Indian Weddings & Online Space - A perfect match between tradition & technology
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Indian Weddings & Online Space – A perfect match
between tradition & technology
SUBMITTED BY
POORNIMA PANDE | 19042 | PGP II
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
PROF. ROHIT TRIVEDI
FEBRUARY 2014
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THE PGDC AT THE MUDRA INSTITUTE
OF COMMUNICATIONS, AHMEDABAD 2013-14
1|P ag e
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This dissertation would not have been in the current shape, but for the guidance of my mentor Prof. Rohit Trivedi who helped me with the process of framing the research work to analyzing my work at every stage and providing valuable feedback. Thank you for the encouragement and support at every step of the dissertation thesis. I would also like to thank KEIC for the rich database, which helped me find the right literature to carry out the relevant study before proceeding with the primary research. Heartiest thanks to all the respondents for being kind enough to give me the time and for guiding me through their valuable insights in the course of doing this dissertation. Lastly my family and friends, for without their support and encouragement, this research study wouldn’t have been such an exciting journey. 2|P ag e
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In a scenario where wedding industry is growing at a tremendous rate, and so is the usage internet for availing products and services, we see marketing tactics of cross bundling are proving to be beneficial for the customers as well as the sellers. Hence we need to analyse that whether service bundling will work out for matrimonial services which are more or less limiting themselves to the objective of match making. A lot of industries come under the purview of wedding services when we analyse this industry in a holistic manner. In such a situation understanding where can the matrimonial sites provide service extensions or a new service as a whole becomes crucial for the future scope of the industry. Hence, the objective of this study is to understand if the Indian consumers are ready to trust the online space for providing wedding related services. The services they wish to explore online and the level they are willing to trust online space for involvement in the event that is considered most crucial in one’s life. The research methodology that was used is qualitative. In depth interviews were conducted to gain insights and its analysis helped reach valid conclusions to the research. For the ease of analysis, interviews were conducted for two separate target groups, one comprising of the parents or elder brothers and sisters who use the matrimonial portal to find a match for their progeny or siblings and other comprising of the prospective brides and grooms. The in-depth interviews from the current direct and indirect users of the online matrimonial sites, helped answer the research questions formulated from the research problem. Once the interviews were conducted and the responses received. Interview transcripts were created to prepare the content. The tool used for qualitative research is content analysis which led to major findings and conclusions. Through the insights received, it was discovered that the key user of the online matrimonial portals were the parents and not the prospective bride or grooms. Both the users did not rely on the avenue completely, considering the fake profiles and non-seriousness of few to use the platform as a dating platform. However it is majorly trusted for providing the first point of contact. 3|P ag e
However, interestingly, the level of comfort and reliability on the source is more positive by the younger set of consumers. For parents it is generally the last resort when most avenues have been exhausted. It was observed that the influence of friends and family played a major role in trying out online matrimonial websites for match-making. The usage of online space for wedding contacts and services, as of now, is limited to search engines, and the contacts provided are not often trusted. The idea of a platform catering to all the wedding related services received a mixed response. Credibility, trust and level of involvement and customization were key highlights of the discussion. Transparency and bargaining power of customers were also concerns related with this platform. The level of involvement of online platform varied, few wanted complete solution online as it would provide a better deal given the platform has proved its credibility while most respondents wanted a few services to choose based on their personal choice and with a point of contact they could get in touch with for personalization and customization. Complete control of wedding services to an online platform was mostly considered far-fetched, however an online wedding services seemed like a welcome option to most respondents given the hassles of arrangements the family had to go through. A platform as a support for the arrangements with proper monitoring and involvement of the family members was considered a more feasible option. The idea of wedding is different to different people, some want a budget wedding which is only a family & friends affair and some want it to be a memorable event, a celebration and a reflection of their status symbol. So the complications of understanding an individual’s need and providing services likewise will be the most crucial aspect of this service. But once it is well understood and service bundling is done keeping in mind different customer needs, it can definitely prove beneficial to the user. 4|P ag e
Contents
Chapter I – INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 8
1.1 Knowledge Gap............................................................................................................................ 10
1.2 Literature Review......................................................................................................................... 10
1.3 Objective of the study .................................................................................................................. 11
Chapter II – LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................... 12
2.1 Weddings in India – Match-making and its transition to the online space..................................... 12
2.1.1 Vectors of Marriage Information ........................................................................................... 12
2.2 How the concept of intermediaries evolved ................................................................................. 12
2.2.1 Kul-acharya ........................................................................................................................... 12
2.2.2 Ghatak .................................................................................................................................. 12
2.2.3 Newspaper............................................................................................................................ 13
2.2.4 Online-matrimony................................................................................................................. 13
2.2.5 Usefulness of Online Matrimony Service ............................................................................... 13
2.3 Current Trends in Wedding Portals in India .................................................................................. 14
2.4 Weddings in India ........................................................................................................................ 15
2.5 Online Behaviour in Indian consumers ......................................................................................... 18
2.6 Wedding Industry across the world & level of digitization in wedding services ............................. 22
2.7 Service Bundling in industries....................................................................................................... 26
2.8 Summary of the Literature Review ............................................................................................... 28
Chapter III – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 30
3.1 Research Problem ........................................................................................................................ 30
3.2 Research Objective ...................................................................................................................... 31
3.3 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 31
3.4 Research Design........................................................................................................................... 32
3.5 Location ....................................................................................................................................... 33
3.6 Universe ...................................................................................................................................... 33
3.7 Sampling Procedure ..................................................................................................................... 34
3.8 Sampling Design........................................................................................................................... 35
3.8.1 Target Group I ....................................................................................................................... 35
3.8.2 Target Group II ...................................................................................................................... 36
3.9 Instrument used for Data Collection............................................................................................. 36
5|P ag e3.10 Tools used for Qualitative Research ........................................................................................... 37 Chapter IV – ANALYSIS AND MAJOR CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................... 38 Chapter V – CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS & SCOPE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ......................................... 52 5.1 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 52 5.2 Limitation .................................................................................................................................... 53 5.3 Future Scope of the Study ............................................................................................................ 53 5.4 Implications ................................................................................................................................. 53 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................................... 55 6|P ag e
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Chapter I – INTRODUCTION
Weddings in India have always been a much talked about event. Be it the multi- million celebrity
weddings or the weddings next door, it has always been an event much sought after. And when it
comes to personal opinions, they are so much more varied. Some dream of a larger than life
event, celebrating the transition in their lives and some like to stick to the simple traditions
marking the union of two strangers who decide to spend their lives together. Few choose to stay
away from the opulence, so popular in the weddings in the country today and use the Arya-samaj
or registered wedding as their way to union. Whatever be the path chosen, weddings in India will
always be the most important event in one’s life, an event that one wants to materialize in their
chosen way.
