Well, do you also think that in the rural and India, the difference is only geographic and rest all parameters are exactly similar? If yes, then perhaps it is the right time to change the perception. In fact, it was the mistake that outdoor advertising agencies in india committed in the past. They considered both rural and urban India same and derived generic marketing strategies common to all. As a result, they could perform overwhelmingly in the towns and cities, but the response in the small towns and villages was lukewarm.
Believe it; marketing managers took quite a lot of time to understand the fundamental difference. In the past three decades when India came up as a buzzing marketplace with the economic reforms, marketing gurus felt the need of developing different strategies for urban and rural markets. Bus terminal Advertising in India by Vritti iMedia is an example.
Rural India, the market with unexplored potential
Statistics indicates that around 80 percent of the population in India (it comes roughly 1 Billion people) lives in villages and very small towns. Dont underestimate the power of rural market because the number is huge. Interestingly, their aspirations, fascinations, and motivations are totally different in spite of the fact that both rural and urban people are tied firmly by the common thread; both belong to the great country known as India.
The difference is narrowing fast, but it is still there
In the past three decades, India has transformed completely. With the development of infrastructure and telecommunication, the rural population got connected to the whole world. Penetration of television channels opened a panorama of new concepts and lifestyle to them. With the new economic reforms, their economic conditions improved and they could afford many things that were a dream earlier.
It is needless to say that the gap between the rural and urban market (it is referred as Bharat and India sometimes) is narrowing down rapidly. However, the fundamental difference between the mind maps still continues.
Marketing managers have to be aware of it. They must derive separate marketing strategy for advertisement in rural areas and the urban markets. Then only, it is possible to attract both market segments.
The economic condition, lack of infrastructural development and social constraints are a few inhibiting factors. Hence, marketing gurus should pay attention to the USPs of products, and relevant points should be highlighted in the respective market campaign. Only then you can expect success in the long run. Thus, the difference is not just geographic but in the mindset as well.