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Rural Marketing Generation and dissemination of appropriate technologies in the field of animal production Notes as also health care to enhance production and productivity levels, will be given greater attention. Cultivation of fodder crops and fodder trees will be encouraged to meet the 296 feed and fodder requirements and to improve animal nutrition and welfare. Priority attention will also be given to improve the processing, marketing and transport facilities, with emphasis on modernization of abattoirs, carcass utilization and value addition thereon. Since animal disease eradication and quarantine is critical to exports, animal health system will be strengthened and disease free zones created. The involvement of co-operatives and the private sector will be encouraged for development of animal husbandry, poultry and dairy. Incentives for livestock and fisheries production activities will be brought at par with incentives for crop production. An integrated approach to marine and inland fisheries, designed to promote sustainable aquaculture practices, will be adopted. Biotechnological application in the field of genetics and breeding, hormonal applications, immunology and disease control, will receive particular attention for increased aquaculture production. Development of sustainable technologies for fin and shell fish culture as also pearl-culture, their yield optimization, harvest and post-harvest operations, mechanization of fishing boats, strengthening of infrastructure for production of fish seed, berthing and landing facilities for fishing vessels and development of marketing infrastructure will be accorded high priority. Deep sea fishing industry will be developed to take advantage of the vast potential of country’s exclusive economic zone. Generation and Transfer of Technology A very high priority will be accorded to evolving new location-specific and economically viable improved varieties of agricultural and horticultural crops, livestock species and aquaculture as also conservation and judicious use of germ plasma and other biodiversity resources. The regionalization of agricultural research, based on identified agro-climatic zones, will be accorded high priority. Application of frontier sciences like biotechnology, remote sensing technologies, pre and post-harvest technologies, energy saving technologies, technology for environmental, protection through national research system as well as proprietary research will be encouraged. The endeavour will be to build a well organized, efficient and result-oriented agriculture research and education system to introduce technological change in Indian agriculture. Upgradation of agricultural education and its orientation towards uniformity in education standards, women empowerment, user-orientation, vocationalization and promotion of excellence will be the hallmark of the new policy. The research and extension linkages will be strengthened to improve quality and effectiveness of research and extension system. The extension system will be broad based and revitalized. Innovative and decentralized institutional changes will be introduced to make the extension system farmer-responsible and farmer-accountable. Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Farmers Organizations, Co-operatives, corporate sector and para-technicians in agricultural extension will be encouraged for organizing demand driven production systems. Development of human resources through capacity building and skill up gradation of public extension functionaries and other extension functionaries will be accorded a high priority. The Government will endeavour to move towards a regime of financial sustainability of extension services through affecting in a phased manner, a more realistic cost recovery of extension services and inputs, while simultaneously safeguarding the interests of the poor and the vulnerable groups. Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 15: Marketing of Agricultural Produce Mainstreaming gender concerns in agriculture will receive particular attention. Appropriate Notes structural, functional and institutional measures will be initiated to empower women and 297 build their capabilities and improve their access to inputs, technology and other farming resources. Adequate and timely supply of quality inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals, bio-pesticides, agricultural machinery and credit at reasonable rates to farmers will be the endeavor of the Government. Soil testing and quality testing of fertilizers and seeds will be ensured and supply of spurious inputs will be checked. Balanced and optimum use of fertilizers will be promoted together with use of organic manures & bio-fertilizers to optimize the efficiency of nutrient use. Development, production and distribution of improved varieties of seeds and planting materials and strengthening and expansion of seed and plant certification system with private sector participation will receive a high priority. A National Seed Grid will be established to ensure supply of seeds especially to areas affected by natural calamities. The National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and State Farms Corporation of India (SFCI) will be restructured for efficient utilization of investment and manpower. Protection to plant varieties through a sui generis legislation, will be granted to encourage research and breeding of new varieties particularly in the private sector in line with India’s obligations under TRIPS Agreement. The farmers will, however, be allowed their traditional rights to save, use, exchange, share and sell their farm saved seeds except as branded seeds of protected varieties for commercial purpose. The interests of the researchers will also be safeguarded in carrying out research on proprietary varieties to develop new varieties. Integrated pest management and use of biotic agents in order to minimize the indiscriminate and injudicious use of chemical pesticides will be the cardinal principle covering plant protection. Selective and eco-friendly farm mechanization through appropriate technology will be promoted, with special reference to rain fed farming to reduce arduous work and to make agriculture efficient and competitive as also to increase crop productivity. The Government will endeavour to create a favourable economic environment for increasing capital formation and farmer’s own investments, by removal of distortions in the incentive regime for agriculture, improving the terms of trade with manufacturing sectors and bringing about external and domestic market reforms, backed by rationalization of domestic tax structure. It will seek to bestow on the agriculture sector, in as many respects as possible, benefits similar to those obtained in the manufacturing sector, such as easy availability of credit and other inputs, and infrastructure facilities for development of agri-business industries and development of effective delivery systems and freeing movement of agro produce. Consequent upon dismantling of Quantitative Restrictions on imports as per WTO Agreement on Agriculture, commodity-wise strategies and arrangements for protecting the grower from adverse impact of undue price fluctuations in world markets and for promoting exports will be formulated. Apart from price competition, other aspects of marketing such as quality, choice, health and bio-safety will be promoted. Exports of horticultural produce and marine products will receive particular emphasis. A two-fold long term strategy of diversification of agricultural produce and value addition enabling the production system to respond to external environment and creating export demand for the commodities produced in the country will be evolved with a view to providing the farmers incremental income from export earnings. A favourable economic environment and supportive public management system will be created for promotion of agricultural Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing exports. Quarantine, both of exports and imports, will be given particular attention so that Notes Indian agriculture is protected from the ingress of exotic pests and diseases. 298 In order to protect the interest of farmers in context of removal of Quantitative Restrictions, continuous monitoring of international prices will be undertaken and appropriate tariffs protection will be provided. Import duties on manufactured commodities used in agriculture will be rationalized. The domestic agricultural market will be liberalized and all controls and regulations hindering increase in farmers’ income will be reviewed and abolished to ensure that agriculturists receive prices commensurate with their efforts, and investment. Restrictions on the movement of agricultural commodities throughout the country will be progressively dismantled. The structure of taxes on food grains and other commercial crops will be reviewed and rationalized. Similarly, the excise duty on materials such as farm machinery and implements, fertilizers, etc., used as inputs in agricultural production, and post harvest storage and processing will be reviewed. Appropriate measures will be adopted to ensure that agriculturists by and large remain outside the regulatory and tax collection systems. Farmers will be exempted from payment of capital gains tax on compulsory acquisition of agricultural land. The Agriculture sector has been starved of capital. There has been a decline in the public sector investment in the agriculture sector. Public investment for narrowing regional imbalances, accelerating development of supportive infrastructure for agriculture and rural development particularly rural connectivity will be stepped up. A time-bound strategy for rationalisation and transparent pricing of inputs will be formulated to encourage judicious input use and to generate resources for agriculture. Input subsidy reforms will be pursued as a combination of price and institutional reforms to cut down costs of these inputs for agriculture. Resource allocation regime will be reviewed with a view to re-channelizing the available resources from support measures towards asset formation in rural sector. A conducive climate will be created through a favourable price and trade regime to promote farmers’ own investments as also investments by industries producing inputs for agriculture and agro based industries. Private sector investments in agriculture will also be encouraged more particularly in areas like agricultural research, human resource development and post-harvest management and marketing. Rural electrification will be given a high priority as a prime mover for agricultural development. The quality and availability of electricity supply will be improved and the demand of the agriculture sector will be met adequately in a reliable and cost effective manner. The use of new and renewable sources of energy for irrigation and other agricultural purposes will also be encouraged. Bridging the gap between irrigation potential created and utilized, completion of all ongoing projects, restoration and modernization of irrigation infrastructure including drainage, evolving and implementing an integrated plan of augmentation and management of national water resources will receive special attention for augmenting the availability and use of irrigation water. Emphasis will be laid on development of marketing infrastructure and techniques of preservation, storage and transportation with a view to