Dawn of Football in India - Or is it

The success of IPL has encouraged many corporates to explore and experiment with private sports leagues concept in different sports in India.

The subsequent era of cable & digital has led to exposure of today’s youth referred to as millennials to global sports. There is great following of European football leagues among youth in urban areas.

One of such initiatives is in football where Indian Super League has been formed.

                                      
                                       Source- fourfourtwo.com

The Indian Super League is basically an attempt to captures those youth by creating a same league as that of the European standards. The numbers are promising but the momentum needs to be maintained.

The viewers have now started to embrace the concept of sport leagues which has opened a new paradigm for marketing.

        

Apart from regular marketing channels, social media as well as OOH are being integrated and even followed by BTL strategy by many agencies/franchisee.

And everyone is involved- industrialist, investors, celebrities, former sports stars.

Everyone is utilizing their brand equity to popularize the sport and have invested not just money but their reputation, time and outreach across different section of viewers.

But again there is a criticism that the focus is not on players but on celebrities since our society remains star struck.

The one thing that has emerged from the time that has passed as when these leagues evolve – there is one thing that becomes absolutely necessary is to nurture local talent.

Obviously due to various factors including access to resources the skill of local players has not been honed and there is gap in quality as compared to west.

Due to lack of local connect the interest in IPL has declined and IPL as a brand is suffering.

This local connect has been primary reason for success of sports leagues across American & European continent.

Therefore an ecosystem needs to be created which would help in channelizing as well as nurturing the local talent pool and on the same time create engagement with the local people.

The use of digital media has been extensive in the campaign of ISL and by different franchisee. The consumer engagement through Facebook & twitter has been effective followed by various media channels including TV, print & radio.

The organizers & sponsors have gone all out in using social media in order to create a connect with TG.

From #Letsfootball hashtag which went viral to the followings in Facebook page as well as an interactive website are quite impressive.

The fan following as well as activity in these channels is increasing every day. Although it has a long way ahead if it has to come to the level of EPL or even the IPL.

But the statistics analysis shows it is a promising start.

The success and failures of various leagues in different sports in the past decade has made organizers & investors realize one thing that – sustenance is quality.

The Marketing hype & customer engagement cannot be sustained unless there is quality and local connect among the teams that are participating in the tournament.

Let’s see what ISL would evolve eventually in coming years – whether it will prosper or destroy itself just because it was used as a money minting machine by investors.

Many media and sports analyst are saying it to be like waking up the sleeping giant because like cricket if it captivates Indian audience then we are talking about millions.

So it is imperative that they need to pay attention to the various issues that might lead to downfall of the league.

It is now tried & tested that Indian consumer especially the youth have embraced the private sports league as everyone aspires that we a have league of our own which is of global standards.

So everyone Let’s Football.

Book Summary - BRANDWASHED by Martin Lindstrom

The following book by Martin Lindstrom is about the extent to which marketers go to sell their products.

Today in era of scientific marketing it has been found that marketers are looking for anything & any place where there is human contact whether it is real or virtual world that would encourage people to buy things.

An Asian shopping mall chain theorized that pregnant women spend a lot of time shopping. Lindstrom writes that it deliberately introduced smells and sounds that would entice pregnant women to return to the stores.

They also have noted that the choices of parents are reflected later in the child’s preference for product because they become accustomed to particular smell or style and have developed campaigns to target them since we develop a habit of clinging on them.

Now, we have many brands mostly apparels & fashion accessories target young boys & girls to promote cool quotient with their products with the motto catch them young and showing them the path to adulthood.

The marketing of fear – from pharmaceutical companies capitalising on epidemics and pandemics like H1N1 and SARS to insurance companies producing tear jerking commercials (like this one by Thai Life Insurance). And interestingly, fear does give us a kick by activating our adrenaline and epinephrine hormones.

Many food product companies also play into the psyche of fear with launching their products showcasing the primary motto of being able to solve that fear.

Most new mothers don’t feel that they are doing everything they can to keep their babies healthy, safe and happy. Companies have learned to cash in on this fear and paranoia, selling everything from home sanitizers, baby gates and cabinet locks to $300 digital color video baby monitors, safety thermometers and faucet covers for bath time.

Addictions and how companies deploy various ways to get us hooked. From the shot of dopamine we all get from an email/Facebook message/Twitter response on our smartphones, to the habit forming chemicals in the food we eat, to the advent of gaming – not just for teenaged boys, but adults (especially with e-coupons like Groupon).

