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Institute of Management Technology, Dubai

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We are grateful to our Marketing Professor at IMT Dubai, Our Project Mentor and Guide, Dr.
Mohan Lal Agarwal for his continuous encouragement and support throughout the course of
the project. We are thankful to him for trusting our capabilities to handle the creative work
and for giving his valuable inputs to improve it even further. It was a pleasure and a true
learning experience working under his guidance and support.

 

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Titan is a brand which is well renowned especially among Indians. It is the world fifth largest
manufacturer of watches and has till date manufactured around 100 million watches. In 1991,
Titan set up a company called Titan International (ME) FZE in Dubai and this was also titan's
first step in its internationalisation journey in the Middle East Market. The decision was
based on market research and one simple indisputable fact that the region had a large Indian
population, for whom Titan was already an established and well-known brand. Company
have a wide distribution network, attractively designed retail outlets, efficient after-sales
service and focused advertising. The Target market segment that Titan focuses on in Middle
east is the Medium and High End watches as general population here have enough money to
spend and in case of watches which is a commodity which is purchased once in fortnights, a
middle class person would buy a watch which is stylish and not too expensive. The sole
distributor of Titan in the UAE is ETA (Electro mechanics).

Our group selected Titan watch as our topic because we feel that the perception that people
carry that it is not a global brand and that its competition in international market with brands
like swatch, fossil spirit etc. makes them the last choice. Our group tried to highlight
problems and challenges that Titan faces here in Dubai. In order for it to become a
international global brands it would have change it approach and come with innovative idea
to tap international market as the competition is really stiff.

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'  Introduction        4

2. Focus Industry- Watches 6

3. Benefits of Global Branding 7

4. Titan In UAE 7

5. Titan Marketing Strategy 7

6. Consumer Segment Challenges 9

7. Responses 9

8. Learning Outcome 9

9. Future Plans of Titan In UAE 11

10. References 12

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In the previous Report we commented on the role of Consumer Buying Process of Singles at
30 plus in UAE. As per the data collated by us of single men and women of 30 plus we were
able to analyse the consumer purchasing power. We found that the total UAE population of
males and females according to the recent statistics released by UAE government is that
single men 30+ are 35, 04,000 and single women 30+ are 15, 62,000 and the total population
of single at 30 plus in UAE is 50, 66,000.

 

 





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1. Singles at 30 plus are generally employed.

2. They live a Comfortable life
3. They are the sole decider for their own actions
4. They are having lot of money for themselves
5. They are having plenty of time for themselves




 



 


   




   

  

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The primary data was collected through surveys and random sampling methods. We had
taken data from 30 respondents which include 18 men and 12 women which included
nationalities like Europeans, Arabs, Philippines and Indian.

The second part of our presentation that is Response of Marketer operating in the middle east.
Our group focused on the issues faced by Titan watches as a global brand.

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Our group focused on consumer buying process in the first part of our presentation and in the
second part we are focusing on the marketer¶s perspective and its response in this part of the
world for the Indian brand Titan. As per the data collated by us we found that the average
Salary of 30 plus singles is 15000-22,000 AED. The average spending by 30 plus singles on
watches for luxury watches is 5000 ± 9000 AED. The average spending by 30 plus singles on
watches for Economical watches is 1500 - 4000 AED. Mostly consumers in UAE give
preference to high End Brands while doing shopping for watches.

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Titan Industries is the world¶s fifth largest and India's leading manufacturer of watches. The
company has manufactured more than a 100 million watches till date and has a customer base
of over 80 million. The umbrella brand Titan is one of India's leading watch brands that
brought about a paradigm shift in the Indian watch market, offering quartz technology with
international styling.

The brand Titan is committed to offering its consumers watches that represent the compass of
their imagination. Titan's customers are therefore consistently introduced to exciting new
collections, which connect, with various facets of their deepírooted yearnings for self-
expression. The new brand philosophy of Titan, encapsulated in the words "Be More",
touches this as well as all other aspects of the brand.

) * 
1. Consumer prefers recognised and global brands.

Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign,
symbol, or design, or combination of them). Singles at 30 plus in UAE engaged in branding
seek to develop or align the expectations behind the brand experience, creating the
impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or
characteristics that make it special or unique as global brands transcend their origins and
create strong enduring relationships with consumers across countries and cultures.

