Rural Communication Strategy

Challenges in Rural Communication  

Low literacy levels Poor media reach and exposure 

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 Vast,  V ast, heterogeneou heterogeneouss and diversely diversely spread audience 

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 Variations  V ariations in reach of media  Variations  V ariations in level of literacy 

Rural markets are largely media dark or media grey  Communication requirements are:   

Identification of the right medium Development of region specific consumer profiles Design of effective ef fective communication

The Communication Problem National Languages English and Hindi

Scheduled Languages 17 Languages with widespread use 47 in primary education 98 in print media 71 in radio; 13 in films

Local Vernaculars 114 recognized varieties

Understanding the Rural Audience 

Two distinct sets of audiences in in rural India: I ndia: 

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 A growing growing number of educated educated upwardly upwardly mobile, aspirational with exposure to mass media Poor illiterate masses who cannot be reached with wit h mass media

High degree of involvement involvement in purchase decision with role of influencers inf luencers Communication has to generate generate word word of mouth publicity  Strong association with colours, numerals and visuals  Variations  V ariations in perc perceptions, eptions, traditions traditions and values in different parts of the country 

The Communication Process SENDER

Encoding

MESSAGE MEDIA 

Decoding

NOISE

Feedback

Response

The message may not be received as sent due to: Selective attention Selective distortion Selective recall

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RECEIVE R 

Developing Effective Communication     

Profiling Profiling the target audience Determining the communication objectives Designing the message and ensuring its effectiveness Selecting the communication channels Designing the promotion strategy 

Profiling Target Audience Audience 

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Probing and profiling p rofiling the buyer, buyer, the user and the influencer Social classes and intentions Consumer receptivity – use of colours and slogans Growing brand consciousness Traditional lifestyles lifestyles Collective decision making Identification of purchase needs  Value  V alue for Money 

Determining Communication Objectives 

The communication objectives can be to:    

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Bring about AWARENESS Create INTEREST Move Move to CONVICTION and DESIRE Persuade the customer to buy - ACTION

Be clear as to which communication is looking at  which element of the response

Determining Communication Objectives Promotional Element

Communication Achieved

 AICDA   AICDA  Level

Market demonstrations

Prospect identification identif ication

A,I

Farmer’s Meets

Interest to action

I,C,D,A 

 Video Vans

Excitement, Excitement, Announcement Announcement

A,I

Personal Selling

Understand and Explain

C,D,A 

Opinion Leaders

Word of Mouth

C,D,A 

Mechanics Mechanics

Influence Inf luence

C,D,A  C,D,A 

Determining Communication Objectives Promotional Element

Communication Achieved

 AICDA   AICDA  Level

 Wall  W all Paintings Paintings

Awareness, wareness, Informati Information on

A,I

Handbills

 Awar  Awareness, eness, Informati Information, on, Clarifying doubts

 A,I

Dealer POP

Awareness, Information

A,I

 Audio Jingles Jingles

Awareness, wareness, Information Information,, Excitement Excitement

A,I

Calendars, Merchandise

 Awar  Awareness, eness, Informati Information, on, Recall Recall

A,I

Designing the Message 

Message Content 

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Rational (self interest), emotional (positive or negative) or moral (what is right and proper) appeal Simple and local language

Message Structure – simple, short and selfexplanatory; mainly pictorial Message Format – linking benefits to product attributes Context Association – use a true rural environment Message Source – should be likeable, trustworthy tr ustworthy and seen to be an expert

Message Effectiveness 

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Simple; communicators also need to understand that  words  words have have different different meanings meanings in different different regions Pictorial presentations present ations improve recall Form  

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Utilitarian to influence attitudes and preferences Narrative to increase attention

Trustworthy, likeable and expert source Context association to create interest and improve improve comprehension

Communication Channels 

Personal   

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 Advocate  Advocate – Company sales people Expert Social – Neighbours, friends, family members (most effective in rural)

Non-personal   

Mass media – print, broadcast, electronic and display   Atmospheres – a packaged environment Events

Promotion Mix  

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 Advertising  Advertising to to build a long long term image image Sales promotion – coupons, contests, contests, demonstrations demonst rations and sampling Direct marketing – one to one communication Public relations and publicity – has higher credibility  Sales force

Factors in Setting the Promotion Mix 

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Type of product market – consumer goods rank advertising, sales promotion, sales force, public relations in that th at order order Push 

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Use of sales force and trade promotion

OR 

Pull 

Use of advertising and consumer promotion promoti on to create demand

Factors in Setting the Promotion Mix 

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Buyer Readiness Stage STAGE STA GE

Promotional Promotio nal Tool

 Awareness  Awareness

Advertising and Publicity 

Interest

Advertising and Publicity 

Desire

Sales Promotion

 Action

Sales Force, Force, Direct Marketing Marketing

Product Lifecycle Stage STAGE STA GE

Promotional Promotio nal Tool

Introduction

 Advertising and Public Relations/Publicity 

Growth

Toning down since momentum moment um achieved

Maturity 

Sales Promotion, Advertising and Sales Force

Decline

Sales Promotion

Creating Advertisements for Rural Audiences   

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Understanding the mindset of potential customers Picking up u p local idioms, expressions and words  Avoid  A void using tricky, tricky, gimmicky gimmicky or even suggestive suggestive advertising Combine education with entertainment Short television televis ion commercials do not work work in rural ru ral