However, if we see the general trends with weddings, the ceremony is moving towards more
professionalized services. Owing to the fact that families and couples want their weddings of
what they dreamed of, it has opened a market which is exquisite and full of opportunities. The
wedding industry in India is estimated to be 1.4 trillion growing at a rate of 20-25% per annum
(The Indian wedding gets fatter,, 2012)1. An estimated 10 million weddings take place with as
many as 20 million people getting married every year. An average person spends 20% of his/her
life savings on a wedding (Rao, 2011).2 The statistics suffice to prove how important weddings
are pertaining to the Indian culture and that the future it holds is even more enticing.
Marriage is not simply a single ceremony but consists of a number of events, which starts as
early as childhood. At a point of time, the decision whom a person marries solely rested in the
hands of the parents and children were given no say to decide their life partner. However the
marriages happened at a very early age then. However with the evolution of the society as a
whole and with the introduction of education system, this control of parents over the decision of
marriage began to change. As of now, there are arranged marriages that happen with the consent
of the one’s getting married. Friends of the parents often suggest someone who they feel is a
suitable match to their son or daughter. Caste is given a major importance and people are
supposed to marry within a caste however even this is changing as the society continues to
1
The Indian wedding gets fatter, Hindustan Times, Jul 27, 2012
2
Bindu Gopal Rao, Splurge Factor, India Perspectives (2011), Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
8|P ag echange. Health, wealth, education, family background etc are also key criteria when it comes to marriage. As societies evolved, the idea of marriage began to change. Gone are the days when people just cannot marry outside their caste or without the consent of their parents however it is still looked down at, in the name of culture by few who consider themselves the custodian of society. Many marriages happen today where the decision entirely rests in the hands of people who are getting married. With the increased workload and dearth of time, we also saw emergence of people going back to the idea of letting their parents decide whom to marry. This came back in the same way as nuclear families are moving towards joint families with both working parents. And wedding as a ceremony has evolved and moved a long way. Although arranged marriages are the most common form of marital union, love, arranged are also not uncommon in the modern day India. Also the events like cocktail and sangeet which is now well choreographed is a modern India phenomena.Wedding Industry has exploited this trend and change and the gaining popularity of online matrimonial sites makes evident the opportunities wedding service industry can exploit online. Hence the study tries to figure what are the advantages and challenges of making use of the online platform for providing wedding related services. Indians are known to be more cautious and skeptical in moving away from the traditional avenues. And hence this study has tried to analyze what brought about the transition in the match-making and can the same be utilized to further the scope of online wedding industry in India. To conduct the study, the research objective was furthered to five main research questions. First was the identification of the level of comfort and reliability associated with online matrimonial websites, their credibility and level and reasons for usage. It also became imperative to identify the level of internet usage for wedding arrangements, for only if the consumers are positive about the usage of this avenue, can the matrimonial sites extend their services. Identification of level of comfort and willingness to trust online platform for extended services pertaining to wedding arrangements was the third research question that required insights. Further the study tries to identify services consumers would trust to be provided online.There is a plethora of services; an 9|P ag e
online matrimonial site providing wedding related services can venture into. However, given the cultural context, there are few arrangements that the family would like to personally manage and few which they might be willing to trust a service portal with. Identification of the services will help us set an initial ground and zero down the services such a portal should begin with and the services that they should refrain from in the introduction stage. Lastly, the study tries to identify the factors working in favor or against the online platform as a wedding solution provider. The dissertation with the aid of the in-depth interviews conclude the above mentioned research questions. 1.1 Knowledge Gap In a scenario where wedding industry is growing at a tremendous rate, and so is the usage internet for availing products and services, we see marketing tactics of cross bundling are proving to be beneficial for the customers as well as the sellers. Hence we need to analyse that whether this cross bundling and service bundling model work out for matrimonial services which are more or less limiting themselves to the objective of match making. A lot of industries come under the purview of wedding services when we analyse this industry in a holistic manner. In such a situation understanding where can the matrimonial sites provide service extensions or a new service as a whole becomes crucial for the future scope of the industry. Also not much study has been conducted in this area and online space is still limited to provide with services to match-making only. There are websites providing data but not in a comprehensive manner and the wedding directories is not a much used source of information. On searching if research has been conducted about the feasibility of introducing online wedding services in India, I did not see much available literature. Considering this topic is an upcoming one, this could well be the future of wedding industry in India. I think my work will in some way be a starting point in understanding how the intricacies of culture, and online user behavior can be used at an advantage by the existing matrimonial sites to extend their services. 1.2 Literature Review The literature review will touch upon the following points that will make the ground work for the research problem at hand 10 | P a g e
Wedding Industry In India and the transition of match-making to the online space – to
understand how the phenomenon moved from its traditional form to the online space
Weddings in India – the basic perspective of Hindu weddings in India, the transition and
evolvement in the years
Online behavior of Indian consumers – to understand the level and usage of internet in
India
Wedding Industry across the world & level of digitization in wedding services – to
understand the shift towards online platform for wedding arrangements in the rest of the
world
Service Bundling in industries – to understand how service bundling has proved
beneficial to users and sellers in different industries
1.3 Objective of the study
To understand if the Indian consumers are ready to trust the online space for providing
wedding related services. The services they wish to explore online and the level they are
willing to trust online space for involvement in the event that is considered most crucial
in one’s life.