reducing post-harvest losses and ensuring a better return to the grower. The weekly periodic markets under the direct control of panchayat raj institutions will be upgraded and strengthened. Direct marketing and pledge financing will be promoted. Producer’s markets on the lines of Ryatu Bazars will be encouraged throughout the width and the breadth of the country. Storage facilities Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 15: Marketing of Agricultural Produce for different kinds of agricultural products will be created in the production areas or Notes nearby places particularly in the rural areas so that the farmers can transport their produce 299 to these places immediately after harvest in shortest possible time. The establishment of cold chains, provision of pre cooling facilities to farmers as a service and cold storage in the terminal markets and improving the retail marketing arrangements in urban areas will be given priority. Upgradation and dissemination of market intelligence will receive particular attention. Setting up of agro-processing units in the producing areas to reduce wastage, especially of horticultural produce, increased value addition and creation of off-farm employment in rural areas will be encouraged. Collaboration between the producer co-operatives and the corporate sector will be encouraged to promote agro-processing industry. An interactive coupling between technology, economy, environment and society will be promoted for speedy development of food and agro-processing industries and to build up a substantial base for production of value added agro-products for domestic and export markets with a strong emphasis on food safety and quality. The Small Farmers Agro Business Consortium (SFAC) will be energized to cater to the needs of farmer entrepreneurs and promote public and private investments in agri-business. Indian agriculture is characterized by predominance of small and marginal farmers. Institutional reforms will be so pursued as to channelise their energies for achieving greater productivity and production. The approach to rural development and land reforms will focus on the following areas: 1. Consolidation of holdings all over the country on the pattern of north western States. 2. Redistribution of ceiling surplus lands and waste lands among the landless farmers, unemployed youth with initial start up capital. 3. Tenancy reforms to recognize the rights of the tenants and share croppers. 4. Development of lease markets for increasing the size of the holdings by making legal provisions for giving private lands on lease for cultivation and agri business. 5. Updating and improvement of land records, computerization and issue of land passbooks to the farmers. 6. Recognition of women’s rights in land. The rural poor will be increasingly involved in the implementation of land reforms with the help of Panchayati Raj Institutions, Voluntary Groups, Social Activists and Community Leaders. Private sector participation will be promoted through contract farming and land leasing arrangements to allow accelerated technology transfer, capital inflow and assured markets for crop production, especially of oilseeds, cotton and horticultural crops. Progressive institutionalization of rural and farm credit will be continued for providing timely and adequate credit to farmers. The rural credit institutions will be geared to promote savings, investments and risk management. Particular attention will be paid to removal of distortions in the priority sector lending by Commercial Banks for agriculture and rural sectors. Special measures will be taken for revamping of co-operatives to remove the institutional and financial weaknesses and evolving simplified procedure for sanction and disbursement of agriculture credit. The endeavour will be to ensure distribution equity in the disbursement of credit. Micro-credit will be promoted as an effective tool for alleviating poverty. Self Help Group and Bank linkage system, suited to Indian rural Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing sector, will be developed as a supplementary mechanism for bringing the rural poor into Notes the formal banking system, thereby improving banks outreach and the credit flows to the poor in an effective and sustainable manner. 300 The basic support to agriculture has been provided by the co-operative sector assiduously built over the years. The Government will provide active support for the promotion of co-operative form of enterprise and ensure greater autonomy and operational freedom to them to improve their functioning. The thrust will be on: 1. Structural reforms for promoting greater efficiency and viability by freeing them from excessive bureaucratic control and political interference. 2. Creation of infrastructure and human resource development. 3. Improvement in financial viability and organizational sustainability of co-operatives. 4. Democratisation of management and increased professionalism in their operations. 5. Creating a viable interface with other grass-root organizations. The Legislative and regulatory framework will be appropriately amended and strengthened to achieve these objectives. Despite technological and economic advancements, the condition of farmers continues to be unstable due to natural calamities and price fluctuations. National Agriculture Insurance Scheme covering all farmers and all crops throughout the country with built in provisions for insulating farmers from financial distress caused by natural disasters and making agriculture financially viable will be made more farmer specific and effective. Endeavour will be made to provide a package insurance policy for the farmers, right from sowing of the crops to post-harvest operations, including market fluctuations in the prices of agricultural produce. In order to reduce risk in agriculture and impart greater resilience to Indian agriculture against droughts and floods, efforts will be made for achieving greater flood proofing of flood prone agriculture and drought proofing of rainfed agriculture for protecting the farmers from vagaries of nature. For this purpose, contingency agriculture planning, development of drought and flood resistant crop varieties, watershed development programmes, drought prone areas and desert development programmes and rural infrastructure development programmes will receive particular attention. The Central Government will continue to discharge its responsibility to ensure remunerative prices for agricultural produce through announcement of Minimum Support Prices policy for major agricultural commodities. The food, nutrition and other domestic and exports requirements of the country will be kept in view while determining the support prices of different commodities. The price structure and trade mechanism will be continuously reviewed to ensure a favourable economic environment for the agriculture sector and to bring about an equitable balance between the rural and the urban incomes. The methodology used by the Commission on Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) in arriving at estimates of costs of production will be periodically reviewed. The price structure of both inputs and outputs will be monitored to ensure higher returns to the farmers and bring about cost effectiveness throughout the economy. Domestic market prices will be closely monitored to prevent distress sales by the farmers. Public and co-operative agencies undertaking marketing operations will be strengthened. The Government will enlarge the coverage of futures markets to minimize the wide fluctuations in commodity prices as also for hedging their risks. The endeavour will be to cover all important agricultural products under futures trading in course of time. Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 15: Marketing of Agricultural Produce Effective implementation of policy initiatives will call for comprehensive reforms in Notes the management of agriculture by the Central and the State Governments. The Central Government will supplement/complement the State Governments’ efforts through regionally differentiated Work Plans, comprising crop/area/target group specific interventions, formulated in an interactive mode and implemented in a spirit of partnership with the States. The Central Government will move away from schematic approach to Macro-Management mode and assume a role of advocacy, articulation and facilitation to help the States in their efforts towards achieving accelerated agricultural development. The Government will focus on quality aspects at all stages of farm operations from sowing to primary processing. The quality of inputs and other support services to farmers will be improved. Quality consciousness amongst farmers and agro processors will be created. Grading and standardization of agricultural products will be promoted for export enhancement. Application of science and technology in agriculture will be promoted through a regular system of interface between S&T institutions and the users/potential users, to make the sector globally competitive. The database for the agriculture sector will be strengthened to ensure greater reliability of estimates and forecasting which will help in the process of planning and policy making. Efforts will be made to significantly improve and harness the latest remote sensing and information technology to capture data, collate it, add value and disseminate it to appropriate destinations for managing the risk and in accelerating the growth process. The objective will be to engage in a meaningful continuous dialogue with the external environment in the changing scenario and to have on-line and real time system of ‘Agriculture on line’ capacity to analyze the signals emanating from the farms and the markets for the benefit of the farmers. The Government of India trust that this Statement of National Agriculture Policy will receive the fullest support of all sections of the people and lead to sustainable development of agriculture, create gainful employment on a self sustaining basis in rural areas, raise standards of living for the farming communities, preserve environment and serve as a vehicle for building a resurgent national economy. Question Analyse the situation and offer suggestions for helping India’s cause in agriculture business. 15.9 Summary  The raw materials from which rural articles are made are brought from outside.  Middlemen often supply the artisan with capital necessary for buying them and other accessories and purchase their products in lieu of repayment.  This sometimes reduces the artisans to the status of ordinary wage earners carrying on repair work and production work on piece rate basis as per the orders received through their financiers.  With a view to rendering assistance to the artisans, co-operative societies of have been organised in districts with training centres for artisans and these societies arrange finance and marketing of the members’ produce.  In most of the rural areas in different parts of the country, there is considerable awareness on various latest products that are available in the market. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 301

