SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT ON MARKETING STRATEGIES OF

SUMMER TRAINING PROJECT REPORT ON “MARKETING STRATEGIES OF AJMAL INTERNATIONAL, OMAN” SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN INTEGRAL UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW Under the guidance of : Submitted By: Ms. Aisha Badruddin Mohammed Shadab (Assistant Professor) BBA-3 rd year Roll No: 1501029053 Session : 2017 -18 Department of Commerce and Business Management Integral University, Lucknow

Introduction Ajmal perfumes, a family-owned fragrance house based in Dubai, is a brand whose name means “most beautiful” in Arabic. With nearly 60 years of heritage and expertise in the fragrance industry , Ajmal has established a formidable presence in the world and became synonymous with captivating perfumes & beauty products, as well as high quality traditional Arabic and oriental fragrance products for the body & home. The art of perfumery is an ancient one, born out of human desire to create a good feeling and pleasant environment. Perfumes are an epitome of refinement, a pleasing personality, and have significant impacts on the body and mind. They also have a special place in the Islamic and Arab heritage. Today, Ajmal Perfumes is regarded as a Top 40 Arab Brand with its presence in the MENA markets (Forbes Arabia. )

History In 1950 Ajmal Ali leaves his homeland in North-eastern India to travel to India’s commercial capital, Bombay and turns as a supplier of Agarwood and Dahn Al Oudh, sourced from his state of Assam. In 1951 Ajmal Ali starts blending various kinds of fragrant oils, becomes manufacturer of fragrances and emerges as the premium supplier of fragrances to Middle East. In 1964 Ajmal gives his family name to the product range. In 1976 Ajmal Ali moves the company’s operations to the Middle East and opens the first Ajmal outlet in Dubai, where he opened the first Ajmal outlet and launched its first fragrance, “Mukhallat. ” In 1979 Ajmal launches massive afforestation programme in its Agarwood plantations in Assam. Currently 1 million trees have been adopted under this programme, which will benefit the industry by maintaining a consistent supply of high quality Oudh over the coming years. In 1987 Ajmal becomes the first perfume company to bring the magical notes of Dahn-Al-Oudh to a wider, global audience by launching it as an Eau De Parfum. In 1991 Ajmal opens first exclusive showroom in Kuwait. In 1992 Ajmal opens first exclusive showroom in Oman.

In 1993 Ajmal introduces its product on Kuwait Airways. In 1994 Ajmal launches “Sarah” as first branded Mukhallat. Sarah goes on to become one of the largest selling fragrances ever in the Middle East. In 1995 Ajmal opens its first outlet in Saudi Arabia. In 1996 Ajmal opens first exclusive showroom in Bahrain. In 1997 Ajmal launches Daanat al Duniya, which emerges as one of the best selling fragrances in the region. In 1998 Ajmal creates exclusive fragrances for Gulf Air. In 2001 Ajmal Perfumes celebrates its 50 th Anniversary and launches a commemorative fragrance, Ajmal by Ajmal. In 2004 Ajmal inaugurates its second state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Dubai. The inauguration was done by H. H. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, In 2007 Ajmal opens in Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates, and its company owned exclusive 100 th outlet in the Middle East. In 2009 Ajmal launches its new design direction with the revamp of Bur Juman store. This redesigned unit reiterates the Crafting Memories philosophy in a visual manner. In 2010 Ajmal now available on board Emirates Airlines. In 2013 Ajmal young perfumer talent hunt (AYPTH)-World’s first perfumery talent hunt contest held in Dubai, UAE. IN 2014 Ajmal young prosumer initiative (AYPI)-World’s first prosumer concept in the perfumery category done on digital platform across GCC.

Organizational chart Amiruddin Ajmal (CEO of Ajmal Perfumes) Isam Aqsul (General Manager) Shafaat Mohsin (Branch manager) Mohammed Shadab (Intern)

Price The price of Ajmal Perfumes varies when we talk about all the products being offered in the market. The most expensive product is Ajmal Dream Merchant Fresh Edp 90 Ml priced at Rupees 9, 899. Contrary to this, the lowest priced product is Ajmal Expedition Deodorant for Men 150 ml available at Rupees. 166. This variation in prices gives online shoppers a range of affordable to premium products to choose from. The online prices are valid across all major cities for online purchases.

Place Ajmal perfumes already active in the travel retail channel in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. Ajmal has 129 outlets at the moment. On the other side of the business its expansion has taken place through exports. Ajmal Perfumes has been developing several exclusive fragrances for the duty free channel. The brand already has a presence in Singapore and has expanded to Malaysia and Indonesia.

