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Author name: VrittiMedia

Unbranded oil brings a big opportunity for direct selling in the rural India

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I am in the field of consumer marketing from quite a long time. I have seen the incredible change in the perspective and perception of consumers in the past three decades. Globalizati on and open market policy brought a miraculous change around, and todays rural market is very different from the era of 90s. Today, the buyers in small villages and towns know what they are going to purchase and what are the merits and demerits of a particular product. Having said it, the price of the product is still amongst the prime selection criteria. They dont go for unnecessarily expensive products just for the sake of brand loyalty if a similar quality unbranded product is available at a much lesser price. Even if there is a slight difference in the quality, they dont mind. Unbranded oil still has a bright future in villages and towns While the marketing research companies happily announce a 20 percent annual rise in the branded oil segment in the urban areas, and sunflower and soy are continue to capture the front two seats; rural market happily lives with the unbranded products. I have been in the rural markets for quite some time and looked at it very minutely to understand the psyche and likings of consumers. As far as edible oils are concerned, it is a common observation that people prefer oils that get sold loose in the market. They just ask for the variety of it, i.e., soy oil, mustard oil or groundnut oil. There is no curiosity about the brand. If the oil looks good, smells good and available at affordable prices, then it is more than sufficient for the consumers. It is a golden opportunity for direct sellers It is indeed a wonderful opportunity for those who deal in unbranded loose oils. In the urban areas, there is a big challenge to sell lose oil because people dont perceive it a reliable product. However, if the oil producers and direct suppliers make a small-scale supply-chain model and offer god quality, pure oil to the retailers in small villages and towns, then it could be a win-win situation for all. Producers will get buyers without spending much on the infrastructure and transportation. Since the chain is not very long, the price increase will not be much. Consumers will also get excellent quality oil at reasonable prices. This idea is 100% workable and practical. New generation entrepreneurs must try it!

The telecommunication revolution reaches up to the grass root levels

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  We have preconceived notions when we talk about the telecommunication revolution in our country, dont we? While talking about the phenomenal growth in the past two decades, we conveniently forget (rather ignore) the huge chunk of the rural market. We still consider it a world of some other planet where people still use the good old landlines, black&white television sets, and bicycles. Well, it is not our fault. A person who has not seen the world beyond metros and big cities cant imagine about the lifestyle and living standards in the remote villages. I was also amongst the lot until I joined Vritti Imedia and started working on rural marketing assignments. It was an eye-opener indeed. The bookish concepts about Indian villages and rural areas got shattered completely, and I was exposed to an altogether different world. The Net-savvy Shepherds Let me share an amazing incident happened recently when myself and my boss Mr Jeevan were traveling to some interior place in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. We had a meeting with the principal of a college located in the outskirts. It was a pristine location where a large open field was there around the main building of the college. As there was a rain fall in the surrounding areas just before a few days we visited, there was lush green grass everywhere, and it was a picturesque scene. While we were waiting for the principal sir to come, something grabbed my attention. In the widespread ground, I saw a flock of goat and sheep grazing in the sunny afternoon. The two shepherds who I assumed the owners of the animals were sitting leisurely under the tree. However, to my surprise, they were neither sleeping nor playing a fiddle (as it is described in the stories and films); but they were watching something very keenly and enjoying it. The scene was so unusual that I could not resist myself from going there and enquiring about what was going on there? I knew it was not a gentlemen act, though. When I reached near, I realized that the son was holding a Smartphone in his hand (it revealed me later that they were father-and-son duo) and both were watching a hilarious Kannada movie. And yes, the movie was not stored offline but they were having a Reliance Jio SIM and 4G connectivity. Yes, you heard it right; it was 4G SIM Card! It was a great learning for us Indeed it was an enlightening experience for us. We suddenly realized that how much prototyped we are about the rural India while designing marketing campaigns or advertizing programs. We still have the age-old ideas about the lifestyle, likes and dislikes, preferences and choices of the rural population. Today, if the two shepherds are techno-savvy enough to access YouTube, Whatsapp, and snapchat, then the educated people of rural areas can do much more beyond it. The time has come that we come out of our prejudices and face reality as far as rural marketing campaigns are concerned.

What is going to be the Future of Rural Advertising in India?

Advertising in Rural & Urban, advertising in rural india, Articles and Opinions / By

