still did not meet the demand in
the mid-1990s, the government was seeking private-sector investment in new steel plants.
Production was projected to increase substantially as the result of plans to set up a 1
million ton steel plant and three pig-iron plants totaling 600,000 tons capacity in West
Bengal, with Chinese technical assistance and financial investment. The commissioning
of Tata Iron & Steel Company's production unit at Jamshedpur, Bihar in 1911-12
heralded the beginning of modern steel industry in India. At the time of Independence in
1947 India's steel production was only 1.25 Mt of crude steel. Following independence
and the commencement of five year plans, the Government of India decided to set up four
integrated steel plants at Rourkela, Durgapur, Bhilai and Bokaro. The Bokaro plant was
commissioned in 1972. The most recent addition is a 3 Mt integrated steel plant with
modern technology at Visakhapatnam. Steel Authority of India (SAIL) accounts for over
40% of India's crude steel production. SAIL comprises of nine plants, including five
integrated and four special steel plants. Of these one was nationalized and two were
acquired; several were set up in collaboration with foreign companies. SAIL also owns
mines and subsidiary companies.

EXPORT AND IMPORT OF STEEL FROM INDIA
The steel exports of India over the decade have the compounded annual growth rate
(CAGR) of 22.27% against CAGR of imports of steel, which accounted 14.20% in the
respective period. In 1991-92, very inception of the Liberalization, the steel exports
amounted to 368 thousand tons, which increased year-by-year and reached to 5221
thousand tonnes in 2003-04. It accounted for thirteen-fold increase over the period. The
Annual growth rates of exports of steel for the period showed the fluctuating trend, which
ranged between 14.41% in 1994-95 and 101.36 in 1992-93. In 2003-04, the growth rate
was 15.87 %.




6

COMPANY PROFILE
SteelMax Rolling Mills Ltd., with the most elegant Integrated Steel plant at Kanjikkode,
Planked, Kerala, in India is a major producer of Steel Bars. The standard of its product
qualities are highly appreciated across the national infrastructure industry. "Quality and
Customer Satisfaction" are our prime motto.
History
SteelMax Rolling Mills Ltd. had a very humble start, during the month of February 2006.
The Directors of the company with their remarkable spirit to win, has led the company
with great stride and have brought the company to this current position. Rapidly
developing with time and technology SteelMax is set to fulfill the requirements of the
clients in critical projects, and focus on larger goals to accomplish in the coming years.
Mission and Vision
The Mission statement set by our visionaries of SteelMax Rolling Mills Ltd. was to earn
due respect in the steel industry by serving with total reliability and constancy to our
customers. Steelmax are consistently striving to attain our set goals. SteelMax aims at
reducing energy cost by all the possible methods. In the near future, company also plan to
increase their production by setting up manufacturing units in different, suitable
locations across the country.
Policies
Policies are an integral part of the company. These policies are unique and important in
forming the basic structure of our organization. Since the authenticity and integrity of a
firm can be judged by the set of policies it follows, SteelMax Rolling Mills Ltd., has
build its own definite set of policies, which makes it stand out from the other steel
manufacturing companies in the region. Few of the major areas, which the company has
made mandatory through policies, are Quality Management, Health, Safety and
Environment Management, & Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Management
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SteelMax Rolling Mill Ltd. has grown with the support and guidance of spirited, brilliant,
hardworking and farsighted group of visionaries and directors. Their hard work and
dedication has surely paid off well; they have led the company with enthusiasm and
aspiration to reach the mark of quality.
Performance
SteelMax was commissioned in the month of 4
th
February2006. With various challenges
and goals ahead the company has maintained an overall steady growth throughout.
SteelMax has created a brand of it and stands as a stiff competitor among other reputed
brands of Steel Bars. The below given table indicates our performance in the last four
quarters
It is absolutely understood that they are set to scale higher performance levels. The plan
proposed will be carried with total commitment and dedication. With the expertise of the
Management and with the help of the dedicated employees they are sure to attain
proposed plan. Company have set up concrete plans of action in Monthly, Quarterly,
Yearly manner. firmly believe that they will achieve proposed plan as scheduled.
Our Network SteelMax is expanding our network of customers, which is presently 100.
To reach a larger market to grow their client list and add up to 150 customers. SteelMax
aim at establishing our self in the steel industry as the supplier of choice for its clients,
and to achieve the pinnacle of success in the industry. We have taken a pledge to put our
efforts to improve our Quality to the best and strengthen our financial platform thereby
improving our products to international standards.