2. Consumers prefer a mix of Utility/Value & Fashion.

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The value of a product is the mental estimation a consumer makes of it. Value in marketing
can be defined by both qualitative and quantitative measures. On the qualitative side, value is
the perceived gain composed of individual's emotional, mental and physical condition plus
various social, economic, cultural and environmental factors. On the quantitative side, value
is the actual gain measured in terms of financial numbers, percentages, and dollars. A
consumer prefers to buy a product that is a blend of subtle, unique and portrays some style
statement.


  





In addition to taking advantage of the outstanding growth opportunities, the following drives
the increasing interest in taking brands global:

1. Economies of scale (production and distribution).

2. Lower marketing costs.
3. Laying the groundwork for future extensions worldwide.
4. Maintaining consistent brand imagery.
5. Quicker identification and integration of innovations (discovered worldwide).
6. Increasing international media reach (especially with the explosion of the Internet) is
an enabler.

+,-
1. In 1991, Titan set up a company called Titan International (ME) FZE in Dubai.
2. Titan's first step in its internationalisation journey was in the Middle East.
3. The decision was based on market research and one simple indisputable fact that the
region had a large Indian population, for whom Titan was already an established and
well-known brand.
4. With innovation and technology, Titan is carving for itself a sizeable niche in the
competitive West Asian markets.
5. Company have a wide distribution network, attractively designed retail outlets,
efficient after-sales service and focused advertising.
6. The Target market segment that Titan focuses on in Middle east is the Medium and
High End watches as general population here have enough money to spend and in
case of watches which is a commodity which is purchased once in fortnights, a middle
class person would buy a watch which is stylish and not too expensive.
7. The sole distributor of Titan in the UAE is ETA (Electro mechanics).
8. Exclusive outlets of Titan in UAE are located in Lulu Hypermarket, Mega Mall in
Sharjah, Time Square Mall, Lamcy Plaza and Deira city centre.







1. Titan selects advertising media strategically, in order to maximise its reach and
visibility.

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Advertising as we all know is basically a form of communication intended to persuade an
audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas,
or services. Titan uses advertising as a strategy especially in middle east to attract and expand
its customers. The UAE market is a potential market but because of its lack of recognition as
a global brand it faces huge setbacks. To cover these grey areas Titan uses strategy like
advertising.

2. Brand promotion is conducted year-round, through outdoor media, radio and TV.

To establish the positive brand image is essential and beneficial for Titan. It helps in
promoting the business of the company. This technique enables to retain the customers for
longer time. This is feasible by creating an everlasting and positive impression on the mind of
the customers. Therefore, brand building and promotion is vital for any organization and
especially for Titan where it has to create awareness among its customers for new products
and promotions.

3. Sales promotion initiatives such as dealer and consumer promotions are held
seasonally for greater mileage.

Sales promotion is an initiative undertaken by Titan to promote an increase in sales, usage or

trial of a product or service. Here are some of examples as how Titan used to do its sales
promotion.

' Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGOF)

2. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
3. New media
! Free gifts
 Discounted
# Vouchers and coupons
7. Competitions and prize draws
ð Cause-related and fair

.*
Here are few popular brands of Titan in UAE:

1. Titan Raga
2. Titan Nebula
3. Titan Edge
4. Titan heritage
5. Titan Orion
6. Titan WWF
7. Titan Octane

The Titan brand architecture comprises several collection and subíbrands, each of which is a
leader in its segment. Notable among them are: Titan Edge The world's slimmest watch
which stands for the philosophy of "less is more"; Titan Raga the feminine and sensuous

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accessory for today's woman, Nebula í crafted in solid 18k gold and precious stones. Several
other popular collections like Heritage, Aviator, Regalia, Octane & WWF also form a part of
the Titan wardrobe.

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1. Consumers do not perceive Titan as a global brand.
2. Brand switching/ lack of customer loyalty.
3. Existence of Gray market.
4. No expansion of Product line i.e. lack of production and development or creation of
watches by Titan which the market is demanding.
5. Lack of futuristic approach.
6. Main USP is low cost watches i.e. their focus is still capturing market with low
market value watches.



