Marketing report - The objective of this report is to find out customer awareness, perception, and opinions on Vifons instant noodle foodstuff.

Besides, I directly came to Vifon Company to collect primary including figures, images, facts, measurements.

• Secondary data

Secondary data is the data that has been collected for another project or has been already published. In my report, the secondary data is categorized as:

• Internal secondary data
• External secondary data

 I use secondary data from the assessment and ideas of some newspapers, Vifon official website, and another related report.

Survey method

In my report, I choose Questionnaire method for my all part of the market survey. I design a questionnaire including 17 multiple-choice questions. Besides, I also required people to provide some mandatory information such as gender, age, and occupation. They have to answer a compulsory question that whether they had used Vifon’s instant noodle or not. If they answer yes, I will continue my survey.

Target population

Vifon has been engaged in Vietnam noodle market for a long time. It also built a strong image in the consumers. Therefore, the name Vifon has been familiar with any status of society. They may have heard Vifon reputation or used its product. In my report, I choose people who are at all level of age or gender, occupation However, they are required to use Vifon’s instant noodle at least one time so that I can get the information from them.

Sampling procedure

Because the instant noodle is a popular foodstuff in our life and the only way to do a survey is asking people who used Vifon’s instant noodle. Therefore, I chose a specific population thanks to the non-random sampling. In this method, I applied Quota sampling. I chose 40 people who had been using Vifon’s noodle foodstuff. This way is cheap and administratively easy. It is also pointless to worry too much about sampling error.  

Design a survey questionnaire

(See appendix 3)

Re-phrasing

As I mentioned that I had chose 40 people to study, but I always chose more than 40 to avoid the error survey papers. After collecting all papers, I would choose the best ones (ideallly 40) and eliminate the error papers.

Justify a design of questionnaire

☞ In this question, I’d like to know about the age of interviewees.

☞ In this question, I’d like to know about the income every month of the interviewees.

☞ In this question, I want to know how much money the consumers spend on purchasing Vifon’s instant noodle every month. From this way, I also know the consideration and consuming habit of the consumers..

☞ In this question, I’d like to know how the consumers know about Vifon’s instant noodle brand name. This question also helps Vifon determine their strong channel between company and customer and develop their brand name better.

☞ In this question, I’d like to know how the perception of customer for Vifon’s instant noodle.

 ☞ In this question, I’d like to know how many kind of Vifon’s instant noodle the customer used. Therefore, I can determine the popular products that Vifon should develop or the unpopular products that Vifon should improve and innovate.

☞ In this question, I’d like to indentify the best criteria in each Vifon’s instant noodle packet that the consumers choose.

☞ In this question, I’d like to know the satisfaction of the consumers for Vifon’s insntant noodle.

☞ In this question, I’d like to assess the attitude and behaviour of Vifon’s sale staff or retailers when they sell instan’s noodle.

☞ In this question, I want to identify how many packets or caskes the customer buy at a time. Therefore, I can determine the demand force of market.

☞  In this question, I’d like to know which flavor the consumers like most when they use Phu Gia instant noodle.

☞ In this question, I’d like to know which flavor the consumers like most when they use Tu Quy instant noodle.

☞ In this question, I want to know what the consumer’s satisfaction about the flavor of Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff.

☞ In this question, I’d like to assess the satisfaction of customer about price and quality of the instant noodle.

☞ In this question, I want to assess the effect of Vifon’s instant noodle advertisement.

☞ In this question, I’d like to know if the consumers want to use Vifon’s instant noodle in the future or not.

☞ In this question, I’d like to find out what the consumers do not satisfy. Therefore, the company knows how to make it better.

SURVEY RESULT

        

After collecting the primary and secondary data, I started analysing it to find out the satisfaction, awareness, perception and opinion of the consumers on Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff. From that point, I can give the conclusion, assessment and relevant proposal for the near future.

Age and income of interviewees’ statistics

• Mean =
• Mode = 20
• Median = 26
• Range: 55-15 = 40

                                                                       Unit: VND milion

Correlation between age and Vifon’s instant noodle expenditure per month

We have formula

                                           

Apply the figures from table 3, the result is:

(My calculation is in Excel)

Correlation between age and Vifon’s instant noodle expenditure per month

(Continue)

Conclusion

• Base on the degrees of correlation, the scattergraph above is a type of partial correlation scattergraph.
• There is no excact relationship between average expenditure and the age of my interviewees.
• r = -0.9685309 is near r = -1 which means that the variables are likely negative correlation. Lower age of interviewees tend to be associated with higher expenditure of the interviewees.

• In fact, young people are seem to be busy and dynamic, so they do not have time for breakfast, lunch or dinner with family. Instant noodle is the fast way to save time and sometimes money also. As you know, instant noodle can not provide the nutritious elements as well as official meals. Therefore, young people can use instant noodle for many time without much affect to their health. Therefore, the expenditure for Vifon’s instant noodle is high.
• In higher age group, they tend to use less instant noodles. This group needs nutritious meals and time for family, so instant noodle is not their target in everyday’s meals. Therefore, the expenditure for Vifon’s instant noodle is low.

Consuming habit

Figure 1

Vifon is a long time brand name in Vietnam. However, Vifon only dominated 8% market share, while Asifood dominated 80% instant noodle market share (2007).