Product Offer a basic product/service. Offer value added services. Keeping good Customer relations even after sales.

Promotion Ajmal’s mobile VAN promotion Launching new products during religious festivals. Giving discounts on bulk purchase. Giving complimentary tissue box, pen, wall clock etc. Advertisements in flight magazines and on billboards Promoting using Social media sites such as Facebook, Youtube etc.

SWOT analysis STRENGTHS Cost advantage Current leaders in quality service Largest distribution network Ability to constantly innovate Highly skilled workforce Entrepreneurial zeal Ajmal’s increased equity and market capital. WEAKNESSES Price pressures Need for Government support More Awareness Sales and Marketing

OPPORTUNITIES To sustain passion and commitment Ajmal’s market share increasing at other Oudh providers. Thus opportunity to wipe it out. Attain higher value services Collaborative business needs to be explored Vertical repeatable solutions. Low penetration level in rural markets. THREATS Foreign investment Global trends moving from Oudh to Perfumes. Other competition

Mission and Vision We exist to enrich our customer’s lifestyle through: Encouraging creativity, innovation & continual improvement Adopting practices that are ethical and socially as well as environmentally responsible Attracting and retaining the best talent Meaningful relationships with employees & associates, built on & respect Our Vision: To be globally recognized Brand.

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILIES Ajmal is a humane organization and has undertaken numerous Social welfare projects for ethnic and tribal communities around the Hojai area of Assam. Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Public Trust was set up to give free medical treatment to poor needy patients. The Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Hospital and Research Center is a sophisticated hospital with 125 beds – (Which will finally be 350 beds hospital – one of the largest rural hospitals in South East Asia). Inaugurated in 1995 by Late Reverend Mother Teresa, at a ceremony attended by the Chief Minister of Assam, The Governors of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and by the late Shri. Rajesh Pilot, then Honorable Union Minister of Environment at that time; it offers free treatment to the poor.

HEALTH CARE At its heart Ajmal is driven by a humanitarian and benevolent spirit. This commitment has seen the establishment and elevation of medical welfare through the HAMM Public Trust. Operating two medical establishments - the Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Charitable Dispensary and the Haji Abdul Majid Memorial Hospital. EDUCATION To boost the level of literacy in the country, AJMAL established Markazul Ma'arif that runs a group of schools under the name of Markaz Academy. Another center of education is the Markazul Ma-arif Education and Research Centre (MMERC), which was established in Delhi and subsequently moved to Mumbai in 2000. The center aims at providing basic education to the needy. ORPHANAGE The Markazul Ma'arif manages the Markaz Darul Yatama Goalpara - an orphanage in Assam, which houses over 1200 orphans and destitute children. The Trust provides them with basic amenities like food, clothing and shelter, free of cost.

OUDH OILS GRADINGS Oudh oils are graded into AAA, A. AAA is the purest of blends, high quality and priced highly. [One tola could go as high as OMR 600 (Rupees 1, 00, 000) or more]. Oudh oils could be as old as 30 years or more. The lasting effect may not necessarily be for days, the smells are the criteria. AA is pure oils of good quality, and are generally five years old [one tola could be in the range of OMR 200 to OMR 300 (Could last for up to 10 hours or more)]. A is usually the freshest blend of oils, and are usually cheaper than AAA or AA. (One tola is sold in the range of OMR 30 to OMR 100. (Could last for six hours or more). All other quality of oils branded as Oudh are just cheap imitations.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To understand the importance and development of Perfume industry in today’s scenario. To understand the various Marketing Strategies which Ajmal has adopted to survive in highly competitive industry. To understand analyze the Major Competitors in Gulf Perfume service.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The methodology adopted for this project is descriptive in nature since there is no hypothesis that has to be tested. The conclusions have been drawn by descriptive research work. There have been two sources of information collected: 1)Primary Sources Using Questionnaire method. 2)Secondary Sources Amount of data has been collected from Internet and particularly the companies own website.

Sampling Technique The sampling technique used by is CONVIENENCE sampling. The sample size was aged between customers and retailers of 20 -35 years. The sample area which was covered was from Nadi Dhofar till Waali Office.

STRATEGIES Product Introduction Growth Maturity Offer a basic Offer value added Increase in number product/service. services. of value added services. Price Distribution Advertising Sales Promotion Charge cost- plus. Price to penetrate Price to match or market. best competitors. Build selective Build Intensive Build more intensive distribution. Build product Build awareness and Stress brand awareness among interest in the mass differences and early adopters. market. benefits. Use heavy sales Increase to build and Increase to promotion to entice maintain encourage brand- people to subscribe. relationships. switching.

