Page 81 - DMGT509_RURAL MARKETING

Rural Marketing

Notes 6. There is always crossover in segments. For instance, for a person with monthly income of
10,000, a woolen suit worth 5000 may be out of reach. However, he may buy it at least
for his wedding.
Persuasion comes in the form of personal influence of some person who counts. In daily life we
communicate with other persons in social political or business situations. A good communicator
listens more then he/she speaks. When in doubt, we seek advice, or sometimes we get advice
totally unasked for. In both cases, it is stored in the brain from where it can be restored at the
time of purchase decision-making. We normally go to people whom we consider as more
knowledgeable then us. These people are the opinion leaders. Buying a set of golf clubs it is best
to ask the golf champion, rather then a layman. For cameras and films, the professional
photographer, not the camera sales person would be the best bet.

Notes The rural markets as highly untapped potential emphasizes the need to explore
them. The concept of Rural Marketing in India Economy has always played an influential
role in the lives of people. Rural marketing in India is often been found to form
ambiguity in the minds of people who think rural marketing is all about agricultural
marketing.

4.4 Opinion Leaders

The villagers often take advice of some senior or educated person, who has knowledge about
the product and its market and they take his opinion or advice to be dependable. Such person
may be expert in a particular line. So he can be trusted to give correct opinion on their choice of
subject. Marketers, on the other hand would invariably give only the positive aspects of their
products. In rural India the Sarpanch or Mukhiya or Pradhan is usually considered to be the
opinion leader.

Several times customers seek only information, and sometimes they ask for advice. Can
we trace which of the following statements of opinion leaders is information and which is
advice?
1. Which is the best Gent’s shoe for formal wear? “In my view, Bata is still the best”.
2. How to use the vacuum cleaner? “I use it once a week to clean the carpet, the curtains, the
floors and the ceiling. You could do the same”.
3. Where to take my Maruti for servicing in Delhi? “There is no better place then Competent
Motors, my dear”.
4. Where can I get a gift for my girl/boy friend? “Try Giggles in CP and you will not go
wrong”.

As can be seen Opinion-leaders are mostly “product” specific. Similarly, their decision may
vary from products to product. You will not ask your milkman where to buy computer
software. In case of doubt, people take second or even third opinion until they are satisfied
with the opinion. People with set ideas, often stop after they have got an opinion, which
agrees, to their own thinking. Such subjective opinions can be misleading resulting in wrong
decisions.
Advertisers extend the theory of opinion leadership in advertising by using the leaders as
product endorsers.

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