Rural Marketing  The issue of rural industrialisation, therefore, needs to be viewed from a new angle and on Notes far more scientific lines.  The production structure and the consumption pattern of rural and urban areas are characteristically distinct. 15.10 Keywords NGO: Non-government organisations that operate in rural areas too for development work. Paradigm Shift: In most of the rural areas in different parts of the country, there is considerable awareness on various latest products that are available in the market. This has been possible due to the penetration of cable and satellite channels that have brought down the world at the finger tips of the common man. Rural Industry Service Centre: Rural Industry Service Centre (RISC) is the Common Facility Unit which aims to provide infrastructural support and necessary services to the local units to upgrade their production capacity, skill upgradation and market promotion. Sustainability: Sustainability of rural industries has become a crucial area of debate in recent times. Marketing was considered a problem rather than an opportunity. This ‘problem’ was addressed through enhanced public policy interventions, such as bhandars and common marketing centres organised by the government, marketing federations and co-operatives. 15.11 Review Questions 1. Discuss the problems of rural artisans face in marketing their products and how these can be surmounted. 2. Rural finance has remained a major issue because of non availability of collaterals with the rural folk. Discuss how this problems can be solved. 3. Discuss the paradigm shift. 4. Explain the Rural Marketing Scenario. 5. Describe the Rural Industry Service Centre. 6. Discuss the importance of Grama Melas. 7. Discuss the operationalisation and programme implementation. 8. What do you know about sanctioning authority? 9. Describe the Security of Release of Fund. 10. Describe the policy implications. Answers: Self Assessment 1. rural 2. Industralisation 3. Production 4. Innovation 5. Revitalisation 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. False 10. True 302 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 15: Marketing of Agricultural Produce 11. (a) 12. (b) Notes 13. (c) 14. (d) 15.12 Further Readings Books Awadesh Kumar Singh, Rural Marketing: Indian Perspective, New Age International Balkrishnan, Mandira Dutta (1978), “Rural Marketing: Myth and Reality”, Economic and Political weekly, August 1878, M-75 to M-80. Balram Dogra, Rural Marketing, McGraw Hill Companies. Dey, N.B and Adhikari, KingShuk (1998) “Rural Marketing challenges and opportunities”, Yojana, 42(5), May 1998,, p.21-22, 41. Gaikwad, V.K (1972), “A Research for the Rural Consumer”, IN: New Opportunities in Changing Agriculture, Ahmedabad: CMA(IIMA), 1972, pp 159-172. Jha Mithileswar (1998), “Rural Marketing: Some Conceptual issues”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XXIII(No. 9), February 27, 1998, pp M-8 to M-16. Kannan Shanthi (2001), “Rural Market – A world of Opportunity”, Hindu, 11 October, 2011 McCracken, J., J, Pretty and G. Conway. (1988). An Introduction to Rapid Rural Appraisal for Rural Development. IIed, London, England. Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 1992. 8th edition. Pradeep Kashyap & Siddhartha Raut, The Rural Marketing, Biztantra. R.V. Bedi, N.V. Bedi, Rural Marketing, Himalaya Publishing. Rajagopal, Development of Agricultural Marketing in India Print well (Jaipur). Shepherd, A. (1999), “A guide to maize marketing for extension officers”. Extension Guide 1, Marketing & Rural Finance Service. FAO, Rome. T.P. Gopal Swamy, Rural Marketing, Wheeler Publishing (New Delhi) 1998. CMIE Report. Online links ezinearticles.com/? Successful-Sales-Promotions- www.workoninternet.com/article_27484.html www.direct-marketing-association-india.org/ - www.direct-marketing.net/ www.publicity.com/ www.aboutpublicrelations.net www.ogilvypr.com www.marketingteacher.com/.../lesson_personal_selling.htm www.oapindia.com/ www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1007251 www.admedia.org LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 303

Rural Marketing Hitesh Jhanji, Lovely Professional University Notes Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns CONTENTS Objectives Introduction 16.1 Small Towns becoming Important to Marketers: Ernst & Young Report 16.2 Ideas of Small Town Marketing 16.3 What Kind of Business to Start in Small Town 16.4 How to Create a Small Town Marketing Strategy 16.5 Some Things to Keep in Mind as you Plan your Strategy 16.6 Where is the Best Place to Start? 16.7 What will Market Research Tell Me? 16.8 What is the Small Town Marketing Research Process? 16.9 What are Some Low-cost Market Research Techniques 16.10 Summary 16.11 Keywords 16.12 Review Questions 16.13 Further Readings Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Explain the Small Town Marketing Ideas.  Describe the Media Strategy.  Explain the Small town Marketing Plan.  Discuss the Small Town Marketing Research Process. Introduction Small town business owners are unbelievably busy. But the fact remains that in addition to running a business, successful small business owners recognize the need to educate themselves on a tremendous variety of subjects in order to stay current and relevant. Small business marketing is at the top of the list. Think about it, small business owners need to have a working knowledge of sales, accounting, inventory control, hiring (and firing) practices, psychology, management and much, much more. And with increasing time constraints, the very thought of having to learn \"small business marketing strategies\" might seem like an impossible task. But after almost 30 years involved in a wide variety of businesses most of the problems associated with falling profits and failing ventures can be tracked directly to the failure of the business owner to implement solid, proven, successful small business marketing principles. 304 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns 16.1 Small Towns becoming Important to Marketers: Notes Ernst & Young Report According to findings in E&Y’s study, ‘The New Market Shehers: Tapping Potential Beyond the Metros’, non-metro urban markets are becoming more relevant in India’s consumption story; and marketers are restructuring their budgets to take advantage of the new urban consumer. Ernst and Young (E&Y) has released its report, ‘The New Market Shehers: Tapping Potential Beyond the Metros’, which identifies trends in consumption patterns and marketing spends in small-town India. The report deals with the growing relevance of non-metro urban markets in India’s consumption story, and how marketers are restructuring their budgets to take advantage of the new urban consumer. For this report, India was divided into four geographical categories — the top six Metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata); the Key Urban Towns (KUTs), which are the 22 cities immediately following the metros in their market potential (such as Amritsar, Surat and Ludhiana); cities in the Rest Of Urban India (ROUI); and rural India. ‘The New Market Shehers: Tapping Potential Beyond the Metros’ highlights consumption patterns of consumers across KUTs and ROUI. KUTs, for instance, exhibit consumption patterns that are similar to those in the metros — consumption of premium brands and services in the KUTs has shown an increase. The report findings indicate that retail presence in the KUTs and the ROUI through organised retail chains and malls has increased considerably. Over a two-year period, the percentage growth in the number of malls in the KUTs (55 per cent) was more than twice that of the metros (24 per cent). Consumers in the KUTs show an increasing preference for premium products and services of established mass brands. For instance, the sale of LCD televisions and wellness services is on the rise in the KUTs. There has also been a significant uptake in the leisure and lifestyle spends of consumers in the KUTs. For instance, men utilise wellness services now more than ever before, not just in the big metros, but also in Tier 2 and 3 cities. Women in small towns are more willing to pay large amounts for age-correction products, body sculpting and removing skin imperfections. The share of the KUTs and the ROUI in newspaper advertising (by volume of activity) in 2009 was higher than 50 per cent across most categories. For categories such as cellular skincare, oral hygiene, hair care and consumer durables, the advertising share is higher than 75 per cent. The KUTs and the ROUI comprise more than 50 per cent of total BTL activity in the country, the report suggests. BTL activities have grown significantly in non-metros (40 per cent in 2009 vis- à-vis 15 per cent during 2007), as compared to the metros (60 per cent in 2009 vis-à-vis 85 per cent in 2007), which is another indicator of the importance of KUTs. Furthermore, 60 per cent of BTL activities are concentrated in the ROUI and in rural India, especially for sectors such as telecom, consumer durables and certain categories of FMCG products. Mobile advertising is also catching up more effectively in the KUTs and ROUI, as opposed to person-to-person marketing, with more 500 million mobile users in these regions. The metros and KUTs are driving growth in later-stage consumption (higher transaction value products and discretionary goods); while the ROUI is driving growth in early-stage consumption (necessities and products with lower transaction value). LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 305

Rural Marketing According to Ashok Rajgopal, partner, media and entertainment practice, Ernst & Young, there Notes is enormous opportunity in non-metro urban markets; the large consumption base there was only marginally affected by the recession, and now has enhanced purchasing power. “Marketers have now realised the potential of focussing on these non-metro urban markets, which are key drivers for future business growth, with restructuring their budgets and services for making best use of this new and aggressive opportunity,” he adds. Marketers are taking cognisance of this new urban consumer and are aggressively targeting the KUTs and ROUI, which has resulted in a focus shift in media spends from the metros to the non- metros. This trend, according to the report, is likely to continue with the changing consumption pattern of consumers, fuelled by greater purchasing power. For the record, ‘The New Market Shehers: Tapping Potential Beyond the Metros’ is the second report from E&Y detailing the consumption patterns in small towns and cities for the benefit of marketers. The earlier report, ‘The Dhoni Effect: Rise of Small Town India’, released in March 2008, provided a comprehensive view on developments and trends in marketing spends across the Indian market. It looked at how marketing decisions impact media spends, vis-à-vis actual ground realities, which directly indicate market growth for India. Notes Consumers in the KUTs show an increasing preference for premium products and services of established mass brands. For instance, the sale of LCD televisions and wellness services is on the rise in the KUTs. 16.2 Ideas of Small Town Marketing When promoting products and services in a community of just a few thousand (or hundred) people, successful marketing strategies conform to the local resources, culture and population. Getting out of the office and hitting the streets to talk with local business owners, residents and public figures is the backbone to small town marketing. Community Leaders Make connections with the mayor, bank president and local city council. In small towns these community leaders can easily persuade residents. If local citizens realize the mayor eats at the local restaurants, for example, so will they. If the city council members buy their groceries locally, others in the town will follow suit. Ask people with recognizable faces and names in the small town to become part of the marketing campaign. Use quotes from community leaders that reflect happiness with local services in newspaper advertisements and local public access television advertisements. Include photos of them at the local businesses for extra impact. Local Benefits Draw new businesses or people to a small community by enticing them with the local benefits. When sending out letters, posting advertisements or presenting economic development initiatives at city council meetings, highlight the small town’s localized and personal educational system, family friendly community activities, and proximity to major highways or airports. Discuss the unique cultural heritage of the area and the importance of small town values. Draw in businesses with special tax break incentives, low rent store fronts on a main street and a collection of resumes from local potential employees. 