Data Analysis Questionnaire Method Question-Which among the following is potentially one of the most exciting Oudh providers in the world? Analysis(%) Ajmal 80 Rasasi 9 Swiss Arabian 9 Junaid Perfumes 2 Analysis Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid Perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above Ajmal is 80% the Oudh providers, whereas Rasasi and Swiss Arabian are at 9% and Junaid Perfumes at 2%.

Question-Do you find that the government’s policy has the most radical impact on the development of Oudh providers? Analysis(%) Ajmal 75 Rasasi 11 Swiss Arabian 8 Junaid Perfumes 6 Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid Perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above Ajmal has 75% radical impact on the development of Oudh providers from government's policy, whereas Rasasi has 11%, Swiss Arabian is at 8% and Junaid Perfumes is at 6%.

Question-Do you believe that one of the challenges faced by Oudh users in Oman is because of the diversity in the regions? Analysis(%) Ajmal 50 Rasasi 17 Swiss Arabian 17 Junaid perfumes 16 Analysis Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above 50% people belief that one of the challenges faced by Oudh users in Oman is because of the diversity in the regions, whereas interestingly another 17% of them admit for Rasasi and Swiss Arabian and 16% for Junaid perfumes.

Question- To what extent, do you find that providing Oudh is very complex in standard? Analysis(%) Ajmal 60 Rasasi 14 Swiss Arabian 13 Junaid Perfumes 13 Analysis Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid Perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above 60% people find only to some extent that Oudh is very complex in standard, whereas the other 14% people find the complexity for Rasasi and 13% for Swiss Arabian and Junaid Perfumes.

Question: Do you believe that Oudh providers come close to fulfilling the essentials of fragrance? Analysis(%) Ajmal 75 Rasasi 11 Swiss Arabian 7 Junaid Perfumes 7 Analysis Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above 75% people are of the belief that Oudh providers comes close to fulfilling the essentials of fragrance in Ajmal, whereas 11% believe in Rasasi and 7% in Swiss Arabian and Junaid perfumes.

Question- Which among the following provide the Oudh oils which are of grade AAA, A in Oudh industry? Analysis(%) Ajmal 75 Rasasi 9 Swiss Arabian 8 Junaid Perfumes 8 Ajmal Rasasi Swiss Arabian Junaid Perfumes Interpretation: As according to the data given above 75% people find that Ajmal provides all grades of Oudh oils, whereas the other 9% admit for Rasasi and 8% for Swiss Arabian and Junaid Perfumes.

FINDINGS As according to the data given above Ajmal is 80% the Oudh providers, whereas Rasasi and Swiss Arabian are at 9% and Junaid Perfumes at 2%. As according to the data given above Ajmal has 75% radical impact on the development of Oudh providers from government's policy, whereas Rasasi has 11%, Swiss Arabian is at 8% and Junaid Perfumes is at 6%. As according to the data given above 50% people belief that one of the challenges faced by Oudh users in Oman is because of the diversity in the regions, whereas interestingly another 17% of them admit for

As according to the data given above 60% people find only to some extent that Oudh is very complex in standard, whereas the other 14% people find the complexity for Rasasi and 13% for Swiss Arabian and Junaid Perfumes. As according to the data given above 75% people are of the belief that Oudh providers comes close to fulfilling the essentials of fragrance in Ajmal, whereas 11% believe in Rasasi and 7% in Swiss Arabian and Junaid perfumes. As according to the data given above 75% people find that Ajmal provides all grades of Oudh oils, whereas the other 9% admit for Rasasi and 8% for Swiss Arabian and Junaid Perfumes.

CONCLUSION From the details gathered I can conclude that 70% Ajmal users preferred to remain with Ajmal. Also good number of users who were willing to switch from their respective perfume brands showed interest in Ajmal. Hence, these statistics imply a bright future for the company. Also the company is now providing more services like the door to door services which is you order online and say like to send some fragrance the Ajmal Company delivers those fragrance to the person concerned. Also Ajmal is providing free service and free complimentary.

REFERENCES Robert G. Winch. Oudh History. Mc. Graw-Hill New York, 1993. Bernard J. T. Mallinder. Specification Methodology Applied to the Oudh industry. In EUROCON 88, June 2005. Moe Rahnema. Overview of the Oudh providers and Protocol Architecture. IEEE Magazine. April 1993. Seshadri Mohan and Ravi Jain. Two User Location Strategies for Personal fragrance Services. IEEE Personal Communications. 1(1). Rasasi Ajmal Swiss Arabian Junaid Perfumes

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