1.

0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Origin
Mr. Sudhir Kafle Lecturer of Bachelor of Business Administration, Purbanchal University has assigned the researcher to conduct a report, which will follow the formalities, rules and regulations of formal report preparation. He had attested proposal on and gave the researcher useful direction to prepare the report, which would be followed by a formal oral presentation session. The researcher has chosen the topic CONSUMER SATISFACTION ON CLOSE-UP TOOTHPASTE: of biratnagar.

1.2 Mission of the report

The primary mission of the report is to find out the consumer level of satisfaction of the '"Close-up" toothpaste. The secondary objectives of the report are to figure out the features that make the consumers satisfied, features that make the consumers dissatisfied, reaction of the consumers about the current advertising campaign, the factors that the consumers consider at the time of buying, the consumers expectations to satisfy their needs and wants more effectively and efficiency.

1.3 Scope
The report covers only those areas, which are related to determine the satisfaction level of the consumers of "close up" tooth paste. The factors that most of the consumers keep in mind in the time of buying "Close Up" tooth paste, the satisfiers and the dissatisfies of the tooth paste; etc are covered in this report. The information, that were gathered through conducting the survey were interpreted and analyzed and this analysis shows the level of consumer satisfaction of "Close Up" toothpaste. Moreover a set of recommendations has also been included in this report, which may help the company to satisfy the needs and wants of the intended market. The report does not cover in depth the psychological and mental dimension of the consumer, which could have an affect on the satisfaction provided by a particular product to some extent. This report also does not cover external environmental factors such Political, Economical, Social and Technological, which should affect on the consumer buying behavior.

1.4 Limitations
The limitations for conducting such a survey and also preparing in-depth report or such an interesting and challenging task can best be summarized as follows: a) The major limitations for conducting the survey as well as preparation of final research report are the very limited time period. The researcher has got less than three weeks to accomplish the whole process. If the researcher could get more time, he could be able to perform or conduct the research activities covering a wider geographical range. b) Although the researcher has employed his earnest effort behind the survey and the preparation of the final report, he think the subject matter of the study is very much higher then his level of experience, knowledge and skill for managing such a task. c) The resources (both human and artificial) were very limited for conducting the overall steps and procedures of the research activities. More over it was very difficult to managing such limited resources within the specified scheduling activities.

1.5 Report preview

The report starts with the letter of transmittal. Then the table of contents, list of tables and graphs or diagrams is added to the report. The next section of the report is the executive summery, that summarize the over all findings of the research activity. The introduction section has been introduced, which would help to know the source, objectives, limitations, etc of the report. The problem of the report has been defined in the next section, which includes the background of the problem and the statement of the problem. Research design followed the approach to the problem. The next section depicts the data analysis methodology and the plane of analysis, which will help to know the methods, which have been followed to find out the satisfaction level of the consumers of the "Close Up" toothpaste. The research findings are included in the section next to the data analysis. Research findings show all the results of the analysis and the interpretations. A set of recommendations have been included the section next to the research findings. Finally the appendix section includes a format of the questionnaire, the project proposal and the statistical analysis, that was followed to analyze the raw data.

2.0 PROBLEM DEFINITION

The problem definition for the research activities in order to reveal the level of satisfaction of consumers of the Close-up has been divided into two categories; 2.1 Background of the problem and 2.2 Statement of the problem 2.1 Background of the problem: Today any organization whether it is profit making or non-profit making, tries to enhance their reputation and goodwill by providing greater value towards the intended section of the overall population. In the case of the profit making organization like UNILEVER BANGLADESH, this hand task of achieving the goodwill can best be earned by satisfying the needs and wants of the target market more effectively and efficiency then that of the competitors. Moreover, now these days the needs and wants of the target market are changing rapidly. If an organization needs to keep good relationship with its intended market, it has to always trace out these changing needs and wants and thus satisfy them by providing grater value. For this reason, it has to continuously survey the level of satisfaction that its product/s create among the intended market. Without tracing down the satisfiers and dissatisfiers of a particular product, a organization can not produce and hold loyal customers in the long run. That is why to know the level of satisfaction of the Close-up toothpaste among its target market and trace out the satisfiers and dissatisfies of it (Close-up), a survey was warranted for the UNILEVER BANGLADESH.

2.2 Statement of the problem: The statement of the problem is further divided into two categories. They are;

a) Broad statement of the problem, b) Specific components of the problem. a) Broad statement of the problem: The broad statement of the problem is identifying the problem from an appropriate perspective. The appropriate perspective of the problem is originated from the vastly growing competition. To exist in such a competitive environment, UNILEVER needs to know the level of satisfaction of the consumer of the Close-up toothpaste. b) Specific components of the problem: The key or specific component of the problem is to identify the level of satisfaction of the consumers of the Close-up toothpaste. The level of satisfaction is identified by conducting a survey among the potential consumer of the toothpaste through questioning them a specified number of questions. Finally, analysis and interpretation of the gathered data was made to reach a well-reasoned conclusion that will show the level of satisfaction among the consumers of the Close-up toothpaste.