306 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns Promote in the Community Notes Use empty store fronts, local bulletin boards and set up an information booth at small town festivals to promote growth for the community. Use colorful window paint to tell the history of the local community on the windows of empty store fronts during the town’s annual holiday parades or other events that draw members from outside the community. Allow visitors to connect with the cultural heritage and small town values that are on display. Or, use the windows to paint a picture of an entrepreneur’s future. If you want an antique store or bakery to relocate to the community, paint the windows with phrases such as “Welcome entrepreneurs! Sell antiques (or your favorite baked goods) here!” Talk to Locals Ask local business owners and new residents of the community what they enjoy about living in the small town and what initially attracted them. Did they relocate for a job offer, low housing costs or for the high-ranking education system? Use those key points to attract even more people and business. Then, ask the local people what they would like to see in their community. The addition of a community center or small local grocery store may be desired by established residents and help draw new prospects to the community. Do a survey with patrons of the local businesses and learn what they want to see from their hometown shops. Do they want more sales, a larger selection or lower prices? Then, work with the business owners to organize a sidewalk sale weekend. They could also offer the option to special order items from catalogs or a company web site and then implement a discount buyers program for those who purchase regularly or in large quantities. ! Caution Keep in mind that a marketing strategy may be plural. If you have a variety of products and services, you may need a variety of marketing strategies. If your strategy is to market your name (For Example: Microsoft) then you will most likely concentrate on one major strategy. 16.3 What Kind of Business to Start in Small Town Small towns present a unique challenge to entrepreneurs, as fewer residents seemingly means fewer niches to explore. With some creativity, dedication, and business ingenuity, though, virtually any kind of business can be successful in a small town. Local Pride Paraphernalia Small town residents are often fiercely loyal to their local municipality, and enjoy showing off their hometown to those who may not have been to the area. Local photography, postcards, shirts emblazoned with the name of the town, and even local-themed stationary are excellent ways to generate profit while also spurring small town pride. Peddle Local Information Most small towns have a character and numerous achievements that are unique to the locale. Many small towns are home to at least one tour company that shows guests the local scenery while pointing out some of the more colorful events in the town’s history, and others pay for localized brochures or pamphlets that explain why the town is unique. If the town does not LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 307

Rural Marketing already have a public visitor’s center, consider opening a local-themed boutique that combines Notes the local-themed products mentioned above with localized information distribution. Bring the World to the Town Many residents of small towns enjoy big city offerings and exotic merchandise but have limited means to explore exotic parts of the world. Some entrepreneurs choose to bring the world to the small town by shopping for goods in big-city wholesale and discount markets, or picking up a number of hand-crafted items in foreign lands to resell in a town shop. Locals often enjoy discussing the origin of the merchandise, and will take pride in owning an item that is not readily available locally. Consider an Internet Cafe or Service Provider Many small town residents are unable to take advantage of the very high bandwidth Internet connections available in larger markets; many service providers simply do not extend their premium offerings into small markets because they do not view small towns as profitable. Small town entrepreneurs can bring high speed Internet access to locals, though, by subscribing to a commercial-grade service like Gigabit Ethernet and reselling the bandwidth as a service provider or an Internet cafe. The initial investment may be somewhat steep, but the costs can be quickly recouped as locals sign up for the highest Internet speeds in town. 16.4 How to Create a Small Town Marketing Strategy Keep in mind that a marketing strategy may be plural. If you have a variety of products and services, you may need a variety of marketing strategies. If your strategy is to market your name (For Example: Microsoft) then you will most likely concentrate on one major strategy. Figure 16.1: Tata Nano Targets Small Town Consumers who aspire to Upgrade from Two Wheelers to Four Wheelers The first step in any strategy is to determine an objective. What do you expect this strategy to accomplish? Name recognition? Product awareness? Increase in sales? Lower overhead? Reduced Payroll? Lower Distribution Costs? The list could be endless for some companies. 308 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns A pilot flying from New York to London can’t see his destination for almost 99.9% of his flight. Notes How does he find London? He plots a course and follows it. You will need to do the same thing 309 in your business. The pilots objective is very simple, “fly to London.” What is his strategy? First, get a plane. Second, know how to fly (pay particular attention to landing safely). Chart a course, check the weather, file a flight plan, load passengers and take off. 16.5 Some Things to Keep in Mind as you Plan your Strategy What many people fail to consider in their strategy is how will its success change the company. If you make crafts in your bedroom and one days Sears calls and wants to order 100,000 units what will you do? What is the most phenomenal success you can expect? Assume that’s what will happen and plan for it. Don’t run out and hire 1,000 employees...plan on paper. Have a battle plan ready to go into effect if your strategy is successful that will keep things under control and you won’t constantly have to adapt to new circumstances. Consider your pricing. If you start taking too much business from your competitors, the easiest course of action for them is to cut their pricing. You must be prepared to justify your pricing as fair and reasonable for the products and services offered. (See: How Pricing Affects Your Business) What about distribution? If business increases will you need more storage? Where will that be? What about delivery? Will it increase? Can you make some projections as to how much? What about suppliers? Are current suppliers going to be able to fill increased demand? Do you have back-ups in place? What about finances? Have you discussed your marketing strategy with your banker? Do you have lines of credit if you need them? There are a lot more that are specific to your business that you must consider in order for your strategy to succeed. 16.6 Where is the Best Place to Start? Start with the obvious, who is the target market you already know? In other words, who are your current customers? Is there another target market you may be missing? Seniors? Teens? Generation X? Ethnic Groups? Intrastate? Interstate? International? If you stay with the current customers you have how will your business grow? There are only two ways to get new customers that I know of. Either create new ones who have never been customers of this product or service before or steal customers from your competition. What are your products and services? What makes your products or services unique from the competition. Don’t give me the buzzwords from the advertising. “Superior quality”, “finest craftsmanship”, etc. Tell me in terms a customer can under stand. Don’t show me a feature of your product without a benefit to go with it. People buy benefits not features. What about packaging? Brand Name? Don’t forget product guarantees, credit terms, and discounts. Once you match the specific needs your target market is looking for with the benefits of the product you are half way there. All that’s left is presenting that message to your target market in the correct media. How to Select a Media Strategy This is usually pretty easy in a small town because there usually aren’t a lot of options. Generally one weekly or perhaps daily paper. One radio station. Rarely is there a TV station. There may LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing also be a PennySaver or Mini-Nickel® or some free weekly or monthly tabloid. My favorite Notes media for small town advertising is direct mail. It’s less expensive than most conventional advertising when done correctly. It only reaches your target market. It isn’t wasted on large numbers of unqualified customers. See: “Direct Mail: Why It Works And How To Use It.” If you don’t know what your customers are reading, watching or listening to then you may have a problem. One of the nice things about small towns is that they are almost a control group. If you don’t know your target customer, then take a look at your best customers. Make a “top 10” customer list and ask them to help with a survey. Get age, income, education, employment, radio stations they like, newspapers and magazines they read. See: “How To Do Market Research In A Small Town.” This is certainly not as effective as knowing your customers but it’s a place to start. You are looking for demographics of your customers to match up with the various media that are available to you. The right customer matched with the right product is the goal of any marketing strategy. Self Assessment Fill in the blanks: 1. .......................... have now realised the potential of focussing on these non-metro urban markets. 2. .......................... in the KUTs show an increasing preference for premium products and services of established mass brands. 3. The .......................... and the ROUI comprise more than 50 per cent of total BTL activity in the country, the report suggests. 4. .......................... advertising is also catching up more effectively in the KUTs and ROUI, as opposed to person-to-person marketing, with more 500 million mobile users in these regions. 16.7 What will Market Research Tell Me?  Who current and potential customers are  The demographics of your customers (age, income, education, etc.)  