 The pernicious power of peers, particularly kids, tweens and teens. By triggering social contagion, Cepia managed to make its Zhu Zhu pets a huge hit, while retail websites from Amazon.com to Apple’s iTune shop use the power of their Top 10 lists, recommendations (What others are reading), and “New and Noteworthy” to engineer collective consumption.

Celebrities too are roped in with a huge multi-billion dollar endorsements of everything under the sun – from shampoos, cars, iPods, clothes to drinks. Product placements featuring Hollywood stars, politicians, sportsmen and even preachers have influenced our decisions to buy as we pretend to assume their alter-ego when using these products.

Numerous psychology experiments show that humans are hardwired to be nostalgic, marketers has identified one of the major triggers. We become concerned consistently about time flying by. That is why most marketers know (and the rest of us don’t) that mentioning "time" in an advertisement increases the chance that people will buy that product. Thus, carefully chosen boomer generation music plays overhead in stores that attract people over 35 linking them to their era and bringing up happy memories.

Nostalgia is all about how good our past was and companies position their products from that wonderful past –how good their brands are.

In an experiment about planting a family in a neighbourhood called Morgenson family Mr Lindstorm was able to demonstrate how word of mouth is still relevant in today’s era of connectivity and marketers have not forgotten that but working on it by incentivizing individuals which eventually become the most powerful persuaders in influencing purchasing decisions.

 Today we see that how every single move we make from doing a search on google, downloading an App on our smartphones, to making a purchase with our loyalty cards at the supermarket, can be traced and tracked. Armed with a complex consumer intelligence system that rivals the CIA, companies can determine one’s likes, dislikes and demographic details so precisely that we’re perhaps now living in a “post privacy society”. Facebook and various other social media forums plays a huge part in that.

So the issue of big data & data mining is many companies grapple with but on the other hand many activist have raised concerned that since everything that we touch, feel and use today is connected where is our privacy as an individual. That’s a huge debate which will eventually have huge implications for our future.

Thus It has been very clearly and explicitly explained in this book that how we are surrounded in the matrix of marketing by companies and extent by which they go to make us “Brandwashed”.

#Socialathon Awards 2015- Celebrating the social media campaigns

On Friday i.e. 7^th August I attended one of the unique Award function which celebrates the work of digital & marketing agencies regarding their work on campaigns in social media.

This is something unique in nature since social media was considered one of the part of the media mix in total campaign strategy and now it’s the leading medium for consumer outreach

The event had session in which people belonging to different companies & agencies deliberated on various issues regarding social media including metrics & ROI it generates.

There were some wonderful insights given by people who have become successful in this industry.

Starting session was conducted by Raj Hosahalli, VP Nielsen India talked about “State of Social Media in India” which was highly insightful regarding consume behaviour. But one thing he emphasized on very strongly is that in order to win in this medium one has to be always be prepared.

It’s not a traditional medium having one way communication but a dynamic real time two way communication and by nature the social media is about an individual as in “me”.

And it’s a win-win situation for every stakeholder involved since everyone benefits from it.

But the real time world of social media come with riders for the brands. He specified that the brands need to follow these 4 rules otherwise they will perish-

Always be authentic

Always be honest

Always be prepared

Make sure your timings are right

He shared some incredible stories on how brands used social media by turning challenges into opportunity. One has to be always be on the vigil because no matter what any small incident can turn into a wild fire or what it is said #going viral which can  make or break your brand image.

Now with rise of mobile devices like smart phones & tablets the use of social media is increasing across every step of customer journey in acquiring a brand.

The approach and strategy matters the most and you will see that metrics will turn in your favour gradually.

After the insightful presentation then came the discussion among successful bloggers of blogmint & shout me loud where they discussed how their blogs have become influencers rather than traditional media.

They discussed how over a period of time they have become trusted among the readers by writing from the user’s perspective rather than opposite. Traditional media indulges in a simple product review where they mostly appreciate the brand. This has created a trust gap among readers as they believe that it is paid news by the corporates.

The content of the blogs is generated by the regular writers and the discussion is among the different users which is basically the two way communication where the people are talking among themselves.

Also they said keeping the content simple & straight with equal weightage on pros & cons would keep the user engaged.

Then there was discussion among the corporate heads of marketing & social media where they explained how the traditional brands are gradually coming to terms with the dynamics of social media. The trust & value that their brand has generated over the period of time is not enough since they cannot afford to social media lightly.

