Page 150 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Unit 8: Rural Product Strategy

has already a predetermined brand in mind. These convenience goods include soaps, Notes
newspapers, toothpastes, toiletries, cigarettes, etc. Often convenience goods are bought
impulsively or spontaneously. For example, when a person goes shopping around and
see a product which attracts his eyes, he buys it on impulse. Such goods are not purchased
on regular basis.
2. Shopping Goods: These are goods which are purchased after going around shops and
comparing the different alternatives offered by different manufacturers and retailers. In
this case, emphasis on quality, price, fashion, style, etc. are of great importance. A common
example, in the Indian context, would be the purchase of sarees by ladies. Generally,
ladies go looking around from shop to shop before they make their final selection. Hence,
the expression ‘shopping’ goods. These also include durables such as furniture and
refrigerators. That is why a large variety of goods offered at a retail outlet increases sales
of this type of goods. A manufacturer should also attempt to have his product properly
displayed and offered at most retail outlets.
3. Durable Goods: These are goods which are ‘durable’ or which last for some time. Examples
of such goods would be electric irons, refrigerators, television sets, etc. This type of product
requires more selling effort from the salesman. The question of after sales service and
repairs is also of importance as ‘selling points’ or ‘benefits’ which the customer would like
to have. Therefore, in case of refrigerators, the number of years of guarantee, particularly
for the compressor, is an important consideration when a consumer makes his final
selection.
In case of certain types of durables, after sales service is very essential. If a customer
purchases a cyclostyling machine or duplicating machine, it is necessary for the salesman
to ‘follow through’ and visit the customer to see how it is installed and used. Very often
this product is operated by ‘peons’ who may not know how to do so. This results in poor
duplication and copies look unattractive and the consumer gets the impression that the
fault lies with the machine. So, while marketing such a product, it is important to guide
the actual user of machine.

4. Non-durable Goods: These are goods which get depleted on consumption. For example a
bottle of soft drink is consumed at once on one occasion within a matter of minutes. Soap
obviously takes a little longer. However, in both these cases, the goods are consumed
very fast. The advantage of these goods is that they are purchased very often and therefore
there are many repeat purchases once the customer is satisfied with one product. Therefore,
one must ensure quality and appropriateness of price. These are the products that have to
be advertised heavily, with a view to inducing people to try them out, and thus, build up
brand preference and brand loyalty.
Services: Services are specially mentioned here (although they do not constitute products) because
it is generally thought that marketing is related to products alone. It should be remembered that
marketing ideas and practices are equally applicable to services with slight adaptations in
certain decisional areas. Services in content are different from products. For example, courts
offer a service. So are hospitals, the fire department, the police and the post office. These are not
products in the normal sense and yet it is very important for each of these institutions to have an
appropriate image. The police are often criticised; the fire departments generally praised; the
post office criticised for delays; the hospitals perhaps criticised for negligence and exorbitant
rates and so on. It is obvious that controlling the quality of service is important for building its
image.
Apart from government or public sector undertakings, there are ‘non-profit’ organisations such
as museums and charities. Although non-profit, they also have to provide the best form of
service for their popularity. The business and commercial sectors which includes airlines, banks,

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