8

Branding
First of all, for a brand to succeed the product should be good. Branding is an important
part that steelmax have focused on. SteelMax has acquired ISI brand and the company
has been conferred with ISO 9001:2008 certification. We believe in the reliability of
equipment and technology for consistent product that can give greater value to the
customer.
Sales Plan
We have planned strategies to focus on retailers because steel nowadays has come in the
category of fast moving consumer goods. Therefore we plan special training to our
retailers and distributors to manage our brand name. The other important aspect is the
Product Mix Strategy on Quality and Cost, which will improve our Quality Management
and Sales. We have some new re-engineering processes on to reduce our costs which
include utilization of latest technology, outsourcing, imports etc. We see a great demand
pull from the construction industry, and we see what happening in India over the next 5
to 10 years is a demand that we are ready to cater a part of it.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Problem faced by SteelMax that it is not a well known brand among the dealers.
Marketing Strategy need to be directed towards brand building. in this industry dealers
have high influence in building brand and growing business . Steelmax is un aware about
level of dealer satisfaction and the problem faced by dealer in doing business with them.
Branding is the main marketing strategy of every marketing activity because it helps to
create product positioning in the minds of customers. So this study has been undertaken
to study the current position of SteelMax in market it is also helpful in identify the area of
improvement.


9

OBJECTIVES
To study about the brand perception on dealers mind through detailed analysis.
To study effectiveness of marketing strategy.
To suggest the method to improve marketing strategy for better brand building.


DURATION OF THE STUDY
The duration of the study was 3
rd
Oct 2013 to 10
th
Oct 2013
Research Methodology
Research design - Descriptive
Population of the study - customers and dealers of steelmax palakkad
Type of data - primary and secondary data
Sample size - 100 samples
Sample unit - customers in steelmax
Research design
Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different kinds of
project mainly intend to find the effectiveness of brand building in steelmax
Data collection method
The data is collecting both primary and secondary source. Primary data is collected from
well structured questionnaire and secondary data is collected from steelmax records ,
website, magazines etc.
Research instruments:
The structured questioner carefully organized and systematically designed was used by
the researcher to collect data.
Sampling design
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Convenient sampling technique was used for the study. Sample size was fixed as 100.
Sample were taken from palakkad area
Tools for analysis and interpretation
Analysis is done using percentage and average. Graphs and chart is used for
representation.
LIMITATIONS
Certain dealers are no ready to provide sufficient data.
Practical difficulties of collection of primary data.
Lack Of proper experience on conducting Research studies.
Limitation of sample.
Some of the respondents were reluctant that affected on study.
The time period for this work was just two months, a very short period to deal with a
wide topic.














11

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Branding


. A traditional definition of a brand was: the name, associated with one or more items in
the product line, that is used to identify the source of character of the item(s) (Kotler
2000, p. 396). The American Marketing Association(AMA) definition of a brand is 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 competitors (p. 404). Within this view, as Keller(2003a) says, technically speaking,
the n, whenever a marketer creates a new name, logo, or symbol for a new product, he or
she has created a brand (p. 3). He recognizes, however, that brands today are much more
than that. As can be seen, according to these definitions brands had a simple and clear
function as identifiers.
Before the shift in focus towards brand s and the brand building process, brands were
just another step in the whole process of marketing to sell products. For a long time, the
brand has been treated in an off-hand fashion as a part of the product (Urde 1999,p.
119). Kotler (2000) mentions branding as a major issue in product strategy
404). As the brand was only part of the product, the communication strategy
workedtowards exposing the brand and creating brand image. Aaker and Joachimsthaler
(2000)mention that within the traditional branding model the goal was to build brand
image ; atactical element that drives short-term results. Kapferer (1997) mentioned that
thebrand is a sign -therefore external- whose function is to disclose the hidden qualities
of
the product which are inaccessible to contact product and to distinguish it from the
competition. The challenge today is to create astrong and distinctive image (Kohli and
Thakor 1997, p. 208).
Concerning the brand management process as related to the function of a brand as an
identifier, Aaker and Joachmisthaler (2000) discuss the traditional branding model where
a brand management team was responsible for creating and coordinating thebrands
management program. In this situation, the brand manager was not high in the companys
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hierarchy; his focus was the short-term financial results of single brands and single
products in single markets. The basic objective was the coordination with the
manufacturing and sales departments in order to solve any problem concerning sales and
market share. With this strategy the responsibility of the brand was solely the concern of
the marketing department (Davis 2002). In general, most companies thought that
focusing on the latest and greatest advertising campaign meant focusing on the brand
(Davis and Dunn 2002). The model itself was tactical and reactive rather than strategic
and visionary (Aaker and Joachimsthaler 2000). The brand was always referred to as a
series of tactics and never like strategy (Davis and Dunn 2002).
Brand Building Models
Kapferer (1997) mentions that before the 1980s there was a different
approach towards brands. Companies wished to buy a producer of chocolate or pasta:
after 1980, they wanted to buy KitKat or Buitoni. This distinction is very important; in
the first case firms wish to buy production capacity and in the second they want to buy a
place in the mind of the consumer (p. 23). In other words, the shift in focus towards
brands began when it was understood that they were something more than mere
identifiers. Brands, according to Kapferer (1997) serve eight functions shown in Table
2.1: the first two are mechanical and concern the essence of the brand: to function as a
recognized symbol in order to facilitate choice and to gain time (p. 29); the next three
are for reducing the perceived risk; and the final three concern the pleasure side of a
brand. He adds that brands perform an economic function in the mind of the consumer,
the value of the brand comes from its ability to gain an exclusive, positive and
prominent meaning in the minds of a large number of consumers (p. 25). Therefore
branding and brand building
should focus on developing brand value.

