Table of Contents

Research Proposal.................................................................................................. 1
Statement of Problem......................................................................................... 1
Objectives........................................................................................................... 1
Need and Significance........................................................................................ 1
Limitations.......................................................................................................... 2
Conceptual Model............................................................................................... 3

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Research Proposal
Statement of Problem
Snapdeal is looking to expand its customer base. But in this era of competition where other
major e-commerce websites are also trying to capture the major share in the market, it is not
easy for Snapdeal to expand its customer base. Also with the concept of Digital India many ecommerce sites are using different communication channels to reach customers. Therefore it
is important for Snapdeal to measure the impact of Integrated Marketing Communication
(IMC) on Consumer Behaviour towards decision making.

Objectives
To study the impact of IMC on consumers decision making.
To rank different communication channels within IMC on the basis of their impact on
consumers decision making.
To segment the customer base on the basis of communication channel used by them.
To study the relationship between consumers decision making and their demography.

Need and Significance

In a competitive e-commerce environment, survival and development of the companies
involve the existence of accurate and detailed information about consumers, so the concept of
modern marketing highlights the need for having detailed and founded information about the
consumers decision making and their exposure to different communication channels.
Identifying the communication pathways which influence consumer behaviour is an essential
marketing communications activity, the ultimate goal being the creation of marketing
messages to reach target audiences through the most appropriate channels. Adopting the
approach according with IMC is not part of the marketing mix, but a holistic concept using
marketing mix elements to create and strengthen relationships with consumers and to send a
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unified message, this research aims to clarify some aspects of the mechanism of IMC
influence on consumer behaviour, reflected in the buying decision process.
This research will help the company to find out the communication channels most
extensively used by the customers, and the impact of different communication channels on
consumer decision making so that the company can identify communication channels to use.
Also it would help Snapdeal to allocate resources properly to various communication
channels. Further the study would help Snapdeal to segment the customers and then devise an
appropriate advertising strategy for them.

Limitations:
The study of consumer behaviour has some limitations that could deviate our results. These
limitations are explained as follows
1. It has been scientifically proved that 95% of thinking in human mind is happening
in unconscious mind so it is not possible for consumers to readily explain their
thinking and behaviour.
2. Consumers memories cannot accurately represent their experiences. Therefore it
is possible that consumers may not represent their experience of different
communication channels accurately.
3. The consumers decisions are derived by the motives and those motives can be
broadly categorised into manifest motives and latent motives. It is easy to study
manifest motives of customers but not easy to study the latent motives of
customers. Therefore it is not possible to study accurately the consumers decision
making.

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Conceptual Model
Block A
INTEGRATED
MARKETING
COMMUNICATION

Block B
CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR

Block C
CONSUMER
DECISION-MAKING
PROCESS

PERCEPTIO
N

Need
Information

PRODUC
T

INFORMATIO
N/
LEARNING

PRICE

ATTITUDE

DISTRIBUTIO
N

MOTIVATIO
N

Market
Research
Segmentati

MK
COMMUNICATIO
NS

ACTUAL
BEHAVIOU
R

Alternatives
Evaluation
Decision

Post-purchase
Evaluation

Integrated
Communication

- Positioning
- Objective
Communicatio
n axe

FEEDBAC
K

Integrated
Communication

Component
s
Correlation
Costs

FEEDBAC
K

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