A STUDY ON CONSUMER PREFERENCE TOWARDS “THE HINDU”

NEWSPAPER

ABSTRACT
Newspaper is a publication that appears regularly and frequently. It carries news
about a wide variety of current events. The newspaper publishes have an overall control by
its business and news operations. The Hindu India’s national newspaper since 1878 published
by certain and sons limited, Chennai India. The English languages daily with a net paid
circulation of 1.18 million (ABC July Dec 2008 and a consumership of 4.06, million (NRs
2006) is the best described as classic yet contemporary. Three edition of the newspaper
Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi are available in digital form at this first stage. They are
available for viewing at 6.00am Indian Standard Time (1st) every day. Access is free for new
but well required registering online.
To understand the existing preference of the customers. This study is done to
understand to existing preference of the customer. It helps to study the consumer preference
towards The Hindu Newspaper. And to know the consumer preference towards supplement
issued by the Hindu. Maximum 71% of the respondents preferring “The Hindu” newspaper
belong to male category. Maximum 38% of student category prefers to read “The Hindu”
Newspapers. Maximum 73% of the respondents prefer yes to read “The Hindu” Newspapers.
Maximum 39% of the respondents prefer to read “The Hindu” Newspapers. Maximum 35%
of the respondents prefer to read daily “The Hindu” Newspaper. Maximum 38% of the
respondents prefer to read “The Hindu” Newspaper is good. Maximum 41% of the
respondents prefer to read “The Hindu” Newspaper for sports.
Most of the consumers expressed dissatisfaction over the number of advertisement
both commercial and cinema should be taken by the publishers to reduce the advertisement
coverage and add more sports news, IT news, job opportunities etc. Newspapers play an
important role in our day-to-day life. They have contributed not only for the growth of
democracy in a country but also for development of the economy. Indian newspapers enjoy
large circulations.
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Media in India, experience newspaper media, are undergoing significant changes in
the current liberalized environment. Newspaper is a publication that appears regularly and
frequently. It carries news about a wide variety of current events. The newspaper publishes
have an over all control by its business and news operations

“The press is the Guardian Angel of Democracy”. A forceful and prosperous press
is the guarantor of popular rights. . To most people “The press” means the daily newspaper,
but although re-eminent in influence daily newspapers is only a small part of the press & is
usually applied to the publications devoted mainly for recording current events and the term
“periodicals” to magazines, “reviews” to journals.

In reality the press is a private industry and a public service. No other force in public
life operates so persistently and extensively in its range of appeal. The scope of this subject of
appeal and matter as so does the press. Newspapers have a unique dimension of social
responsibility, which means the newspaper industry is different from every other
industry. But business success is vital to this industry as to any other.

 
According to the recorded facts the first newspaper of the world was published in
China around 1000 years ago. It meant “News of the Capital”. The second newspaper of the
world was the “Acto Divra” which meant, “Daily happening” in Greek. There are the oldest
two newspapers in the pre-recorded history.

The first newspaper of the world was the “Morning Post” which was started in
London in the year 1772 followed by this another newspaper “The London Times” started in
publications.

PROFILE OF THE HINDU NEWSPAPER

FOUNDER SUBRAMANIAN IYER IN 1878
CO-FOUNDER VEERA RAGHAVACHARIAR
LEGAL ADVISOR KASTURI IYENGAR (LATER PURCHASED
IT IN 1905)
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER 1878
DAILY NEWSPAPER 1889
NET PAID CIRCULATION 1 MILLION COPIES
CONSUMERSHIP 3 MILLIONS
ANNUAL TURNOVER 4 BILLIONS
ONLINE EDITION 1995
PRINTING MAIN EDITION CHENNAI
PRINTING CENTER COIMBATORE, BANGLORE, MADURAI,
HYDREBAD, NEW DELHI, KOCHI,
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, VIJAYAWADA,
MANGLORE, TRICHY.

