QUESTION $3[25$ MARKS$]$

Read the following extract and then answer the questions below.

Lifebuoy soap in India

Since inception in late $19$th century, Lifebuoy, was a nimble and good citizen brand of India,

reaching millions of rural customers with a promise of $$health and hygiene$$ as a platform of its business. Its famous advertising jingle, tandurusti ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy... was so famous that it enabled the brand $$Lifebuoy$$ to be perceived as a $$red carbolic soap$$ for several decades. The brand passed through prolonged stages of growth and maturity during most of the second half of $20$th century and was faced with a decline stage during early $21$st century with sales falling at the rate of $15\%20\%$ per year. The downward trend of Lifebuoy carbolic soap sales made Hindustan Lever Ltd$.,$ to withdraw the product category during $2002$ and rejuvenate the brand with prudent marketing strategies by optimally utilising the brand image. Source: Extracted from IBS case Development Centre w$.$ibscdc.org$/$Case$\_$Studies$/$Marketing

Using the above case, explain how Lifebuoy carbolic soap went through the product life

cycle stages since inception in the $19$th century to $2002.(20$ Marks$)$

ii$)$ Assume that Hindustan Lever Ltd decides to use Marketing Information System $($MIS$)$ to

develop its marketing strategies. Explain how information required for MIS could be

obtained through marketing intelligence. $(5$ Marks$)$