Kapferers view of brand value is monetary, and includes intangible assets. Brands
fail to achieve their value-creating potential where managers pursue strategies that are not
orientated to maximizing the shareholder value (Doyle 2001a, p. 267). Four factors
combine in the mind of the consumer to determine the perceived value of the brand:
brand awareness; the level of perceived quality compared to competitors; the level of
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confidence, of significance, of empathy, of liking; and the richness and attractiveness of
the images conjured up by the brand. In Figure 2.1 the relationships between the different
concepts of brand analysis, according to Kapferer (1997), are summarized.

Brand Orientation
Urde (1999) presents Brand Orientation as another brand building model that focuses
on brands as strategic resources. Brand Orientation is an approach in which the
processes
of the organization revolve around the creation, development, and protection of brand
identity in an ongoing interaction with target customers with the aim of achieving lasting
competitive advantages in the form of brands (p. 117-118). Brand orientation focuses on
developing brands in a more active and deliberate manner, starting with the brand identity
as a strategic platform. It can be said that as a consequence of this orientation the brand
becomes an unconditional response to customer needs and wants This should be,
however, considered carefully given that what is demanded by customers at any given
moment is not necessarily the same as that which will strengthen the brand as a strategic
resource (p. 121). Following this reasoning, the wants an needs of customers are not
ignored, but they are not allowed to unilaterally steer the development of the brand and
determine its identity
According to the brand orientation model, the starting point for a process of brand
building is to first create a clear understanding of the internal brand identity. The brand
then becomes a strategic platform that provides the framework for the satisfaction of
customers wants and needs (Urde 1999, p. 129). The point of departure for a
brandoriented company is its brand mission.
Urdes Brand Hexagon (1999), shown in Figure 2.2, integrates brand equity and brand
identity with a companys direction, strategy and identity. The right side of the model
reflects the reference function -product category and product, which are analyzed
rationally-, while the left side of the model reflects the emotional function corporate and
brand name, which are analyzed emotionally. A brand is experienced in its entirety (p.
126), which means that both emotions and rational thought are involved. The lower part
of the model -mission and vision- reflects the companys intentions towards the brand,
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while the upper part reflects the way that target consumers interpret the brand. At the
center of the model lies the core process of brand meaning creation, which includes the
positioning and core values.
In summary, in a brand-oriented organization, the objective is -within the framework of
the brand- to create value and meaning. The brand is a strategic platform for interplay
with the target group and thus is not limited to being an unconditional response to what at
any moment is demanded by customers
Additionally, in a later article, Urde (2003) mentions that the brand building process is
two-part: internal and external. He defines the internal process as that used primarily to
describe the relationship between the organization and the brand, with the internal
objective being for the organization to live its brands. Conversely, the external process is
that concerned with relations between the brand and the customer, with the external
objective of creating value and forming relationships with the customer.
Brand Leadership

Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) leave behind the traditional branding model and
introduce the brand leadership model, which emphasizes strategy as well as tactics. In
this model, the brand management process acquires different characteristics: a strategic
and visionary perspective; the brand manager is higher in the organization, has a longer
time job horizon, and is a strategist as well as communications team leader; building
brand equities and developing brand equity measures is the objective; and, brand
structures are complex, as the focus is on multiple brands, multiple products, and multiple
markets. In short, brand identity and creating brand value become the drivers of strategy.

The brand leadership model is Aaker and Joachimsthalers (2000) proposal for building
strong brands. They argue that there are four challenges, summarized in Figure 2.3, that
must be addressed:
1) The organizational challenge: to create structures and processes that lead to strong
brands, with strong brand leader(s) for each product, market or country. Also, to establish
common vocabulary and tools, an information system that allows for sharing information,
experiences and initiatives, and a brand nurturing culture and structure. Supporting this
15

challenge, McWilliams and Dumas (1997) argue that everyone on the brand team needs
to understand the brand building process, and they propose metaphors as intelligent tools
to transmit the values of a firm. Doyle (2001b) adds that brand management must be seen
as part of the total management process and not only as a specialist marketing activity.

2) The brand architecture challenge: to identify brands, sub-brands, their relationships
and roles. It is also necessary to clarify what is offered to the consumer and to create
synergies between brands; to promote the leveraging of brand assets; to understand the
role of brands, sub-brands, and endorsed brands in order to know when to extend them;
and to determine the relative role of each brand of the portfolio. Aaker (2004a) renames
brand architecture calling it instead brand portfolio strategy. He says that the brand
portfolio strategy specifies the structure of the brand portfolio and the scope, roles, and
interrelationships of the portfolio brands (p. 13). Therefore, this challenge could be
renamed the brand portfolio strategy challenge.

