Group No. 4: Abhishek Gupta (66)Meeta Dandekar (80) Meera V S (96) Amol Panditrao (100)Manasi Vora (124)Swati Yedekar (126)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A journey is easier when you travel together. Interdependence is certainly more

valuable than independence. This report on Market Research Pepper Spray Product

Launch is the result of work whereby we have been accompanied and supported by many

people. It is a pleasant aspect that we have now the opportunity to express our gratitude for

all of them for their valuable guidance, for devoting their precious time, sharing their

knowledge and their co-operation throughout the course of development of our project idea

and the academic years of education.

With immense pleasure we express our sincere gratitude, regards and thanks to our

project guides Prof. Atanu Adhikari for their excellent guidance, invaluable suggestions and

continuous encouragement at all the stages of our project work. We would also like to thank

the participants of Focus Group Discussions and interviews.

Group No. 4: Abhishek Gupta (66)Meeta Dandekar (80) Meera V S (96) Amol Panditrao (100)Manasi Vora (124)Swati Yedekar (126)

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CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................................3

About the Product................................................................................................................................................4

Existing Product Variants.....................................................................................................................................4

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE.......................................................................................................................................5

RESEARCH QUESTIONS......................................................................................................................................5

LITERATURE REVIEW.........................................................................................................................................5

METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................................8

Sampling..............................................................................................................................................................8

Measurement and scaling.....................................................................................................................................8

Qualitative Methods (FGD).................................................................................................................................9

Quantitative Methods.........................................................................................................................................10

DATA PREPARATION AND CLEANING.........................................................................................................10

Coding................................................................................................................................................................10

Data Cleaning.....................................................................................................................................................11

Importing data in SPSS......................................................................................................................................11

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................................11

Demographic Analysis of Respondents.............................................................................................................11

Purchasing Behavior of Respondents.................................................................................................................12

Product Feature Preferrence...............................................................................................................................14

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USING SPSS...........................................................................................................15

Analysis 1: Willingness to purchase is affected by level of safety perceived by women..................................15

Analysis 2: Effect of various product features on willingness to purchase pepper spray for a women............16

Analysis 3: Perceived safety levels is not affected by location of the customer................................................17

Analysis 4: Aesthetic appeal of Pepper Spray has no effect on willingness to purchase for women................18

Factor Analysis...................................................................................................................................................18

Analysis 5: What factors are deterrent to purchase of Pepper Spray product?..................................................20

Analysis 6: Price that customers are willing to pay is not affected by their income levels...............................20

DISCUSSION........................................................................................................................................................21

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY.........................................................................................................................23

FUTURE RESEARCH..........................................................................................................................................23

WORKS CITED.....................................................................................................................................................24

APPENDIX............................................................................................................................................................25

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ABSTRACT

The project aims at conducting a market research for pepper spray products, to study the

feasibility of launching a self-defence pepper spray product for women in India. This project

seeks to analyse the consumer perception and explore the need and demand for the product in

the Indian market. Using secondary and primary resources, we intent to identify various

design features, product pricing and distribution channels that need to be considered before

the launch of the new product. In this study, Descriptive and Statistical Analysis are used for

detailed market research to launch the Pepper Spray product profitably.

Keywords: Pepper Spray, Consumer Perception, Safety for women, Market Research

INTRODUCTION

The recent statistics for crime against women in India shows a high incidence rate of

2,13,585 crimes (both under IPC and SLL) in 2010 with an increase of 4.8% from 2009. The

crime rates have continuously increased during the past 5 years (National Crime Records

Bureau, 2010). Every 26 minutes a woman is molested, every 34 minutes a rape takes place,

and every 43 minutes a woman is kidnapped, according to the report commissioned by the

United Nations International Drug Control Program, South Asia and the Ministry of Social

Justice and Empowerment - Government of India (Crime, Dec 2002).

With an inefficient enforcement system, self-defence against crime has become the need of

the hour. There is a large gap in the awareness for self-defence techniques and availability of

these equipments in the consumer market. In international markets, we find extensive use of

pepper sprays, tazers, stun guns for self-defence. The Fifth Annual Marketing and Public

Policy Conference in Atlanta, sponsored by the AMA's Journal of Public Policy & Marketing

and Georgia State University in US shows that more women are buying guns and more gun

companies are targeting weapons to women. However, due to various legal and economic

constraints, these products are not freely available in India.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin

Capsicum") and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent (a

chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain,

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and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-

defense, including defense against dogs and bears. Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to

close, taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain

subjects and permits persons using pepper spray for self-defense an opportunity to escape.