Obviously apart from regular advantages & disadvantages the ethical issues were also discussed. Since social media is an open platform where the content producers are in millions unlike traditional media the brands should learn the art of dealing in this forum.

Since one cannot always fix accountability & anything can g viral like a wild fire the brands need to have a hold of all the perspective including legal.

In the end it was agreed by every panellist and in every discussion that social media was all about connecting with consumers where it allows two way communication but it is very tricky and involves lot of issues. Even big brands are slow in getting a hang of it.

Many companies along with digital agencies have crafted some beautiful campaigns which have become successful and were rewarded by these awards.

It was indeed a unique evening where #campaigns were recognized done by digital enthusiast rather than ad honchos who treat them as celebrities and out of reach for enthusiast marketers.

Dawn of the gear less scooters in India - Reflection of changing society

With liberalization at helm in 1991, the dream of people owning a vehicle without any hassle was fulfilled.

With rise of middle class the demand for vehicles specially 2 wheeler rose at an astronomical level. 

The availability of motor cycle on almost every household of India which has an earning source is a testimonial of the evolution of Indian automobile industry with time & penetration deeper into rural market.

The likes of Hero Honda Splendour became the symbol of Indian growth story.

Now it has been found that two wheelers are not only a reflection of economic growth but social changes as well.

Consider this “One in every 4 two wheeler isa scooter”.  

And we thought that era of scooter was over after Bajaj discounted.

But this all changed when Honda decided to launch its gear less scooter Activa in year 2000.

  It changed the definition of a scooter & altered the perception of Indian consumer.

Then TVS & Hero Honda followed suit with their own launches & remember the 2006 famous ad “Why should boys have all the fun”.

    

 It was the beginning of new era in which companies understood the importance of female buyers & gear less scooters.

But with rise of education we see that many women are now entering work space as well as becoming independent in terms of lifestyle.

Which has made them less dependent on others and usually a male in the family.

One of the major obstacles in being independent is mobility- and along came the gearless scooters.

Usually the two wheeler market was dominated by motor cycles for two decades since 1991 but now they stand challenged.

Having understood the importance of gearless scooters now every company has launched their own product.

July 2014 was a unique month because for the first time the sales of a gearless scooter exceed that of the motorcycle. Honda Activa clocked more sales than the usual toppers Hero Splendor & other famous bike brands.

Likes of Honda Activa & TVS Scooty are marking their own bench marks in terms of sales & popularity.

Now Hero has tried to pitch its newest offering Maestro as scooter for boys breaking from past where gender norms were strictly adhered to.

The growth of these are not just because of independent woman but also modern day change in mind set of Indian middle class.

The gearless scooter can be utilized by every family member unlike the earlier norm where the motorcycle was purchased for the male earning member of the family.

Now, leaving the numbers aside, there is one thing that is clearly reflected in the marketing strategies & designs of the companies.

Over a period of time companies used to focus on features such as mileage & features of the bike as well how bikes can be used to attract females which are usually called a stereotype ad campaign.

Now since there is increasingly breaking of stereotypes in our society with women getting more say as well as becoming more independent the nature of ad campaigns is also changing.

    

Even now bike campaigns are increasingly showing female riders. 

            

So now companies have started to realize and are increasingly focus on not only the convenience but also various features like extra space for luggage below the seat.

Now with more & more people embracing the gear less scooters the companies are now want to raise awareness about the usefulness & importance of the product by creating campaigns which expose how these scooters get step motherly treatment by car & bike lovers.

This has led to totally new era of advertising where companies now realize the importance of equality.

While the motorcycle still remains the primary preference in rural, urban & small towns, the rise of gear less scooters is mostly attributed to upper SEC classes in Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities where the decision of vehicle is as per convenience of entire family as well as women being independent.

All companies are now betting on it.

Therefore we are witnessing a new trend which is not just mere change in statistics but reflects the changes prevailing in society today.

Importance of Integrated Marketing Communication

The concept of Integrated Marketing Communication is well known in the marketing field which is the most important and systematic practice to achieve desirable ROI out of total efforts & resources spent.

All the components of promotional mix whether it was print media or mass media had to be tackled differently which led to many problems like budget, resources & time which makes it critical to implement IMC.

But again advent of digital media has altered the dynamics of advertising and it has forced companies to re-establish the rules on applying IMC. The rise of digital was seen as just another channel to be included in the mix but given its enormous outreach and characteristics it has been termed disruptive.

Building a reputed brand is the ultimate ROI which cannot be built without using IMC since every channel is now interconnected because of extensive use of technology.