3) The brand identity and position challenge: to assign a brand identity to each managed
brand and to position each brand effectively to create clarity. Speak (1998) supports and
adds to this stating that the brand identity challenge should have a long-term focus in
order to integrate the brand building process into the fabric of the organization.

4) The brand building program challenge: to create communication programs and other
brand building activities to develop brand identity, that help not only with the
implementation but also in the brand defining process. In short, brand building must do
what is necessary to change customer perceptions, reinforce attitudes, and create loyalty.
One tactic to do so would be to consider alternative media in addition to advertising.
Doyle (2001b) also adds that the brand strategy must maximize shareholder value.


16

Brand Asset Management

Davis (2002) also talks about a new way of managing brands. He argues that brands,
along with people, are a companys most valuable asset. There is growing support for
viewing and managing the brand as an asset and thus having the brand drive every
strategic and investment decision (Davis and Dunn 2002, p. 15). This becomes relevant
given that the top three strategic goals for brand strategy nowadays are increasing
customer loyalty, differentiating from the competition, and establishing market leadership
(Davis and Dunn 2002). It is important for a company to change its state of mind in order
to adopt this perspective because brand management has to report all the way to the top
of the organization and has to involve every functional area (Davis 2002, p. 9). Davis
(2000) defines Brand Asset Management as a balanced investment approach for
building the meaning of the brand, communicating it internally and externally, and
leveraging it to increase brand profitability, brand asset value, and brand returns over
time (p. 12). Some of the shifts from traditional brand management to this new model
are highlighted in Table

The Brand Asset Management process, as shown in Figure 2.4, involves four phases and
eleven steps. The first phase is to develop a brand vision, which consists of a single step:
developing the elements of a brand vision. The basic objective of this step is to clearly
state what the branding efforts must do to meet corporate goals. The second phase is to
determine the companys BrandPicture by understanding consumer perceptions about
the brand and of competitor brands. This phase consists of three steps: determining the
brands image, creating the brands contract - list of customers perceptions of all the
current promises the brand makes-, and crafting a brand-based customer model -which
allows for understanding how consumers act and think, and how and why they make their
purchase decisions. The third phase is to develop a brand asset management strategy, in
order to determine the correct strategies for achieving goals according to the brand vision.
This phase consists of five steps: positioning the brand, extending the brand,
communicating the brands positioning, leveraging the brand, and pricing the brand.
Finally, the fourth phase is to support a brand asset
17


Corporate Branding
most recent turn in branding literature emerged in the mid-nineties. Businesses began
shifting their focus from product brands to corporate branding (de Chernatony 1999,
Hatch and Schultz 2003). The corporate brand perspective supports, and could be a
consequence of, the strategic view of brands. King (1991) is considered to be the first
author to make a clear distinction between product and corporate brands, emphasizing the
importance of a multidisciplinary approach in order to manage them. It is after 1995
when more research on corporate branding is published. Balmer and Grays (2003)
literature review on corporate branding presents different visions that have been
developed during the years prior. They conclude that corporate brands are leading to the
development of a new branch of marketing which should be known as corporate- level
marketing (Balmer and Greyser 2003).
Aaker (2004a) defines a corporate brand as a brand that represents an organization and
reflects its heritage, values, culture, people, and strategy. Corporate branding congruent
with the strategic brand vision (Schultz and Hatch 2003), dwells on developing brands at
an organizational level (Knox and Bickerton 2003) -which requires managing interactions
with multiple stakeholders (Balmer and Gray 2003, Knox and Bickerton 2003, Hatch and
Schultz 2003, Aaker 2004b). A corporate brand is defined primarily by organizational
associations (Aaker 2004b), and thus can develop and leverage organizational
characteristics, as well as product and service attributes (Aaker 2004a). Urde (2003)
states that corporate brands must reflect organizational values. In other words, an
organizations core values must be the guiding light of the brand building process, both
internally and externally. They must be built into the product, expressed in behavior, and
reflected in communication. Core values influence continuity, consistency and
credibility in the building of a corporate brand
Brand Equity
The brand equity concept has been mentioned in more than one of the previously
analyzed models. But what exactly is brand equity? Brand equity, as first defined by
Farquhar (1989), is the added value with which a given brand endows a product (p.
24). Apart from Farquhars first definition of brand equity, other definitions have
18

appeared. According to Lassar, Mittal, and Sharma (1995), brand equity has been
examined from a financial (Farquhar, Han, and Ijiri 1991; Simon and Sullivan 1993;
Kapferer 1997, Doyle 2001b), and a customer-based perspective (Keller 1993; Shocker,
Srivastava, and Rueckert 1994; Chen 2001). In other words, financial meaning from the
perspective of the value of the brand to the firm, and customer-based meaning the value
of the brand for the customer which comes from a marketing decision-making context
(Kim, Kim, and An 2003).
Brand equity has also been defined as the enhancement in the perceived utility and
desirability a brand name confers on a product (Lassar, Mittal and Sharma 1995, p.13).
High brand equity is considered to be a competitive advantage since: it implies that firms
can charge a premium; there is an increase in customer demand; extending a brand
becomes easier; communication campaigns are more effective; there is better trade
leverage; margins can be greater; and the company becomes less vulnerable to
competition (Bendixen, Bukasa, and Abratt 2003). In other words, high brand equity
generates a differential effect, higher brand knowledge, and a larger consumer
response (Keller 2003a), which normally leads to better brand performance, both froma
financial and a customer perspective.
CSR
Finally, corporate social responsibility (CSR) must be mentioned as another concept that
is influencing the development of brands nowadays, especially corporate brands. Both
branding and CSR have become crucially important now that the organizations have
recognized how these strategies can add or detract from their value (Blumenthal and
Bergstrom 2003). Criticism of business is more far-reaching than ever before due to
higher expectations of businesses today (Smith 2003). As Smith and Alcorn (1991)
mention, corporations have integrated marketing strategy and social responsibility, and
this integrated strategy has been labeled cause marketing. Because corporations already
invest in both branding and philanthropy, the rationale for integrating branding and CSR
derives from the synergies created when both strategies merge (Blumenthal and
Bergstrom 2003).
CSR literature is ample and it is not the subject of this thesis to analyze it. However, it is
necessary to establish how closely related is brand building towards social values to this
19

concept. CSR refers to the obligations of the firm towards society (Smith 2003). It also
refers to the consideration of and response to issues beyond the narrow economic,
technical, and legal requirements a firm has in order to accomplish social benefits along
with traditional economic gains (Husted 2003). An example of a CSR governance
structure is a collaborative scheme, which involves a partnership between the firm and an
organization in which the firm transfers resources to the organization in order to carry out
CSR activities jointly (Husted 2003). This same structure is necessary to implement the
brand building towards social values model that is described in the following sections.
CSR can be defined in terms of legitimate ethics or from an instrumentalist perspective
where corporate image is the prime concern (McAdam and Leonard 2003). Brand
building towards social values relates to CSR in both ways. Given that brand building is
strategic, and according to strategy the brand must reflect the values of a firm, the
corporate responsibility values projected by a brand must be legitimate. If not, the risk of
being perceived as dishonest or untrustworthy creates a lack of congruence that can
negatively affect brand image. While corporate image is not the prime concern here, as
just explained, it is an important element in the branding process.
Blumenthal and Bergstrom (2003) expose four key reasons for integrating CSR under the
umbrella of the brand which are: recognizing the magnitude of the brand promise;
maintaining customer loyalty; maximizing investment that would be placed in CSR
regardless of the brand; and avoiding conflict with shareholders. In other words, branded
CSR turns philanthropy from implicit delivery of the promise to an explicit one (p. 337).
This becomes everyday more important as the public wants to know what, where, and
how much brands are giving back to society.


Brand Asset Management
Davis (2002) also talks about a new way of managing brands. He argues that
brands,along with people, are a companys most valuable asset. There is growing
support for viewing and managing the brand as an asset and thus having the brand drive
every strategic and investment decision (Davis and Dunn 2002, p. 15). This becomes
relevant given that the top three strategic goals for brand strategy nowadays are
20

increasing customer loyalty, differentiating from the competition, and establishing market
leadership (Davis and Dunn 2002). It is important for a company to change its state of
mind in order to adopt this perspective because brand management has to report all the
way to the top of the organization and has to involve every functional area 2002, p. 9).
Davis (2000) defines Brand Asset Management as a balanced investment approach for
building the meaning of the brand, communicating it internally and
externally, and leveraging it to increase brand profitability, brand asset value, and brand
returns over time (p. 12).

The Brand Asset Management process, as shown in Figure 2.4, involves four phases and
eleven steps. The first phase is to develop a brand vision, which consists of a single step:
developing the elements of a brand vision. The basic objective of this step is to clearly
state what the branding efforts must do to meet corporate goals. The second phase is to
determine the companys BrandPicture by understanding consumer perceptions about
the brand and of competitor brands. This phase consists of three steps: determining the
brands image, creating the brands contract - list of customers perceptions of all the
current promises the brand makes-, and crafting a brand-based customer model -which
allows for understanding how consumers act and think, and how and why they make their
purchase decisions. The third phase is to develop a brand asset management strategy, in
order to determine the correct strategies for achieving goals according to the brand vision.
This phase consists of five steps: positioning the brand, extending the brand,
communicating the brands positioning, leveraging the brand, and pricing the brand.
Finally, the fourth phase is to support a brand asset management culture. This final phase
consists of two steps: creating a measure of the return on brand investment, and
establishing a brand-based culture.