The usage of pepper spray as a self-defense mechanism differs across countries/ states with

restrictions like -

In India, pepper spray is legal and does not require any licence, but they are sold via

government-approved companies after performing background verification. Under the

'ARMS" act, license is required only for "Fire Arms" (containing gun powder & explosive

ingredients), hence no license is required for pepper spray brands. Also under the law, self-

defense is permitted. However in countries like Philippines, the use of pepper spray for self-

defense is legal, and it is freely available in stores.

EXISTING PRODUCT VARIANTS

Presently, the use of pepper spray products is

highly underdeveloped. There are only two major

brands in the Indian market, viz. Cobra and Hawk,

which are sold only through government

authorized vendors and online websites. The

potential of misuse of this product is high. That's

one reason why the sale is restricted. Buyers will have to give proof of identity and

residential proof. For instance, Cobra has also devised a color dye, where each spray has its

individual color code. This will help us track down those who misuse the product.

Cobra Hawk

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Need for a license (Eg. Massachusetts)

Use made illegal (Eg. Italy, UK)

Allowed only for law enforcement (Eg. Canada, Brazil)

Design Indian make American Design, International make

Reach 6 feet 10 feet

Ingredient Aerosol spray with O.C 2% black pepper

Container capacity 35 gms, 55 ml 35 gms in weight, 6cm length

Price Rs 499 - 599 Rs 349

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Feasibility study for launching self-defence pepper spray product for women in India

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

a. Research on consumer perception about the product and its use

b. Identification of various design features expected from the product

LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature review focuses on two issues-

Need and effectiveness of self-defense techniques, pepper spray in particular

Effective product marketing techniques

Does equipping women with self-defense training/ techniques reduce violence against them?

Does it increase the perceived sense of safety among women? Jocelyn A. Hollander

(Hollander, ''I Can Take Care of Myself'' : The Impact of Self-Defense Training on Women's

Lives, 2004) undertakes longitudinal study of self-defense training to find out the impact of

self-defense training on women’s everyday lives and whether it positively affects women’s

lives. The study suggests that apart from the direct application of self-defense techniques in

situations of violence, self-defense training among women reduces their risk of assault by

changing their sense of self, their beliefs about women, and their interactions with the world

around them. Self-defense training makes women assertive which may deter a potential

attack. Similarly, it reduces their anxiety regarding an attack, thus making them more

confident and competent to use self-defense if the situation arises. Such trainings also enforce

among women their right to defend themselves, like their right to take up physical space and

their right to move through public space without restriction, which increases their motivation

to protect themselves from violence. The research thus brings out the positive impact of self-

defense training on women’s lives.

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However, what leads women to actually adopt these self-defense techniques? Does mere

knowledge of the positive impacts on their lives materialize into adoption of self-defense

techniques by women? Jocelyn A. Hollander finds out the reasons behind enrollment of

women in self-defense classes in her research (Hollander, Why Do Women Take Self-

Defense Classes?, 2010). She examines whether women enroll in self-defense classes

because of past experiences of violence. She concludes that past assault is not a major

motivation for most women to enroll in self-defense training. Women enroll for these classes

because they have heard about the positive effects of these through word-of-mouth publicity

by their colleagues. Other motivators include a vision of more assertive, confident and

capable possible selves and the fear of violence, often transmitted through second-hand

experiences and stories. The research further shows that women are interested in learning

self-defense, however, logistical issues such as time, expense, and the availability of classes

act as barriers to their enrolment. The research thus shows the importance of word-of-mouth

promotion in encouraging women to learn self-defence techniques. Similarly, the barriers to

enrolling in self-defence classes show the scope for self-defence products like pepper spray.

We also need to study the effectiveness of pepper spray as a self-defence technique and

whether its usage results in any health hazards. Lethal effects of pepper spray usage may

deter women from using them on suspected attackers. It may also lead governments to

eventually ban the usage of pepper spray or limit its usage to only law enforcement agencies.

Research by National Institute of Justice, U.S., (National Institute of Justice, 2003) examines

the effectiveness and safety of pepper spray usage. It assesses whether the introduction of

pepper spray has reduced the number of injuries to police officers from assaults. The study

shows that the number of injuries to police officers declined after pepper spray was

introduced and concludes that pepper spray is a reasonably safe and an effective less-than-

lethal weapon.