Rural Advertising Production Global Positioning - English

Regional Adaptations – Hindi for North, Tamil for South, Bengali for East, Marathi for West

 Area specific adaptation adaptation – Example Punjabi for Punjab

Last Destination Adaptation – Rural dialect, colour and motif 

Rural Media Conventional Mass Media

Non-conventional Media

Personalised Media

Television

Haat and Mela

Direct Mailers

Radio

Folk Media like puppet show sh ow,, magic show

Point of Sale – Demonstration, Leaflets

Press

Video Vide o Van

Word of Mouth

Cinema

Mandi

Interpersonal Communication

Outdoor

Animator

Mass Media   

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Radio is cheapest but bu t share of pie in rural is only 2% Involvement Involvement with advertisements advertise ments is i s very low Television ownership 19% in rural. Community viewing increases viewership Fastest growing growing but limitations limit ations due to availabil availability ity of  electricity and clash of value systems systems Cinema has universal appeal but is experiencing a downturn due to lack of facilities and the fact that it is not free Print is reasonably popular pop ular.. Rural people however however more interested in local news rather than national and international

Mass Media 

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 Wall Paintings is most widespread and is the favourite of   Wall rural masses Economical and can be customised to local language.  Audience  Audience recall rates rates are high Lack of availability and quality of walls and painters limits their use Exclusive rights not available to companies Outsourced operation with loose lo ose controls Close monitoring is therefore essential

Mass Media Reach 

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Television elevision has the highest highes t reach by SEC, village class, age group or gend gender er This is follow foll owed ed by radio, then press, cinema and cable and satellite In bigger villages (5Kand more) press has ha s higher reach than radio and C an S higher than cinema Reach for almost all media as we move from the teens to the older ages Reach of all media lower for females females low l ower er than that of  males due to value systems in rural

Folk Media 

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Folk Theatre – used mainly for socially relevant issues. Folk songs and dances also used extensively  Magic Shows – Entertaining and raising curiosity  Puppet Shows – linked to religious ceremonies Interactive Games  Availability  A vailability of right kind of troupe and high costs are limitations of of folk media Focus should not be purely on brand promotion  Venues  V enues and timing of campaigns should be planned carefully  The medium and the th e troupes should gel with the culture of  the region

Video Van    

Used for promotion, promotion, sampling and demonstrations dem onstrations Film shows are the main attraction  Very  V ery high cost of operation operation  Attract  Attract lots of children children who are neither users, influencers inf luencers or decision makers

Haats   

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Sunday markets most popular Cater to 15 to 20 villages Used more for sales promotion rather than brand building  Also used for live live demonstrations demonstrations Haat campaigns should plan three outings 1. For awareness promoti on and conversion conversion 2. Sales promotion 3. Long term business relationship with haat sellers

Melas 

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Start with Top Top 100 commercial melas me las and then th en move to smaller melas Target melas closer to larger villages and those that last longer Melas cater to a larger audience and a place for entertainment and shopping Melas attract attract families whereas haats are male dominated

Personalized Media 

Point of Purchase 

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Displays – low size of shops sh ops are a serious limitation; limit ation; retailers retailers prefer to to push spurious/fake spurious/f ake brands and hence h ence do not display POP Demonstrations

Direct Mailers 

Personalised with audience selectivity used for testing and measuring of results

Rural Media Flow OPINION LEADERS

RURAL MASSES

The ideal media model is to influence the opinion leaders before targeting the rural consumer Press and direct marketing are most effective for this

Media Innovation 

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Rural communication through 10,000 National Service  Volunteers  V olunteers whose job is to create create awareness awareness on social issues  Appointment  Appointment of female communicato communicators rs (Pracharinis) (Pracharinis) by HUL to target target health and hygiene issues through th rough grass roots level animation

Influence of Consumer Behaviour on Communication Strategies   

State of readiness of o f the consumer from awareness awareness to conviction conviction Involvement Involvement levels which vary with the purchase purch ase of different items Stage in the product life cycle Stage in Product Life Cycle

Product Type Introduction

Maturity  Brand Launch

Non-durable product Durable product

Demonstrations and trials to Image creation and getting create knowledge and the retailer to promote the adoption product Demonstration with focus on opinion leaders to educate, create favourable attitudes and conviction

Image building, demonstration of  advantages and use of  opinion leaders

Maintenance Reminder advertisement and availability  Retaining image and customer satisfaction

Communication Strategy by Situation 

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Launch of a new product – lack of awareness of the product itself  – demonstrations and use of opinion leaders. Examples Hair dye, jeans Launch of a new brand – creating awareness and promoting brand shift. Efforts also need to be made for retailers to stock the brand Existing – reminder advertising and sales promotion

In rural India AWARENESS is the most difficult determinant of consumption