Innovative Strategic Rural Marketing Initiatives Adopted by Crop Protection Chemical Companies

Crop protection chemicals are essential for maintaining high agricultural productivity and safeguarding vital natural resources. They help farmers combat pests, diseases, and weeds that threaten crop health and yields. Herbicides, insecticides and pesticides form the main classes of crop protection chemicals.

 The Indian crop protection chemicals industry has played a crucial role in the growth of the country’s agricultural sector. And it’s poised to grow due to the increasing need for food security and high-quality crops.

 Major players in the Indian crop protection chemicals industry include UPL, Rallis India, Bayer CropScience, PI Industries, and Syngenta India.

However, the industry faces several challenges in its quest for fast growth such as Regulatory Constraints, Environmental concerns and Counterfeit products

 Thus these crop protection chemical companies must constantly scan for headwinds and adopt innovative marketing strategies to reach the target market and generate sales.

Macro-Level Strategies Of Crop Protection Chemical Organizations

 Product Innovation: Companies continuously invest in R&D to develop new, effective products. For instance, UPL has a robust pipeline of over 50 new products for launch over the next five years.

 Customer Engagement: Companies engage with farmers through field demonstrations, farmer meetings, and digital platforms to educate them about the correct usage of products.

 Digital Campaigns: With the increasing penetration of the internet and smartphones, companies are leveraging digital platforms for marketing. They use social media, mobile apps, and online portals to reach out to their customers.

 Thus we see that Crop protection chemical companies in India have adopted innovative marketing strategies to serve farmers better. As demand rises for sustainable crop management solutions, these companies understand the unique challenges and opportunities in India’s diverse rural communities.

 In addition to the above industry-level initiatives pursued, most of these crop protection chemicals manufacturers have to constantly engage with farmers in the rural hinterlands to educate and support their crop success.

 

Some key initiatives of Companies are as follows-

Farmer Education Campaigns

For example, Bayer’s “Shakti” initiative has set up farmer training centers and demo plots. These provide hands-on learning about topics like integrated pest management and precision farming. Thousands of farmers across India have benefited.

Digital Outreach and Precision Agriculture

Syngenta’s “FARM-FORCE” app uses weather data, pest monitoring, and analytics to give farmers tailored crop protection advice. This precision farming approach optimizes yields and minimizes environmental impact.

Localized Product Offerings

For instance, UPL’s “Micro-Packs” offer smaller, affordable crop protection product packaging. This enables smallholder farmers with financial constraints to access quality solutions.

Comprehensive Support Services

Corteva’s “Krishi Samadhan” initiative offers a farmer helpline and on-site guidance on topics like pest control and product usage. This empowers farmers to improve practices.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Take the case of Mahindra Agri Solutions, which is a collaboration with agricultural research bodies like ICAR to develop tailored crop protection solutions. Strategic partnerships enhance accessibility and effectiveness.

 In summary, leading chemical companies have invested heavily in strategic rural marketing centered around farmers’ needs. As the agricultural landscape evolves, staying attuned through customer-centric and innovative solutions will empower farmers and drive sustainable growth.

 We collaborated with UPL, a major crop chemical manufacturer in India,  in their strategic rural marketing initiatives, which for a better understanding is detailed below. 

UPL’s Strategic Rural Marketing Success

UPL Limited, a leading Indian agrochemicals company, launched a digital marketing campaign for two of its herbicides – Shagun and Vesta. We, Ascent Brand Communications collaborated with them on crafting the campaign and executing the same.

The objective was to increase brand recall, generate participation, and enhance audience reach across the peak season in 5 key states: Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.

 

 

Campaign Objectives

The primary goals of the campaign were: 

• To increase brand recall of Shagun and Vesta on digital platforms and drive engagement among the target audience.
• Expand the campaign’s reach to nearly 10 million people in the selected states during the peak season.
• Leverage the Diwali festival to position the products as a “Shagun 21-11” offer for wheat cultivation.

 Creative Approach

The campaign was launched during the Diwali festival, a time of celebration and new beginnings in India. The creative idea centered around the “Shagun 21-11” theme, positioning the products as a special Diwali offering for farmers to ensure high-quality wheat crops.

 

Integrated Marketing Execution

We adopted an integrated marketing strategy across various digital platforms:

• Vernacular social media posts on Facebook and Google Display Network to reach the local farming community.
• Farmer testimonial videos on YouTube, Facebook, and GDN to showcase the products’ benefits.
• A missed call system that allowed farmers to participate in a draw and receive further information.
• An automated vernacular SMS system that drove traffic to the campaign website, where farmers could provide feedback through photo, text, or voice messages.
• Newspaper ads to amplify the campaign’s reach and credibility.

Results of Marketing Initiative & Impact

The campaign achieved remarkable results within the limited 25-day timeframe:

• Reached over 14.5 million farmers, exceeding the 10 million target.
• Generated 70,000+ link clicks and 4,500+ engagements on the campaign website.
• Received over 6,200 missed calls, with 250+ calls per day, allowing direct engagement.
• Garnered over 24 lakh impressions on GDN and 15.4 lakh impressions on YouTube.

 The unique feedback system on the website attracted widespread farmer engagement and positive reviews.

Thus we see that the integrated, vernacular-focused approach, coupled with the timely Diwali positioning, enabled UPL to effectively connect with the target farming community across the 5 states. The campaign’s success is a testament to the power of a focused digital marketing strategy in reaching and engaging rural audiences, ultimately driving brand awareness and interest in UPL’s agricultural solutions.

 

To access the full details of the campaign: UPL Digital Marketing in 5 States – Ascent Group India

 

Final Takeaways

Thus we see that the above-mentioned companies like UPL, Bayer, Syngenta etc have successfully implemented multi-faceted campaigns to effectively engage with farmers in rural areas. These initiatives have focused on product innovation, customer education, digital marketing and BTL to build brand awareness, demonstrate product benefits, and generate sales leads.

 

And if you are in the crop chemicals business, and looking to connect with rural farmers across India, do let us know. We would be happy to collaborate on your success