Marketing Strategies for Rural Markets

In recent years, rural markets have acquired significance, as the overall growth of the economy has resulted into substantial increase in the purchasing power of the rural communities. Rural Marketing, has emerged on the account of green revolution, the rural areas are consuming a large quantity of industrial and urban manufactured products. The choice of strategy depends on the organization’s ability to meet the consumers’ need effectively. This requires delivering value to the consumers by developing suitable products at a price they are willing to pay and at a place where they can conveniently purchase the products. To succeed in the rural market, companies will need to adapt the 4Ps of marketing – Product, Price, Place and Promotion and the 4As of marketing in their strategy – Awareness, Access, Availability and Affordability and need lot more attention and innovation. With Distribution and Communication strategies, sub – strategies which can be adopted to tap rural markets are: • Client and location specific promotion • Bundling of inputs • Management of demand • Unique Selling Proposition (USP) • Partnership for sustainability