21














DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION









22


TABLE: 3. 1: General Reason for preferring steelmax
Factors


Respondents Percentage
Price 12 12
Quantity 2 2
Promotion 35 35
Availability 51 51
Total 100 100

CHART: 3.1: Reason for preferring steelmax

Interpretation
From the above table, It is inferred 51% of the respondents are preferring steel max on
the basis of availability.35% prefer on the basis of promotion and others prefer on the
basis of price and quality
12
2
35
51
price quantity promotion availability
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
RESON FOR PREFERING STEELMAX
Respondents
23

TABLE3.2: Opinion of product purchase from steelmax
Factors Respondents Percentage
8mm 48 48
10mm 15 15
12mm 24 24
16mm 13 13
Total 100 100

Chart 3.2: Opinion of product purchase from steelmax


Interpretation
From the above table ,it is inferred 48% of dealers purchase 8mm steel bars while 24%
purchase 12mm and others 13%and15% purchase 16mm &10mm. 8mm steel bars are
high demand.


48
15
24
13
8mm 10mm 12mm 16mm
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Respondants
Respondants
24

Table 3.3: Rate the steelmax regard the quality

factor Respondents Percentage
Very good 35 35
Good 42 42
Average 23 23
poor 0 0
Total 100 100

Chart 3.3: Rate the steelmax regard the quality


Interpretation
From the above table,it is inferred that 42% of the respondants says steelmax product is
good quality.35% says very good and 23% says average there is no one said badly about
the quality of steel max product.


35
42
23
0 0
10
20
30
40
50
Very good Good Average poor
RATE THE STEELMAX REGARD THE QUALITY

Respondants
25

Table 3.4: Opinion about using the product

Factor Respondents Percentage
Highly satisfied 69 69
Satisfies 28 28
Dissatisfied 3 3
Highly dissatisfied 0 0
Total 100 100

Chart3.4: Opinion about using the product




Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 69% are highly satisfied about the product. 28%
are satisfied and 3% are dissatisfied because of poor loading facility.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Highly satisfied Satisfies Dissatisfied Highly
dissatisfied
OPENION ABOUT USING THE PRODUCT

Respondents
26


Table 3.5: Competitive advantages of steel max

Factor Respondents Percentage
Good service 72 72
Quality 20 20
Promotion 5 5
Price 3 3
Total 100 100

Chart 3.5: Competitive advantages of steel max


Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that72% of respondents said that steel max provide
good service.20% said that thet manufactured good quality products and 5 &3% said that
promotion and price is the comparative advantage of steel max.
72
20
5
3
Good service Quality Pramotion Price
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Respondants
Respondants
27


Table 3.6: Best AD method of steel max

Factor Respondents Percentage
Internet 20 20
Word of mouth 70 70
Social media 0 0
Others 10 10
Total 100 100

Chart 3.6: Best AD method of steelmax



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 70% of respondents prefer steel max on the basis
of word of mouth.20% is looking internet and comes to steel max and10% is seeing some
ad related steel max then they prefer the company .there is no considerable influence
through social media.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Internet Word of
mouth
Social media Others
BEST AD METOD OF STEELMAX
Respondents
28

Table 3.7: Rating of steelmax dealing with customer


Factor Respondents Percentage
0-30 1 1
30-60 8 8
60-90 55 55
100 36 36
Total 100 100

Chart 3.7: Rating of steelmax dealing with customer


Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 55% said that rating of 60-90 they are satisfied
.36% full satisfied with product .1% of customer are dissatisfied


1
8
55
36
0-30 30-60 60-90 100 above
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
RATING OF STEELMAX DEALING WITH CUSTOMER


Respondents
29

Table 3.8: Execution of order from steelmax
Factor Respondents Percentage
0-30 - -
30-60 5 5
60-90 15 15
100 80 80
Total 100 100

Chart 3.8: Execution of order from steelmax



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that80% are rating 100.and 15% rating 60-90 and 5%
rating 30-60 there is no one rating 0-30.


0
5
15
80
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0-30 30-60 60-90 BELOW 100
Respondents
Respondents
30


Table 3.9: Getting offer from steel max

Factor Respondents Percentage
Offers 0 0
Discount 0 0
Coupons 0 0
Credit 100 100
Total 100 100

Chart 3.9: Getting offer from steel max


Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 100% of customer said that only offer steelmax
providing is a credit period of 7 days.

0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Offers Discount Coupons Credit
Respondents
Respondents
31

Table 3.10: Dealers switch over to any other brand
Factors Respondents Percentage
yes 5 5
no 95 95
Total 100 100

Chart 3.10: Dealers switch over to any other brand



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 95% of dealers still using only steelmax products.
But 5% moving to kairali because of loading problem.





