Page 122 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Unit 6: Rural Marketing Research

innovations provide and may have a little reluctance purchasing such difficult to use Notes
products.
2. The buyers commonly understand quality as usability without breakdowns.

3. Price, warranty, after-sales service, play an important role in purchase decisions.
4. Psychological aspects such as, looks, foreign collaboration, brand equity too have their
value.

Since the price of tractors is quite high, its purchase is a high involvement purchase. Opinions of
other users, friends, neighbours, colleagues, and sometimes the tractor dealers are sought. With
some twenty brands and each brand having four to six models, the task of decision-making is
rather onerous one.
The following features of tractors were tested of a scale of one to five in several areas in the
northern India and the results obtained are given along side.

Features Mean Score Position
Road grip for bad roads 5 1
Oil consumption 5 2
Trolley available 4.9 3
Service facility 4.2 4
Spare parts 3.8 5
Cost of parts 3.3 6
Resale value 3 7
Good for family outings 3 8
Trained service staff 3 9
Ease of diesel buying 2.8 10
Multiple use in the fields 2.8 11

As can be seen the customers place a good deal of importance on quality, followed by after-sales
service and price. Distinct features do play a role in purchase decisions, but it seems that their
relative importance is less due to the latent fear in the minds of buyers that they may be paying
high price for features they may not be able to use due to their being too high tech. Hence, the
conclusion can be drawn that while new features will bring more business as they would
certainly differentiate the products, a lot of concept selling as also, training in the usage would
be required, before the benefits can be cashed in.
Advertising for creating and enhancing brand equity is a must, as brand plays a major decisive
role in purchase actions of the customers.
Areas like built-in stabilizers are not in consideration at all as most tractors have the feature. In
the same way trolley feature has become common and hence it ceases to be a differentiating
point.
Advertising too, has become the done thing and at best, it is a negative factor. In other words,
less or no advertising would mean poor quality marketing effort.
Market Research should be avoided if enough time cannot be given for the research. Also, if
budget does not permit thorough enquiry, or information possible is not going to be sufficient,
MR can be avoided. If marketing people want to get the research done only for having their
decisions endorsed it need not be undertaken.

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