Your customers buying habits  If your customers want your products or services  If your pricing is in line with customer expectations and other markets  How your advertising and promotions are working  How customers see you as a business (your business image)  How you compare to your competition in the eyes of your customers  How can I profit from market research? If it is done correctly and accurately it can prevent costly mistakes. Done incorrectly, it can end your business. Let me show you two examples of how market research can make profits in one case or create losses and damage image in the other. 310 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns Notes Example: In the early 1960’s Volkswagen was the leader in small car sales. Until that time most American automobiles had been “small tanks” with fins and lots of chrome. Ford’s challenger to Volkswagen had been the Ford Falcon. Ford was concerned because Falcon sales had begun to decline. Ford could have assumed that customers just didn’t want small American cars. Two other American manufacturers were experiencing the same kind of sales decline. Ford turned to market research and found some surprising facts. While Falcon sales were on the decline, young adults were requesting sport options such as bucket seats and special interiors. There was a marked increase in the sales of these options. So market research led a young Ford engineer to design and introduce, in 1965, ... the Ford Mustang. This car crushed all existing sales records up to that time. Who was that young engineer who headed up the Mustang project? Lee Iacocca. Example: McDonalds. What would I do for bad marketing examples if it wasn’t for these guys? Do any of the following ring a bell? The McLean burger, salad bar, McDLT, The Arch Deluxe? All were dismal failures. I can’t begin to guess what types of market research they were using. McDonalds market is kids...period! If the kids come so will their parents. They have spent the past 40 years establishing a kids market. Playgrounds out front. Disney movie promotions. Happy Meals with toys. The list goes on and on. The last major success for this company was the Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich and possibly the McRib in some areas. Compare McDonald’s marketing to Wendy’s. No playgrounds at Wendy’s. No kids in Wendy’s commercials (rarely anyway). Adult fare at low prices. Wendy’s has successfully identified its’ market (through market research) and is successfully capitalizing on it. Canon Image Express in Small Towns Figure 16.2: Image Express Campaign helped canon to reach out its Customers in Small Towns Canon India Pvt. Ltd, India's No 1. Complete Digital Imaging Company rolled out the Canon's 311 Image Express from Ahmedabad. This yearlong mobile campaign will further leverage Canon's brand image in small towns. The caravan had stationed in Ahmedabad for 3 days from 23rd April to 25th April 2010. Using two caravans and 2800 square feet of floating showroom space, the Image Express will display products like cameras, camcorders, photo printers, inkjet and laser printers, scanners, projectors etc. The company will spend about 10 crores on this unique campaign. It will cover 16 states and 38 cities under this project. This is yet another strategic, innovative initiative to reach out to the tier 2 and 3 markets which has been Canon's focus to garner greater LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing market share. Under this project 2-modeled Canon canters along with 4 cars carrying products Notes and other equipment will travel as a caravan throughout the country. Each vehicle is fitted with the latest GPS (Global Positioning System), which is linked to the engine making it possible for 312 Canon to track the vehicle and its movement status including if the engine is running or not on a real time basis. This will help Canon to coordinate efforts, which is quite complicated in nature. The canters will be parked in various cities and will create a 1,500 square feet showroom showcasing all products from the house of Canon. People can come in, touch, feel and try the products. Canon will also be investing in advertising, promotions, below the line activities and working towards more engagement with consumers, retailers, photographers, partners with the aim to increase Canon's presence and mind share in the small cities. With this initiative, Canon is bringing the latest in technology application for the Image Express. Did u know? In the early 1960’s Volkswagen was the leader in small car sales. Until that time most American automobiles had been “small tanks” with fins and lots of chrome. Ford’s challenger to Volkswagen had been the Ford Falcon. Ford was concerned because Falcon sales had begun to decline. 16.8 What is the Small Town Marketing Research Process? Here are the types of things you must know to do effective market research. What is the problem? You must define what your problem is. This is the most important step of the process. Poor customer traffic? Poor sales? High cost of sales? Too much competition? Is research the answer? Is the answer to the problem in the internal or external information? (See Above) Is free information already available? Have studies of this problem already been done by trade magazines or industry associations? Can you adapt them to your business? Do you need to start from scratch? What are the objectives of the research? You may have one objective (Who is my target market?) or several objectives (How do customers perceive each of my products?). What kind of data do you need? Customers age, income, buying habits? Or, where do customers come from, what advertising is working? You must define what you are looking for. Next, design a sample of questions that will gather the information in a controlled way. Each person must be asked the same questions under the same conditions in the same way for the test to be accurate. Here are Three Ways to Gather Information Mail Survey: Expect an average of 15% return depending on what kind of incentive there is to do the survey. In a small town give a discount if they return the survey in person to your business. You can pick up extra information. Keep it short for higher response. Always include a postage paid return envelope. Mail is poor at gathering specifics about your business and finding reasons why people do what they do. Lowest return but least expensive in a small market. Telephone Survey: Expect about 70% (keep calling until you get it) 100 phone calls equals about 1,000 mailings. Better control of the questioning and more detailed collection of information. Next lowest in cost. Personal interview: Expect about 80%. Advantages — longer survey and more detailed questions. You can show the product or service. Customer can sample the product. Products can be compared to competition. This is the best method for finding why customers do what they do. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns Disadvantages —Most expensive unless you do it yourself. Where can you ask the questions to Notes insure an unbiased “across the board” control group? 313 16.9 What are Some Low-cost Market Research Techniques Here are a couple of things you can do to find out about your customer base. Check license plates in your parking lot: Here in Montana, the numbering on license plates tell what county the car is from. Telephone numbers: Gather numbers from checks, credit card slips and delivery information. Phone prefixes will tell cities and sometimes geographic areas of your customers. Key your ads and coupons: Check the effectiveness of your advertising by using a key in the ad to tell you where the customer saw it. For example: The ad might say, “Ask for Joe”. This would mean it came from the newspaper. “Ask for Jim” would mean a magazine. “Ask for Jerry” would be radio. Communicate with customers: Every customer and every phone call should get a “How did you find us?” Use “small talk” to gather information. Instead of “May I help you?” which invites a robotic “yes” answer, ask “open-ended” questions that can’t be answered with a yes or no. “What can I help you find today?”  Hero Honda – Rural Marketing Case Study Introduction The Indian two-wheeler industry is experiencing a major shift in its shape and structure. The established players in the industry are taking a hard look at their portfolio of products and are in the process of reshuffling them to meet the expectations of customers. The beneficiary is of course the consumer, who has an increased array of products to choose from. The last four-five years have brought about a great change in the consumer preferences for two-wheelers. The market leaders of yesteryears are being driven to maintain their leadership position in the forthcoming years. Those who have had a great going in the last few years are fighting hard to retain their new supremacy. The two-wheeler industry is perhaps the most happening place in terms of new models launched, upgraded products and innovative marketing techniques. Gone are the days of regulation when the production of scooters and motorcycles was limited to two or three brands and the number of products produced was decided by the Government; today the Indian two-wheeler market is highly competitive with numerous players who offer anything and everything a consumer demands and that too at affordable price. From a sellers market where one had to wait for a scooter for 12 years to the days when you can just walk into any showroom and drive out in the vehicle of your choice, the market of two-wheelers in India has come a long way. But this is only the beginning of the transformation. The Industry The Indian two-wheeler industry is dominated by three players, Bajaj, Hero Honda and TVS Suzuki, who account for 80 percent of the total two-wheeler market. The other players Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing including Kinetic Engineering, LML and others account for the remaining 20 percent of the Notes market. The industry can be divided into three broad segments: Scooters, motorcycles and mopeds. In the scooters segment Bajaj is the market leader, Hero Honda is the market leader 314 in the motorcycles segment and in the segment of mopeds, TVS controls the major chunk of the market. Most Indian players in the two-wheeler industry had been into some kind of strategic alliance, technical collaboration or joint venture with foreign players, mainly Japanese firms. Hero-Honda, is a joint venture between the Munjal-promoted Hero Group and Honda Motor Co. of Japan; TVS-Suzuki was an alliance with TVS and Suzuki Motors (till September 2001); Bajaj-Kawasaki a joint venture between Bajaj Motors and Kawasaki; and Yamaha-Escorts, a joint venture between Escorts and Yamaha Motor Corp. (till June 2001) Hero Honda The story of motorcycles in India is a good case study of how fortunes change overnight. Motorcycles in India were hardly popular and Hero Honda was the only player, which had carved a niche for motorcycles. Its market was small and limited while scooters ruled the roost but today, it is one of the biggest success stories. Its established presence in the motorcycle segment had stood it in good stead in this phase of boom in motorcycle sales. The fact that no other player commanded the brand name which Hero Honda enjoyed in motorcycle segment also added up to its success. In addition most other players such as Bajaj, TVS, LML etc., took time to assimilate the change in customer