1. Enhanced Sales Promotion/ Advertisements ± Media Marketing.
2. Celebrity Endorsement ± Amir Khan.
3. Certificate and Warranty/Guarantee card available at Licensed Stores ± Value Added
Services
4. Added Wide range of new products in Luxury collection & high end products for the
niche markets.
5. Exchange offer/ ³Be more legend´ coming up in Dubai in 2011.




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1. Problem recognition
2. Information of services
3. Evaluation of alternatives
4. Purchase decision
5. Post purchase decision

This enables us to understand the buying process of the consumer towards a brand in this case
Titan, which is not a recognised brand in UAE. Following the process illustrated above it can
solve its issues and hopefully capture the market.




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The Rational Perspective of Consumer Behavior

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Consumers do not always think rationally because rational thinking is based on reasons or
facts and is hence much more calculating and realistic. All people are capable of thinking
rationally, but people will tend to cloud this ability because of emotions or prejudices.
Rational thinking refers to logical or reasoning being involved in the thought process. It
refers to providing reasons or rational behind thoughts or ideas. It adds an element of
calculation and planning to a steam of thoughts rather then basing them on emotion or
personal opinion

The evidence is due to:

1. Brand Switching

Consumer decision to purchase a different watch from that previously or usually purchased.
Brand switching can be instigated by price promotions, in-store displays, superior
availability, perceived improvements or innovations in competitive brands, desire for novelty,
number of available brands, perceived risk, frequency of purchase, changes in quality, or
level of satisfaction with the most recent purchase. These are the few reasons because of
which Titan does not have customer a base.

2. Variety Seeking

This describes a customer's desire to switch to alternative watch out of curiosity. Even if the
customer is very satisfied with the current watches s/he uses, the customer has the desire to
try other competitors' products and therefore switches to other brands.




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The Star Power is there which signifies what is beautiful Is Good also.

Halo effect:

The brand ambassador of Titan is Amir Khan. The star power attracts the customer to
purchase the product or at times help remembering the product via the actor. When we
consider Titan watches a good (or bad) in one category, we are likely to make a similar
evaluation in other categories. It is as if we cannot easily separate categories. It may also be
connected with dissonance avoidance, as making them good at one thing and bad at another
would make an overall evaluation (which we do anyway) difficult.




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Perception plays a very important role in consumer purchase behavior. As perception is the
process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information. So, we learnt what
one perceives is a result of interplays between past experiences of using the watches, and the
interpretation of the perceived.

The processes of perception routinely alter what Asians see. When people view Titan watches
with a preconceived concept about it, they tend to take those concepts and see them whether

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or not they are there. This problem stems from the fact that Asians are unable to understand
new information, without the inherent bias of their previous knowledge. A person¶s
knowledge creates his or her reality as much as the truth, because the human mind can only
contemplate that to which it has been exposed. When products (Titan watches) are viewed
without understanding, the mind will try to reach for something that it already recognizes, in
order to process what it is viewing. That which most closely relates to the unfamiliar from
our past experiences, makes up what we see when we look at things that we don¶t
comprehend.




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The Purchase Process:

The purchase process usually starts with a Demand or requirements. This could be for a
physical part (inventory) or a service. A requisition is generated, which details the
requirements which actions the procurement department. A Request for Proposal (RFP) or
Request for Quotation (RFQ) is then raised. Suppliers send their quotations in response to the
RFQ, and a review is undertaken where the best offer (typically based on price, availability
and quality) is given the purchase order. Accordingly there are different types of shoppers as
follows:

1. Fully Planned shoppers

2. Partially Planned shoppers
3. Unplanned shoppers
4. Compulsive shoppers



 




1. Titan¶s future growth plans comprises of:
1.1 Increasing market shares through geographical diversification.
1.2 Improving sales through change in product mix.

2. In the domestic market it has plans to expand its portfolio of Licensed brands &
Accessories.



 

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1. http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Marketing/MKTG110.htm
2. http://www.titan.co.in/business-divisions/time-products-division/titan
3. http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/company-news/titan-
industries/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=31748
4. http://yp.theemiratesnetwork.com/biz/United_Arab_Emirates/Sharjah/Titan_24997.ht
ml
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