Technically as we all know that there is use of computers in creation of content for any channel and now computers themselves have become a channel.

The characterisation of IMC is increasingly measured using digital media because the content across all the channels can be absorbed in digital media and the metrics of measuring success remains the same. Therefore it is to be noted that there is no requirement of creation of separate content for digital channel.

Each medium requires utilization of time, effort and content creation and most importantly dealing with different agencies and working with them so as to send the correct message.

Thus the need for IMC evolved so that it was ensured that uniform content or message is send across all the channels and  identifying the correct promotional tools.

The primary purpose of IMC as seen in many cases is not just uniform content flow but also the strategy to be followed across the board which would reflect not only the brand but also the company directly to the customer.

The uniformity of the message becomes a great challenge if the marketer gets swayed away by the different formats and started to make different content for each one of them.

This will confuse the end user i.e. the consumer as different message for same brand will be delivered.

Thank God now with advent of digital medium the creation of content is uniform across the mediums and the theme remains uniform.

Now it is possible to determine or analyse consumer behaviour using Analytics in Social Media which helps in determining the traction towards brand and the strategy to be followed in further ad campaigns. This information & strategy can be applied across all the mediums. 

It has been noted over the years with evolution of marketing that irrespective of which medium prevails or cease to exist the content creation is very critical and for uniformity across channels IMC is very important.

The Royal Journey of the Enfield- Thundering from the past

What was once a sick unit and a drag of resources is now booming and thundering itself into glory it has become an aspiration for today’s youth and a pride possession.

At the start of new millennium a new domestic player would emerge in the Indian biking landscape who took on the luxury high end motor cycle segment and made its mark which meant exclusively for foreign manufacturers.

The story of Royal Enfield is indeed unique because it caters to aspirations of millions of youth across India those can’t afford a foreign super bike.

The story is amazing how the company reinvented itself and made Bullet a style statement from a bike for Army and similar services.

The Royal Enfield story is mix of both structural as well as marketing changes as to how Eicher Motors & the promoter SIddharth Lal overhauled the company.

The overhauling process took care of the product, quality and technology aspects and then finally came the overhauling of the Royal Enfield Brand.

As young & energetic promoter he took the courage with full energy & conviction to restructure the company both in terms of management as well as operations and soon saw positive signals in terms of financials growing.

He ignored the call for selling off the sick unit and steered the sinking ship to new heights by bringing on board professional veterans and creating a work culture of meritocracy & pride.

And soon the company realized the need for Brand which would appeal to the youth to buy it. They realized that for a brand to sell they need royalty irrespective of the demographics.

The company managers themselves their target customers are the one who loves biking and long rides. Eventually their product placement on these lines have paid off and now they have loyalist or what it is called hard core Bullet lovers.

This was achieved by company only after some very smart thinking and strong determination with clear vision in mind. So basically the revival of Royal Enfield is not just a case of good marketing strategy but also of strong corporate governance.

Gradually they fixedevery problem step by step from engineering design to strong components to availability of spare parts. All these steps have psychological effect on the consumer and people started to take this brand seriously.

The unique thing about RE is that inspite of competition they are not only holding their customer base but also increasing it and now this brand is an inclusive part of growing biking culture in India.

                           Youtube Ad- Thunderbird 500 (Men among boys)

The one thing unique about the brand is that they have aggressively positioned themselves as the bike for pride and for leisure segment. Unlike other brands which focusses on utility and consumer needs they made the RE brand a prized possession.

Their tag line like Separating Man among Boys as well as RE urges young Indian men to leave home are a constant daring approach adopted by company to sell its products entirely on a single functionality.

This is the risk many auto makers and especially bike makers are unwilling to take given the strong competition.

And they have been consistently adhered to this theme and it has appealed to the bike lovers. Whether it is the IT professional who wants to go on an escapade to relieve stress or farmer living in rural areas or businessman who wants to make a statement all have chosen the Bullet.

Basically they want to convey that if you need to go an adventure there is no better companion than Bullet. They have taken a complete media mix for this campaign and now expanding their foot print in digital space also.

Thus rise of Royal Enfield brand is a story to reckon with and think how sheer professionalism and some strong determination of a young entrepreneur converted a sick unit and a forgotten brand into the symbol of Adventure and aspiration of new India.

Now the thud thud sound of Bullet makes everybody’s heart beat faster.

The Company Men

It’s been a century for Indian film industry but still there are many more miles to go.

The entire industry has evolved over a period of time & is continuously witnessing change and interestingly it has restructured over the past decade or so.