preferences and come up with models to buck the trend. Meanwhile Hero-Honda’s designs were ready on the platter. Its R&D had been able to come up with models such as CBZ, Passion etc., in the premium segment to capture the hot demand. Riding high on the expectations of consumers, Hero Honda has successfully crossed over the one million units mark in motorcycle sales. Its popular model Splendor is the largest selling motorcycle in the world. To give a boost to its youthful image the company has chosen Saurav Ganguly and Hrithik Roshan as brand ambassadors. The company has also embarked on in-film advertising in a forthcoming Hindi movie. In order to expand its reach to rural areas, the company has recently launched a marketing initiative in towns with a population of less than 50,000 in Uttar Pradesh. As a part of this initiative, it started a mobile workshop and showroom, through which people will be able to gather knowledge about the companies’ vehicles and can also buy them. These mobile marketing efforts are focused on Splendor and Joy Executive Summary Hero Honda Motors Ltd is one of the leading companies in the two-wheeler industry. At present, it is the market leader in the motorcycle segment with around 47% the market share during FY 2000-01. During the year, the company posted a 41.05% y-o-y rise in turnover to 31,686.5mn in motorcycles which was driven by a 35.17% y-o-y rise in motorcycle sales volumes. The company has emerged as one of the most successful players, much ahead of its competitors an account of its superior and reliable product quality complemented with excellent marketing techniques. The company has been consistently addressing the growing demand for motorcycles and has a cumulative customer base of over 4 million customers which is expected to reach 5mn. mark with the rural and semi- urban segment being the new class of consumers. The Indian two wheeler contributes the largest volumes amongst all the segments in automobile industry. Though the segment can be broadly categorized into 3 sub-segments viz; scooters, motorcycles and mopeds; some categories introduced in the market are a combination of two or more segments e.g. scooterettes and step-thru’s. The market primarily comprises five players in the two- wheeler segment with most of the companies having foreign collaborations with well- known Japanese firms earlier. But most of the companies are now planning 100% Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns subsidiaries in India. In the last four to five years, the two-wheeler market has witnessed Notes a marked shift towards motorcycles at the expense of scooters. In the rural areas, consumers have come to prefer sturdier bikes to withstand the bad road conditions. In the process the share of motorcycle segment has grown from 48% to 58%, the share of scooters declined drastically from 33% to 25%, while that of mopeds declined by 2% from 19% to 17% during the year 2000-01. The Euro emission norms effective from April 2000 led to the existing players in the two-stroke segment to install catalytic converters. All the new models are now being replaced by 4-stroke motorcycles. Excise duty on motorcycles has been reduced from 32% to 24%, resulting in price reduction, which has aided in propelling the demand for motorcycles. Fierce competition has also forced players to cut prices of certain models. Hero Honda has been an early-entrant in the 4-stroke segment of the two wheeler industry. With a right mix of product styling and pricing the company helped garner a larger market chunk of the 4-stroke market as compared to Bajaj Auto. A shifting consumer preference towards motorcycles also enabled the fast growth of the company in the last few years. Of the total motorcycle sales, HHML has a maximum of around 36.5% market share in the Western Zone and 28.6% in the Southern Zone which has remained more or less consistent from FY2000 levels. In the Eastern Zone Hero Honda has a market share 12%. The company has reported a fall in sales volume to 3,29,900 units from 4,79,630 units in motorcycles for half-year ended September 2001 accompanied by decline in net sales by 29.2% to 10.38 mn from 14.67mn. Competition has intensified over the last couple of years altering the dynamics in the motorcycle segment with various companies planning to cash in on this spurt in demand by calling off their JVs like Suzuki Motors planning to break- off with TVS. Recently, Honda Corporation of Japan announced its intentions to setup a 100% subsidiary to manufacture scooters and motorcycles. Other players in the two wheeler industry include Bajaj Auto Ltd , Kinetic Motor Co. Ltd, LML and Escorts Yamaha. Low-interest regime has helped in reducing cost of loans, which will help in boosting sales of 2-wheelers, since 80% of the two-wheelers are credit-stimulated. HHML, a part of the Hero group, is a reputed name in the two-wheeler sector and the management has a rich experience in the business. HHML is a joint venture with Honda Corporation, Japan and over the years has been the most successful Indo-Japanese venture in two-wheelers. The company has invested in capex, in the past three years to cater to the increasing demand. The company has been cash–rich and has been effectively utilizing its surplus. Hero Honda resources combined with prudent working capital management. Hero Honda has set a target of 20% volume growth and 25% turnover growth for the fiscal 2001-02. The company has also set a turnover target of 200 mn from spare parts business in fiscal 2001- 02 up from 145 mn in 2000-01 and the business is expected grow faster than bike sales for the next 5 years. It has planned to bring in operational efficiencies with special focus on distribution, dealerships and pricing and the successful implementation of SAP R/3 (ERP- Program- “Project Synergy“) has enabled proper planning and company wide efficiency. Question Analyse the case and discuss the case facts. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 315

Rural Marketing Self Assessment Notes Fill in the blanks: 5. In the early .........................s Volkswagen was the leader in small car sales. 6. Ford turned to market research and found some surprising facts ......................... . 7. ......................... has successfully identified its’ market (through market research) and is successfully capitalizing on it. 16.10 Summary  In this unit we have discussed about Small towns present a unique challenge to entrepreneurs, as fewer residents seemingly means fewer niches to explore. With some creativity, dedication, and business ingenuity, though, virtually any kind of business can be successful in a small town.  Many small town residents are unable to take advantage of the very high bandwidth Internet connections available in larger markets; many service providers simply do not extend their premium offerings into small markets because they do not view small towns as profitable. 16.11 Keywords Local Pride Paraphernalia: Small town residents are often fiercely loyal to their local municipality, and enjoy showing off their hometown to those who may not have been to the area. Local photography, postcards, shirts emblazoned with the name of the town, and even local-themed stationary are excellent ways to generate profit while also spurring small town pride. Mail Survey: Expect an average of 15% return depending on what kind of incentive there is to do the survey. In a small town give a discount if they return the survey in person to your business. You can pick up extra information. Keep it short for higher response. Peddle Local Information: Most small towns have a character and numerous achievements that are unique to the locale. Many small towns are home to at least one tour company that shows guests the local scenery while pointing out some of the more colorful events in the town’s history, and others pay for localized brochures or pamphlets that explain why the town is unique. Personal interview: Expect about 80%. Advantages — longer survey and more detailed questions. You can show the product or service. Customer can sample the product. Products can be compared to competition. Telephone Survey: Expect about 70% (keep calling until you get it) 100 phone calls equals about 1,000 mailings. Better control of the questioning and more detailed collection of information. Next lowest in cost. 16.12 Review Questions 1. Describe the ideas of Small town Marketing. 2. Describe the business that we can start in a small town. 316 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 16: Marketing in Small Towns 3. What is the small town marketing research process? Notes 4. What are the benefits of Market Research? 5. What are the some low cost market research techniques? 6. Describe the steps to select a media strategy. Answers: Self Assessment 1. Marketers 2. Consumers 3. KUT’s 4. Mobile 5. 1960 6. Ford 7. Wendy’s 16.13 Further Readings Books Awadesh Kumar Singh, Rural Marketing: Indian Perspective, New Age International Balkrishnan, Mandira Dutta (1978), “Rural Marketing: Myth and Reality”, Economic and Political weekly, August 1878, M-75 to M-80. Balram Dogra, Rural Marketing, McGraw Hill Companies. Dey, N.B and Adhikari, KingShuk (1998) “Rural Marketing challenges and opportunities”, Yojana, 42(5), May 1998,, p.21-22, 41. Gaikwad, V.K (1972), “A Research for the Rural Consumer”, IN: New Opportunities in Changing Agriculture, Ahmedabad: CMA(IIMA), 1972, pp 159-172. Jha Mithileswar (1998), “Rural Marketing: Some Conceptual issues”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XXIII(No. 9), February 27, 1998, pp M-8 to M-16. Kannan Shanthi (2001), “Rural Market – A world of Opportunity”, Hindu, 11 October, 2011 McCracken, J., J, Pretty and G. Conway. (1988). An Introduction to Rapid Rural Appraisal for Rural Development. IIed, London, England. Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 1992. 8th edition. Pradeep Kashyap & Siddhartha Raut, The Rural Marketing, Biztantra. R.V. Bedi, N.V. Bedi, Rural Marketing, Himalaya Publishing. Rajagopal, Development of Agricultural Marketing in India Print well (Jaipur). Shepherd, A. (1999), “A guide to maize marketing for extension officers”. Extension Guide 1, Marketing & Rural Finance Service. FAO, Rome. T.P. Gopal Swamy, Rural Marketing, Wheeler Publishing (New Delhi) 1998. CMIE Report. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 317

Rural Marketing Notes Online links ezinearticles.com/? Successful-Sales-Promotions- www.rmai.in www.world-agriculture.com/...marketing/rural_marketing.php www.martrural.com www.oppapers.com/.../rural-marketing-review-of-literature-page www.cks.in/ html/cks_pdfs/Rural%20Marketing%20Practices.pdf www.remax-cornwall.ca/ post/2009/09/17/rural.aspx www.financialexpress.com/news/The...of-rural-marketing/407101/ 318 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Hitesh Jhanji, Lovely Professional University Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India Notes CONTENTS Objectives Introduction 17.1 Legal and Regulatory Framework for the Microfinance Institutions in India 17.2 A Profile of Rural India 17.3 Rural India and Microfinance 17.4 Success Factors of Microfinance in Rural India 17.5 Marketing of Microfinance Products 17.6 Apni Mandi 17.7 Summary 17.8 Keywords 17.9 Review Questions 17.10 Further Readings Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to:  Analyze the growth of microfinance sector developed in India and see potential for the microfinance institutions, NGOs, SHGs in the market.  Analyze the structure and pattern of microfinance programme in rural Indian by the MFIs, NBFCs.  Understand the marketing of microfinance products in rural market.  Study the importance and role of microfinance in poverty alleviation and profitable agriculture activities. Introduction Microfinance economically disadvantaged segments of society, for enabling them to raise their income levels largest in term of population after China. India’s GDP ranks among the top 15 economies of the world. However, around 300 million people or about 80 million households are living below the poverty line, i.e. less than $2 per day according to the World Bank and the poorest are which earns $1 per day. It is further estimated that of these households, only about 20% have access to credit from the formal sector. Out of these 80 million house hold, 80% takes credit from the informal sources i.e. local Zamindars, Chit Funds etc. With about 80 million households below MFIs include non-governmental organizations (NGOs), credit unions, non-bank financial intermediaries, and even a few commercial banks. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 319

Rural Marketing 17.1 Legal and Regulatory Framework for the Microfinance Notes Institutions in India 320 Societies Registration Act, 1860 NGOs are mostly registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Since these entities were established as voluntary, not-for-profit development organizations, their microfinance activities were also established under the same legal umbrella. Main purpose is: 1. Relief of poverty 2. Advancement of education 3. Advancement of religion 4. Purposes beneficial to the community or a section of the community. Indian Trusts Act, 1882 Some MFIs are registered under the Indian Trust Act, 1882 either as public charitable trusts or as private, determinable trusts with specified beneficiaries/members. Not-for-profit Companies Registered under Section 25 of Companies Act, 1956 An organization given a license under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 is allowed to be some of the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956. For companies that are already registered under the Companies Act, 1956, if the central government is satisfied that the objects of that company are restricted to the promotion of commerce, science, art, religion, charity or any other useful purpose; and the constitution of such company provides for the application of funds or other income in promoting these objects and prohibits payment of any dividend to its members, then it may allow such a company to register under Section 25 of the Companies Act. 17.2 A Profile of Rural India 1. 350 million Below Poverty Line. 2. 95 % have no access to microfinance. 3. 56 % people still borrow from informal sources. 4. 70 % don’t have any deposit account. 5. 87 % no access to credit from formal sources. 6. Annual credit demand is about 70,000 crores. 7. 95 % of the households are without any kind of insurance. 8. Informally Microfinance has been in practice for ages. Notes NGOs are mostly registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Since these entities were established as voluntary, not-for-profit development organizations, their microfinance activities were also established under the same legal umbrella. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India 17.3 Rural India and Microfinance Notes Micro financing has become important since the possibility of a sub 1,000 mobile handset has been ruled out in the near future. Rural India can generally afford handsets in the price range of 1,500-2,000. To succeed in India, agri-business must empower the farmer by making agriculture profitable, not by expropriating him foe this particular purpose the farmer should be funded for their basic and small needs. Microfinance is expected to play a significant role in poverty alleviation and development. The need, therefore, is to share experiences and materials which will help not only in understanding successes and failures but also provide knowledge and guidelines to strengthen and expand Microfinance programmes. The development process through a typical Microfinance intervention can be understood with the help of the Figure 17.1 the ultimate aim is to attain social and economic empowerment. Successful intervention is therefore, dependent on how each of these stages has been carefully dealt with and also the capabilities of the implementing organizations in achieving the final goal, e.g., if credit delivery takes place without consolidation of SHGs, it may have problems of self-sustainability and recovery. A number of schemes under banks, central and state governments offer direct credit to potential individuals without forcing them to join SHGs. Compilation and classification of the communication materials in the directory is done based on this development process. Figure 17.1: Development Process through Microfinance LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 321

Rural Marketing Self Assessment Notes Fill in the blanks: 322 1. ....................... is expected to play a significant role in poverty alleviation and development. 2. Microfinance has been attractive to the lending agencies because of demonstrated sustainability and of low costs of ....................... . 3. Institutions like ....................... and NABARD are hard nosed bankers and would not work with the idea if they did not see a long term engagement. 4. Banks and ....................... institutions have been partners in contract farming schemes, set up to enhance credit. ! Caution To succeed in India, agribusiness must empower the farmer by making agriculture profitable, not by expropriating him for this particular purpose the farmer should be funded for their basic and small needs. 17.4 Success Factors of Microfinance in Rural India Over the last ten years, successful experiences in providing finance to small entrepreneur and producers demonstrate that poor people, when given access to responsive and timely financial services at market rates, repay their loans and use the proceeds to increase their income and assets. This is not surprising since the only realistic alternative for them is to borrow from informal market at an interest much higher than market rates. Community banks, NGOs and grass root savings and credit groups around the world have shown that these micro enterprise loans can be profitable for borrowers and for the lenders, making microfinance one of the most effective poverty reducing strategies. For NGOs 1. The field of development itself expands and shifts emphasis with the pull of ideas, and NGOs perhaps more readily adopt new ideas, especially if the resources required are small, entry and exit are easy, tasks are (perceived to be) simple and people’s acceptance is high – all characteristics (real or presumed) of microfinance. 2. Canvassing by various actors, including the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), Friends of Women’s World Banking (FWWB), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technologies (CAPART), Rashtriya Gramin Vikas Nidhi (RGVN), various donor funded programmes especially by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank and Department for International Development, UK (DFID)], and lately commercial banks, has greatly added to the idea pull. Induced by the worldwide focus on microfinance, donor NGOs too have been funding microfinance projects. One might call it the supply push. 3. All kinds of things from khadi spinning to Nadep compost to balwadis do not produce such concrete results and sustained interest among beneficiaries as microfinance. Most NGO-led microfinance is with poor women, for whom access to small loans to meet dire emergencies is a valued outcome. Thus, quick and high ‘customer satisfaction’ is the USP that has attracted NGOs to this trade. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India For Financial Institutions and Banks Notes Figure 17.2: NABARD Setup to help Expand Credit to Farmers The National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (Nabard), set up to help expand 323 credit to farmers and develop India's villages, is now undertaking a major repositioning exercise that will see this refinancer switch to a direct financing model, albeit only partially in the beginning. Nabard will henceforth start funding infrastructure projects in the farm and power sectors on a commercial basis, a move that is likely to help boost earnings. This larger repositioning endeavor, for which a professional consultant has been roped in, is expected to make \"Nabard more relevant in the current national context and also improve its internal efficiency,\" says K G Karmakar, Managing Director, Nabard, which was established by an Act of Parliament in 1981 with an initial capital outlay of 100 crore, later enhanced to 2,000 crore. The repositioning is, of course, not without its share of risks. Key Challenges The challenges are many. Being a refinancer, the bank has a business model that may have been more suited to the pre-liberalization era. What Nabard does is raise money from specific sources and then disburse those funds (at a slightly higher interest rate) to banks and institutions that interface directly with villagers. This refinance-based model was once widely used by other development finance institutions as well. \"Over time, others such as SIDBI, ICICI, IDBI and IFCI have all moved to a direct financing-based business model,\" says Roy. Nabard is not a listed entity. Even so, it is one of India's top 20 finance companies in terms of 'total income plus total assets'. Today, this refinancer has a lending muscle of nearly 1.36 lakh crore, which it uses judiciously- to refinance commercial, cooperative and regional rural banks for on-lending to the agriculture and allied sectors, and lend to states for infrastructure development from the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). Nabard, which came into being after it was felt that the RBI would be too stretched to meet India's pressing credit problems, has an RIDF-heavy fund sourcing pattern. In fiscal 2009-10, nearly 44% of its funding came from RIDF deposits (scheduled commercial banks that do not fulfil their priority sector lending targets put the difference money in this fund). Income from LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing bonds and debentures contributed nearly 15%. Around 12% came from the National Rural Notes Credit Fund, which is augmented by the RBI and its internal accruals, and around 10% from Nabard's capital reserves and surplus. 