Wednesday, September 30, 2009

They buy with gusto

Once while having a discussion on consumer behavior of rural people, Somun a very constructive thinker highlighted few points that i would like to mention here. Brand hardly matters for rural people, rather what appeals to them is" value pricing". They prefer smaller packaging ( sachets of shampoo and masala) because it is affordable for their wallet. Moreover he stressed on the fact of counterfeiting and cloning that actually affect the rural market t. I do agree with his arguments except one that rural customers are not brand loyal. Let me tell why?
Most purchases in rural customer's purchase basket tend to be unbranded. That's fine. But when they actually buy brand, they buy true brand. Rural customer trust brands as friends. The brand is perceived as a reliable mate, an entity that promises and delivers. Before buying they also have a pool of considerations and evaluate each and every options and go for the best one. Owning a good brand also gives them a social affiliation and status in that cohort. It differentiates the owner from the rest villagers in terms of esteem also, as Indian villages are still social strata bound. So they do not hesitate to spend in bulk to get the best brand and keep telling others about the benefits of that brand.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Stalin, I am thinking on this question for past few days and asking to may people in my class. Let me ask this to you here ''Can we create a niche in rural market ?'' whats your take ?