What was earlier a small time art activity has now given the status of industry and now every activity is handled by professional agencies. The industry took a paradigm shift when at the start of early 2000 the corporates decided op take interest in movie production & distribution and since then has seen a rise in fortune.

This restructuring has opened new avenue for marketers in a big way since it has led to opening of new channels altogether which were earlier impossible to tap.

With rise of multiplexes and digitization of single screens has led to marketers to re-establish their faith in movie industry like never before. The access to formal financing has led to increase in size of the budget of the movie and simultaneously the level of distribution going up, it has become a lucrative option for marketers. Movie making has become serious business and so are the revenues attached to it since the average viewership has gone up so when Salman khan does a Kick or Hritik flies as a Krishh the audience swear by it and it is the marketers who relish.

In this digital era it is not just the film screening that brings revenue but various other avenues like satellite rights, music rights etc. Yes, they give you the right, you give them the money. Even with Mobile, screen cover & ring tone you have to buy these rights.

So when you brag about the latest ring tone or wall paper basically you made these guys richer and now it has now even expanded to merchandise and souvenirs, cups etc. Movies like Bunty & Babli, Parineeta and even big commercial hits like Dhoom 2 have created a fashion buzz and many retailers having anticipated this tied up with producers and production houses in advance.

Take the case of cinema halls. Along with corporatization of production houses there was a parallel series of events which revolutionized the customer experience.

Yes, the development of multiplexes and digitization of single screens is not just about customer experience, it has a marketing angle too.

We can mute the TV when ads are on, we can skip the ads on Youtube or any other streaming, we can change the channel in FM during break, but unfortunately you can’t leave the movie hall.

That’s why now movie theatres are now effective medium of advertising. Many companies buy the advertising rights during the shows and it is working. Companies like Hero & HUL have successfully adopted this route.

           

  Image courtesy Baldev Advertising 

So with industry becoming organized in every aspect, surely it has its own characteristics with companies now doing extensive consumer mapping with extensive marketing research.

Production houses have realized that big budget commercial movies does not always work, so they are now diversifying and also producing what’s called niche movies catering to various consumers like Kahani, Wake up Sid which were low budget but had a specific appeal.

And with such movies the dress style & costume choice is carefully made to make it bond with the whole story & convinces the viewers to like such merchandise.

Even governments have understood the importance of movies with regards to the impact they can have on tourism and promotion of art, craft and culture. Ministry of Tourism as well as many state governments tie up with production houses for movies to be shot & prepared in their states.

As rightly said by Hopkins, marketing has reached the status of science. So when corporates sensed opportunity in the film industry they took the opportunity and it is now reaping fruits for them. In the end though “customer is the king!!” - we the consumers now have so much to choose to from, not just movies but clothes , mugs , music and many other things that we can brag on social media!

Evolution of "rural" customer

The success of Indian economic growth has now a new chapter added to it which is termed as a feather in the cap. The emergence of rural India as a potential market has led many companies to explore this untapped zone.

The  importance lie in the fact that still 70 % of rural population which is a whopping 800 million people still live in Rural India in around 6.5 lakh villages.  This is a figure which no company can afford to ignore.

There are many reasons for how the rural India has developed into a vast customer base and these reasons have greatly influenced the consumer behavior. The Evolution of Rural consumer is a complicated study because it is not a simple economic development story.

Rise of the Bottom of Pyramid

Traditionally over the period of time rural India was ignored but gradually many political parties understood the important of this part is for vote bank politics

Recently government have used different paths to appease them. There are Centrally sponsored schemes (CCS) designed by governments which are  meant to aid the rural poor monetarily against certain amount of work done or subsidize the essential thing so as to protect them against fluctuations of market.

These schemes does not serve the purpose of improving their livelihood but to aid them temporarily on monetary basis. This monetary aid has spurred consumption by them since they were able to spend on essential items which they were not able to do so earlier.

Other than these schemes there are reasons such as high farm incomes due to high MSP offered as well as improved infrastructure of roads, electricity, telecom etc. has generated employment opportunities and improved farm & non-farm incomes in rural areas.

After few years the rural incomes have risen and many substantial changes have occurred in the pattern of consumer behavior wherein the rural people have now started to spend from essential based to demand based needs which has significant implications for marketers of private companies wherein it has widened the scope of products which can sold in these rural markets.

Brand Awareness

Over the period of time this population is ever increasing and so is the awareness regarding brands and various products. This demand of all sorts of products and brands is due to media and telecom penetration. This penetration has great effect on youth who are exposed to various brands and products as well as when they see these trends in urban areas.