11 | P a g eChapter II – LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Weddings in India – Match-making and its transition to the online space 2.1.1 Vectors of Marriage Information Social commons essentially seek for the matrimonial information. (Desai)3 As people look out for suitable matches, potential intermediaries with meaningful importance gain importance. Here, vector is an agent used to carry or transmit the information from one into another causing marriage. Usually human-agents and other deinstitutionalized vectors transmit a great variety of marriage related information to multifarious communities of the Indian society. Besides conventional means, certain class of peoples preferably uses printed or electronic media as their causative agent of marriage for faster dissemination to wider audience. Recently, online matrimony portals accelerate the opportunities of providing better matrimony services for sharing matrimonial information more comfortably and selectively. (Bal, 2011) 4 2.2 How the concept of intermediaries evolved 2.2.1 Kul-acharya Since long back, a few elites of the Indian society used to take up matchmaking as a profession called “kulacharya”,namely Dhruvananda Mishra and Devivar Ghatak in fifteenth century and Nulo Panchanan in eighteenth century (Islam, 2006)5 . They maintained written records of family histories and were bestowed a lot of social prestige in the society and hence enjoyed an authoritative power and dictation to settle the marriages of native peoples, by means of consulting the record books. 2.2.2 Ghatak Literally it means one who makes things happen or a middleman, who takes part in transferring information related to marriage between two interested parties. Some Ghataks are purely professional and matchmaking is their source of bread and butter. They used to be acknowledged 3 The concept of Hindu Wedding Deepti Desai 4 Review on matrimonial information systems and services –an Indian perspective by Jiban K Pal 5 Banglapedia 2006, Sirajul Islam 12 | P a g e
from both the parties with attractive gifts and fees. With the emergence of new alternatives,
Ghataks are disappearing gradually as information seekers began relying on multiple sources for
accessing information.
2.2.3 Newspaper
With changing times, media gained a lot of importance and newspaper can be considered to be
the pioneer in the way it brought about ease of communication. Newspapers made the reach of
information increase drastically. And as newspaper gained importance in dessiminaton of social
and political news, eventually it also became a source of transmitting matrimonial information in
the form of classified advertisement. This means of getting information started trending and now
all leading newspaper in India have a classified matrimonial column. (Bal, 2011)6
2.2.4 Online-matrimony
With the growing popularity and reach of the internet, and internet being the hub of social
activities as well, it became the platform for transmitting information pertaining to marriages.
Gradually it became the agent of first hand matrimonial information and a source of far more
suitable matches for prospective brides and grooms than any other medium had been so far. Such
interactive platforms offer attractive services to their registered members and facilitates online
searching which could be free or fee based faster and far more conveniently.
2.2.5 Usefulness of Online Matrimony Service
Online matrimony service refers to the formation of a community on the Internet, which
facilitates the members to interact and share marriage related information through SDI (selective
dissemination of information) based personalized ways. This service provides a variety of new
ways for users to interact and share first hand information, thus gained much popularity in
twenty-first century. Such platform brings the peoples together having matrimonial interest.
Therefore, interested members can explore the interest of others. Current matrimony service
portals have their ability to set up and customize personal profiles that enable the members to use
attractive services in the same way of social networking practices. However, impact of social
networking in a linguistically and culturally rich India is unique, though often criticized for
degrading the Indian culture. Similar types of sites sometime mislead the peoples and seldom
find themselves as sex finder club. Almost all matrimony service portals have their common
6
Review on matrimonial information systems and services –an Indian perspective Jiban K Pal
13 | P a g eattributes like free registration, fee-based utilities (e-matchmaking, online chatting, email/SMS alerts), personalize services, community specific search, horoscope matching, etc. Free registration always attracts information seekers to be a member of online matrimony. Obviously paid members have greater level of access; they can initiate meaningful contacts with other members, successfully can use functional tools, and enjoy many other value added services. Again, structural components of these portals substantially make the difference in their efficiency and use. Matrimony databases are usually comprises of information components viz. basic information, vital statistical information, religion and family, education and career, behavior and culture, and lifestyle information. None-the-less online matrimony sites are increasingly being used to keep connected with prospective brides and grooms. Peoples of every sphere of the society have begun to observe its usefulness on various marital events. In India, online-matrimony market reveals 12 million users and gaining prominence during last few years. (Bal, 2011)7 2.3 Current Trends in Wedding Portals in India According to an article in indiatimes.com, published in April 2013, matrimony.com which has brokered more than 2 million marriages so far, is expanding its wedding empire that helps parents find matches by caste, complexion and family values (orthodox to liberal), and is now preparing to ramp up growth by selling products to the less affluent, like lists of 10 potential suitors for Rs 1000. Parents often arrange marriages in India and weddings are among the largest consumer expenditures in India, where researcher Global Demographics estimates 72 percent of the population is below 40 years old. Marriage is big business in India. The country accounted for 30 percent of global gold jewelry demand in the third quarter last year, according to the World Gold Council. Much is bought for weddings where brides are often covered with ornaments. Netscribes in 2011 estimated that India’s wedding industry would be worth 2 trillion rupees ($37 billion) in 2012 after expanding 25 percent in each of the previous two years. (A Billion dollar business, matrimony.com widens its matchmaking net, Article, News) 8 The rise in lavish weddings, is an opportunity across luxury sellers to food industry. Jubilant Foodworks, 7 Review on matrimonial information systems and services –an Indian perspective by Jiban K Pal 8 A Billion dollar business, matrimony.com widens its matchmaking net, Article, News India Times, April 2013 14 | P a g e
which runs Dominos Pizza began supplying pizzas in North India and the demand is growing at a rate of 30% per year. (A Billion dollar business, matrimony.com widens its matchmaking net, 2013)9 To channelize this boom, matrimony.com has started a directory that lists wedding service providers based on locations and services. However instead of really shifting its focus to wedding services, the Indian matrimonial websites are still targeting for a better penetration in India in the match-making business, and are trying to reach the bottom of the pyramid. 2.4 Weddings in India The real weddings in India are more and more influenced by the Bollywood and increasingly spectacular egged on by a newly emerged wedding industry into which the Bollywood form has seamlessly merged. (Kapur)10 As the real weddings are getting more and more Bollywoodized, inventing rituals mediated by the media, wedding sites like IndiaWeddingSite.com are encouraging their customers to look into Bollwood films for their wedding inspirations, from bridal outfits, to the décor and choreography for Sangeet, which again is a phenomena incorporated in the Indian weddings owing to the influence of larger than life weddings in the Bollywood films. The wedding planners which are mostly hired by the one’s with deep pockets, suggest entire weddings to be on the Bollywood theme, and even invite a star for a special wedding performance. Bollywood has also entered into the wedding business more directly apart from the indirect influences it has. Ramoji Film City has a wedding wing which serves as a ‘‘one-stop shop’’ for all aspects of wedding planning. (Kapur)11 From designing sets, offering entertainment and hospitality, including putting up guests and driving them around, the studio can also perform the wedding ceremony itself. The high end wedding planners, not just make the event feel like a movie, but also it is filmed in a fashion that can outdo Bollywood. The Bollywood phenomenon in weddings has seeped in and the wedding industry has introduced new occupations that were unknown prior to the 90’s, commodifying what was part of an 9 A Billion dollar business, matrimony.com widens its matchmaking net, Article, News India Times, April 2013 10 An ‘‘Arranged Love’’ Marriage: India’s Neoliberal Turn and the Bollywood Wedding Culture Industry, Critique by Jyotsna Kapur Department of Cinema and Photography, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 11 An ‘‘Arranged Love’’ Marriage: India’s Neoliberal Turn and the Bollywood Wedding Culture Industry, a critique by Jyotsna Kapur Department of Cinema and Photography, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 15 | P a g e
informal economy. Experienced family relatives are increasingly replaced by the wedding planners, the filmy uncle/aunt by a professional DJ. And the family event has become for professionalized and specialized in every field, photography, wedding invitations, decorators, beauticians, hena artists and entertainers. Loans and discounts during wedding season, by home and electrical appliances, and bridal malls and exhibitions are gaining popularity. The confluence between Bollywood music and weddings is not new. Bollywood has seldom drawn folk songs for its music and Bollywood music has always been a part of wedding celebrations. However, what is new is the scale of weddings and the unabashed display of wealth in weddings. The contemporary big wedding phenomenon is a return to tradition, but a return driven by and representative of a neoliberal subjectivity. The neoliberal subject is a product of the free market insistence on privatization of resources and its concomitant ethic that the individual expresses her/his identity through choices made in the market (Kapur).12 This relentless pursuit of novelty, is leading oneself to invent, package and present oneself from the market made choices. And hence the lead in designing weddings is shouldered not by the grandparents and parents but by the brides and grooms. For the young men and women, in particular those from the middle class, who fancy this assertion of individuality it involves a great deal of work. Hence the paper establishes the fact that the post 90’s films and soaps have had a big role to play in the opulence in the Indian weddings. A trend which started with films like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (Sooraj Barjatya, 1995), Dil Wale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (Aditya Chopra,1995), and was migrated internationally by films like Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001) and Gurinder Chadha’s Bride and Prejudice (2004) and became a popular trend and was seen in movies of the new decade as well, with films like Vivah (Sooraj Barjatiya, 2006), Mujh Se Shaadi Karogi (David Dhawan, 2004), Kal Ho Na Ho, (Nikhil Advani, 2003), Kabhi Khushi kabhi Gham (Karan Johar, 2001) Mujh Se Shaadi Karogi (Karan Johar, 2001), Mere Yaar ki Shaadi hain (Sanjay Gadhvi, 2002) and Kuch Kuch Hota Ho (Karan Johar,1998). The plot of each of these movies revolved around weddings. 12 An ‘‘Arranged Love’’ Marriage: India’s Neoliberal Turn and the Bollywood Wedding Culture Industry, a critique by Jyotsna Kapur Department of Cinema and Photography, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 16 | P a g e
Even more than cinema, television soaps revel in the wedding cult celebrating it with daily
regularity, resuscitating rituals better forgotten, such as Jamai Puja, or Muh Dikhai. (Kapur)
13
Shows like Teen Bahuraniya, Ghar ki Beti Lakshmiya Kasam Se, Maayka, and Saat Phere
which are set in large extended families, punctuate their already loose plots with celebrations of
the married couple around festivals and seasons all year long, often in synch with the actual
festivals. These television families constantly remind viewers of the numerous festivals that
mark the traditional Hindu calendar, celebrating them in grand style in homes which come
equipped with altars that would outdo many public temples.
There also came a time when match-making celebrity shows became popular. Maduri Dixit’s
show Shubh Vivah pioneered the match-making concept on the silver screen. It was based on the
ancient Indian concept of swayamvara, where the bride used to choose from the eligible
bachelors lined up for the event. However, it was not successful for very long. The principle
vehicle of matrimonial union in India today is the arranged marriages, where parents choose a
suitable match for their progeny. ( Coming next: Monsoon Divorce, 2002)14 The girl and the boy
meet from parent’s consent, and if they like each other they are engaged. Once the engagement is
done, initial taboos are lifted and the couple is free to meet and spend time together, which is
very different from a decade ago, when the couple couldn’t talk before the marriage. And now,
the involvement of the bride and groom is way more in the arrangements as well. More and more
couples, plan and arrange for a wedding they wanted, instead of their parents making all the
arrangements. But the situation is not the same for all. Given that 90 percent of the marriages are
arranged, the ones getting married are treated as mere pawns in a greater game. Economical and
social factors play a more crucial role than the couples consent in many cases. And the event is
more often than not a showcase of the family status rather than the officiating of the love.
Because of this the Inidan weddings are generally extravagant and few Indians marry within their
means. Middle class Indians start saving for their daughter’s wedding since her birth. Many
pension schemes routinely advertise of the investment scheme built around the wedding of the
13
An ‘‘Arranged Love’’ Marriage: India’s Neoliberal Turn and the Bollywood Wedding Culture Industry, a critique
by Jyotsna Kapur Department of Cinema and Photography, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901
14
Coming next: Monsoon Divorce, article Statesman Februrary 2002
17 | P a g edaughter. A priority on the agenda and almost as important as the right match is the venue. In high wedding craze cities, there are times when a family books venue even more the match is fixed, just to ensure that the venue is what they wished for. The venue, the menu, guest list and the trousseau are the most critical decisions. The baraat or the groom’s ceremonial procession is the symbol of family honour. The bride’s family is the host to the wedding, but the groom’s family takes care of the baraat and the responsibility of transporting the guests from the groom’s side to the venue which may involve inter-city travel. Once they reach the venue, they are the guest to the bride’s side and their hospitality is their responsibility. The arrival of the groom’s baraat launches the wedding ritual. Depending on the family, the wedding may or may not have a cocktail ceremony. However, drinking is a wedding is common and mostly restricted to men who maintain secrecy and find a common place to drink. Varmala, where exchange of garlands happen is the first ceremony of the entire wedding ritual. The garland is made of specific flowers depending on the regional tradition. Next stop is the mandap, the canopied area for the sacred fire. The fire is witness to the union and is central to many rituals, which normally include a few vows and offerings of rice for wealth, health and happiness. The bride is escorted and then given away in kanyadaan or donating the girl. It is a cathartic moment, representative literally of the hymns that are chanted by the pandit in the background, the ties and relationship with the family of birth is terminated. Once the daughter is given away, saat phere and the ritual of sindoor is carried out, which is a conventional symbol of all the wedded women. The weddings in India have always been an elaborate affair, each ritual has a well thought meaning behind it. Whether the extravagance today celebrates the tradition or is degenerating the meaning and value of the affair by blatant opulence is something people need to ponder on. With the divorce rates shooting up and the wealth poured in weddings too, it seems like the weddings are becoming a mere spectacle rather than a celebration in the transition of the lives of two individuals and their union. 2.5 Online Behaviour in Indian consumers According to a report by the International Data Corporation in 2000, a technology research firm in Framingham, Mass. An IDC survey of Internet usage at cyber cafes in India reveals that over 18 | P a g e
70% of the users are in the age group of 19-35. (Net behavior in India., Jul2000)15 And out of
those, only 7% have bought something through the net. The reasons for e-commerce not taking
off in India were healthy skepticism about timely delivery and accurate delivery, discomfort with
the usage of net banking and credit cards and a plethora of bargains the traditional stores used to
entice customers.
Contrasting this with the data from 2012, it is evident that the Indian users have had a mature
growth in a decade with internet users figure crossing 150 million in 2012. India has been the
fastest growing at an annual rate of 41 percent. (MISHRA, August 2013, vol. 18, no.2)16 India is
also among the top 3 fastest growing markets worldwide in the last 12 months (Comscore
ASSOCHAM report, 2012). India's e-tailing market in 2011 was about $600 Mn and expected to
touch $9 Bn by 2016 and $70 Bn by 2020 (Hindustan Times report,2012). The penetration level
of internet however is just 12 percent, making the potential of growth exquisitely evident.