0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
yes no
Respondents
Respondents
32

Table 3.11: Suggestion to improve the branding

factors Respondents Percentage
CSR activity 30 30
Service 2 2
promotion 15 15
Credit period 53 53
total 100 100

Chart 3.11: Suggestion to improve the branding


Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 53% customer said that they want more credit
period but company provide only 7 days .30% customer said csr activity will improve
the brand building.15% said promotion and 2 % tell about the service because steel max
provide good service every one.

30
2
15
53
0
20
40
60
CSR activity Service promotion Credit period
Respondents
Respondents
33

Table 3.12: Behavior of employee why purchasing steels

factors Respondents Percentage
Very friendly 80 80
Friendly 20 20
Partially - -
Poor - -
total 100 100

Chart 3.13: Behavior of employee why purchasing steels



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 80% of respondents said that steelmax employees
are very friendly with customers.20% said that they are friendly.most of them are very
good relation with customer
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Very friendly Friendly Partially Poor
Respondents
Respondents
34


Table 3.13: Influences of social net work media

factor Respondents Percentage
Very high 0 0
High 0 0
Low 5 5
poor 95 95
Total 100 100

Chart 3.13: Influences of social net work media




Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 95% of respondents said that social net work
media influence is very poor in steel max. 5% said that is a low influence through social
net work media. 5% suggested online advertisement is good because they saw the
advertisement in one web sites.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Very high High Low poor
Respondents
Respondents
35



Table 3.14: Opinion about steel max

factor Respondents Percentage
Very good 62 62
Good 30 30
Average 8 8
Bad 0 0
Total 100 100


Chart 3.14: Opinion about steel max



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 62% said very good opinion about steel max.30%
said the good opinion and 8% tell its just an average because these persons face some
loading problems.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Very good Good Average Bad
Respondents
Respondents
36


Table 3.15: Additional service

Factors Respondents Percentage
yes 0 0
no 100 100
Total 100 100


Table 3.15: Additional service



Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that 100% of respondents said that there is no
additional service provided from the side of company.



0
20
40
60
80
100
120
yes no
Additional service

Respondents
37

Table 3.16: Response of credit period company provide


factor Respondents Percentage
7 90 90
10 5 5
30 0 0
0 5 5
Total 100 100


Chart 3.16: Response of credit period company provide


Interpretation
From the above table, it is inferred that90% of respondents said that they get only 7 days
credit period.5% respondents get 10 days and 5% get 0 days.


0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
7 10 30 0
Respondents
Respondents
38










FINDINGS, SUGGESSION AND CONCLUTION











39

FINDINGS
1 .Major respondents preferring SteelMax on the basis of availability of
steels(Ref:table3.1)
2. Around 48% of respondents purchase 8mm steel bars (Ref: table 3.2)
3. Majority of respondents says SteelMax produce good quality steel bars.(Ref: table 3.3)
4. Major respondents are highly satisfied while using the product. (Ref: table 3.4)
5. Majority of respondents freely recommended SteelMax products to
others(Ref:table3.5)
6. Major respondents says SteelMax provide good service (Ref: table 3.5)
7. Around 70% respondents says word of mouth is the best ad method of
steelmax(Ref:3.6)
8. Major respondents are satisfied with dealings of steelmax (Ref: table 3.7)
9.Around 80% of respondents says fully satisfied with execution of order(ref tab:3.8)
10. Around 100% respondent say that credit period provided by the company is very
good (Ref: table 3.9)
11. Around 5% of dealers switch over to KAIRALI STEELS(Ref: table 3.10)
12.Major respondents says they want more credit periods(Ref: table 3.11)
13. Majority of respondents says employees are behaving very friendly(Ref: table 3.12)
14. Majority of respondents says poor influence of social net work media(Ref: table
3.13)
15.Around 100% of respondents says there is no additional service get from the side of
SteelMax(Ref: table 3.14)
16.Around 90% respondents says they get maximum 7 days credit period. (Ref: table
3.16)
40


SUGGESTION

From the research it was found that the awareness of the product and organization
can be increased by placing hoardings and flex boards on the road sides from
Palakkad to Kanjikkode

It highly recommended that the company appoint (delegate) an employee for
collecting periodical feedback from the dealers regarding customer feedback

It is also recommended that a cross verification call the customers to clarify their
grievance / concerns

Bring out advertisement in news paper ,tv , and hoarding it can help the company
to place its products in the mind of the customers in a better way.

Company need to start a 24 *7 dealer help line service for helping the dealer to
fulfill the orders more easily.

The company need to maintain better customer relationship with dealers by
providing better services..

The company can initiate various CSR activity to build a brand building

From the study we can understand steelmax having strong competitors. Some
Dealers are not satisfied in doing business with steelmax then they change to
kairali. Steelmax need to maintain good loading facility and provide good
service.

41

Other companies are giving various type of offers to dealers. steelmax can also
various offers similar to their competitors.

