Forensic Analysis Of A Playstation 3 Console Information Technology Essay

Forensic Analysis Of A Playstation 3 Console Information Technology Essay researching all the information that is available to me about the playstation 3 gaming system, from what the console connects to, the file structure of the hard disk, what features the system has e.g. internet, chat, email, online gaming. The deliverable that will be present at the end of this would be detailed research about the gaming system with everything that is needed to know to progress with the project. 2.2 Analysis the objective that I have for my analysis is to perform all the tasks that I have talked about (playing online games etc) then after each of these stages will then make an image of the hard disk of the system and look at the image in FTK to see if any changes have been made to the disk after the task has been completed. To illustrate an example of this would be to start a chat message with someone, then turn off the system remove the hard disk, image the hard disk, then load the image into FTK and look to see if any traces of the chat are present on the hard disk (date/time stamps). When writing up the findings of the investigation a document will be presented with all the processes went through, what tools used. The deliverable that I expect to have at the end of this objective would be disk images of the various tasks with a detailed report of my findings and a document showing all processes and tools used, and also a set of guidelines of how I found the evidence on t he system. If no evidence can be found on the HDD of the console then other areas of analysis will have to be explored from using different tools such as scalpel and photorec and also using different types of hardware like Bus Doctor. 2.3 Evaluation the objective for the evaluation is to forensically wipe the hard disk to the Playstation 3 system that was used, then giving this along with my guidelines and tasks completed to another person. The other person will go ahead and complete the series of tasks that were previously performed on the system, follow the guidelines and see if the they can find the same evidence as previously found, if the person can find the evidence that is in my guidelines then this proves that the guidelines created are correct. The deliverable at the end of this objective would be the test data of the other person which will then be written up, to show whether my guidelines are correct/incorrect. 3. Why gaming systems are an issue. In the recent years games systems have evolved immensely allowing the gamer to experience more realistic graphics and sound quality. This is because the systems have been updated to such a high standard some of what like a standalone computer, giving the user a lot more gigabyte/terabyte storage space, because of this the user has more room to store data on the disk whether it be images, videos or music. In relation to this the old Ps3 systems that were first released had the option to add another OS (operating system) on the hard drive so you could have Linux running on the system this means that the system can be used as a normal machine, Sony have no disabled this feature on the most current firmware of the console. A news report that was found on the ABC news website (http://abcnews.go.com/technology/story?id=7009977page=1) describes of how a user used his Playstation 3 system to get a young girl aged 11 to send dirty pictures of herself from her Playstation to his. It also says how the criminal threw his computer out as he didnt need it anymore. Using this example that has been found shows how criminals are adapting to the new technology and using it to their advantage to commit crimes. The growth of these gaming consoles means that they are more like a standalone computer coming standard with massive hard drives and encryption on the disks meaning that as forensics examiners it makes it harder to retrieve data from some of these devices and takes longer for the imaging process to complete. In regard to a forensic examiner the game systems are a big problem because the development of the consoles have evolved over the years and now contain multiple CPUs and graphics cards, and with the onboard storage that the same of a desktop computer users are able to save their pictures, music and video to these devices. Also using the features of the console from downloading and install the most current firmware and streaming media from a different network location. With the Playstation 3 you create a user/s for use with machine, so when the system is turned on it asks which user you would like to sign in as. With relation to the Xbox 360 console where hacking communities have found loopholes which allow the Xbox console to run unsigned code which means that the Linux OS can be booted up onto the machine allowing this console to be used just like a desktop PC. If Linux can be booted up onto the machine then this means it could be used for illegal usage example (file storage), although the first release of the Playstation 3 allowed this feature Sony have now stopped the boot of Linux and other Operating systems on its machines, but if a hack or loophole was found in their security then this would mean that this system could be used for malicious ways just like and Xbox or standalone PC. A post from January 26th, 2010 explains how hacker George Hotz has hacked the PS3 he revealed on his blog that he has achieved read/write access to the entire system memory and HV level access to the processor. If this is true then this means that the playstation can be used to run unsigned code and other o perating systems can be loaded onto the device, meaning that full desktop usage can be applied storing all kinds of information on the system. Also the Jailbreak that was leaked online was able to fool the system into thinking that a game was being played from a Blu-ray disc, but it was actually playing from the HDD, this could only be the start, people are making small but beneficial steps into fully hacking the Playstation 3 console. 4. Research 4.1 About the Playstation 3 The project that will be created will be about the analysis of the hard disk drive of a Playstation 3 console which is the most up to date console alongside the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. The Sony Playstation which is the next step in the gaming world provides the gamer with a new console to experience the most up to date graphics and high definition games and movies with the help of the consoles Blu ray drive. Since the console release in November 2006 the unit has sold over 38.1 million worldwide according to (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/ps3-has-sold-38-1m-units-worldwide). Since the release of the console there have been many different models of the system from USB ports, Flash card readers and hard drive support, this means that the system and its components are always changing. All the games and movies that the console play are in the format of Blu ray this mean that the content that you are playing or watching are in the high definition format giving a more crystal clear picture and sound. 