3.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS

The gathered data from the respondents was analyzed by using different but simple, easy to understand techniques. As the correct and accurate analysis and interpretation of these data is vital to the UNILEVER to know the satisfaction level of the consumer of the product Close-up, the highest level of intensity and integrity was employed at the time of analysis.

The overall research findings can be divided into two categories. They are as follows; General research findings, Specific research findings. 3.1 Respondent Profile

The respondent profile includes mainly the age, gender and occupation based informations about the respondents. a) Age: From the collected data of the survey, it is found that the total respondents (25) fall in the age category as the following table;

Table 1: Age category of the respondents Age Category 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35 No. of respondents 6 8 2 5

35-40 4 Source: Primary data So, from the above table, we can see that most of the respondents are from the age group of 20-25. b) Gender: Among the 25 respondents, 14 were male while the other 11 respondents were female. The following table shows the male- female percentage of the total respondents; Table-2: Gender based proportion of the respondents Gender No. Of Respondents Percentage Male 14 56 Female 11 44 Source: primary data Now, the above findings are shown graphically below in the pie chart format;

Chart-1: Gender basis categorization

Female 44%

Male 56%

Male Female

So, 56 percent respondents are male and the rest of the 44 percent respondents are female. c) Occupation: The survey was conducted among the consumers of the Close-up toothpaste, who are at different occupations. These different occupation categories include student, government service, private service, business, housewife and others (physician, engineer; etc). The finding based on occupation wise demographic information is given below in the table: Table-3: Occupation basis categorization Occupation No. Of respondents Student 12 Govt. Service 2 Private service 3 Business 2 Housewife 4 Others 2

Source: Primary data

The above findings regarding the occupation wise categorization are shown below in the chart format; From the above table and chart, we can conclude that 42 percent respondents are the students of different educational institutions while 23 percent are housewife. Moreover, 16 percent respondents are from Government service while 8 percent from private service. 3.2 General Expectations

Throughout the research, the level of satisfaction has been the primary factor. The level is determined through the expectations that people have and the level to which the producer is doing to satisfy those expectations. Most of the surveyed individuals agreed to the fact that the first and foremost expectation is freshness. The basic need of using toothpastes is keeping the teeth free from decay and keeps the mouth fresh. Keeping the teeth white is also a major concern for the consumers. The following graph displays the percentage: Chart 2: Representation of Expectations

Freshness 31%

Fight Decay 36%

Fight Decay Whiteness Freshness

Whiteness 33%

The following table shows the factors that people consider at the time of buying toothpaste: Table-4: Factors considered by consumers Factors Price Convenience No. Of Responses 2 1

3.3

Quality Availability Others Attitude towards Close-Up

14 5 3

Close-Up being one of the leading toothpaste companies in Bangladesh has lots of users. The expectation of the consumers is increasing day by day because of the high competition of the others toothpaste companies. Among the 25 respondents, 19 were found to use Close-Up toothpaste. No doubt the demand of this product is high. Thus the expectation is high too. Again the consumers expect fight decay, whiteness and freshness of mouth through the use of Close-Up. Among the 19 consumers, 14 were fully satisfied with the quality of Close-Up. The other 5 were not satisfied. They expect improvement for freshness of mouth. 3.4 Attitude towards other brands

The fact that the consumers consider while buying toothpaste is the brand name and the quality of the product. Out of the 25 respondents, 6 are the ones who dont use Close-Up toothpaste. They use other brands like White Plus, Pepsodent etc. The reason behind their not using Close-Up as stated by them is its advertisings. They say that the advertisements dont attract them to buy the product. The users of Close-Up out of the 25 respondents have the same complains towards the other brands. Thus Close-Up should create advertisements much more attractive to capture more consumers. The following table shows the reasons as stated by the respondents for using of other toothpastes and not Close-Up: Table-5: Causes behind not to prefer Close-up Causes Product Similarity Price Flavor Availability Quality Others No. Of male 3 4 3 -3 1 No. Of Respondents Percent* No. Of female 30 40 30 -30 10 -4 3 -3 1 Percent* -50 38 -38 13

3.5

Acceptance to changes by Close-Up users

Close-Up mainly changes the price to keep pace with the changing market condition. The users of Close-Up tend to react to this change uncomfortably. Amongst the surveyed, almost 94 percent doesnt take the changes in price normally. They have complains about this act of Close-Up. In case of quality, the consumers are very satisfied with the changes. The introduction of different flavors has put a big impact on the consumers. It has become an influence for buying Close-Up. 3.6 Level of Satisfaction of Close-Up users

The primary reason for conducting the research is to find out the level to which the consumers are satisfied. Among the respondents, there exists a variety of satisfaction level. The level has been set as Extremely Satisfied, Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Less Satisfied and Not Satisfied at all. There hasnt been anyone in the Not Satisfied at all group. The following table represents the survey results:

Table-6: Level of satisfaction among the user

Satisfaction level Extremely satisfied Very much satisfied Satisfied Less Satisfied Not Satisfied at all