As you sink deeper and deeper into the wealth distribution and marketing potential, you reveal that there has been a remarkable development in the rural sectors. Villages in India in the contemporary times are far more different than the earlier times. Now, rural markets are equally exciting, and people who live in villages are also skeptical like their urban counterparts. Rural market in India brings unlimited opportunities due to the massive economic and educational development and increased awareness. It is the reason; big and small companies target rural markets with unparalleled business models. As they realize that the rules of the game in this market are completely different, they feel the need of designing specialized campaigns for advertising in rural india. Increased literacy rate made the scenario further challenging The literacy rate in the remote areas, villages and small towns reach almost 70 percent. Since people are more literate, they throw more challenges in front of the rural marketing companies today than the earlier times. Earlier they required very little time in designing marketing strategies. Today, they are forced to adopt new business models for communicating the features of their products or services to the customers. They need specific, targeted strategies to meet the requirements of this sector. A rural promotion program today needs to be precise and unambiguous. What is hidden in the future? A lot of efforts are being made by the government to uplift the rural sector. Since there is a great focus on the all-round development, everything from infrastructure to sanitation and electrification to communication facilities will undergo a massive change. It is needless to say that rural activation agencies india are also supposed to change quickly to the changing scenario. They need to adapt to the new situation quickly. As the income graph increases, there is a proportional increase in the disposal income as well. Hence, rural consumers are highly potential buyers today. Strategies for rural advertising in india must keep into consideration. Spike in the growth has just triggered, and it will rise in the future Very soon, rural India will surpass urban areas in terms of market potential. Hence, every aspect of marketing should gear up for it. From advertising in rural areas to branding and promotional schemes to supply chain management; everything requires a fresh perspective. Every leading rural marketing agency such as Vritti Imedia is getting ready for the show.

The Magic Masala

Articles and Opinions, Media Coverage / By

Why do I love my job as a marketing executive? Certainly, because it is creative and lively, but there is another dimension to it. As a rural marketing expert, you need to travel a lot; and that too in the remote places and small villages. Dont underestimate our small villages and local markets by assuming that they are boring and dull. In fact, there is a lot of excitement and thrill hidden underneath as you explore a little bit deeper.During my journeys, visits, and meetings with retailers, buyers and distributers in the remote places, I get new insights and learning about the customer mentality and their buying behavior. My recent experience in the sandy market Have you heard about the sandy market ever? Dont think that I have misspelled Sunday Market as Sandy Market! It is called Sandy Market or you can call it the Weekly Market which happens on the fixed day of the week at the fixed place in the villages.People from the local place and nearby villages come to buy things of their needs. This market is like a huge departmental store or Super Bazaar in the big cities and metros. You can get anything from pin to piano there. Grocery items, fruits, and vegetables, clothes, utensils, eatables, cosmetics; you name it, and they have it!I was in the Bagalkot District of Karnataka. It was a tiny village named Kerur where I was looking at the business opportunity for products of my company. During my visit, I saw an interesting thing. There was a van carrying all sorts of homemade spices and pickles.The shopkeeper was busy in weighing and packing red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander seed powder, salt and hundreds of other items. He was selling prepared mixes such as Sambar Masala also. Surprisingly, I saw packed spices and branded spices in many shops, but people preferred the homemade stuff from this person. The secret of the success It made me quite curious about it, and I decided to talk to the shopkeeper. Thankfully, he was generous enough to spend a few minutes in his extremely hectic schedule. He revealed that people trust his products because they are homemade. The spices and pickles carry the goodwill and trust of the shopkeeper.When people buy the stuff, they know that the ingredients are of good quality; they are properly cleaned and mixed in hygienic conditions. The pickles also bring the authentic taste of Karnataka, and they will not get spoiled for a long time.Moreover, the person has been selling these things for quite a long time. Thus, he carries trust and credibility. The takeaway Again, it was an interesting learning for me. I realized that in the rural market, more than the brand, people prefer reliability and trust. The personal credibility creates more magic than advertising and campaign.Since people have faith that the spices are homemade and there is no compromise with its quality, they prefer it instead of buying branded stuff made in some factory. Amazing, isnt it? Yes, our rural market stores many such amusements!

A valuable learning in the sandy market!

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India is a land of surprises and the more you explore it, the more you get amazed with it! Well, the clich mentioned here is not just a clich for me but a hard reality of the life. Being a marketing executive, I have been traveling in the remote rural areas of our country, and I am not hesitated to accept that every tour reveals new secrets of this huge market. Buyers in the rural market are equally curious, inquisitive and aware of their requirements. They know what products are good and what are mediocre.Not only buyers, the markets of our rural India are very different from what we see in the cities and towns. You dont see huge malls and posh showrooms; you dont find big grocery shops and shopping complexes. What you get is a sandy street market there. Usually it is a weekly market at a fixed place in the village. I call it the super bazar of a village because it really resembles a lot with a huge departmental store in a big city. The only difference is it is spread horizontally and not vertically. My recent amazing experience I love wandering these sandy weekly markets where there is a lot of charm and liveliness. It is a colorful world where everything gets sold at reasonable prices.Recently, during my market visit in a rural area, I was looking at the shops and goods getting sold in different shops. A peculiar thing dragged my attention. Though the shops were flooded with a lot of variety of products, I saw only one brand of toothpaste and biscuits.In the whole market, only Colgate toothpaste and Parle G biscuits were sold.While inquiring about it, I got something interesting. Shopkeepers in the sandy markets get the stuff from local distributors. In this particular village, the distributor was very prompt and customer-centric. He supplied piles of toothpaste and biscuits to all the shopkeepers and made it available at competitive prices.He was considerate and flexible. Hence, shopkeepers were not interested in any other brand! The takeaway For me, it was a great learning. It proves that above all marketing strategies and lucrative product promotion gimmicks, what really matters to the retailer is the availability of the product and convenience. If we manage product supplies well and become considerate towards the hardships of the retailers, then nothing can beat a product from becoming the market leader.