As a savvy businessperson, you’re already aware of the vast potential of India’s rural market. Times have changed, and the rural marketplace is no longer a placid environment where consumers will swallow whatever is thrown at them.Â
The rural market is asserting its influence today, forcing companies and rural marketing agencies in India to build and conceptualize marketing strategies specifically for rural consumers. Hence when developing a market strategy, it’s necessary to consider a few key elements.
Key elements to consider when marketing in rural areas
Consumer Preference
Are you aware of your audience’s interests? Consumer preferences in rural areas of India differ from those in urban areas. When it comes to planning campaigns, one size does not suit all; marketers and businesses must start at the ground level.
Let’s understand consumer preference by an example. Farmers prefer tractors as an essential farming machine that automates tasks such as planting and ploughing. They are looking for low-cost tractors that perform less mechanised work in the field. Will offering them expensive tractors make sense?.No, not all because you’re not considering their preferences.
According to a Statista report, there is an increase of 10 index points compared to last year in rural consumer sentiment. While consumer preference is a good sign of demand, it’s crucial to remember that preferences aren’t usually the deciding factor in consumer decisions. When contrasted to the cost of the goods, a consumer’s income or budget typically limits their options.Â
Rural Market Research
Rural India is vast and diverse, providing various hurdles to a marketer’s ability to analyze the success of entering rural markets effectively. This point is much more important if the product or service is being launched for the first time. Hence, before you dive into the river, know the depth of the water.
Extensive rural market research is recommended for any given market for multiple objectives such as product launch, product relaunch, brand extension, rural retail expansion, rural retail satisfaction, competitor’s study, and so on, using various rural research methodologies and thoroughly examining product design, physical distribution, markets, sales, and management in rural areas. Knowledge of your rural target market’s behavioral features, psychographics, and demographics will also be beneficial.
Validate data points
If you don’t have any valid data points, you shouldn’t go any farther. First, learn about market attitudes, consumer psychology, product distribution, and pricing in depth. Consumer psychology determines how the decision-making process, social persuasion, and motivation play a role in why people buy some goods and don’t buy others.Â
Rural consumers are more likely to participate in purchasing a product if they feel included. When you understand their psychology, you’ll have to figure out the ways of distribution, keeping the pricing factor in mind. And finally, validation of all the data is required because marketers must consider how information is conveyed to customers.
Rural Marketing Plan
Take a look at the overall rural marketing plan. In India, you should work on a market development strategy, a campaign, distribution, and rural marketing events all at the same time. Overall, there will be a positive impact when you plan a roadmap and execute all the planning properly.
This will entail defining the brand as it will be the first impression for your rural target audience. Now, this requires market segmentation and Buyers Persona analysis, based on which you’ll move ahead towards a marketing process that will involve marketing channels and planning and delivering the content.Â
Lastly, tracking the entire process should be done on a regular basis to figure out more new opportunities and ways to improve. But yes, in the entire rural marketing plan, don’t forget about your competitors; since the rural market is growing day by day, so is the competition. Therefore, do a thorough competitor analysis and make required changes and adjustments for better business growth.
Long term goal
The rural market has enormous potential. Also, the rural populations are larger, more diversified, and dispersed across the country; hence the effectiveness of your strategy will determine how successful you are in attracting people’s attention. Rural markets have experienced both quantitative and qualitative growth.Â
Rural People’s purchasing power is progressively expanding due to government spending on flood control, irrigation, anti-poverty initiatives, subsidies, and infrastructure development, among other things. Also, according to various rural market statistics, there is a significant increase in the size of the rural market; hence there is a great scope in the coming days.Â
When you have a long-term rural marketing strategy, you better understand your company’s future and the results you anticipate seeing, you can make better estimates for your company’s development. Hence, examine the market from a long-term standpoint.
Don’t rely on generic planÂ
In today’s Indian economy, the rural market is quite important. Over the last few decades, it has grown in importance, and marketers and businesses should not take it for granted. A distinct marketing approach for rural areas is required, tailored to the people’s thinking patterns, purchasing inclinations, and likes and dislikes.Â
Rural markets of India consume vast quantities of items and have a significant impact on a company’s marketing strategy. For instance, if you are a company from Chennai developing a product for Rajasthan rural areas, you must have a different rural marketing approach because there is a lot of difference between the Chennai and Rajasthan rural areas.Â
Rural marketing companies in India can’t rely on a generic plan to boost marketing and promotion. You must realize the difference between regulations, culture, and other factors. Don’t treat it merely as a different market segment. The more you put into it, the better the outcome will be.Â
Take your business to new heights
Make a to-do list as it is crucial to the rural marketing strategy’s success. A checklist for marketing in rural areas ensures that nothing is overlooked during the execution process. Also, don’t be put off by a lukewarm response at first. Perhaps some little adjustments are required. Consumers in rural areas of India take longer to appreciate a product or service, but they are extremely responsive once they do.