Awareness of customer about Vifon’s instant noodle

• Mean:  

• Median:

Awareness of customer about Vifon’s instant noodle (continue)

(See appendix 2)

Awareenss by age group about Vifon’s instant noodle

 (For the answer is Phu Gia noodle only)

                                                

                                                                             Phu Gia noodle choice ranking

This calculation related to interviewees who chose the answer is PhuGia instant noodle (Vifon). The calculation is to find out the awareness of consumers for product of Vifon.

Mode: 2

Mean:

Range: 55-15 = 40

Variance:

Standard deviation:    

Co-efficient of variation:  (Expressed by percentage = 39%)

Quartiles: n = 16

Median:

Lower quartile (Q1):

Upper quartile (Q3):

Inter quartile range: Q3 – Q1 = 8.5

Favourite products and flavors of consumers

 

Favourite products and flavor of consumers (continue)

(See appendix 2)

Favourite products and flavor of consumers (continue)

As we can see, most of the interviewees are interested in shrimp, spicy and acid flavor.  

Assess the Vifon’s instant noodle value

        

Assess the Vifon’s instant noodle value (continue)

Variance: 0.64

Standard deviation: 0.8

Assess the Vifon’s instant noodle value (continue)

                                                        

        

        

Personal ideas or opinions

 

Personal ideas or opinions (continue)

 

CONCLUSION

Vietnam is a high competitive market for instant noodle foodstuff. Moreover, when Vietnam has been a member of WTO, the competition is higher. The more competitors in the market, the less market share that each company has. Therefore, it is a challenge and an opportunity for Vifon to expand its instant noodle brand.

In general, Vifon has run well its business. The company has been buit a stable position in instant noodle market in Vietnam.

What is the strength of Vifon Company?

The company receives the fair support from the consumers. It is demonstrated by the satisfaction in price, quality, service and advertisement. Vifon is also successful in rural area market share.

What is the weekness of Vifon Company?

However, there are still weaknesses in several products. Spaghetti Roma and Children noodle are not received much support from the customers.

The consumers also want to promotion in model and ingredient bags in instant noodle packet.

 In the future, Vifon Company should improve the technology and promotion to meet the satisfaction of the consumers better.

Thank you

REFERENCE

Edexcel HNC and HND Business, 2004.Business Decision Making, London: BPP professional Education

Vietnambranding (2007). Vifon- 44 nam phat trien va hoi nhap,  [online] Available at  [Accessed 22 Dec 2010].

APPENDIX

Appendix 1

QUESTIONNAIRE FORM

 Nam:………….………...Gender:……………...…………Job:………………………………………

 Have you ever used Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff before?          Yes                No

     Question 1: How old are you?

1. 15-25
2. 25-35
3. 35-45
4. 45-55    

     Question 2: How much is your income every month?

1. Less than 1,500,000 VND
2. 1,500,000 – 3,000,000 VND
3. 3,000,000 – 4,500,000 VND
4. More than 4,500,000 VND

      Question 3:  How much money do you spend for noodle every month?

a) 30,000 VND                c) 90,000 VND

b) 60,000 VND                d) 120,000 VND

Question 4) How do you know Vifon instant noodle foodstuff?

      a) Family, friends

      b) Mass media

      c) Buying at shops/retailers

      d) Others

Question 5) Which is the instant noodle foodstuff produced by Vifon from these products below?

        a) Lau Thai noodle

        b) Phu Gia noodle

        c) Vua Bep noodle

        d) A-one noodle

       Question 6) Which of these Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff did you use?

        a) Hoang Gia noodle

        b) Phu Gia noodle

        c) Fried noodle Spaghetti Roma

        d) Tu Quy noodle

        e) Curry noodle

        f) Ga Tiem noodle

        g) Children noodle

       Question 7) Which criteria do you like best when you choose Vifon instant noodle   foodstuff?

1. Model
2. Flavor
3. Price
4. Net weight

         Question 8) How do you think after using Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff?

1. Extremely delicious
2. Delicious
3. Normal
4. Vapid

         Question 9) What do you think about the attitude toward consumers of Vifon’s retailer?

1. Enthusiasm
2. Normal
3. Ignored
4. Rude

           Question 10) How many packets or caskes of Vifon instant noodle will you buy per month?

1. 1 packet
2. 1 to 23 packets
3. 1 cask
4. > 1 caskes

           Question 11) For Phu Gia noodle, which of these flavors below did you use?

1. Bo Sot Tieu noodle
2. Ga Hanh noodle
3. Thi Bam noodle
4. Tom Thai noodle

          Question 12) For Tu Quy noodle, which of these flavors below did you use?

1. Bo Nau Dau noodle
2. Chua Cay noodle
3. Ga Rau Thom noodle

          Question 13) Which flavor do you like most in Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff?

1. Meet flavor
2. Seafood flavor
3. Mixed flavor
4. Chua cay flavor

         Question 14) Do you think the quality of Vifon’s instant noodle equipvalent to the price?

        a) Yes                        b) No

         Question 15) Do you like advertisement about Vifon’s instant noodle on mass media?

        a) Yes                            b) No

         Question 16) Would you like to continue using Vifon’s instant noodle foodstuff in the    future?

        a) Yes                         b) No

         Question 17) Which of these components in Vifon’s noodle packet do you not satisfy?

1. Noodle
2. Cooking oil packet
3. Seasoning powder packet
4. Sauce packet

Appendix 2          Comsuming feature follow flavor and company ranking        

(Source: AC Neisel report)                 

                                             Unit:1000kg

                                           

                                

Appendix 3: Spreadsheet of data table