Company need to improve their advertising through social net work media

Company can think about appoint a brand ambassador for improving their brand

The company can participate in construction exhibition

company can work along with construction firms














42

CONCLUTION

In India there are number of branded steel manufactures trying to get leadership position
in the market , but this is possible only through boosting the brand building and brand
preferences among the people.
Many firms and companies try to attain number one position and improve its brand by
creating awareness about their brand depending up on the potential market.
The analysis of the study show that steelmax customers are satisfied about the product
there is high opportunity for growth and brand building. But to get the number one
position in the competitive market, steelmax has to improve their effective sales,
personal, promotional, advertising medium and provide better loading facility.
As per the study steelmax having good brand image among the customers, only few are
deviated based on the above points the company and dealer can improve their service
towards the acquiring maximum brand image.










43

BIBILIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
Philip kotler (2003) Marketing Management prentice hall , New Delhi

Dr . Sharma D. D (1998) Marketing Research sulthan chand & sons ,New Delhi

C R Kothari Research Methodology

Kotler 2000 Marketing Management, p. 396

Keller(2003a Brand building (p. 404)
Leverage and Clarity. New York, Free Press.
----- (2004b), Leveraging the Corporate Brand California Management Review, 46
(3), 6-18.
AAKER, DAVID A. AND ERICH JOACHIMSTHALER (2000), Brand Leadership,
London, Free Press.
AAKER, JENNIFER L. (1997), Dimensions of Brand Personality, Journal of
Marketing Research, 34
(August), 347-356.
BALDAUF, ARTUR, KAREN S. CRAVENS, AND GUDRUN BINDER (2003),
Performance Consequences of
Brand Equity Management: Evidence from Organizations in the Value Chain,
Journal of Product and
Brand Management, 12 (4), 220-236.
BALMER, JOHN M.T. AND EDMUND R. GRAY (2003), Corporate Brands: What
Are They? What of
Them?, European Journal of Marketing, 37 (7/8), 972-997.
BALMER, JOHN M.T. AND STEPHEN A. GREYSER (Eds.) (2003), Revealing the
Corporation: Perspectives
44

of Identity, Image, Reputation, Corporate Branding and Corporate-Level Marketing,
Routledge, London.
BENDIXEN, MIKE, KALALA A. BUKASA, AND RUSSELL ABRATT (2003),
Brand Equity in the Business-to-
Business Market, Industrial Marketing Management, 33, 371-380JURNELS



WEB SITES REFERRED
1. WWW.Slideshare .COM ( http://www.slideshare.net/vishnuvijay351/newsfeed)
2. WWW.business-standard.COM (http://www.business-standard.com/todays-paper
3. WWW.exportersindia.com(http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Exportersindia-
com-review-otlnnqsmrr)
4. WWW.scribd.com( http://www.scribd.com/browse/Books/Business-marketing)
5. WWW.wikipedia.COM(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_Building)
6. YOUTUBE youtube.com/watch?v=QlCxcvTx7jg













45

A STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF MARKETING STRATEGY ON BRAND
BUILDING OF THE PRODUCT OF STEELMAX.

QUESTIONNAIRE

For analyzing the brand building level
Steel Max
Kanjikkode

Name of the agent :
Area :
Code :

1. Why do you prefer steel max?
a. price[] b. quantity[] c. promotion[] d. availability[]
2. Which product do you purchase from steel max?
a. 8mm[] b. 10mm[] c. 12mm[] d. 16mm[]
3. How do you rate SteelMax with regards to Quality
a. very good[] b. good[] c. average[] d. poor[]
4. Any problem you faced while using the products?
a. Yes[] b. No[]
5. Will you recommend steel max products to others?
a. Yes[] b. No[]
6. Competitive advantage of steel max?
a. good service[] b. quality[] c. promotion[] d. price[]

7. Which is the best ad method for steel max industry?
a. Internet[] b. word of mouth[] c. social media[] d. other[]
8. How will you rate steel max dealing with you?
a. 10-20[] b. 20-40[] c.40-60[] d.100[]

46

9. Rate the execution of order from SteelMax
a. 10-20[] b. 20-40[] c.40-60[] d.100[]
10. Whether you have switch over to any other brand
a. yes[] b. no[]
11. What are the suggestion to improving the branding
a. Promotion[] b. service[] c.CSR activity[] d. other[]
12. What was the behavior of employee why purchasing steel?
a. Very Friendly[] b. friendly[] c. partially[] d. poor[]
13. How to influence social net work media?
a. Very high[] b. high[] c. low[] d. poor[]

14. Do you get any additional services?
a. Yes[] b. No[]
15. What is the credit period company provides ?
a. 7 days[] b.10 days[] c.30 days[] d. zero days[]
16. What is the other offer provided?
a. Discount[] b. coupons[] c. credit period[] d. other[]
17. Suggestions about steel max?
a.---------------------------------------------------
b.---------------------------------------------------
c.---------------------------------------------------