Supplements

  On Mondays

• Metro Plus
• Education Plus
 On Tuesdays
• Young World, an exclusive children’s supplement
• Metro Plus
 On Wednesdays
• Opportunities
• Metro Plus
 On Thursdays
• Metro Plus
• NXg
 On Fridays
• Friday Review
• Metro Plus weekend
  On Saturdays
• Metro Plus
• Property Plus
 On Sundays
• Weekly Magazine covering social issues, art, literature, gardening, travel health,
cuisine, hobbies etc.
• Literary Review, every first Sunday
• Classifieds
• Cinema Plus

Metro Plus
Metro plus throws the spotlight on what happening in the city, events Music Heritage,
Life style, people, fashion, Dining out and sport are the broad categories finding expression
on this supplement’s pages. Capturing the pulse of the city and its changing lifestyle, it’s later
for the information and entertainment needs of cross section of consumers.

Education Plus
A plus is always welcome. It is that extra value that makes good thing better.
Education plus comes to you every Monday with the promise of that bonus, whether you are
a student just entering higher secondary school or a college graduate hoping to get the first
break after leaving campus or simply someone who is keen to keep pace with what is
happening in education. Education plus will present and analyses trends in education, provide
pointers, and above all, inform.

Property plus
India’s property sector is a vibrant and growing area with new initiatives being taken
by government the construction industry, architects and developers to transform the
landscape. Property plus features each week articles, reviews and special columns on the
many facts that more these dramatic changes.

History of the Hindu Newspaper

 The first issue of the Hindu was published on September 20 1878, by a group of six
young men, led by G. Subramanian Ayer, a radical social reformer and school teacher
from Thiruvaiyyar near Thanjavur.

Initially printing 80 copies a week at the Srinidhi Press in Mint Street, Black Town,
“The Hindu” was published every Wednesday as on eight page paper. After a month with the
Srinidhi Press, the newspaper as for printing shifted to the Scottish press, also in Black Town.
The earliest available issue of the paper is dated June 21, 1881. In1881 the Hindu moved to
Ragunada Rau’s The Hindu press of Mylapore, planning to make the paper tri
weekly appearing every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening but maintaining the same
size as before. The paper moved to rented premises at 100 Mount Road on December 3,
1883. The newspaper started printing at its own press there, Christened “The National Press”
established on borrowed capital as public subscriptions were not forth coming. The building
itself became the Hindu in 1892 after the Maharaja of Vizianagaram, Ananda Gajapathi Raja,
gave the national press a loan both for the building and to carry out needed expansion. The
Hindu Home till 1939, there issued a guard - size paper with a front page full of
advertisements - a practice that came to an end only in 1958 when it followed the lead by its
idol, the pre-Thomson Times – and three back papers also at the service of the advertiser. In
between, there were more views than news.  It was headed by G.Kasturi from 1965 to 1991.
N. Ravi from 1991 to 2003, and by his brother N. Ram since June 27 th 2003.  The present era
is that of information which is available as right time to the right person

NEED FOR STUDY

 Many companies are aiming for high satisfaction because consumers who are just
satisfied still find it easy to switch when a better offer comes along. Those who are
highly satisfied are much less to switch. High satisfaction or delight creates an
emotional bond with the brand, not just, a rational preference. The result is high
consumer’s loyalty.

 To understand the existing preference of the customers. It is imperative to investigate

and suggest ways and means to improve the customer satisfaction.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 Primary

 To study the consumer preference towards The Hindu Newspaper. 

 Secondary

 To know the consumer preference towards supplement issued by the Hindu.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 In the highly competitive media market. The outcome of the study will help the
organization to understand the customer preference and to serve them in a better way.

 The research focuses on the several features of the Hindu and in awareness,
suggestion in the market, which may help the company in further development of the
newspaper.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
 According to Drucker (1954), the principle purpose of the business is to create
satisfied customers. Increasing customer satisfaction has to been found to lead to
higher future profitability (Anderson, Fornell, and Rust 1997), increased buyer
willingness to pay price premiums, provide referrals, and use more of the product
(Reichheld1996; Anderson and Sullivan 1993; Bolton 1998). Increased loyalty, in
turn, has been found to lead to increases in future revenue (Fornell 1992; Anderson,
Fornell, and Lehmann 1994) and reduction in the cost of future transaction (Reichheld
1996; Srivastava, Shervani, and Fahey 1998). All of this empirical evidence suggests
that customer satisfaction is valuable from both a customer goodwill perspective and
an organization’s financial perspective.