4.2 Online gaming. DSCI0056.JPG FIGURE 1 Picture of Playstation Store menu. The Playstaion 3 system offers the use of the internet whether it is a wired or wireless connection, because of this it is giving the user full access to the World Wide Web meaning they can access all the information that they would access on a standalone computer from social networking sites, videos, pictures etc. While playing games on the console you have the option on many games to play online this gives the user the capability to play the game of choice with other users of the game all over the world. To be able to do this you need to have a multiplayer capable of online game play, you must also have a Playstation network account which will give you access to other users and also need the Playstation to be connected to the wired/wireless internet. You can also create a Playstation network account where users are able to play online games with any person/s all over the world, they can add buddies and stay in close contact with the people they meet online either by email or chat. Because of the email and chat facilities available on the console it is just like a social networking site where people are able to exchange information with each other and possible pictures and other bits of material that can be deemed as illegal or offensive. The console also comes with full internet access via the browser the user can access any website that he/she wishes from the console and even downloading images, videos to the consoles hard disk drive. 4.3 The Hard disk. The hard disk in the Playstation 3 can come in various sizes from 40gb all the way up to a massive 320gb (factory), but there is an option to easily remove and replace the hard disk of the system, this can be done by purchasing a 2.5 5400rpm SATA hard drive which is the same hard disk used in laptop computers. To replace the hard drive of the system photocopies of the instruction manual are below. img013.jpg img014.jpg img015.jpg After these steps have been completed you then have a new HDD in your system whether it is a higher or lower capacity. Because the hard disk of the console is the same as the ones that they store in laptop computers the capacity of these disks can be great allowing a great deal of information such as images, videos or music to be stored on the disk to view with the console. A website was found (http://dcemu.co.uk/psgroove-payload-released-that-decrypts-firmware-files-by-graf_chokolo-346424.html) Where Graf_Chokolo has released a version of PSGroove payload, this allows the developers to see full details of the PS3 system firmware complete with decrypted contents. Graf_Chokolo goes onto to explain how to put the source code onto the system, he goes onto explain that my payload has two stages. The 1st stage is actually a PSGroove payload, which initializes the gelic device and allocates memory needed for the 2nd stage. Compile the 1st stage binary, convert it to C hex array and replace the PSGroove payload. (Appendix 16) Graf_Chokolo goes on to explain the second stage, this stage decrypts the CORE_OS_PACKAGE.pkg from a PUP file, it then runs some isolated SPU module or dumps FLASH, the binary of the file is then sent over the Ethernet with sendfile. The 1st stage receives the data and then stores it in a memory region of size 64kb, after the upload is complete, the 1st stage code jumps to the 2nd stage code and executes it. (Appendix 16) Another piece of information from this website is to be able to decrypt packages from a PUP file, first you need to extract a revoke list for the packages from PUP file 3.41 e.g. (RL_FOR_PACKAGE.pkg), then extract it convert it to C hex array and paste it into rvk_pkg_341.c. (Appendix 16) 4.4 Playstation 3 system updates With the use of the internet in the Playstation there is an option to keep the software of the system up to date this will provide you with the latest security updates, parental controls and the display options. By updating to the latest update you will enhance what the console is capable of. If you would like to find out the current software that your system is currently running you go to the settings category and then from there select system settings then system information within this the current system software will be displayed. You can update the current software of the system in a number of ways this is shown by the following methods. System update if the ps3 is connected to the internet got to settings then system update then click update via the internet the console will then check to see if there is an update available for the console if there is an update available it will download and install the update for you. There is also another option to update via the pc this is done by visiting the website eu.playstation.com you then follow the on screen instructions to download to the pc. After the download has finished you will then need to save the update to a ps3 compatible device either a memory stick/duo, USB drive or even a PSP console. Before putting the update into the system you will have to create a folder called PS3 then a folder called UPDATE once it has then been connected to the system you then navigate to system update then update via storage media. By allowing or accepting the system update new security can be put in place on the system, because Sony regularly release new firmware updates for the console the security of the device is constantly being updated. 4.5 Specifications Below are the specifications of the Playstation console. CPU Cell Broadband Engine GPU RSX Audio Output LPCM 7.1ch, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM Hard disk 2.5 serial ATA 320GB Inputs/Outputs Hi-speed USB, USB 2.0 Networking Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 100BASE-T) x 1 IEEE 802.11 b/g Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) Controller Wireless controller Bluetooth Resolution 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i HDMI OUT connector 1 AV MILTI OUT connector 1 DIGITAL OUT connector 1 BD/DVD/CD drive Read rate BD x 2 (BD-ROM) DVD x 8 (DVD-ROM) CD x 24 (CD-ROM) Power AC 200 -240 v, 50 / 60 HHHHz Power consumption Approx 230w External Dimensions Approx 290 x 65 x 290mm Mass Approx 3.0kg Operating temperature 5 35 degrees The Playstation 3 Console also includes RSA BSAFE Cryptographic software from RSA security Inc. RSA BSAFE software provides the security functionality necessary to allow developers to meet the stringent FIPS 140 and Suite Requirements for offering products to the U.S. government agencies. (Appendix 18) Many leading companies including Adobe, Oracle, Hypercom, Skyworks, Sony and Nintendo rely on RSA BSAFE software to provide the foundational security functionality by their respective software and device applications. (Appendix 18) RSA security protects the integrity and confidentiality of information throughout his lifecycle, RSA offers industry leading solutions in identity assurance and access control, encryption key management, compliance and security information management and fraud protection. (Appendix 18) http://www.rsa.com/node.aspx?id=1204 4.6 File Sharing The Playstation 3 console also allows the ability for you to share files via the console and your desktop computer, to be able to do this you need to make sure that both your computer and console are connected to the same network. If you would like to stream all the media from your windows media player like music, videos and pictures. You can do this by going into tools and options of windows media player and selecting library, then configure sharing you then check the box that says share my media to and your Playstation 3 will be in the list. In the settings tab of this you can then select which media that you wish to share music, pictures, video you then click ok. If you then turn on the console you will then see thumbnails of the compatible media that can be played on the