15
Net behavior in India. Siliconindia, 10919503, Jul2000, Vol. 4, Issue 7
16
Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, August 2013, vol. 18,
no.2 Analyzing Perceived Risks and Website attributes in E-Retailing: A Study from India SITA MISHRA, PhD
19 | P a g eThe time people spend online significantly influences the times spend on searching for things consumers want to shop through online or offline space. Cheng etal. (2009) studied the intention to use the internet as a retailing platform depends on the perception of value (functional, social, emotional and epistemic dimensions of value) associated with the use of the medium. (MISHRA, August 2013, vol. 18, no.2)17 Perceived risk from buying online is what generally hindered users to use this avenue. Various types of risk identified were relative to physical, time, safety, financial, and performance dimensions (Cunningham, 1967; Dowling, 1986; Lim,2003 ; Forsythe and Shi,2003). Bhatnagar et al. (200) have mentioned three major types of risk on web business viz. financial risk, product risk, and information risk (security and privacy). It was seen that the online user behavior was more of avoiding risks than maximizing the utility of purchase. The basis of an online retail should be building the trust for their potential customers and icorporate it in their website. Perceptions of site design and quality were major attributes customers used to trust or not trust a site. The study conducted to analyze perceived risks in the Indian context established that the highest perceived risks regarding online shopping that Indian online users have are those related to security of credit card information, confidentiality of personal information and trust in e-retailers.However the study also revealed that there was no negative correlation of the perceived risk with future intent of purchase. The collectivist nature of the Indian consumers helps them overcome the perceived risk and make them more positive towards online shopping. However website attributes will play a high role in the transition and the most preferred attributes were referrals and recommendations of friends, family, and media recommendations on shopping. Recommendations of a retailer’s online operations have dominant effect on online trust. (MISHRA, August 2013, vol. 18, no.2)18 Another paper talks about how Web frees the customers from their traditionally passive role as receivers of marketing data, gives them much greater control over the information search and acquisition process, and allows them to become active participants in the marketing process (Hoffman and Novak, 1996). All the research done so far reiterates that the major difference between traditional and online shopping is the lack of opportunity to examine the product. The 17 Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, August 2013, vol. 18, no.2 Analyzing Perceived Risks and Website attributes in E-Retailing: A Study from India SITA MISHRA 18 Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, August 2013, vol. 18, no.2 Analyzing Perceived Risks and Website attributes in E-Retailing: A Study from India SITA MISHRA, PhD 20 | P a g e
more frequently users purchase online, the more is the level of trust to this platform. It is also seen that the adoption rate of those who use the online shopping more frequently is higher as it helps enhance trust as compared to the more frequent buyers. It is also seen higher education makes consumers more aware and comfortable to use the online space for shopping and exposed to the benefits of the technology. According to a research conducted in 1997, the framework of buyer analysis is a five step process. Firs is the problem recognition which leads to searching about its solution, The information hence gathered forms the basis of evaluation of the alternatives which in turn leads to the decision of purchase. Post purchase behavior also becomes crucial as it decides the consumers’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction to the product or service. Further there are several risks related to online shopping which vary from privacy of personal information, security of online transaction and uncertainty of the product or service quality. The concept of customer satisfaction is central to the success of an online marketing model. Whether the marketers can convert their potential customers into real ones and retain them depends to a very large extent on the service they offer and the perceived customer satisfaction of consumers. (Ravi Kiran, 2012)19 A study conducted to understand the users in India, especially in Punjab revealed that most respondents used internet to search information about new web page or sites from the search engine which is mostly influenced by the recommendations of friends and peers. And the result was irrespective of the marital status, income level and educational level. The result revealed that online advertisements influenced 31% of the respondents to buy a product or a service. The most important function of the Internet is information gathering, next comes the communication medium, followed by internet shopping, and entertainment. (Ravi Kiran, 2012)20 Product or service reliability was affected by awareness of the media, whether internet provided more comprehensible information than other media and the detailed product or service information. 19 Attitudes, Preferences and Profile of Online Buyers in India: Changing Trends Ravi Kiran, Anupam Sharma and K C Mittal 20 Attitudes, Preferences and Profile of Online Buyers in India: Changing Trends Ravi Kiran, Anupam Sharma and K C Mittal 21 | P a g e
2.6 Wedding Industry across the world & level of digitization in wedding services The wedding industry concept originated from Japan, as Watabe became the only listed wedding company in the world. What started as a small company selling and leasing wedding dresses in 1953, turned into a big enterprise which has provided wedding services to 430,000 couples. It offers one-stop wedding service from wedding photography to ceremonies and has expanded from wedding celebration to rites of passage, wedding anniversaries and beyond. Its annual operating revenue is 50 billion yen with a profit of almost 1.2 billion yen. (Maosheng, 2012)21 The wedding industry in the US generates more that a US$100 billion annually and is most resilient when it comes to travel industry. Like any culture, wedding in US is also full of events, bridal showers, engagement, bachelorette, bridesmaid’s luncheon and rehearsal dinners. Destination weddings are have seen a 400% increase post economic slowdown, and this along with honeymoon travels provides the chunk of the revenue to the travel industry in the US. (The Business of Weddings and Honeymoon) 22 21 Bells for the Wedding Industry - Shanghai’s Wedding Industry is facing great opportunities and faster development By Chen Maosheng 22 The Business of Weddings and Honeymoon, Travel Agent 22 | P a g e
On reviewing wedding shopping and arrangement trends in other countries, it is seen it is moving
towards the web. According to an article published in 2010, from Gifts and Decorators, a
monthly magazine in the US, 87% of the brides are using the internet to research brfore they go
into a store to register and 69% of the couples use the internet to manage their registry over the
course of their engagement. (Article, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, , 2010) 23 And they also
promote their registry online through social media and email marketing so that the guests all over
the country can purchase gifts from the same site. The bridal registry that used to happen
traditionally in writing has now moved to the web, providing more options for the couple which
is far more convenient for the retailers as well.
