Marketing Strategies Case Study

Rural Marketing: Indian Experiences

OR

Abstract:
Professors C.K Prahalad and Stuart L Hart point out that the real fortune for marketers is at the bottom of the world economic pyramid, the four billion consumers whose annual per capita income in purchasing power parity terms is less than $1,500. These tier-4 consumers live in rural villages or urban slums, mostly in developing countries like India, China and Brazil. However, most multinational companies have focused their efforts on serving the needs of consumers in developed nations or the affluent in the developing nations. Marketing in rural areas has been seen as, too much effort for too little return. However, in India, multinational companies (MNCs) have been increasingly involving themselves in serving and creating products for the rural consumer.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To discuss the wide differences between urban and rural markets and explore the psyche of the rural consumer in the backdrop of experiences of several MNCs like Hindustan Lever, Coca-Cola and CavinKare and insights provided by rural marketing experts like Pradeep Kashyap of Market and Research Team and practising marketing managers of companies.

Keywords : Rural marketing, C.K Prahalad, Stuart L Hart, Pradeep Kashyap, Hindustan Lever Ltd, Coca-Cola, RV Rajan, CK Ranganathan, Television advertising, Rural psyche, Rural communication, Marketing Strategies Case Study, Rural India, Katy Merchan