Client-speak: ‘Help us communicate the effectiveness of rural marketing campaigns

by EVENTFAQS Bureau | Marketing | December 23, 2008 | News

Rural Marketing Association of India's (RMAI) case study presentation and awards ceremony was held on December 22, 2008, at JW Marriot, Mumbai. The awards seek to recognize excellence in rural marketing efforts by agencies and clients over the past couple of years. The bi-annual event was attended by leading rural marketing agencies, and 10 shortlisted case studies were presented. Addressing the gathering, RV Rajan, President, RMAI, thanked members of the association and sponsors for the success of this event. He said, ;The number of entries for this year's awards has gone down considerably. One of the reasons cited by the agencies is the reluctance from their clients to share the specifics of a campaign. However, I feel that the mindset needs to change. The campaign, which has been executed, is already out in the open. And, if it can be showcased in a forum like this, it will help the growth of this industry at large. Atrayee Sarkar Sanyal, Chief of Marketing (Distribution & Branded Products), Tata Shaktee, was the Chief Guest at the event. She noted that much of the (rural marketing industry;s) work is never noticed, as it is being implemented in extremely remote villages. ;I would like to use this podium to express my needs from the other side that of client from an association like RMAI. It has to promote itself more aggressively, she added. Elaborating on some areas that needed RMAI;s attention, she said, ;The consumer contact programs which RMAI speaks of need to be done more regularly for the corporate world. I would urge that you get into doing road shows with corporates, and try to build your own proposition on what you have for them. In order to get corporates on your side, provide more information about the industry, which is so difficult to get. Measurement is an issue in rural marketing too, according to Sanyal. ;Most of us find it difficult to effectively communicate to the management that the campaigns actually bring back money to the kitty of the company. RMAI could design a method where they could come up with the effectiveness of a rural marketing campaign, continued Sanyal. Member of the jury for the awards, DK Bose, Consultant, Rural and Social Marketing, pointed out that while the advertising industry has grown to be more than Rs. 15,000 cr, rural marketing has not grown substantially beyond Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 crores. ;Even today, if you see, there are not more than 5 to 10 clients who have sustained their rural marketing efforts over the past 10 years. No industry can survive on such a minuscule amount of effort going into the sector, he added. He elaborated, ;Practically, there is complete absence of Information Technology in rural marketing. Therefore, it negates the ability of sustainable networking, through which communication of marketing efforts can be sustained. Innovation is the biggest challenge. For the last 30 years, rural marketing has been dependent on brand communication using a van and demonstrations. It has to move beyond that for sustained growth in this age of integration. Delivering the vote of thanks, Pradeep Kashyap of MART, also Vice President, RMAI, stressed on the growth of rural India. He said, ;In this perceived meltdown of sorts, the Indian rural market is unaffected. In fact, the rural market is growing two-fold as compared to the urban market, which is showing a slight slump. In such a scenario, I feel it is a great time for corporates to look into rural marketing and push their spends in this direction. Also read: heading_red_bighttp://www.eventfaqs.com/index.php?rlink=topstory/top_stories_inner.php&csrid=1158 title=Rural Marketing Awards 2008: RC&M tops again, with 3 Golds, 1 SilverRural Marketing Awards 2008: RC&M tops again, with 3 Golds, 1 Silver heading_red_big heading_red_bighttp://www.eventfaqs.com/index.php?rlink=topstory/top_stories_inner.php&csrid=1110 title=Tata Shaktee is title sponsor for Rural Marketing Awards 2008Tata Shaktee is title sponsor for Rural Marketing Awards 2008