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.