Research by Marita Broadstock (Broadstock, 2002), evaluates the evidence for adverse

effects of pepper spray used in ways comparable to their application by police officers or

mental health service personnel to acutely subdue a disturbed person. The research also

identifies situations or populations related with increased risk. The study indicates that

constituents of pepper sprays differ in terms of carrier solvents, propellants as well as

capsacinoid strength, and this affects the effectiveness and safety profile of the pepper sprays

differently. Misuse/ abuse of pepper spray like discharges close to the face and repeated

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exposures may increase the chance of adverse events, such as corneal abrasions. Ineffective

use may lead to repeated doses of the spray which could increase the possibility of adverse

effects on some groups of individuals less affected by pepper spray, such as the mentally ill,

intoxicated or drugged. The study thus explores the safety and health concerns of pepper

spray products.

We need to gauge the potential consumer behaviour and marketing methods that can be

utilised for an innovative product like pepper spray in the Indian market. Cheng-Hsun Ho and

Wenchieh Wu (Cheng-Hsun Ho, 2011) state that there are two key factors that govern

consumers’ adoption of innovative products: 1) Perceived product attributes & 2) Consumer

traits. The article discusses the effect of consumer innovativeness on the relationship between

the new product attributes and consumers’ intentions to adopt new products. The article tests

the following hypothesis: 1) Consumers are likely to buy products which are perceived to be

more advantageous than its predecessors 2) The compatibility of the new product affects the

buying behaviour while complexity of the new product negatively affects consumers’

intention of buying the product 3) Trial ability and observability of the product has positive

effects 4) People with risk-seeking personality traits are the one who are more likely to adopt

innovations. The study shows that among the various attributes of new products, complexity

significantly and negatively affects adoption intentions, whereas the other attributes were

positively but insignificantly related to adoption intention. It partially supports the effect of

consumer innovativeness on intention of adopting new products.

Do customers evolve to a different channel choice process over time? If so, how many

customers evolve? How can we characterize the decision process of customers who evolve?

What are the managerial implications for channel management? Sara Valentini, Elisa

Montaguti, & Scott A. Neslin (Sara Valentini, 2011) have studied these hypothesis in detail.

The study results suggest that customers’ decision processes evolve during decision processes

and customers who change do so from a decision process in which they are highly responsive

to marketing to one in which they are less responsive. The authors have illustrated and

discussed the implications for both managers and researchers.

Word of mouth is one of the most effective means of diffusion of information about products

like pepper spray. The study done by Jonah Berger and eric M. Schwartz (Schwartz, 2011)

analyzes how the word of mouth affects dissemination of information and sales but why are

certain products talked about more than others. Overall the findings shed light on

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psychological drivers of word-of-mouth (WOM) and provide insights into designing more

effective WOM campaigns. The study shows that more interesting products get more

immediate WOM but they lack ongoing WOM. Products that are more publicly visible

receive more WOM both immediate as well as over time.

Traditional marketing methodologies are losing ground while online marketing is gaining

importance. For a product like pepper spray this channel can be of strategic importance.

Zhang Wei-nian in his article (Wei-nian, 2007) studies online marketing theory, according to

its relevance and features based on the analyses of direct-response marketing, relationship

marketing, online marketing, merging marketing and database marketing. The study shows

that online marketing concepts and strategies are developing rapidly and it will become the

main stream marketing mode in the near future.

METHODOLOGY

For conducting our study, the following methodology was used by the group –

SAMPLING

Since the pepper spray product mainly caters to the needs of women for security reasons, the

population of the study is females in the age group of 16-45 years in India. For collecting the

sample, a convenience sampling method had been used, owing to the limitation of time. An

online survey was designed so that the subjects in the sample can spend minimal time in

filling the information. Filled questionnaires were received from 85 surveyed subjects;

however, after the data cleaning process for the missing data, further analysis has been based

on a sample of 75 applicants.

MEASUREMENT AND SCALING

The following attributes were considered for measurement and scaling: Age, family income,

working or non-working, living in metro cities, marital status, and awareness of the product,

purchase intention, perceived safety levels in the city, past purchase, design features and

characteristics of product affecting purchase decision. Although the population study includes

women living in India, only women from metro cities and tier-I cities were considered in the

study, which is the intended target market for the launch of the product at the outset. Since

the product is slightly expensive and falls under choice-product category, women with a

family income of more than Rs.3 lakhs per annum has been included in the study. The

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attributes for the study were based on 3 types of scale – nominal, interval and ratio scales. For

the scaling process, only balanced and likert scales were used.

QUALITATIVE METHODS (FGD)

The group used two qualitative methods for identifying and understanding the qualitative

aspects to be studied as well as parameters required for quantitative analysis. First method

utilized for the research was interview method, conducted by researcher and three

respondents who were aware about pepper sprays and had used the product in the past. The

group received information about the product, features and its use by actual users which

provided insights for making the questionnaire. The second method that was utilized was a

focus group discussion to gauge the need and demand of pepper spray product and identify

the desired features for product and distribution channel. There were 7 female students at

IIMK as participants, from metropolitan and Tier-I cities, between the age group of 21- 25

years. The questions were structured broadly into 6 categories based on literature review and

interview learnings-

o Perceived safety in the city

o Awareness about pepper spray products

o Level of security perceived with the spray

o Usage concerns of the product

o Expected product features

o Need for training for usage

The key findings of the focus discussion were:

o There was a perception of a feeling of greater safety after buying the product

o Size of the product, Portability, Firing Range, Ease of Use, Aesthetic Appeal

and Price were the top 6 features participants considered significant while

purchasing the product

o There was a general consensus amidst the participants regarding the need for

training for using the product

o Word of mouth emerged as the most effective way of communication

considering the nature of the product

o The maximum firing range was 5 ft

o “If it is greater than 5 feet, you might as well run”

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o The pricing of the product should be less than Rs. 500

QUANTITATIVE METHODS

For collection of data for the exploratory study, a questionnaire survey was conducted to

understand the opinions of the respondents. The questionnaire was designed by incorporating

findings and hypothesis through a thorough literature review and focus group discussion

undertaken by the group. Before the survey was floated for collection of responses, trial

surveys were filled by 5 respondents, followed by an in-depth discussion about the survey.

The group was able to identified gaps in framing the questions, intention of the answer

options, and overall flow of the questions. Based on this feedback, changes were made in the

questionnaire. Following which, an online survey was designed so that the responses from

people based in metro and tier 1 cities can be considered within minimal time. Since many

respondents may not be aware of the pepper spray products, a brief introduction with images

and information website links were given at the start of the survey. Most answer options

were devised on likert scale to understand degree of variation in responses. (Refer to

appendix) (Appendix No.1)

DATA PREPARATION AND CLEANING

The questionnaire was floated as mentioned above to a convenient sample. A total of 82

responses were received from respondents across India. However this data could not directly

be used for statistical analysis. Hence the collected data is cleaned in the following steps –

CODING

Each of the questions from the questionnaire was assigned a specific code. Also the responses

were given specific code for the ease of analysis in SPSS statistical tool. E.g. Questions based

on Likert scale i.e. questions asking preference of the shape of the product based on three

parameters had five options to choose from viz. “Most preferable” to “Least Preferable”.

“Most Preferable” option was assigned value of 1 and subsequently “Least Preferable” was

given value of 5. Then to develop the data further, the data file is downloaded in EXCEL

format. The sheet contains each response in a separate row.

DATA CLEANING

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Out of the 82 responses that were collected, 7 responses were not complete and the responses

were not given properly. Hence those 7 responses were deleted from the data file. Then

consistency checks were also performed on the data file. This included checking the

responses for extreme values and checking the logical consistency of the responses. Also

missing responses were substituted with neutral answer values. This cleaned data was used

for performing descriptive analysis using EXCEL software as shown later.

IMPORTING DATA IN SPSS

After cleaning the data, the data analysis strategy was formulated. Then the EXCEL data file

was imported into SPSS software. The data was again checked for logical consistency.

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS

DEMOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF RESPONDENTS

The demographic analysis is as shown below. Majority of the respondents were from

Mumbai region followed by Kolkata and Delhi. In terms of educational background, majority

of the respondents were graduates and post-graduates. Very few responses were from women

who have only completed their Matriculation. As far as the monthly income is considered,

more than half of the respondents were from high income group of monthly income more

than Rs. 40000 followed by second category i.e. Rs. 20000 – Rs.40000. The demographic

analysis brings out some limitations of this study as explained in detail later.

Kolkata12%

Mumbai55%

Delhi9%

Bengaluru16%

Chennai4%

Hyderabad3%

Chandigarh1% Metro city wise distribution

Fig 1: Metro City wise distribution of respondents

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3%

44%

45%

8%

Educational Background of Respondents

Matriculation

Post Graduate/Doctorate

Graduate

Undergraduate

Fig 2: Educational background of respondents

Fig 3: Monthly income details of respondents

PURCHASING BEHAVIOR OF RESPONDENTS

This analysis is done to understand consumer preferences in purchasing the product. As

shown in figures below, preferred purchasing location for respondents was general stores

followed by medical stores and supermarkets. Nearly 40% respondents are ready to pay only

Rs. 50 to 100 as price for the product and there were no responses for price category of more

than Rs. 500. Most of the respondents were aware of the product pepper spray through

preferred medium of television talk shows and word of mouth. However, the awareness about

the Indian brands is very low which suggests potential for marketing this product in India.

Also there is no specialized training required for respondents as shown by the results. Only

providing user manual would be sufficient.

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17, (23%)

22, (30%)

30, (40%)

5, (7%)

Preferred Purchasing Location

Super Markets

Medical Stores

General Stores

Online stores

Fig 4: Preferred purchasing location

37

14

20

4

0

Price consumers are ready to pay

Rs. 50 to 100

Less than Rs. 50

Rs. 100 to 300

Rs. 300 to 500

Rs. 500 or more

Fig 5: Price consumers are ready to pay for pepper spray

Fig 6: Awareness about pepper spray

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

News paper Magazines Online media Word of mouth Television –talk shows

Medium for awareness

Fig 7: Medium of awareness

PRODUCT FEATURE PREFERRENCE

The survey also contained questions based on Likert scale in which five different shapes of

the pepper spray product viz. Ring, Pen, Lipstick, Keychain and Can are compared on three

parameters. These three parameters are Portability, Ease of Ease and Aesthetic Appeal. There

were five options given to respondents from “Most preferable” to “Least Preferable”. The

results of these questions are compared as shown below. Ring is the most preferred shape for

the product which got Most Preferable rating on all three scales. This was followed by Pen,

Lipstick, Keychain and Can. This gives us insight into consumer preferene for the product

shape and features expected from the product.

Fig 8: Product shape preference based on Likert Scale

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STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USING SPSS

ANALYSIS 1: WILLINGNESS TO PURCHASE IS AFFECTED BY LEVEL OF SAFETY PERCEIVED BY WOMEN

Fig 9: Bivariate Regression

We performed a Bivariate regression in SPSS Software using Willingness to purchase (Q31)

as dependent variable and Perceived level of Safety (Q5) as independent variable. Observed

level of significance as shown is 0.040 which reflects that dependent variable Willingness to

purchase is strongly correlated with independent variable within 95% level of confidence

Fig 10: Normal P-P Plot and Scatter Plot

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Figure 10: Normal probability plot shows that the errors are normally distributed. Scatter

plots of residuals shows no pattern which indicates that there is no violation of the underlying

assumptions of regression analysis.

ANALYSIS 2: EFFECT OF VARIOUS PRODUCT FEATURES ON WILLINGNESS TO PURCHASE PEPPER SPRAY FOR A WOMEN

Fig 11: Multiple Regression for analyzing multiple product features

Multiple Regression between dependent variable Willingness to purchase and seven

independent variables Shape, Size, Portability, Range, Ease of use, Price and Aesthetic

appeal in SPSS Software shows the significance level of 0.079. Tolerance for the independent

coefficients is greater than 0.20 and VIF is greater than 5 which are within acceptable value

and so there is no multi-co linearity problem. However, the significance level of Aesthetic

Appeal is .977 and Range is 0.794. Hence another analysis was performed by removing

Aesthetic appeal product feature.

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Q13_1: ShapeQ13_2: SizeQ13_3: PortabilityQ13_5: Ease of useQ13_6: Price

Fig 12: Multiple Regression after removal of Aesthetic Appeal from list of Product Features

The results of this new regression analysis show level of significance as 0.025 (Reduced from

0.079 earlier) which shows there is strong correlation between willingness to purchase pepper

spray and five multiple product features Shape, Size, Portability, Ease of use and Price within

5 percent level of confidence.