324 The banks put their money in the RIDF at a 6% interest rate, but Nabard lends this money out at 6.5% to states for infrastructure projects. Nabard's dependence on RIDF money renders it vulnerable, and this seems to have triggered the repositioning that will involve moving to a direct financing model. Banks rushing to meet their priority sector lending targets may stanch the flow of unutilized money into this fund in future, which could starve Nabard of its major source of capital. Microfinance has been attractive to the lending agencies because of demonstrated sustainability and of low costs of operation. Institutions like SIDBI and NABARD are hard nosed bankers and would not work with the idea if they did not see a long term engagement – which only comes out of sustainability (that is economic attractiveness). On the supply side, it is also true that it has all the trappings of a business enterprise, its output is tangible and it is easily understood by the mainstream. This also seems to sound nice to the government, which in the post liberalisation era is trying to explain the logic of every rupee spent. That is the reason why microfinance has attracted mainstream institutions like no other developmental project. Perhaps the most important factor that got banks involved is what one might call the policy push. Given that most of our banks are in the public sector, public policy does have some influence on what they will or will not do. In this case, policy was followed by diligent, if meandering, promotional work by NABARD. The policy change about a decade ago by RBI to allow banks to lend to SHGs was initially followed by a seven-page memo by NABARD to all bank chairmen, and later by sensitisation and training programmes for bank staff across the country. Several hundred such programmes were conducted by NGOs alone, each involving 15 to 20 bank staff, all paid for by NABARD. The policy push was sweetened by the NABARD refinance scheme that offers much more favourable terms (100% refinance, wider spread) than for other rural lending by banks. NABARD also did some system setting work and banks lately have been given targets. The canvassing, training, refinance and close follow up by NABARD has resulted in widespread bank involvement. Did u know? Another innovation is that of The Punjab Mandi Board, which has experimented with a ‘farmers’ market’ to provide small farmers located in proximity to urban areas, direct access to consumers by elimination of middlemen. This experiment known as “Apni Mandi” belongs to both farmers and consumers, who mutually help each other. 17.5 Marketing of Microfinance Products Contract Farming and Credit Bundling Banks and financial institutions have been partners in contract farming schemes, set up to enhance credit. Basically, this is a doable model. Under such an arrangement, crop loans can be extended under tie-up arrangements with corporate for production of high quality produce with stable marketing arrangements provided – and only, provided – the price setting mechanism for the farmer is appropriate and fair. Agri Service Centre – Rabo India Rabo India Finance Pvt Ltd. has established agri-service centres in rural areas in cooperation with a number of agri-input and farm services companies. The services provided are similar to LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India those in contract farming, but with additional flexibility and a wider range of products including Notes inventory finance. Besides providing storage facilities, each centre rents out farm machinery, provides agricultural inputs and information to farmers, arranges credit, sells other services and provides a forum for farmers to market their products. Non-traditional Markets Similarly, Mother Dairy Foods Processing, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has established auction markets for horticulture producers in Bangalore. The operations and maintenance of the market is done by NDDB. The project, with an outlay of 15 lakh, covers 200 horticultural farmers associations with 50,000 grower members for wholesale marketing. Their produce is planned with production and supply assurance and provides both growers and buyers a common platform to negotiate better rates. 17.6 Apni Mandi Another innovation is that of The Punjab Mandi Board, which has experimented with a ‘farmers’ market’ to provide small farmers located in proximity to urban areas, direct access to consumers by elimination of middlemen. This experiment known as “Apni Mandi” belongs to both farmers and consumers, who mutually help each other. Under this arrangement a sum of 5.2 lakh is spent for providing plastic crates to 1000 farmers. Each farmer gets 5 crates at a subsidized rate. At the mandi site, the Board provides basic infrastructure facilities. At the farm level, extension services of different agencies are pooled in. These include inputs subsidies, better quality seeds and loans from Banks. Apni Mandi scheme provides self-employment to producers and has eliminated social inhibitions among them regarding the retail sale of their produce. Figure 17.3: Scene of Apni Mandi in Rural India Findings 325 1. Considerable gap between demand and supply for all financial services. LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Rural Marketing 2. Majority of poor are excluded from financial services. This is due to, inter alia, the following Notes reasons: (a) Bankers feel that it is risky to finance poor peoples because of their creditworthiness. 326 (b) High transaction costs. Self Assessment Fill in the blanks: 5. Microfinance has been attractive to the lending agencies because of demonstrated sustainability and of ...................... costs of operation. 6. ...................... and financial institutions have been partners in contract farming schemes, set up to enhance credit. 7. Rabo India Finance Pvt Ltd. has established agri-service centres in ...................... areas in cooperation with a number of agri-input and farm services companies. 8. Bankers feel that it is risky to finance poor peoples because of their ...................... .  HUL Launches Multi-brand Rural Activation Programme Case Study The main objective of the campaign is to reach out to media dark villages with HUL brand messages and to engage with consumers deeply to rapidly change brand adoption metrics. The main aim is to change attitudes of the rural mass to inculcate good personal hygiene and through this create greater preference for the company brands by association to daily hygiene habits. Through a multi-brand approach, Khushiyon ki Doli also helps to create a cost efficient rural activation module. It involves various personal care and home care brands of HUL including Wheel, Surf Excel, FAL, Sunsilk, Vim, Lifebuoy and Closeup. The module follows a 3-step process, starting with awareness, moving on to consumer engagement and finally retail contact. The first step of spreading awareness is achieved through a team of promoters who head to each village and invite the villages to what is known as ‘Mohallas’ to make them aware of the company and its products. In every village, there are about 4-5 teams who conduct these events in local language for small focused groups so that it allows for greater engagement and involvement for the consumers. During this activity, brands are introduced with the help of TVCs that are played continuously. And the promoters by way of ‘live’ demonstrations bring alive the hygiene benefits of using such brands and improving the quality of daily life. To increase the ‘fun’ element and enhance involvement, promoters also conduct simple quizzes and games around the brands and daily hygiene habits. As part of this activation, we offer schemes both for the participating consumers and also local retailers for generating trial among consumers as well enhancing availability at retail. Post the mohalla activity, the promoters go home to home and conduct consumer home visits to generate trial where they offer attractive promotions to the consumers. Similarly, there is another team which visits all the shops in the village which ensures improved availability and visibility of HUL brands. Contd... LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY

Unit 17: Role of Microfinance in Rural India One of the unique aspects of this initiative is the use of technology to bring alive the Notes benefits of our brands in a simple and compelling manner. The other unique characteristic feature of this initiative is the effective use of popular traditional symbols with technology to create more acceptance. For example, the brand films and hygiene messages are shown to the consumers through the use of Palki. Questions Analyse the case and discuss the case facts. 17.7 Summary  The potential for growing Microfinance institutions in India is very high.  Major cross-section can have benefit if this sector will grow in its fastest pace. Annual growth rate of about 20 % during the next five year.  The loan outstanding will consequently grow from the present level of about 1600 crores to about 42000 crores Annual growth rate of about 20 % can be achieved during the next five years. 17.8 Keywords Companies Act 1956: For companies that are already registered under the Companies Act, 1956, if the central government is satisfied that the objects of that company are restricted to the promotion of commerce, science, art, religion, charity or any other useful purpose Microfinancing: Micro financing has become important since the possibility of a sub 1,000 mobile handset has been ruled out in the near future. Rural India can generally afford handsets in the price range of 1,500-2,000. Rabo India Finance: Rabo India Finance Pvt Ltd. has established agri-service centres in rural areas in cooperation with a number of agri-input and farm services companies 17.9 Review Questions 1. Describe the legal and regulatory framework for the microfinance institutions in India. 2. Explain the profile of Rural India. 3. What do you know about non-traditional markets? 4. Discuss the Marketing of Microfinance products. 5. Discuss the Rural India and Microfinance. 6. What are the success factors of Microfinance in Rural India? 7. Explain the contract farming and credit bundling. Answers: Self Assessment 1. Microfinance 2. Operation 3. SIDBI 4. Financial 5. Low 6. Banks 7. Rural 8. Creditworthiness LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 327

Rural Marketing 17.10 Further Readings Notes Books Awadesh Kumar Singh, Rural Marketing: Indian Perspective, New Age International Balkrishnan, Mandira Dutta (1978), “Rural Marketing: Myth and Reality”, Economic and Political weekly, August 1878, M-75 to M-80. Balram Dogra, Rural Marketing, McGraw Hill Companies. Dey, N.B and Adhikari, KingShuk (1998) “Rural Marketing challenges and opportunities”, Yojana, 42(5), May 1998,, p.21-22, 41. Gaikwad, V.K (1972), “A Research for the Rural Consumer”, IN: New Opportunities in Changing Agriculture, Ahmedabad: CMA(IIMA), 1972, pp 159-172. Jha Mithileswar (1998), “Rural Marketing: Some Conceptual issues”, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol XXIII(No. 9), February 27, 1998, pp M-8 to M-16. Kannan Shanthi (2001), “Rural Market – A world of Opportunity”, Hindu, 11 October, 2011 McCracken, J., J, Pretty and G. Conway. (1988). An Introduction to Rapid Rural Appraisal for Rural Development. IIed, London, England. Philip Kotler, Marketing Management, 1992. 8th edition. Pradeep Kashyap & Siddhartha Raut, The Rural Marketing, Biztantra. R.V. Bedi, N.V. Bedi, Rural Marketing, Himalaya Publishing. Rajagopal, Development of Agricultural Marketing in India Print well (Jaipur). Shepherd, A. (1999), “A guide to maize marketing for extension officers”. Extension Guide 1, Marketing & Rural Finance Service. FAO, Rome. T.P. Gopal Swamy, Rural Marketing, Wheeler Publishing (New Delhi) 1998. CMIE Report. Online links www.world-agriculture.com/...marketing/rural_marketing.php www.martrural.com www.oppapers.com/.../rural-marketing-review-of-literature-page www.cks.in/ html/cks_pdfs/Rural%20Marketing%20Practices.pdf www.remax-cornwall.ca/ post/2009/09/17/rural.aspx www.financialexpress.com/news/The...of -rural-marketing/407101/ www.ifmr.ac.in www.google.com www.microfinanceinsight.com www.investopedia.com www.seepnetwork.org www.nationmaster.com 328 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY





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