While we all accept that the heart of India lives in its villages and the Indian rural market with its vast size and demand base offers great opportunities to marketers, we tend to conclude that the purse does not stay with them. Nothing can be far from truth. Rural marketing involves addressing around 700 million potential consumers, over 40 per cent of the Indian middle-class, and about half the country's disposable income. According to a NCAER study the consuming class households in rural equals the number in urban. and awareness The recent NCAER publication "The Great Indian Middle Class" further reveals that the Indian middle class consisted on 10.7 million households or 57 million individuals of which 36 per cent lived in rural areas. No wonder, the Rural markets have been a vital source of growth for most companies. For a number of FMCG companies in the country, more than half their annual sales come from the rural market. Although with the substantial improvement in purchasing power, increasing brand consciousness, changing consumption pattern and rapid spread of communication network rural India offers a plethora of opportunities all waiting to be harnessed, the marketers lack the in-depth knowledge of the village psyche, strong distribution channels and awareness that are indeed the prerequisites for making a dent into the rural market. Moreover, vast cultural diversity and vastly varying rural demographics, poor infrastructure - be it inadequate roads and highways or the availability of telephones and electricity, low income levels, low levels of literacy often tend to lower the presence of the corporates in the rural markets. Thus, although the rural markets must be alluring, tapping the vast potential calls for a systematic psychographic analyses and an appropriate marketing mix to meet the consequent challenges of availability, affordability, acceptability. To achieve success, in rural India, companies will need to establish rural market development program. There is a need to innovate and adapt products that suit rural operating conditions. The rural consumers need to be educated of new concepts, relevant to the environment and usage habits that will improve their quality of life. In addition to focusing on targeted promotions and advertising there is an urgent need to work on economical packaging, dual pricing and special sizes of FMCG and household products. IT can be considered as an important marketing tool.
[...] This study using the sap-lap methodology examines the experiences of a number of internet portals from India and other countries engaged in rural marketing or disseminating rural development information, with usability measures derived from farmers and traders and those suggested by researchers. The findings are used in developing a conceptual framework for e-marketing info design for agricultural market in rural northern India for the portal (DM). Situation Common wisdom has it that the advent of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as telephony or the internet hold unprecedented opportunities for rural development. [...]
[...] Company Household penetration HLL Nirma Chemical Company Household penetration HLL 88% Nirma Chemical Works 56% Colgate Palmolive 33% Parle Foods 31% Malhotra marketing 27% Category % volume of local brands/unbranded Washing cakes/bars 88 Tea 56 Salt 33 Of the expenditure on consumer goods in rural household, approximately is on food articles such as biscuits, tea, coffee and salt on toiletries on washing material on cosmetics on OTC products and on other consumables. A number of category products have established themselves firmly in the rural households. [...]
[...] I present in this piece therefore, is a case that seeks to preserve the sanctity of Rural India and discover commerce and sense in it all! A plea to really stop this one-sided movement that seeks to make the rural man a consumptive animal of cornflake and dog biscuit alike! Create brands keeping in mind rural imperatives then. Here goes the ideal CHANGES IN RURAL MARKETING Anugraha Madison has widely been credited with introducing the concept of rural marketing in India. [...]
[...] Asian Paints' Gattu: Asian Paints Gattu though equally well known in urban and rural market , has greater effectiveness as an identity tool in the rural market .Actually in many rural parts of India , Asian Paints is referred to as the bahahawala or chokrawala company. The Nirma Girl: The Nirma Girl in Frock on the packs of Nirma washing powder has become the mnemonic for effective and good value in washing powders. The Dettol Sword and the Mortein Genie: For the same reason , Reckitt& Colman has been focusing on the Dettol Sword and the Mortein genie in its rural communication. [...]
[...] Although with the substantial improvement in purchasing power, increasing brand consciousness, changing consumption pattern and rapid spread of communication network rural India offers a plethora of opportunities all waiting to be harnessed, the marketers lack the in-depth knowledge of the village psyche, strong distribution channels and awareness that are indeed the prerequisites for making a dent into the rural market. Moreover, vast cultural diversity and vastly varying rural demographics, poor infrastructure - be it inadequate roads and highways or the availability of telephones and electricity, low income levels, low levels of literacy often tend to lower the presence of the corporates in the rural markets. [...]
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