ANALYSIS 3: PERCEIVED SAFETY LEVELS IS NOT AFFECTED BY LOCATION OF THE CUSTOMER

Q29_1: DelhiQ29_3: KolkataQ29_4: ChennaiQ29_5: BangaloreQ29_6: Hyderabad

Fig 13: Dummy Variable Regression

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We performed a Dummy Variable Regression between dependent variable Willingness to

purchase (Q5) and independent variables Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad

(Different cities-Q29_1, Q29_3, Q29_4, Q29_5, Q29_6). F-test significance level is .556

which shows no correlation between willingness to purchase and different cities and so

product can be sold throughout India.

ANALYSIS 4: AESTHETIC APPEAL OF PEPPER SPRAY HAS NO EFFECT ON WILLINGNESS TO PURCHASE FOR WOMEN

Fig 14: Bi-variate Regression for Analyzing affect of Aesthetic Appeal on Purchase Behavior

We did Bi-variate variable regression between dependent variable Willingness to purchase

and independent variable Aesthetic Appeal. T- Test Significance level is 0.631 which

reflects no correlation between willingness to purchase and aesthetic appeal which is in line

with the findings of FGD and multiple regression analysis.

FACTOR ANALYSIS

Fig 15: Factor Analysis

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We developed a factor solution using SPSS Software. Component matrix shows two

components with Q13_2 having factor loading in both the components.

Fig 16: Anti Image Correlation Matrix for Factor Analysis

Diagonal elements in Anti Image correlation matrix show the MSA of individual items. As

each MSA (Measures of sampling adequacy) is greater than 0.5, it can be inferred that

correlation matrix is favorable for Factor Analysis. However, as Aesthetic appeal shows no

affect on Willingness to purchase (Analysis 4), we removed this independent variable and

performed actor analysis again as shown below:

Fig 17: Rotated Components of Factor Solution

Finding: We got two factors F1 and F2- Product Usage and Perceived Image respectively.

Shape, Price and Size form the first factor Perceived Image & Ease of Use, Range and

Portability form the other factor Product Usage respectively.

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ANALYSIS 5: WHAT FACTORS ARE DETERRENT TO PURCHASE OF PEPPER SPRAY PRODUCT?

Q23_1: Misuse by attacker

Q23_2: Health side effects on yourself

Q23_3: Legal consequences

Q23_4: Mishandled by children

Fig 18: Multiple Regression to analyze factors deterrents to product usage

Multiple regression was performed between dependent variable Hesitation to use the Pepper

Spray (Q6_1) and independent variables Q23_1 Q23_2, Q23_3, Q23_4 (Deterrents to use the

product). F-test significance level is 0.01 which reflects dependent variable Hesitation to use

the product is strongly correlated with factors like mishandled by attacker.

ANALYSIS 6: PRICE THAT CUSTOMERS ARE WILLING TO PAY IS NOT AFFECTED BY THEIR INCOME LEVELS

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Q15: Price

Q28: Income level of customer

Fig 19: Bi-variate Regression to analyze affect of Income Level on Price

Bi-variate variable regression between dependent variable Willingness to pay and

independent variable Income level of customer has a significance level of .945 which shows

that willingness to pay and income level of the customer are uncorrelated.

DISCUSSION

From the above Descriptive and Statistical Analysis we can infer following points:

1. There is awareness about Pepper Spray product in India only in 18-24 age group,

however demographic limitations of the study need to be removed with a detailed

market research

2. Television Talk Shows and Word of Mouth appeared to be the most influencing

mediums of Promotion. Hence new Pepper Spray product needs to be advertised

taking the same in consideration.

3. From the focus group discussions, it was clear that three factors viz. Portability, Ease

of use and Aesthetic appeal mattered most for the consumers. Hence the same were

considered for ranking the various shapes of the product. Ring was the most preferred

shape of the product followed by Pen, Lipstick, Keychain and Can.

4. Also, consumers are not ready to pay more than Rs. 100 for this product. Hence Pen,

Ring and Lipstick are the only three shapes that are viable given the no. of spray

bursts in them.

5. From focus group discussions, it was concluded that the consumers were not aware of

the Indian brands. The same was also confirmed by the primary data collected through

questionnaires. Hence promotional activities are required for launching this product

successfully.

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6. Regarding the use of the product, most of the respondents said that there is no need to

separately train them. Only user manual provided with the product should be

sufficient.

