Rural Marketing - Introduction, Concept and Definitions
Rural Marketing - Introduction, Concept and Definitions
Rural Marketing - Introduction, Concept and Definitions
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Introduction:
The emergence of rural markets as highly untapped potential emphasizes the need to
explore them. Marketers over the past few decades, with innovative approaches, have
attempted to understand and tap rural markets. Some of their efforts paid off and many
markets still an enigma. Rural marketing is an evolving concept, and as a part of any
economy, has untapped potential; marketers have realized the opportunity recently.
Improvement in infrastructure and reach, promise a bright future for those intending
to go rural. Rural consumers are keen on branded goods nowadays, so the market size
for products and services seems to have burgeoned.
The rural population has shown a trend of moving to a state of gradual urbanization in
terms of exposure, habits, lifestyles, and lastly, consumption patterns of goods and
services. So, there are dangers on concentrating more on the rural customers. Reducing
the product features in order to lower prices is a dangerous game to play. Rural buyers
like to follow the urban pattern of living. Astonishingly, as per the census report 2003-
04, there are total 638365 villages in India in which nearly 70% of total population
resides; out of them 35 % villages have more than 1000 population.
Rural per capita consumption expenditure grew by 11.5 per cent while the urban
expenditure grew by 9.6 per cent. There is a tremendous potential for consumer
durables like two-wheelers, small cars, television sets, refrigerators, air-conditioners
and household appliances in rural India.
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These are:
i. The market for consumer goods that comprise of both durable and non-durable
goods
ii. The market for agricultural inputs that include fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and so
on
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The concept of rural marketing in India is often been found to forms ambiguity in the
mind of people who think rural marketing is all about agricultural marketing. However,
rural marketing determines the carrying out of business activities bringing in the flow
of goods from urban sectors to the rural regions of the country as well as the marketing
of various products manufactured by the non-agricultural workers from rural to urban
areas.
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The rural market in India is not a separate entity in itself and it is highly influenced by
the sociological and behavioural factors operating in the country. The rural population
in India accounts for around 627 million, which is exactly 74.3 percent of the total
population.
In rural marketing, a firm has to undergo marketing efforts to satisfy rural segments,
which notably differ from urban segments in some aspects. At the same time, we must
note that increasing literacy rate, improved sources of income, awareness due to
improved and increased means of communication and transportation, high rate of
mobility within and between countries due to liberalization and globalization, and
many other such reasons, some customers are likely to be identical.
Even, a few rural customers seem cosmopolitan! So, one can find customers of different
behaviour patterns within a village or a town. In the same way, most of products are
commonly used in both urban and rural areas. In some aspects, both rural and urban
customers behave in homogeneous pattern. Some Indian customers have become
global and cosmopolitan!
Definitions:
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‘Rural marketing’ is similar to simply ‘marketing.’ Rural marketing differs only in terms
of buyers. Here, target market consists of customers living in rural areas. Thus, rural
marketing is an application of marketing fundamentals (concepts, principles,
processes, theories, etc.) to rural markets.
1. Let us define the term in simple way as: Rural marketing concerns with planning and
implementing marketing programmes (often referred as marketing strategies or simply
4P’s) for rural markets to achieve marketing goals.
3. Marketing efforts remain same, only important aspect is type of buyers. So, the term
can be defined as: When marketing activities are undertaken for rural segments, it is
turned as rural marketing and the management is called rural marketing management.
4. Since marketing manager has to carry out similar tasks. So, definition of marketing
stated by American Marketing Association can be equally applicable in relation to rural
segments. We will add only specific word ‘rural’ to define the term: Rural marketing is
a process of planning, and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and
distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchange (for rural segments) that
satisfy individual and organizational objectives.
(Only the word ‘rural’ has been added to the definition adopted by the AMA. The word
implies that marketing activities are undertaken in rural areas to satisfy rural
segments.)
5. More specifically, it can be said: Rural Marketing means to produce products (goods
and services) for the rural customers and to make necessary arrangement to supply
them.
6. At last, we can say: Rural marketing is the marketing for the customers residing in
rural areas. It involves designing marketing programme (4P’s)
Decision-Making to arriveImportance
: Definition, at desired
and
exchange with the rural customers that satisfiesPrinciples | Management
their needs and wants.
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1. Importance of Exploring Niche Marketing for Rural Markets
2. Rural Marketing and It’s Importance
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction:
Concept of Rural Marketing:
Definitions: