Marketing Mix Strategies and Business Models: Innovating for Rural India

By : Supratim Pratihar

Page No: 162-169

Abstract
About three-fourth of the total population of India resides in the rural areas. The development of the nation is interlinked with the development of the rural population. To be successful in the rural market, companies will have to be innovative and sensitive while devising marketing strategies. Traditional urban marketing strategies will have to be localized as per the demands of the rural market. Marketers make consistent attempts to innovate tools and strategies to overcome the challenges they face in the business arena. Marketers need to design creative solutions to overcome challenges typical of the rural environment such as physical distribution, channel management, promotion and communication. The author in this paper attempts to discuss the innovative marketing mix strategies adopted by marketers to enhance their sales in the mystic rural markets of India. Focus of the current paper is on business models adapted by HUL, DSCL, Godrej and ITC characterized by various peculiarities in terms of nature of markets, products and processes. This paper also examines how corporates like Dabur and Tata Motors with their innovation and creativity are tapping the Indian rural market with their retail marketing strategies.

Authors :
Supratim Pratihar : Assistant Professor in the area of Marketing. He is pursuing his PhD in the area of Marketing. He has a diverse work experience of six years in the corporate sector and four years in academics. His area of interest includes Retail Management, Consumer Behaviour and Sales and Distribution Management.