No. Of respondents 2 3 15 5 0

Percent 8 12 60 20 0

The data is represented in the following graph:

Chart 3: The level of satisfaction among the users of Close-Up

No. Of respondents Extremely satisfied 12% Very much satisfied Satisfied Less Satisfied 60% Not Satisfied at all

20%

0% 8%

4.0 CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned research findings and analysis, the researcher has arrived at a number of conclusions along with the major conclusion. The level of satisfaction varies from consumer to consumer. The male user of the Close-up toothpaste prefers some attributes or features to that of the female user. On the other hand, female user indicated to the features that satisfy their needs and wants a bit differently than that of the male user. The consumers also indicated some factors that the company may consider to get more competitive advantages such as the needs for more innovative and comprehensive advertising campaign, the reduction of the existing price, the improvement of quality; etc. The major conclusion that I have arrived from the research activities in regard to the addressed problem is that the satisfaction level of the consumer of the Close-up toothpaste is the good and it (level of satisfaction) lies between very much satisfied and satisfied level of satisfaction.

5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS

The following recommendations can be drawn from the analysis and research findings, which could help UNILEVER to enhance the market share within the same industry and to hold their current potential to their target market. 1) The company can reduce the price of the Close-up toothpaste. A 70gm tube of Close-up toothpaste cost 32 Tk., whereas Colgate sells the same amount of toothpaste that cost 28 Tk. Though the quality level of Close-up is much better than that of the Colgate, but still the company should focus on their pricing strategy more carefully. Price reduction with the contrast of the other competing brand can help the company further to enhance and grab more market share through the consumer satisfaction. 2) The packaging strategy can be developed in such a way, which would focus more on the environmental factors and well-being of the society. Moreover, the packaging should be more smart and good-looking to attract the consumer. 3) The company needs to intensify its techniques and methods behind the advertising and promotional campaign for the Close-up toothpaste. It (company) can introduce different but innovative advertising methods to grab the market attractiveness in the industry. Budget behind advertising and promotional activities can be increased, so that the company can easily attract and hold its intended market in the long run. 4) The company can introduce varieties of flavor maintaining the same brand name. Different features can be added, which can satisfy the different and diversified needs of the consumers. 5) As we know that the consumers needs and wants are very much changing, the company should continuously improve the quality of the toothpaste with respect to the needs and wants of the consumer.

6) The labeling methods of the Close-up toothpaste should be more precise and reality-oriented. Labeling should mention the contents of the toothpaste and other necessary information regarding the product attributes and quality. 7) It is found that the concentration of the toothpaste varies significantly in different toothpaste. As a result, the image to the consumers regarding quality varies one to another. So the company should focus on maintaining unique concentration level in each and every tube of the Close-up toothpaste. 8) To get better competitive advantages the company can invite the consumers of Close-up to seat for a discussion session to generate ideas and also to know their satisfaction level from different perspective.

6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) Reymond V. Lesikar, Marey E. Flatley, Business Communication, Mc Graw Hill, 10th editition 2) Courtland L. Bove, John V. Thill, Barbara E. Schatzman, Busines Communication Today, Pearson Education, 7th edition 3) www. Unilver.com 4) www. Google. Com

7.0 APPENDICES
7.1 Appendix Questionnaire

Profile of the Respondent

QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondent: I am a student of BBA Program of .. of Business Administration, .. University. I am conducting a research on the level of customer satisfaction on Close-up toothpaste. Your cooperation will help me to fulfill my research. _____________________________________________________________________ Please put () mark on your choice _____________________________________________________________________ Age Sex Occupation 1) Do you use toothpaste? Yes No

2) If, yes, which of following brand you choose most of the time? Close-up Freshgel English White-Plus Colgate Other (please specify) ___________________

3) If you choose Close-Up, what are the factors you consider at the time of buying it? Price Convenience

 Quality

Availability

Others (please specify) _____________________ 4) If you do not prefer "close-up", what are the cause/s not to prefer it? Product Similarity Price Flavor Quality Availability Others (Please Specify) __________________

5) What are the features or attributes of Close-Up that you admire most? Economy Hygiene High Quality Fragrance

Others (please specify) _____________________ 6) What feature/s of the Close-Up makes you dissatisfied? Price-Quantity proportion Quality Flavor Overall getup

Others (please specify) _________________________ 7) ______________________ feature/s should be given up from the existing CloseUP. 8) Are you satisfied with the advertising campaign of the Close-Up toothpaste? Yes No

9) Do you find any sort of discrepancy between the advertising and the performance of Close-Up in reality? Yes No

10) If, Yes, please specify below. __________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ ___

11)

The bigger the size of the toothpaste, the higher the satisfaction it provides Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree

Please specify your view.

12) Are you satisfied with the ongoing performance of the Close-Up toothpaste? Extremely satisfied Satisfied Not satisfied at all 13) Do you have any suggestion, which may satisfy your need more effectively? Yes No Very much satisfied Less satisfied

14) If, Yes, please specify below ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION)