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industrial markets transformed from monopolies to oligopolies and further
to competitive markets, the need for research based consultancy services
in these markets was demanded of IMRB, who developed the appropriate resources
in each of its offices to meet the growing and changing needs of the business to business marketer.
Thus, the Business & Industrial Research Division (BIRD) was formed. BIRD is a specialist division that focuses on research based industrial and business consultancy. Over the years, BIRD has had the opportunity to service clients drawn from a variety of industries and sectors.
BIRD
offers business to business marketers the entire gamut of research based consultancy
services from project identification, market study and demand estimation
to pre-feasibility and techno-economic feasibility studies, studies on
entry strategy, brand share monitoring, performance monitoring & assessment
of customer opinion.
BIRD's Areas of Expertise BIRD's primary strengths lie in the adaptation of scientific, time-tested, statistically reliable marketing research techniques and methods to a wide a variety of industrial and business to business marketing situations. A review of BIRD's experience is presented below by the key sectors of specialisation.
Over a decade of research experience in telecommunication, office automation, information technology and the convergence of these technologies has given the eTechnology Group of IMRB, knowledge and experience in a wide spectrum of hardware, software and services some of which are highlighted below : Hardware The ITOPS series of syndicated reports on the hardware market is in its third consecutive year of successful service to the industry. Originally an annual exercise, since 98-99 the exercise is being conducted on a bi-annual basis and covers PCs, Printers and UPS systems as well as in the emerging digital era, photocopiers, fax machines and multi purpose devices. Subscribed to by MAIT, the apex body of IT hardware companies, as well as by the leading hardware vendors, Itops has been recognised as a powerful resource planning tool for addressing existing as well as emerging markets.
In addition to detailed product and brand wise analyses in ITOPs reports, generic level reporting is available in annual track reports the latest of which titled IT-3YT tracks the annual market for all IT hardware from 1996-97 thru' 1998-99.
The eTechnology group has also been involved in studies on emerging telecommunication products and services such as V-SATs, Satellite Technology, cellular, pager, Two way radio & basic telephony. A recognition of our experience and competence in the telecommunication sector is our appointment by the Department of Telecommunications to conduct the Quality of Telephone Service (QOTS) appraisal of 75 telecom circles of India every six months a year. Thirteen such rounds of appraisal have been conducted by us so far.
Software IMRB's eTechnology group has undertaken some pioneering work in the software area, significant of which is an assessment of the potential for Indian language software for both commercial and developmental applications. Other studies include assessment of the size and share of office suites and branded software.
Sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Forum for Global Information Infrastructure Commission (GIIC), IMRB's eTechnology Group conducted the first ever exercise of its kind on the market for e-Commerce in both Business to Business and Business to Consumer applications. Presented at an international conference on e-Commerce the study revealed the barriers & facilitators impinging development of the market.
Another first with the eTechnology Group has been a study on Y2K compliance among small to medium business enterprises and corporates. Conducted for the Department of Electronics (DoE) the study aims to assess the extent of effort made by this segment of the industry in equipping themselves to face the impact of the millennium bug, if any.
This is another area of significant focus for BIRD, and several pioneering studies have been undertaken in these sectors. Most recently, with the emergence of LNG as an alternative fuel to Naptha for the fertilisers & power sector, BIRD has conducted several studies on the market potential for import & distribution of LNG from various ports of the country. These studies have included, inter alia, due dilligence on the potential buyer for LNG in order that the decision to set up import & de-gassification facilities is based on sound long term potential. In HSD, BIRD has been involved with the Oil Coordination Committee on a three year study to accurately estimate the sectoral demand for HSD. BIRD has also conducted several studies on LPG, LSHS, Lubes, SKO, MS, FO, LDO, Bitumen, and several other petroleum products for all the leading oil companies.
The auto component market has been a sector with concerted effort by BIRD. Most studies have involved understanding the after market for issues such as market size, brand share, brand coverage, buying behaviour, spurious market etc. Products studied include brakes, air-conditioners, glass, among others.
BIRD has been actively involved in the metals sector with studies ranging from performance evaluation of plants to fine tuning the product mix, new concepts such as steel service centres, etc. A prestigious assignment conducted on an annual basis for the Ministry of Steel is on evaluation of the performance of various steel plants on several parameters that lead to award of the Prime Minister Trophy to the best performing integrated steel plant. BIRD has also undertaken studies on coil coated steel, aluminium alloys, copper tubes etc.
Prominent among the studies undertaken on infrastructures are assessment of port facilities and potential for the same, as well as, transport infrastructure in the era of new technology where satellite based tracking systems are used to monitor goods transport.
Two distinct kinds of studies have been undertaken in this sector. One involves studying the potential for new building material assessing its acceptance for a variety of construction applications and estimating the potential market for these products. Another distinct area of expertise has been in the newly emerging software technology parks and hi-tech commercial centres. The areas of enquiry in such studies has included product development based on ascertaining the specific needs of knowledge based industries who are the target for such complexes.
Studies undertaken include brand tracking for Courier Service companies, institutional financing, freight movement and container movement by rail and road, hotel resorts/chains, professional educational institutes.
BIRD has pioneered studies on industrial buying behaviour and positioning for products such as diesel engines and earthmoving equipment. Market survey and potential studies have been undertaken on a variety of engineering products & services.
BIRD - An Indicative Client List
Contact
Mr. Bhupendra Mathur
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The
quality of work undertaken by BIRD has received recognition in several
forms both within India as well as overseas. BIRD has been honoured with
the unique privilege of being the only specialist Industrial MR group to
be invited to present a paper by the world's highest MR body, The European
Society for Opinion & Marketing Research (ESOMAR), at a seminar on
Business to Business Marketing in Vienna, Austria in April 1997, BIRD presented
a paper on market research techniques for Business to Business Marketing
in India and the Asian region, the only Asian paper presented at this prestigious
conference.
: Assessing what does the Channel Think of me
: Estimating the extent of Brand Push executed by the Channel Member