There are many websites, helping plan weddings like brides.com, that helps the bride with
everything, starting from designing the engagement ring to developing a budget and guest list,
taking care of all big and small details that will help arrange the perfect wedding. It has sub-
sections, helping the bride with rings, dresses, beauty, planning, photos, registry, honeymoons
and any other advice on season wise weddings etc.
Wedding Web sites allow the bride and groom to post event details, maps and directions;
biographies about the couple and wedding party, and links to hotels and gift registries, they also
23
Article, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, March/April 2010
23 | P a g elet guests RSVP and vote in customized polls to pick the first song the couple will dance to or
which drink to serve at the reception. (Ohtake, 2008)24 Sites like weddingwindow.com lets the
couple use wedding planning tools, find vendors and map budgets etc for a monthly budget deal.
Myevent.com is another website which only deals with gift returns and exchanges for the newly -
weds. It is believed that the industry is set to be paperless in the coming years.
Another article in Marketwired, Chicago talks about how the brides and their wedding planning
is changing, WeClickd is a social site about everything related to wedding. This platform enables
the brides-to-be to save and share inspirations during their wedding planning on one site. The site
lets her share every wedding product, strike conversations with other brides-to-be, friends and
vendors through social wedding conversations. WeClickd is a social networking site dedicated to
brides-to-be and all their wedding needs, which makes perfect sense owing to the rigorous
planning that goes behind a wedding.
On WeClickd, brides connect with vendors to plan and share instantly, like when the bride-to-be
finds a dress she likes , WeClickd immediately shows her local or national vendors who can
make it happen. It's also these extensive vendor listings that enable her to contact a business and
view their products. Private folders customized for each bride can be created instantly. Vendors
on WeClickd see the ideas that brides save and add to them based on her taste and choices. When
they work together, the time and stress of planning a wedding is cut considerably and she gets
individual attention. (Marketwired, 2013)25
The focal point of the wedding might be the wedding dress but there are a lot many details and
purchases that need to be taken care of when it comes to weddings. And the decisions are seldom
made by brides alone. When it comes to social media, Facebook has greater reach with online
consumers, but Pinterest has become the destination for shopping inspiration and product
discovery. According to a survey conducted by Bizrate, conducted in August 2012, people who
used social sites to get inspiration about what to buy, relied 705 on Pinterest and 17% on
Facebook. (Nash)26 An online store in US, David Bridal is pouring historical sales information
24
I Now Pronounce You...Online. By: Ohtake, Miyoko, Newsweek, 00289604, 3/17/2008, Vol. 151, Issue 11
25
Traditional Wedding Planning Is Out, Social Planning Is In. By: Marketwired, Marketwire (English), 09/17/2013
26
My Big Fat Big Data Project David's Bridal exploits data from its social shopping community to tie the knot with
customers by Kim S. Nash
24 | P a g einto databases with current sales, social media, demographic and other data to better understand customer behavior. Adding data from the social network to the mix will give the company insights that competitors don't have. Soon to Moon is a brand new service by Sandals Resorts, designed to help clients customize the special moment that begins the journey to marriage. It offers the assistance of a concierge, who will help couples bring their proposal dreams to life. Rendezvous (www.theromanticholiday.com), a couples-oriented boutique hotel in St. Lucia, just launched its premium "Ever After Wedding Collection." They offer tailor-made holiday packages to the personalized tastes of the couple celebrating honeymoons. (What’s new for Nuptials?, 2013)27 Packages like “Island Romance”, “Elope” and “Exotic Oasis” are special packages with intimacy and romance according to the couples’ choice. It’s not just the US or UK, in China On average, of each 100 new couples, 88couples will arrange for formal wedding photos, 44 will pay wedding companies to do wedding planning, 79 will hold banquets and 68 will enjoy honeymoon trips. (Maosheng, Bells for the wedding industry - Shanghai’s Wedding Industry is facing great opportunities and faster development )28 The cost of weddings is increasing at a humungous rate making this industry very lucrative in China. A leading online portal Wedding O2O opened in 2012 in China, helping couples plan their wedding while in office or home. In the first eight months of 2011, 600,000 people bought wedding supplies online; among them 50% were aged between 25 and 29 and people aged between 30 and 34 accounted for 24.66%. (Maosheng, Bells for the wedding industry - Shanghai’s Wedding Industry is facing great opportunities and faster development )29 The number of online shops on Taobao.com, a famous e-commerce portal in China, jumped from 600 to 5000 last year, marking a 700% growth. However, just like in India, internet cannot eliminate face-to-face communication pertaining to wedding. Business that caters to wedding is definitely going through a revolution. Be it invitations, finding a dress for the wedding, photography, everything in this industry is set to go digital. 27 What’s new for Nuptials?, Travel Agent, January 2013 28 Bells for the wedding industry - Shanghai’s Wedding Industry is facing great opportunities and faster development By Chen Maosheng 29 Bells for the wedding industry - Shanghai’s Wedding Industry is facing great opportunities and faster development By Chen Maosheng 25 | P a g e
According to the Bridal Association of America, 12 percent of couples now choose a
"destination" wedding. ( Gifts and Decorative Accessories, 2007)30As more and more couples
move from a place of worship to non-traditional weddings like destination weddings, retailers in
this segment will have to pay heed and change their services accordingly. As beach weddings
grow in trend, there are consultants at resorts to plan and put together the entire wedding. Theme
weddings and costumes and accessories as per the theme is also gaining popularity. Taking heed,
many bridal manufacturers like he Beverly Clark Collection, Cathy's Concepts and Lillian Rose
are coming up with sea-inspired collections.