7. From focus group discussions, it was clear that the most preferred buying location for

the product is General stores. Hence the distribution of the new product needs to be

done through general stores.

8. From literature review, it appeared that there is growing perception among women for

safety. Statistical analysis showed that perception of safety among women

significantly affects the willingness for women to purchase Pepper Spray. This

perceived importance given to safety among women justifies the launching of this

product.

9. Focus Group Discussion revealed Aesthetic Appeal as an important product feature;

however SPSS Analysis reflected the contradictory result prominently. SPSS Analysis

shows that product features influencing the purchase behaviour of Pepper Spray are

Shape, Size, Portability, and Ease of use and Price.

10. Using Factor Analysis, multiple product features were clubbed into two components.

Hence, product features impacting the product purchase are Perceived Image and

Product Usage.

11. Dummy Variable Regression using different cities as independent variables reflected

that willingness to purchase Pepper Spray is not correlated with location of user. So

market for Pepper Spray exists throughout India.

12. From Focus Group Interview, various factors deterrent to purchase of Pepper Spray

were revealed like misuse by attacker, mishandled by children, legal consequences

and health side effects on user. However, SPSS Analysis reflected that Women

considered mishandling by children as the prime concern for avoiding usage of

Pepper Spray. Misuse by attacker and legal consequences do not affect women’s

willingness to use Pepper Spray significantly.

13. Bi-variate Regression showed that income level is strongly uncorrelated with price

that women are willing to pay for Pepper Spray. This contradicted the general

perception that higher income level women will be willing to pay higher price for

Pepper Spray. However, as sample size considered for SPSS Analysis is small, above

finding is highly inconclusive.

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Given the awareness level of Indian women about Pepper Spray Product, a new product can

be successfully launched with appropriate promotional methods and considering inferences

from consumer perception.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

We conducted only one focus group discussion of 8 women. More focus group

discussions would give us better insights regarding consumer behaviour.

Questionnaires were sent to respondent through social networking sites like facebook.

As a result of this convenient sampling, the entire demographic profile was not

covered. As explained in the descriptive analysis before, only women from age group

18 to 24 with majority of them from high income group responded to the

questionnaire.

Sample size considered for the data analysis is 75. This sample size is small

considering the aim of the project of launching new product across India profitably.

Detailed cluster analysis could not be performed as respondent were mainly from the

professional background within an age group of 18 to 24.

Sufficient secondary data related to this product was not available within given

constraints of the project. Detail study with data about the existing Indian brands and

their performance in the market would be preferred.

Along with data collection through questionnaire, sample products could also be pilot

tested in the market and actual perception about the usage can be gained.

FUTURE RESEARCH

Prototypes can be created for the pepper spray product using the insights gained from

this research. These prototypes can be pilot tested. Pilot testing will help in profitably

launching the product throughout India.

Detailed cluster analysis can be performed by taking respondents from across age

groups, occupations and income groups.

In this research, women within age group of 18-24 have been targeted. However,

future research can be done to analyze the perception and willingness of other market

segments like old women, jewelers etc.

A detail study of legal aspects of production and selling of pepper spray in India

needs to be done in order to avoid any regulatory issues.

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Pepper spray product has also been known to be used for other purposes such as

crowd control and as a non lethal weapon against criminals. This application can be

explored further in order to improve sales.

WORKS CITED

Broadstock, M. (2002). What is the Safety of “Pepper Spray” Use by Law Enforcement or

Mental Health Service Staff? NZHTA Tech Brief Series.

Cheng-Hsun Ho, W. W. (2011). Role Of Innovativeness Of Consumer In Relationship

Between Perceived Attributes of New Products And Intention To Adopt. International

Journal of Electronic Business Management .

Hollander, J. A. (2004). ''I Can Take Care of Myself'' : The Impact of Self-Defense Training

on Women's Lives. Violence Against Women .

Hollander, J. A. (2010). Why Do Women Take Self-Defense Classes? Violence Against

Women .

National Institute of Justice. (2003). The Effectiveness and Safety of Pepper Spray.

Sara Valentini, E. M. (2011). Decision Process Evolution in Customer Channel Choice.

Journal of Marketing .

Schwartz, J. B. (2011). What drives immediate and ongoing word of mouth? Journal of

Marketing research .

Wei-nian, Z. (2007). Online marketing and its strategy. China-USA Business Review .

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APPENDIX

Appendix 1: Questionnaire

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