Reaching to the Customer (Picture courtesy Hindu Business Line)

Challenges Galore for Marketer-

Although these disposable incomes have been instrumental in increasing of consumption but this is not in at a scale of urban consumption. There are many interesting trends which have emerged from the rural market.

The consumer behavior of rural customers are influenced from factors which is quite different from urban customers and requires a complete different orientation. The purchasing power as well as how a product or a brand is perceived are issues which require careful handling as traditionalism still prevails in minds of rural customers although due to rise in incomes they have started to spend.

Family influence and position in society in terms of caste, gender directly impacts the purchasing decision.

This is basically a challenge for companies since although there is a market for every product but only when it is positioned accordingly.

Addressing issues & tapping the rural consumer

These sets of challenges are addressed by these companies by bringing innovation in their marketing campaigns.

The issues of acceptability and affordability are primarily observed and pointed out as the most critical issues regarding rural customers whenever any company wants to position their brand in the market.

This has led to introducing of low cost packets and introduction of small sachets in market which were quite economical and quite affordable.

Almost every company now has realized the importance of designing their products according to acceptability by rural consumers.

Thus this rural consumer is targeted by private companies by creating touch points which would appeal to them and customize product as per acceptability of this segment. This story of rural India is unique in nature as it describes how various factors from traditionalism to media exposure shape consumer behaviour which are diverse in nature and gradually evolve with time.

Rural Marketing Solutions

Since liberalisation the economic growth over two decade has a trickledown effect and led to growth in rural areas.

Over a period of time companies are now making grand strategies to penetrate rural market because now rural customers are armed with disposable incomes has given rise to consumerism.

But over a period of time marketers have realized the profile of rural customer is entirely different from that of urban customer. After much of segmentation & profile mapping of the rural customers on the given parameters, it was gradually revealed that the most important factor here was the factor of psychology.

Basically how to tap the rural market as Bharat is different from India.

The rise in consumerism is because over a period of last decade there has been series of social schemes like job guarantee which like disbursing cash to people. This led them to spend the money without change in the basic attitude or any other factor. In fact all other parameters remain the same like influence of family and focus on basic necessities.

Corporates rise to the challenge

So this has turned out to be a challenge for marketers. But as we know challenges comes with opportunity. So now lots of companies have now developed a dedicated resources in product development to cater to the rural customers and working on marketing modules accordingly.

Now for many FMCG giants like ITC, HUL the rural markets corner a majority of their portfolio and if we study their approach it is based on extensive study of the rural markets. HUL Khusiyon ki Doli Campaign is one such example.

Making inroads into rural market

The major challenge here is how to link the product with requirement of the customer because unlike urban customer they don’t spend wishfully. Challenges galore for any marketers ranging from poor infrastructure to Brand Awareness. The major challenges that lie here are in terms of distribution, pricing and advertising to make inroads into rural India.

Well Innovation is the key here as we will see what HUL has done here by linking technology with tradition and creating awareness about the product by creating awareness about the need for it.

Many companies sell their soap by creating awareness about hygiene & health impacts of washing hands. Same is the case for tooth paste linking it to dental care (well, that works in urban market too).

How to Engage the Rural Customer

The purpose of Brand Awareness will never be fulfilled if companies don’t engage with rural people effectively as per their language & customs. This has emerged as the most critical component in addressing this challenge. The campaign designed by marketers should be designed in such a manner which would take care of all these issues and deliver on the available platforms of traditional media. Many companies indulge in training programs with local retailers & distributors because they provide effective last mile connectivity like Coco Cola’s Parivartan Training Program.

Rural presence of Cola major- Localization

Many marketers have also done trend analysis and understood that community gathering is the most important & effective platform for interaction i.e. the customer touch point. Using these platforms companies run social campaigns focussing on these fundamental issues & then promote their brand as the solution to these issues.

With growing importance of rural markets there are many companies which have drawn long term strategies which help them sustain in this complicated market which has ever changing landscape and it has also encouraged companies to adopt disruptive technologies and solutions which have a radical effect on the market. Thus, it is to be noted that the most happening place for any marketer has turned out be rural areas.

Thus, the evolution of the rural customer has created a new market of more than half a billion people which has generated opportunity for marketers but not without challenges.

It is to be noted that marketers have learnt to tame the challenges and created effective Rural Marketing Solutions which are unique & highly innovative in nature to cater to this segment.