system. http://www.wirelesshdadapter.com/wp-content/uploads/Media%20Server%20Ps3%20Software_2.jpg (Appendix 17) 4.7 previous work While completing research to find out if any other analysis of the Playstation console was carried out a paper was found published by the University of Central Florida where they conducted a Forensic Analysis of a Sony Playstation 3 Console, where they conducted a number of tests on the machine to see if any of the data could be extracted from the console. The tests that they completed where the following; An encryption test this test was to determine if it was possible to locate a picture once it had been copied to the console. The steps they took in completing this were to copy a image to a removable media, then plug this into the console and copy the image to the hard drive of the system, shut the console down and the image the hard drive. The next stage was to analyse the hard drive in FTK using its use of a data carving feature to see if the picture could be carved out of the image, although stated that FTK was unsuccessful in identifying files and folders on the partition (Appendix 6), even though only one tool was used while completing this task if other tools were used then maybe a different outcome would be found the tools that could be used alongside FTK to find the image could be scalpel or Photorec which are both data carving tools. The paper also talks about a write blocker test, where the hard drive was placed behind a write blocker before connecting the hard disk to the console, the consoles hard disk was then removed then placed behind a write blocker, then plugged into the console, the console was then turned on and they found that the console would power up but not boot up, by replacing the write blocker with a bridge the console was to power and boot up as normal. (Appendix 6) The test result then explains that the console must be able to write to the hard drive before it will boot up, though it also shows that the hard drive does not have to be directly connected to the console (Appendix 6) regarding the result of this test a write blocker cannot be placed between the hard drive and the console or the console will not boot up. Although many other tests were performed on the console all the test results were inconclusive or negative form this paper, they concluded in the end that Sony has successfully locked-down the PS3 By using other tools that are an alternative to FTK, these tools might be able to identify something that FTK is unable to do thus providing more information to data on the HDD of the console. Another paper called Xbox 360: A digital forensic investigation of the hard disk drive (Appendix 4) was written with details and findings of the hard disk drive of the Xbox 360, where a USB drive was plugged into the machine and using Bus Doctor to analyse what was being written between the Xbox console are the hard disk drive. And states that it is seamless and not as intrusive as mod chipping or installing other operating systems (Appendix 4). This method could be applied to the Playstation 3 console to see what is being written between the console and the hard disk drive of the Sony console. 4.8 Playstation 3 security architecture A pdf file was found that detailed the security architecture of the Playstation console, http://www.ps3news.com/PS3-Dev/playstation-3-security-architecture-pdf-released/ , the paper details that the system controller for the console if CXD2973GB and this is the hardware that is responsible for powering up the CBEA processor and it is directly connected via BIO/IF hardware bus. The console also contains a secure boot the secure boot of the CBEA includes random selected SPE in order to avoid sniffing per boot, a fake encryption/decryption state in all other SPE during secure boot to add fake sequence, a root key which is used to then decrypt the key vault and or the boot code (Appendix 15). The key vault of the Playstation 3 is an encrypted file containing all the keys to trust devices and processes, hard disk AES keys (Appendix 15). 5. Summary The research that has taken place shows all the relevant information about the Playstation 3 console, explaining what the machine allows you to do and how to update the firmware of the system. Although the system seems to be very secure, the images taken will be analysed to see if any relevant data can be taken from the disk these will be the objectives previously proposed, failing finding anything on the images of the HDD the console will be connected up to Bus Doctor a protocol analyser to see what is happening when the system is booted up and what data can be captured. Although a paper has been written on the analysis of the Playstation 3 console (appendix 6) new hardware and software have come to market since the paper was written in 2009, the PS3 Jailbreak has made its way by being able to run unsigned code on the console and giving the user power to copy games to the hard drive of the console. 6. Future Work/Where next After and image of the Playstation HDD was taken, it was then loaded into FTK forensic toolkit where the contents of the disk was looked at. After loading it into the software immediately it could be noticed that the hard disk was encrypted, searches were completed to see if any string of text and data carved items could be found on the disk the result was negative. More images of the hard disk will be taken when performing tasks then loaded into the FTK toolkit program if no strings of text can be found another approach will have to take place, the use of other programs that are available Scalpel and Photorec can be used to identify any interesting information on the HDD of the console. Another approach would be to try and capture what is going on with the system when it is booted up because the encryption must be deactivated when the system is booted up to allow the system access to the hard disk. The other data carving tools that could be used in combination with FTK will be scalpel and photorec. Scalpel which reads the database of the header and the footer definitions and extracts matching files from a set of image files or raw device. Scalpel will carve files from FATx, NTFS, ext2/3 or raw partitions. (Appendix 12) Photorec which is a data recovery tool to recover lost files on hard disks and other media, Photorec ignores the file system of the media and goes after the underlying data, so the software will still work if the medias file system has been severely damaged or reformatted.(Appendix 13). Bus Doctor which allows to capture what is being called/written to the hard disk when the console has been turned on this can provide good information to find out what is happening when the console is turned on. during the research a website was found that describes how the psjailbreak now supports 3.42 and 3.50, which allows the user to run unapproved content on the system (pirated games), and also allows for the running of the Linux OS on the system. They sister site of this company (www.psdowngrade.com) allows the downgrading of the firmware of the system, if the psjailbreak is applied to the console maybe the decryption key can be found and then lead to the decryption of the HDD of the system. This could be done by plugging in the psjailbreak and finding out what calls it makes to the system and possibly the decryption can be found from this method. Another method would be to connect the Playstation system up to a protocol analyser (busdoctor) this will capture what data is written when the system is booted up.

