This study develops and empirically tests a model for determining the determinants and effects of brand equity for the Indian passenger car market. Towards the same, the Brand Equity Creation Model developed by Yoo, Donthu and Lee (2000) was expanded and combined with the Brand Choice Model developed by Erdem, et al (1999). The dimensions of brand equity were thought to affect Overall Brand Equity, which in turn affected the final brand choice made by the consumers. The effect that ten selected marketing activities had on the dimensions of brand equity was examined. The passenger car market was differentiated on the basis of the price of car as premium, volume, and economy type and shopping centre intercept survey was conducted to collect respondent data across ten centres throughout the country. Multiple time passenger car buyers were considered as the respondent base for the study. A total of 1,932 consumers were contacted and 302 valid responses were received. Structural Equation Model was used as the tool for analysis. The results showed that: Of the ten marketing mix elements considered, some had a very strong impact on brand equity because they positively impacted both the dimensions considered for the study. However, contrary to what many previous studies reported, country of origin and price promotion did not impact the brand equity for such consumers. Advertising frequency is not a builder of brand equity; word-of-mouth is a better determinant of brand equity for repeat passenger car buyers. The different results obtained in this study vis- à- vis those from earlier studies suggest that the cultural differences between consumers of two countries mediates the effect of the marketing efforts on brand equity creation. Again since each of the dimensions of brand equity under this study was found to positively impact brand choice, it has been posited that the probability of the consumers choosing the final brand is increased with an increase in the equity of the brand. Geographical limitation of the sample and absence of interaction of marketing mix elements amongst themselves were identified as some of the key limitations of the study.

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Dell pioneered the direct sales model by offering its customers technology solutions through full-system configurability. In 2007, Dell launched several strategic initiatives to drive channel transformation by offering fixed configurations through online channels, retailers, distributors, and other channel partners. Dell's center of excellence (CoE) in analytics developed solutions that apply operations research (OR) to address key challenges across the value chain and enable profitable growth in the new channels. These solutions include (1) a configuration optimizer to reduce product complexity by identifying fixed hardware configurations (FHCs), which Dell builds and stocks, (2) an online conversion rate accelerator to improve the online customer purchase experience, leading to increased revenues and customer satisfaction, and (3) a retail margin maximizer to improve forecasts, mitigate inventory risk, and recommend promotions to increase margins. Since 2007, OR has helped Dell solve complex business problems and has facilitated its growth in the FHC business to $15 billion. Since 2010, these OR solutions have delivered a margin impact of more than $140 million by reducing markdown expenditures, improving online conversion rates, increasing ocean shipments, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

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