 John O Shaughnessy (1987) marketing strategic is a broad conception of how

resource to be Delhi to achieve market success. The content for a marketing strategy
shows how the proposed key features of the films offering (products, price, promotion
and distribution) are intended to achieve the firm objectives.

 A firm’s future profitability depends on satisfying customers in the present – retained

customers should be viewed as revenue producing assets for the firm (Anderson and
Sullivan 1993; Reichheld 1996; Anderson and Mittal 2000). Empirical studies have
found evidence that 6 improved customer satisfaction need not entail higher costs, in
fact, improved customer satisfaction may lower costs due to a reduction in defective
goods, product re-work, etc. (Fornell 1992; Anderson, Fornell, and Rust 1997).
However, the key to building long-term customer satisfaction and retention and
reaping the benefits these efforts can offer is to focus on the development of high
quality products and services.

 Customer satisfaction and retention that are bought through price promotions, rebates,
switching barriers, and other such means are unlikely to have the same long-run
impact on profitability as when such attitudes and behaviors are won through superior
products and services (Anderson and Mittal 2000). Thus, squeezing additional
reliability out of a manufacturing or service delivery process may not increase
perceived quality and customer satisfaction as much as tailoring goods and services to
meet customer needs (Fornell, Johnson, Anderson, Cha, and Everitt 1996).

 Narasimha Rao P.V.L.National consumership survey (2005) press continues to

grow from time to time. Press adds 34 million consumers in the last 2years over the
 last 3 years the number of consumers of dailies and magazines put together among
those aged 15 years and above has grown from 179mn to 200mna growth of 4% every
years.

 Chrystal Szeto and Luis Jimenez (2005), new media offer consumers a wide array
of choices to access, disseminate and display all forms of information. Historically,
new media complemented rather than eliminated the older media. Is this pattern
changing with the more recent introduction of digital media/ what does market
research tell us about the preferences of today’s consumers for electronic vs. paper
media.

 Rebekah (2006) Wade has remarked that the newspaper success would probably
depend more on free CD’s and DVD’s than on it journalists. Newspapers particularly
hope that CD’s and DVD’s will appeal to the young who are increasingly getting their
news online.

 Kathleen and Collins, The consumption of paid newspapers in the United States and
most other mature print news markets has been in slow but general decline throughout
the last four decades. Much of this decline has been precipitated by a variety of
(usually) free electronic news and information sources most notably radio, television
and now the internet. A recent addition to these sources is free newspapers, some
introduced as competitors to paid newspapers, others designed to encourage
newspaper reading among current non-readers. The impact of free newspapers on the
market for paid print dailies in four major United States markets is analyzed in terms
of whether these two sorts of products are competitors or complements.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

 Research Design
o Research Design is descriptive as well as analytical.
 Primary data collection
o Primary data was collected with the help of a structured questionnaire. The
questionnaires were administered to the selected 100 respondents.

 Technique of data collection

o The questionnaire has been designed and used to collect the needed primary data.
Both open ended and close ended questions were used.

 Area of the study

o The study on consumer preference towards has been limited to consumers located
in Chennai only.

 Period of the study

o The period of the study covers 3weeks (July 2012).

 Sources of Data
o The validity of any research is based on the data collected for the study. The
present research is based on both primary as well as secondary data. The primary
data is collected from the selected sample respondents in the study area. Simple
random sampling method was used in selecting the respondents.

 Sample Size
o The sample size selected for the study is 100 respondents. The respondents are
selected by simple random sampling method.

 Sampling Techniques
o Data on the various aspects directly and indirectly related to the investigation were
gathered through questionnaires to the respondents. The questions are necessary to
 ensure the reliability of the information. The questions were simple to understand
so that information can be collected from various respondents easily. It should be
seen that parties are not biased or prejudiced and are mentally sound.

Tools for analysis:

 In order to analyze the consumer preference of respondents, the following tables of

analysis were used to obtain the various objectives of the study.

 
(i) Percentage analysis
Percentage refers to a special kind of ratio percentages are used in making comparing
between preferences, awareness and satisfaction with various other factors.
 Observed data
Percentage = -------------------------- x 100
Sample size

  LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 The sample size is only 100. 

 The period of study is limited to a month
 Under the study only literate people included. 
 The result of analysis made in the study depends fully on the accuracy; reliability of
information’s given by respondents.