Obadiah The Prophet :: essays research papers

Prophet - One who utters divinely inspired revelations That is how the word prophet is defined in Webster’s dictionary, but a prophet is much more. A prophet is someone who is chosen by God to convey his message to the people; a middleman between God and his people. A prophet is someone who God selects as the embodiment of himself. Someone that people will listen to. Someone with a presence. Now the prophets did not all lead perfect lives, but they all had a bond with the Lord that could not be matched. The Prophets were holy people but they were in no way God-like. They were humble people that gladly served their God. This summary of a prophet is what most people believe the prophet Obadiah was like. Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament consisting of only one chapter, is the pronouncement of doom against an ancient and long-forgotten nation, the land of Edom. It was written in 587 B.C.E, after the destruction of Jerusalem. But there is more to this book than that. The Scriptures have that ability of appearing to be one thing on the surface, but on a deeper level, yielding rich and mighty treasures. This is definitely true for the short, but meaningful book of Obadiah. We know very little about Obadiah except that he was one of the minor prophets. There is a reference to a prophet Obadiah in the days of Elijah and Elisha and there is some thought that perhaps he is the same man. The name Obadiah was a very common name among the Hebrews though, and it is very likely this is not the same prophet, for in this book Obadiah mentions the day when Jerusalem was destroyed, captured by the alien armies, and that occurs long after the time of Elijah and Elisha. So most Bible commentators believe the author of this book was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, the last of the prophets before Israel went into captivity. The name Obadiah means "the servant of Jehovah;" He fulfills the position of a servant. He comes and does his work and fades into the background; he delivers his message and he is gone. That is about all we know about the man behind this book. The book of Obadiah tells the story of two nations, the nation of Israel and the nation of Edom, the country to the south of Israel that is now usually referred to as the Negeb.

Inderstanding Consumer Behaviour Towards Luxury Products Essay

Studying consumer behaviour enables marketing researchers to predict how consumers will react to promotional messages and to understand why they make the purchase decision they do. Marketers realized that if they know more about the consumer decision making criteria, they can design marketing strategies and promotional messages that will influence consumers more effectively. The importance of consumer behaviour made marketers to think of a separate branch in marketing research – Consumer research, to deal exclusively for consumer related issues. The current focus of this report is on study of underlying needs and motives in taking purchase decisions, consumer learning process and attitude formation process. The study has been initiated for Club Mahindra Holidays. The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer perceptions of luxury products and the factors that influence his purchase decisions. The objective is to understand consumer behaviour towards luxury products and the steps followed while purchasing it. To achieve the above objectives, we first look at how luxury goods are different from regular goods and then go on to explore some facets and trends of the luxury goods as well as their market and consumers. We will understand the definition of luxury products through secondary research. Post secondary research we will develop few hypotheses which will give us the direction for our next step ie Qualitative Research. We will use interview method in qualitative research which will give an insight into the mindset of the consumers and their purchase steps involved and then follow it up with quantitative research (survey method). Through this we will quantify our findings for the Indian luxury consumer and their buying behaviour. We will analyze the factors that influence the consumers in buying the luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 4 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Abstract Scope: This project is a part of a job assigned to the planning department. This project is an initiative taken to understand the behaviour of consumers towards luxury products. Purchase of a luxury product involves lot of planning and research before taking any decision. There are number of factors that affect an individual?s decision making process as well as his choice about the product. These factors are different for different types of luxury product. A research into these aspects will give us an insight into the mindset of the consumer and will help to study the consumer better. Method: Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. This allowed us to find out about the behaviour of the consumer towards luxury products across various income groups. Also we asked them about what all factors Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 5 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products influence them to buy such products and which brand of products do they feel are luxurious. We also understood the price range that they feel makes the product luxurious. Thus in future while designing any interactive campaign the output of this survey would be of great use for positioning the product as a luxury product. Also some secondary data was mined regarding what exactly influences an individual? s decision. Conclusion: Luxury products are high involvement products which require high thinking and are defined by their exclusivity and brand. They are mostly bought as a symbol of status. People have high emotional attachment with luxury products and are mostly influenced by their family members in decision making as most of the products are bought for family use. These products are also used as a means to gift their closed ones. Endorsing a film star or sport personality does not affect the image of a luxury product to a great extent. Luxury products give a feeling of pride and most of the purchase decision making is influenced by family members especially spouse. This entire initiative was one of its kinds and will help the INTERFACE COMMUNICATION to design its campaigns for Club Mahindra Holidays in a way to advertise them as a luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 6. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Acknowledgement I would like to give my sincere thanks to my Industry Project Guide Mr. Nilesh Talreja, Senior Executive, Strategic Planning, Interface Communications and Ms. Nahid Elavia, Account Planner, Strategic Planning for their kind support and guidance during my project and also for providing me with a great opportunity to work with such a valuable organization. I would also like to thank Mrs. Shamla Sathe, Account Planning Head for giving me this great opportunity to work with Account Planning Department. It is her visionary thinking, which has been the guiding force for whole of the division and my report. I would also like to thank Mr. Amit Dhokai, my colleague, who has provided me with the necessary information and his valuable suggestion and comments on bringing out this project in the best possible way. I would also like to thank all the faculties at SIMSR who have helped me directly or indirectly in the completion of this project. I thank Interface Communications (A part of Draft FCB+Ulka) for such a valuable learning experience. Thank you Jitesh A Sanghvi MMS – 137 (2008-2010) K. J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 7 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sr. No. 1 2 2. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Company Overview Secondary Research Luxury Products: Getting to know luxury 2. 2 2. 3 Difference between regular & luxury goods Consumer Behavior: What is Consumer Buying Behaviour 2. 4 2. 5 2. 6 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour Consumer Involvement: Causes of Consumer Involvement 2. 7 3 4 4. 1 4. 2 5 6 Models of Consumer Involvement Research Method Primary Research Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Recommendations Appendix 23 26 28 30 35 59 60 17 19 21 15 16 Page No. 9 12 14 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 8 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products LIST OF FIGURES & CHARTS Sr. No 1. 1 1. 2 1. 3 Particulars Difference between regular and Luxury goods Stages of Consumer Buying Behavior Consumer Involvement Page No. 15 18 20 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 9 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products COMPANY OVERVIEW. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 10 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products About Interface Communications History Interface Communications is the second agency of the Draft FCB Ulka group. The Draft FCB Ulka group has a 125 year heritage of pioneering concepts which define advertising and a 40 year heritage in India. Interface has grown from a single office to 5 offices in India and is one of the 1st few Indian agencies to boast of a pan Asia network. We are a team of 115 professionals across Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai. Interface is the first Indian agency brand that has gone beyond India. Interface has opened offices in Malaysia, Hong Kong, China. In 2003 we launched operations in Taiwan, Singapore. Work with some of the best known brands in each country. Business Interface is a second agency that is created to handle large scale clients. We work with some of the biggest brands across sectors from FMCG to automobiles, from real estate to finance companies, from consumer durables to holidays and many more. Majority of our clients are industry leaders and we are proud to be their strategic partners. Our clients have stuck by us as we are a process driven company. We have our share of global proprietary tools to provide a strategic edge to the clients we work with. Some of the more often used tools include: ? ? ? Mind and Mood and Moments The Wheel VIP and ICON Inspite of being process driven we are still a very people oriented organization. Our teams work together like a family and there is at all times a casual and jovial Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 11 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products. work environment maintained. We believe in an open door policy where any employee can express himself/ herself freely. As an organization we believe in constant learning and thus stress on training and development at all times. The Draft FCB Ulka group is one of the only advertising agencies in India to run a 2 month long training program for fresh recruits. This program called ‘The Star One training’ is a rigorous training ground for the future advertising biggies. This program is an annual feature and has been going strong for more than a decade. Draft FCB Ulka and Interface are some of the few agencies to have a very low attrition rate and most of the senior level management have been with the company on an average for more than 15 years which is a long time in advertising which sees constant churn. We at Interface live the values we believe in and for us our mantra is : We provide strategic communications partnership to our clients – to help sell their brands today, and build brand value over time Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 12 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research on luxury products Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 13 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Secondary Research: Luxury Products Getting to know luxury Luxury brands have often been associated with the core competences of creativity, exclusivity, craftsmanship, precision, high quality, innovation and premium pricing. These product attributes give the consumers the satisfaction of not only owning expensive items but the extra-added psychological benefits like esteem, prestige and a sense of a high status that reminds them and others that they belong to an exclusive group of only a select few, who can afford these pricey items. The luxury sector targets its products and services at consumers on the top-end of the wealth spectrum. These self-selected elite are more or less price insensitive and choose to spend their time and money on objects that are plainly opulence rather than necessities. For these reasons, luxury and prestige brands have for centuries commanded an unwavering and often illogical customer loyalty. Luxury has never been something easy to define, yet this mystery concept is something highly desired by one and all alike. We look at delving deeper into this mystery and aura of luxury goods by way of comparing them against „regular goods? as well as highlighting the characteristics of the luxury industry. But before beginning with that, lets first attempt to understand some common terms associated in the world of high-end goods : ? Luxury and prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Cartier represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. ? Premium brands are those brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger that aspire to be luxury and prestige brands but their marketing mix strategies are more attuned to a mass market, albeit a luxury mass market. They are also termed as mass-premium brands or mass-luxury brands. ? Fashion brands on the other hand are those that address the masses. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 14 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Difference between regular & luxury goods Fig 1. 1 Differences between Regular and Luxury Goods Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 15. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Behaviour What is Consumer Behaviour Buying Behaviour is the decision processes and acts of people involved in buying and using products. Consumer Buying Behaviour refers to the buying behaviour of the ultimate consumer. A firm needs to analyze buying behaviour for: ? Buyers reactions to a firms marketing strategy has a great impact on the firms success. ? The marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a Marketing Mix (MM) that satisfies (gives utility to) customers, therefore need to analyze the what, where, when and how consumers buy. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 16 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour Fig 1. 2 Stages of Consumer Buying Behaviour The above figure shows Six Stages to the Consumer Buying Decision Process (For complex decisions). Actual purchasing is only one stage of the process. Not all decision processes lead to a purchase. All consumer decisions do not always include all 6 stages, determined by the degree of complexity†¦ discussed next. The 6 stages are: 1. Problem Recognition (awareness of need)–difference between the desired state and the actual condition. Deficit in assortment of products. Hunger-Food. Hunger stimulates your need to eat. Can be stimulated by the marketer through product information–did not know you were deficient? i. e. you see a commercial for a new pair of shoes, stimulates your recognition that you need a new pair of shoes. 2. Information search-o Internal search, memory. Page 17 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products o External search if you need more information. Friends and relatives (word of mouth). Marketer dominated sources; comparison shopping; public sources etc. A successful information search leaves a buyer with possible alternatives, the evoked set. Hungry, want to go out and eat, evoked set is o o o o Chinese food Indian food Burger king Klondike kates etc 3. Evaluation of Alternatives–need to establish criteria for evaluation, features the buyer wants or does not want. Rank/weight alternatives or resume search. May decide that you want to eat something spicy, Indian gets highest rank etc. If not satisfied with your choice then returns to the search phase. Can you think of another restaurant? Look in the yellow pages etc. Information from different sources may be treated differently. Marketers try to influence by â€Å"framing† alternatives. 4. Purchase decision–Choose buying alternative, includes product, package, store, method of purchase etc. 5. Purchase–May differ from decision, time lapse between 4 & 5, product availability. 6. Post-Purchase Evaluation–outcome: Satisfaction or Dissatisfaction. Cognitive Dissonance, have you made the right decision. This can be reduced by warranties, after sales communication etc. After eating an Indian meal, you may think that you really wanted a Chinese meal instead. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 18 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Types of Consumer Buying Behaviour There are four types of consumer buying behaviour which are as follows: ? Routine Response/Programmed Behaviour–buying low involvement frequently purchased low cost items; need very little search and decision effort; purchased almost automatically. Examples include soft drinks, snack foods, milk etc. ? Limited Decision Making–buying product occasionally. When you need to obtain information about unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, perhaps. Requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering. Examples include Clothes–know product class but not the brand. ? Extensive Decision Making/Complex high involvement, unfamiliar, expensive and / or infrequently bought products (Luxury Products). High degree of economic / performance / psychological risk. Examples include cars, homes, computers, education. Spend a lot of time seeking information and deciding. Information from the companies MM; friends and relatives, store personnel etc. Go through all six stages of the buying process. ? Impulse buying, no conscious planning. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing. Page 19 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Consumer Involvement Some consumers are characterized as being more involved in products and shopping than others. A consumer who is highly involved with a product would be interested in knowing a lot about it before purchasing. Hence he reads brochures thoroughly, compares brands and models available at different outlets, asks questions, and looks for recommendations. Thus consumer involvement can be defined as heightened state of awareness that motivates consumers to seek out, attend to, and think about product information prior to purchase. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 20 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Causes of consumer involvement The factors that influences consumer involvement include personal, product and situational. ? Personal Factors Self-concept, needs and values are the three personal factors that influence the extent of consumer involvement in a product or service. The more product image, the value symbolism inherent in it and the needs it serves are fitting together with the consumer self- image, values and needs, the more likely the consumer is to feel involved in it. Celebrities for example share a certain self image, certain values, and certain needs. They tend to use products and services that reflect their life style. They get highly involved in purchasing prestigious products like designer wear, imported cars, health care products etc. ? Product Factors The consumer involvement grows as the level of perceived risk in the purchase of a good or service increases. It is likely that consumers will feel more involved in the purchase of their house than in the purchase of tooth paste, it is a much riskier purchase. Product differentiation affects involvement. The involvement increases as the number of alternatives that they have to choose from increases. This may be due to the fact that consumers feel variety which means greater risk. The pleasure one gets by using a product or service can also influence involvement. Some products are a greater source of pleasure to the consumer than others. Tea and coffee have a high level of hedonic (pleasure) value compared to, say household cleaners. Hence the involvement is high. Involvement increases when a product gains public attention. Any product, that is socially visible or that is consumed in public, demands high involvement. For example, involvement in the purchase of car is more than the purchase of household items. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 21 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? Situational Factors The situation in which the product is brought or used can generate emotional involvement. The reason for purchase or purchase occasion affects involvement. For example, buying a pair of socks for yourself is far less involved than buying a gift for a close friend. Social pressure can significantly increase involvement. One is likely to be more self conscious about the products and brands one looks at when shopping with friends than when shopping alone. The need to make a fast decision also influences involvement. A consumer who needs a new refrigerator and sees a „one- day- only sale? at an appliances retailer does not have the time to shop around and compare different brands and prices. The eminence of the decision heightens involvement. The involvement is high when the decision is irrevocable, for example when the retailer does not accept return or exchange on the sale items. Thus involvement may be from outside the individual, as with situational involvement or from within the individual as with enduring involvement. It can be induced by a host of personal-product-and situation related factors, many of which can be controlled by the marketer. It affects the ways in which consumers see, process, and send information to others. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 22 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Models of consumer involvement Learn-Feel-Do Hierarchy Model Buying decisions vary according to the way there are taken. Some decisions are taken with lot of thinking; others are taken with great feelings. Some are made through force of habit and others are made consciously. The learn-feel-do hierarchy is simple matrix that attributes consumer choice to information (learn), attitude (feel), and behaviour (do) issues. The matrix has four quadrants, each specifying a major marketing communication goal to be informative, to be effective, to be habit forming, or promote self-satisfaction. Thinking and feeling are shown as a continuum – some decisions involve one or the other and many involve elements of both. High and low importance is also represented as a continuum. Fig 1. 3 Consumer Involvement ? High Involvement / High Thinking Purchases in first quadrant require more information, both because of the importance of the product to the consumer and thinking issues related to the purchases. Major purchases such as cars, houses and other expensive and infrequently buying items come under this category. The strategy model is learn-feel-do. Marketers have to furnish full information to get consumer acceptance of the product. Luxury products fall in this category. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 23. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products ? High Involvement / High Feeling The purchase decisions in second quadrant involve less of information than feeling. Typical purchases tied to self-esteem- jewellery, apparel, cosmetics and accessories come under this category. The strategy model is feel-learndo. To encourage purchases marketers must approach customers with emotion and appeal. ? Low Involvement / Low Feeling The purchases in this quadrant are motivated primarily by the need to satisfy personal tastes, many of which are influenced by self-image. Products like news paper, soft drinks, Liquor etc., fall under this category. Group influences often lead to the purchase of these items. The strategy model is do-feel-learn. It helps marketers to promote products through reference groups and other social factors. ? Low Involvement / Low Thinking It involves less in thinking and more of habitual buying. Products like stationery, groceries, food etc. , fall under this category. Over a period of time any product can fall in this segment. The role of information is to differentiate any „point of difference? from competitors. Brand loyalty may result simply from the habit. The strategy model is do-learn-feel. It suggests that marketers induce trial through various sales promotion techniques. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 24 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Research Method: The study is classified based on the consumer buying preferences and factors that influence purchase decisions. The research method adopted is exploratory as the research is still in its initial stage and the preliminary information that will be gathered will help in defining the problems and suggest hypotheses. We are set to learn about consumer behaviour across various product categories of luxury. We intend to understand the influence of various factors including family members and friends on purchase decision, emotional attachment with the product, purchase of counterfeit products and endorsing a film or sports personality for luxury product. We also want to understand purchase behaviour for car, planning of holidays and perception of holiday clubs. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 25 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products PRIMARY RESEARCH Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 26 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Primary Research: Methods Primary research was done in two steps. ? Qualitative Research – Depth Interview Method ? Quantitative Research – Survey Method 1) Qualitative Research: For qualitative research, few high income people were asked open ended questions which were formulated based on the secondary research and in line with the hypothesis. Depth interview of 10 people were taken which gave an insight into their purchase behavior and their decision making process for a luxury good. Based on this interviews and a further review of the secondary research reports, a final survey questionnaire was prepared. 2) Quantitative Research: For quantitative research, after making the initial questionnaire it was pretested with 5 participants and was improvised. The final sample was 30 with target group being A and A+ socio-economic class people. In June 2009, the survey was conducted to observe the behavior pattern of consumers in buying luxury products. Purpose Based on the existing data and the findings of the survey, it can be understood what influences a consumer to buy a luxury product and how to reach a consumer. The different perspectives of luxury products from a consumer?s point of view can be understood giving a detailed insight as to how to position a product as luxury product. Consumer? s expectations from a luxury product will help us to understand the modifications needed in a product to be categorized as luxurious product. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 27 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Sampling Sampling procedure: The sample is selected in a random way, but those having a car with nearly worth more than 5lakhs. It was collected through mails and personal visits to the known persons, by formal and informal talks and through filling up the questionnaire prepared. The data has been analyzed by using the graphical method prepared in Microsoft Excel. Sample size: The sample size of my project is limited to 30 only. This is limited due to time constraints. Sample design: Data has been presented with the help of bar graph, pie charts, stacked graphs etc. Limitation: ? Time limitation ? Research has been done only at Mumbai ? Some of the persons were not so responsive ? Possibility of error in data collection ? Possibility of error in analysis of data due to small sample size Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 28. Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Analysis: In qualitative research, a personal interview was conducted of 10 people to understand the perception of luxury products and their purchase decision making process. The layout of the interview was: Warm up General details about the person, his family background, his interests and his lifestyle Luxury Product To understand their perception of luxury products and steps involved in purchasing a luxury product. Car, Holiday & Club To understand his perception of a luxurious holiday and his planning process while going on a holiday. To understand his attitude towards clubs and decision making of a car Factors influencing To understand various factors that influence his decision for buying a particular luxury product. For qualitative questionnaire see appendix 1 For quantitative questionnaire see appendix 2 Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 29 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Qualitative Analysis: The Depth Interviews conducted gave some valuable insights into the mindset of the consumer? s perception about luxury products and their decision making process during purchase. Some of the interesting responses based on which quantitative questionnaire was made are as follows: 1) What is your opinion about luxury products? â€Å"Depends, it may be different for different people. DVD, TV and other stuffs would be luxury for me. † â€Å"They are good for show off† â€Å"Luxury products are created by seller. They are not necessities for a buyer but a need has been created by the seller. The way the products are advertised, branded and presented, a need is created to buy it. † â€Å"First and foremost it gives you a satisfaction in life, satisfaction that you are making use of the dreams that are available in the market. It can also be used as a status symbol. † â€Å"If you can afford it one must consider luxury products. What is the point if you can earn so much money and still don’t spend on luxury products? † Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 30 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products Observation: Luxury Products have different perceptions with different people. Some think it is a need created by buyer where as some feel these are products good for show-off. Some consider it as a status symbol. 2) Is luxury a necessity? â€Å"Today a four vehicle has become a necessity. Though a four wheeler is a luxury still it becomes a necessity. Second example is the latest technology mobile phones. We use mobile phones even while travelling, before sleeping, after getting up, checking emails. So whatever you say about these products they have become a necessity. † â€Å"It is all in the minds of the people. If they get attracted to the promotions of the product and offers, it becomes a necessity for them. As said earlier, the need is created by the seller. † 3) Name a few luxury products? Expensive Car/Bike Jewellery Club Membership Branded Perfumes Travel Holidays Expensive Car/Bike Big House Jewellery Trendy Mobile Club Membership Travel Holidays. Club Membership Travel Holidays Electronic Gadgets Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Club Membership Electronic Gadgets Travel Holidays Branded Perfumes Branded Apparels Observation: Club Membership, Travel Holidays and Expensive Car/Bike are considered Luxury products whereas other products like Jewellery, Electronic Gadgets, Branded Perfumes and Branded Apparels are considered semi-luxury products. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 31 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 4) Can you take us through the entire process of buying this product right from the wish to buy – actual purchase? â€Å"My process to buy a new house started 10-12 years back. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper and then went and saw the house. Once finalised, I took a loan, sold the old house and bought this new house. † â€Å"My old car was giving me lot of problem. So I decided to buy this new car. I wished to buy this a year back. I didn’t want to take loan, so saved money for a year and finally bought this. In this period, the prices went down, so it helped me. † â€Å"I had a car before I bought this new one. It took me 2 years to buy this. It was the European car of the year. I saw the ad in the newspaper and decided I wanted to buy this. Observation: Purchase of a luxury product requires lot of planning and it takes many months to buy such high value products. Proper research and information needs to be obtained about the product before finalising the product. 5) What is your opinion of holiday clubs? Would you consider them as a luxury holiday club? â€Å"If you travel around a lot, than it is worth. It is not a luxury holiday because they have different offers which are affordable by most of the people. † â€Å"I would consider it as a luxury. Most of these packages are designed in such a manner that you can get discount during weekdays. Weekends are expensive. So those are the times when you have time. † â€Å"They are good and give you the necessary relaxation. I don? t consider them entirely luxury because nowadays most of the people can afford it. † Observation: Opinions about holiday clubs are varied as there is not clear understanding of necessity. There are number of clubs providing cheap holidays and hence clubs seem to be losing on the title of luxury club. Jitesh Sanghvi – MMS -137, Marketing Page 32 Understanding Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Products 6) Would you buy a counterfeit Rolex watch for a cheaper price? â€Å"I am not a watch person so I would definitely go for a counterfeit. But for.

The Story of Philemon and Baucis

According to ancient Roman mythology and Ovids Metamorphoses (8.631, 8.720.), Philemon and Baucis had lived out their long lives nobly, but in poverty. Jupiter, the Roman king of the gods, had heard of the virtuous couple, but based on all his previous experiences with humans, he had serious doubts as to their goodness. Jupiter was about to destroy mankind  but was willing to give it one final chance before starting over again. So, in the company of his son Mercury, the wing-footed messenger god, Jupiter went about, disguised as a worn and weary traveler, from house to house among the neighbors of Philemon and Baucis. As Jupiter feared and expected, the neighbors turned him and Mercury away rudely. Then the two gods went to the last house, the cottage of Philemon and Baucis, where the couple had lived all their long married lives. Philemon and Baucis were pleased to have visitors  and insisted that their guests rest before their little hearth fire. They even lugged in more of their precious firewood to make a greater blaze. Unasked, Philemon and Baucis then served their presumably starving guests, fresh fruits, olives, eggs, and wine. Soon the old couple noticed that no matter how often they poured from it, the wine pitcher was never empty. They began to suspect that their guests might be more than mere mortals. Just in case, Philemon and Baucis decided to provide the closest they could come to a meal that was fit for a god. They would slaughter their only goose in their guests honor. Unfortunately, the legs of the goose were faster than those of Philemon or Baucis. Even though the humans were not as fast, they were smarter, and so they cornered the goose inside the cottage, where they were just about to catch it.... At the last moment, the goose sought the shelter of the divine guests. To save the life of the goose, Jupiter and Mercury revealed themselves and immediately expressed their pleasure in meeting an honorable human pair. The gods took the pair to a mountain from which they could see the punishment their neighbors had suffered -- a devastating flood. Asked what divine favor they wanted, the couple said that they wished to become temple priests and die together. Their wish was granted and when they died they were turned into intertwining trees. What Is the Moral of the Story? Treat everyone well because you never know when youll find yourself in the presence of a god.