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Articles and Opinions

Bus Stand Announcement Advertisements and its Impact in Rural India

Articles and Opinions, Bus Stand Announcement Advertising, Bus terminal Advertising, Bus terminal Advertising in India / By

As the purchasing capacity the customers of the rural area becomes significant, marketing geeks cant take it for granted anymore. It is not just a small chunk of the pie but a significant revenue contributor. Since the aspirations, inspirations and intuitions of rural people are different; their emotional triggers are also different. Hence, a unified, generalized strategy wont work. A few marketing companies such Vritti Imedia have a hunch of it. They know what gets clicked in the rural market. Hence, they are the pioneers in bringing some innovative concepts that nobody ever imagined. Audiowala Bus Stand, the groundbreaking idea that clicked in the rural market Advertizing inside the bus is quite common in India, but using the audio announcement system for marketing brands and services was something out of the box. Since bus service occupies the second position in the list of popular public conveyance systems in India (the leader is obviously the Indian Railway), bus stands have enormous footfall across the country. However, bus services arent that efficient in all the states. Therefore, Vritti Imedia took a few leading states where the roads are superb, and the bus services are excellent. The states chosen for Bus Stand Announcement Advertising were Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Rajasthan and Punjab. Since the majority of them are prosperous and developed state, it was assumed that the return on investment will be pretty high. The impact of Audiowla Bus Stand in the rural India The idea of doing Bus terminal advertising in India using the public announcement system has been greatly successful so far. Vritti conducted several research programs to assess the effectiveness of it before implementation. It was found that people listen to the announcements quite attentively. If the announcement system publicize products or services that allure the rural customers, then great results are possible. By making the intelligent use of the public announcement system, the company not only marketed products, but contributed to the projects of national interest such as Clean India or promoting the use of toilets in the rural areas. Statistics says that by using this revolutionary concept, Vritti Imedia has overshadowed the leading Audio Visual Advertising Agencies in Mumbai. Since the focus is to reach every possible target consumer, the announcement system schedules the promotional broadcast in such a way that it maximizes the probability of getting heard. Whether it is unique footfall or repeat, the campaigns attract everyone.

A different market but a completely different socio-cultural entity – ‘Rural India’

Articles and Opinions, rural marketing / By

Rural market is the latest buzzword not only in India but many other big economies such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam. Marketing gurus look at this highly potential market segment as the market of the future. Yes, in a country like India where economic growth has been consistently good for more than a decade; it is a high time to concentrate on this unique socio-cultural entity. According to economists and marketing experts, urban economies show an immediate reflection of the global economic change. Rural markets take quite some time to show the impacts. In such scenario, they can be a good buffer for diverting the business. It is needless to say that the complexities of rural markets should be kept in mind while designing marketing strategies. It is the common mistake that marketers extend their urban marketing programs without focusing on rural market. Quite obviously, they fail to create any impact because of the fundamental differences in the mindset and concepts. Here are some aspects that distinctly differentiate between the rural and urban market. Rural customers are not influenced externally, but internally What do we mean by it? It means that they are closely knit with the community, and real-life experience is more convincing for them than a marketing campaign. Therefore, community campaign is an effective way of communicating about product and services. Since people rely more on the word of mouth, it is critically important to have the first impression right. There is a lack of media channels, but the recall value is incredible Unlike urban market where consumers have a plethora of media channels, but a feeble recall value, rural markets have very high recall value. Once they get connected to a marketing campaign, it is very difficult to erase the impression. It is the reason; the products and services that reached to the rural market still enjoy terrific recall value. Seasoned marketers have used intelligent micro-marketing campaigns to tap the markets. Audio – Visual campaigns, Haats, Yatra/Mela Marketing programs, Bus Stand announcement advertising, mobile vans, and marketing campaigns in the fairs or local events are a few successful marketing ideas. It takes time to establish the brand, but it is long-lasting once established Typically, you need quite a long time to establish a brand in the rural market. However, the loyalty of the rural market is amazing. Hence, front-loading the investments and waiting long for the results would be the right marketing strategy. The returns will come without fail, but you need to give sufficient time and have to be consistent in approach.

