Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Targeting rural markets!!

WARNING: I can't promise it not to be a boring post but i'll still try my best.

Dude, consider this, India is a country where the penetration of computers in rural areas is very less ( i am working on the "how much" part, will let you know soon). Now in such a scenario if we install a PC (cheapest at [new rupee symbol]14,000+ [a=]installation charges + cost of making that video/number of PC's you install) at the only ( it's normally only) kiryana shop in the village and teach the shopkeeper to start computer and play just one video, (guess what that will be... it's our brand).
Now the shopkeeper who obviously wanna showoff his new PC and his new PC operating skills (lets be modest, village people are curious about the PC, they are pestering the shop keeper to show it to them). Shopkeeper will show them how to use a PC (oh yea our company is doing CSR by teaching rural people how to use computers) and play our ads on it.
So what does that mean? Well it is a two way advantage where:-
1. The company is doing CSR
2. It's only our brand which is being marketed to the whole region of a population of around 10,000+* in just [new rupee symbol] 14,000 + a (see above).
Howzzat!!

You can come up with new ideas like, if you buy this much u get to use it for an hour blah... or can watch a movie blah etcetra-etcetra

You can always start at a smaller region then expand it from there.
ok, to talk about figures:-
I'll give you the figures soon, as soon as i can get them from pragati (my knowledge source form TAM lab)



Now why will that poor shopkeeper will work on that PC while pays for electricity charges for displaying YOUR ADS?
DUDE, he got a PC ok, may be the only one in the whole of village who got one, not even the surpanch got it. Even one will sit around his shop for hours. N obviously buying stuff from him. He is EARNING and he CAn see that (eh.. I hope)

Well in such a case keeping it in some food joint make more sense?
Umm... no.
1. Your product is not sold there.
2. even if it does, customers there are already busy in eating, in case you forgot working on a pc is a physical activity.duh!
3. our kiryana storekeeper is a marketeer, it's his job to advertise what he got!! help him out no!!

People will soon get bored of just one video and start exploring computer on their own and learn more, (i mean things other than just my brand, don't get me wrong, i am just a poor marketeer)?
Chill dude, it's good for you if they do that. It's almost like inception. You already know that internet is the cheapest medium for you to advertise, wouldn't it be wonderful if all your TG is at one place. Moreover consider this, the first ever site they ever joined is yours. So before facebook, they have community on your site.

But isn't that very long term?
Trust me dude, their going to exploring things on their own is again very long term. though it would be even cooler if your salesman on his every trip teaches the shopkeeper a new trick, obviously hinting towards your brand. And as they learned it all through your brand, they gonna stick through. Moreover, the buyers of the product here would be probably 26-45 year age ** so as per my observation (i will try to find out source of such study, if ever happened, from some authentic firm, the name you believe in, though i completely trust me instincts anyways) the guys aren't much keen on learning on their on. they don't trust gadgets to be their kind. But they like to play with never the less.
Like you love to press button on the remote but if you want to do some trick (as in fine tune or arrange the channel) you would rather trust your kid with that. [ though this a general trend in urban areas, i need citations for rural]

But none of them can even read English properly...
-> Yes your concern is fair enough. My suggestion though websites will be third or fourth step in the process but it would be better if you start working atleast on Hindi version of your website.
No you can't add the cost of Hindi translation to above project, dude you are selling your product in Indian markets. What are thinking of yet??

PS:-
* - As per wikipedia "According to the 2001 Indian census, 74% of Indians live in 638,365 different villages. The size of these villages varies considerably. 236,004 Indian villages have a population less than 500, while 3,976 villages have a population of 10,000+." and these 3976 is what i am talking about.

** Above is very dependent on your product type, though i am targeting majorly FMCG's here.

***Figures : coming soon; i know loads of editing is required here... m bit too sleepy right now, i promise i'll do it soon.

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