2.7 Service Bundling in industries
Many companies are joining forces to be a one stop shop for all customer needs. And we see a
similar phenomenon in the banking industry. Banks and brokerage houses are teaming up and
providing services. Mostly people need financial assistance when buying property and by such
service bundling they aim to provide convenience to the customers.
One such service bundling which has now become a common service is banks teaming up with
telecommunications to provide a wireless transaction, bill payment and other services using
smart card technology.
The economics literature studies bundles of two items under pure and mixed strategy, focusing
on either offering only the bundle or both the bundle The economics literature studies bundles of
two items under pure and mixed strategy, focusing on either offering only the bundle or both the
bundle and the items together. The problem is formulated as a disjunctive programming situation
with any costs and a customer can choose only one bundle or both as the bundle prices are in
additive form. (Altinkemer, 2001)
With low production, distribution and marginal costs bundling can make sense. And in such a
scenario it is better to maximize the items in the bundle to maximize the profit. With the law of
large numbers it is better to bundle as many items as possible, although this is not true for
physical goods with significant marginal costs. Such "predictive value bundling" often leads to
large-scale bundling. On the other hand, when there are differences between the consumer
30
Gifts and Decorative Accessories, March 2007
26 | P a g egroups with different valuations then just simple bundling does not work anymore. (Altinkemer,
2001) 31
Hence an advantage of bundling is to augment and support new applications in an effective
manner.
Until recently, marketing practitioners and academics have used choice models to typically study
one of two situations. The first is a choice of one product or object from a set of alternatives.
This has encompassed both experimental studies of choice behaviour as well as much of the
literature on analysis of consumer choice using scanner data. The second choice is in context to
allocation. In such a case the buyer has resources which needs to be allocated through different
alternatives. to which vendor a fertilizer producer will sell his produce? Question like these will
come under such decision making.
Ben-Akiva and Gershenfeld have developed a method for handling a menu choice situation that
allows the buyer to choose pre-defined bundles of `meals', to choose`single dishes' or both. This
`have it your way approach' is very appealing since it characterizes many everyday marketing
and choice situations. Automobile options, cable TV services, personal computers, insurance
plans, and industrial service agreements all are marketed by allowing the buyer to choose his
own desired level of service. Rather than being a `choice of one from many alternatives' or an
`allocation of a fixed resource across many alternatives'. (cohen, 1998)32
This approach has been used in various areas like in cable TV, insurance companies, automobile
options wherein the buyer can choose his level of service requirement.
All of these industries were characterized by multiple product or service features with individual
prices for each feature and with certain incentives attached with the usage of bundling or when
the buyer choose multiple alternatives. There was also complements and substitutions offered
among the existing alternatives which most importantly enhanced the level of service or product
that suited the needs of the buyer in the best possible way. One important aspect that emerges is
the effect of discounts since it demonstrates the added revenues captured by a mixed bundling
31
Bundling Banking Services, Keman Altinkemer
32
Analysing Pricing and Bundling Strategies by Moshe Ben Akiva and Shari Gershenfeld, by Steve cohen
27 | P a g estrategy. In this respect high individual prices were offered and the packaging effect
demonstrates the affinity that consumers have for several bundle choices over the individual
menu choices or very limited bundles. (cohen, 1998)33
Another paper talks about the enhancements provided by cross selling AOL and Time Warner
Cable Subscribers added $125-$185 Million to EBITDA. Hence the solid subscriber base of both
the companies help augment the business of each other and how such a model can work to
incentivize the cross selling of one product or service by the other. New revenue models like
cross selling Times magazine through AOL could also be lucrative. Each service would promote
the other, with discounted pricing on service added to a bundle with AOL discounted by one-
third and magazines discounted by half, and still producing significantly improved earnings for
the company. Such cross business model can also be used to save flops. Like in case of Time
Warner music market testing of new talent can be done on AOL’s online platform which will
help Warner Music predetermine the offline success potential of new, as yet unproven talent,
helping in better management of upfront marketing and promotional costs. We are assuming that
the AOL benefit is for the domestic market only. (Bernstein)34
2.8 Summary of the Literature Review
On reviewing the existing literature on the topics that influence our research problem, a few
points become evident. For instance, the transition of match making to the online space and the
increasing level of comfort Indian users find on the online space for credible and relevant
product, service or information. With the increase in internet penetration, the level of awareness
and the usage of online portals is bound to increase and so will the comfort to use this space for
online transactions and usage of online services. On reviewing the wedding trends abroad, it
becomes evident as to how the online space is affecting the wedding industry. Social sites
devoted for weddings alone, online portals for aiding and planning weddings and wedding
planners are resorting to this platform and so are the to-be-brides and grooms. Owing to the fact
that most trends in the western world are adopted by the Indian users, it can be assumed to be the
next big thing when it comes to India and the wedding services online. We also touched upon
33
Analysing Pricing and Bundling Strategies by Moshe Ben Akiva and Shari Gershenfeld, by Steve cohen
34
AOL Time Warner – Opportunity Eveywhere by Sanford c Bernstein
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