Advertising at the Taluka Level

Articles and Opinions / By

Rural advertising is growing fast and strong as it is consistently helping reputed brands increase their reach and gain profitable sales. The taluka is the centre of main activities happening in rural areas and hence, is of high importance when you choose rural advertising as a part of your media plan. Talukas generally have a semi-town rural lifestyle and are home to a large number of FMCG’s at the village level. A taluka holds close to 200-300 villages on an average. The population that comes to a taluka comprises of women that come for shopping, farmers that come for sales and students that come there for educational purposes among others. Advertising at the taluka level works best for FMCG, consumer durable and telecom brands by extending their reach and showing a consistent increase in their sales. The best way to advertise at the taluka level is through the medium of audio advertisements played at bus stands and BTL Activation. According to research conducted by AC Neilsen, it is the best medium for rural advertising gaining 98% recall through passengers at bus stands. It is a medium that is not only effective but also cost effective. Bus stands being the main hub for travelers in rural areas, gather thousands of people every day and they are exposed to these audio advertisements that are played through the same speakers that gives out bus announcements; making it better to get their attention. It is important to have rural advertising at a taluka level as it is the main rural hub, holding bus stands, rural shopping malls, notable congregations and government activities as well as BTL activation. Vritti i Media is the pioneer of this new concept of audio advertising at bus stands at the taluka level.

Winning With Advertising on the Go!

Articles and Opinions / By

Summer is fast approaching and families are busy making plans about where to go and how to travel. Whether rail or road, these potential consumers will spend hours en route, and perhaps make a few pit-stops at food-malls. As advertisers, it is important to stay ahead of the marketing curve by making the requisite moves to convert this fast-approaching opportunity. By considering various new and flexible modes of OOH, advertisers can make the most of the vacation season to up their sales amidst tremulous economic conditions. Transit advertising and advertising at food malls are the new buzz in OOH. By enabling brands to reach consumers through media such as branding on vehicles, as well as audio announcements or attractive displays at bus stops or railway stations, advertisers can reach their specific target markets through flexible and dynamic means. For instance, Vritti i-Media has a well-established and proven network of tech-enabled audio advertising solutions for non-metro regions. Through effective announcements at Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus-stations in over 80 locations, the company continues to make waves in Maharashtra’s hinterlands. Vritti i-Media also scores above its competitors in the audio-visual advertising space for high-population density spots such as highway food-courts. FMCG and retail companies can harness a basket of unique infrastructure such as that available with Vritti to launch innovative advertising campaigns. One such campaign was Dabur’s initiative to adopt 150 highway dhabas. Under Dabur’s plan, the interiors of dhabas were refurbished and branded props were used to promote the sales of the digestive tablets, ‘Hajmola.’ Bharat Petroleum made a similar move when they started a chain of dhabas christened ‘Tadka’ to offer a hygienic dining experience to highway travellers. Additionally, Perfetti, Emani, PepsiCo and Godrej have also explored the avenue of brand alliances with food hubs as an invaluable point of sales to draw customers. Besides this, along with media like signages and kiosks, audio-visual screens can increasingly be found at food-malls along the Mumbai-Pune highway. These enable multi-lingual communication at modest costs. In the space of audio advertising, Western Railway (WR) has joined the bandwagon by leasing air-space on its public announcement systems. For example, Kaun Banega Crorepati booked 3,600 seconds for three days of air-time, valued at Rs 4.5 lakh from WR. This initiative by WR has met with loads of success and helped the railways rake in almost Rs 13 crore. Such a response proves that there are ample takers for this league of advertising communication. Since this mode is aimed at a captive audience, it is low cost. Due to the benefits of flexibility, cost-efficiency and effectiveness, brands are increasingly waking up to this idea of advertising that generates brand-goodwill among travellers.