In recent years, rural products have acquired significance in countries like China and India, as the overall growth of the economy has resulted into substantial increase in the investment capacities of the rural communities, enabling them to manufacture and market products in a widespread geographical dimension.

On account of this, the marketing of produce of the rural areas to the urban consumers or industrial consumers has grown significantly. Also, when we consider the scenario of India and China, there is a picture that comes out, huge market for the developed products as well as the labor support. This has led to the change in the mindset of the marketers from across the globe to move to these parts of the world. The increase in CSR activities being done by the corporate to help the poor people attain some wealth has fuelled the growth of the rural product developing sector.

Strategies

Dynamics of rural products differ from other market products, and similarly rural product marketing strategies are also significantly different from the marketing strategies aimed at other market products. This, along with several other related issues, have been subject matter of intense discussions and debate in countries like India and China and focus of even international symposia organized in these countries. Both traditional as well as the modern media, are used as a marketing strategy.

Rural products and marketing involve a number of strategies, which include:

• Client and location specific promotion


• Joint or cooperative promotion.


• Bundling of inputs


• Management of demand


• Developmental marketing


• Unique selling proposition (USP)


• Extension services


• Partnership for sustainability