The rural consumers are known to earn low income, have low level of literacy, low level of brand awareness, asymmetric information, inadequate communication and transportation facilities. The Rural markets and sub-urban markets are now expanding in Kerala with ever greater penetration index, as the growth seems stunted in the urban markets. In this study, Rural & suburban areas of Ernakulam with a sample size of 100 respondents. The study intends to identify the level of influence of various factors on the purchase of FMCG products-soaps & detergents among the rural/ semi urban consumers. The study emphasized that rural consumers gave more importance to the ‘quality’ of the FMCG-personal care brands they bought rather than the normative influences or social appeal vide celebrity endorsements in the mass media.

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A Study on Consumer Behavior towards Fmcg Products among the Rural- Suburban Hhs of Ernakulam

Consumer centric marketing style is predominant in the durables, which in turn revolves around the consumer purchase attitude. It is known that Consumer attitude is a learnt predisposition to respond to an object or act consistently in a favorable or unfavorable manner and is shaped by one’s values and beliefs which are learnt. Only by changing the consumer’s attitude can they be influenced to enact a merchandise transaction in the marketing milieu. Hence the importance of attitude change is of paramount importance to marketers who are consumer focused in the modern age often customizing the products/services to match the tastes of the consumer by proper positioning and targeting strategies. Consumer segments may be urban or rural based on the peculiarities /residential location and outlook /lifestyle characteristics of the consumer. In this paper, an evaluation of the Urban and Rural Consumer Purchase attitude-Behavior, a Comparative Study of various facets with Special Reference to Consumer Durables (both white and brown goods) with the sample frame of middleclass working women families of Ernakulam (Kochi), the premier test marketing site in Kerala, is attempted herein. Based on the rich findings, the future strategies in market segmentation and market mix can be redesigned to match with current consumer tastes.

A Contrasting Evaluation of Consumer Purchase Attitude-Behavior of Urban-Rural Working Women Consumers Towards White-Brown Durables, a Study With Specific Relevance to Kochi, Kerala

The average purchasing power of the Indian Rural Economy is growing gradually due to increase in Government Expenditure on social sector projects such as hundred days work, mid-day meal, strengthening Public Distribution System so that essential food grains can be made available at cheaper price to the persons who are living below the poverty line. The major focus of the Union Budget for the financial year 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 was to achieve the larger aim of the financial inclusion. It focuses on the poor who do not enjoy the formal financial institutional support and get them out of the clutches of local money lenders. The branchless banking is an innovative concept where account can be opened and operated without going to bank branch. The profiles of Business Facilitator and Business Correspondent have been created so that they can work as the agent of the banks who are directly dealing with poor villagers. But the circle of financial inclusion cannot be completed unless and until both awareness as well as participation of rural population will increase in capital market products along with money market instruments. The objective of the study is to identify the difficulties that Government of India is facing to implement the concept of financial inclusion. Simultaneously, this research work will focus on developing the marketing strategies of the financial instruments to the rural population where a signification portion of the population are suffering from poverty, inequality, unemployment, illiteracy and superstition. Another dimension of the study is to develop the investor awareness programs even in remote villages by which maximum retail participation in capital market can be ensured. Since socio-economically they are most vulnerable portion of the society so it is the part of ethical, moral and social responsibility for every stakeholders of the nation so that they can be protected from the risk of miss selling by some unscrupulous persons. The methodology used for preparing the study is based on secondary information available from several research articles prevalent in the different reputed national and international journals that show how the process of distributive justice is being ensured in different nations over the period of time. Similarly data has been collected from the RBI database and the different published reports. The proposed intellectual output will give a direction how maximum benefit can be provided to the maximum number of persons so that fruits of growth can be distributed in an equitable way. A productive society can incorporate the inequalities provided maximum benefit can be ensured to the most downtrodden portion of the population. Otherwise India will be separated from Bharat where Metropolitan cities of India will enjoy the brand equity of shining India as a significant share of the fruits of the growth of the economy will be appropriated by a very few beneficiaries and remaining output will be left for the semi-urban, rural population of the nation.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2267338_code2057425.pdf?abstractid=2267338&mirid=5

Marketing and Providing the Banking Services to the Unbanked Population - Is it Necessary and Sufficient Condition for Financial Inclusion?

The major focus of the Union Budget for the financial year 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 was to achieve the larger aim of the financial inclusion. It focuses on the poor who do not enjoy the formal financial institutional support and get them out of the clutches of local money lenders. The branchless banking is an innovative concept where account can be opened and operated without going to bank branch. The profiles of Business Facilitator and Business Correspondent have been created so that they can work as the agent of the banks who are directly dealing with poor villagers. But the circle of financial inclusion cannot be completed unless and until both awareness as well as participation of rural population will increase in capital market products along with money market instruments. The objective of the study is to identify the difficulties that Government of India is facing to implement the concept of financial inclusion. Simultaneously, this research work will focus on developing the marketing strategies of the financial instruments to the rural population where a signification portion of the population are suffering from poverty, inequality, unemployment, illiteracy and superstition. Another dimension of the study is to develop the investor awareness programs even in remote villages by which maximum retail participation in capital market can be ensured. Since socio-economically they are most vulnerable portion of the society so it is the part of ethical, moral and social responsibility for every stakeholders of the nation so that they can be protected from the risk of mis-selling by some unscrupulous persons. The methodology used for preparing the study is based on secondary information available from several research articles prevalent in the different reputed national and international journals that show how the process of distributive justice is being ensured in different nations over the period of time. Similarly data has been collected from the RBI database and the different published reports. The proposed intellectual output will give a direction how maximum benefit can be provided to the maximum number of persons so that fruits of growth can be distributed in an equitable way. A productive society can incorporate the inequalities provided maximum benefit can be ensured to the most downtrodden portion of the population. Otherwise India will be separated from Bharat where Metropolitan cities of India will enjoy the brand equity of shining India as a significant share of the fruits of the growth of the economy will be appropriated by a very few beneficiaries and remaining output will be left for the semi-urban, rural population of the nation.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2352396_code2057425.pdf?abstractid=2352396&mirid=1&type=2

Financial Inclusion Plan in India and its Broader Perspectives

Researchers have analyzed the variations in rural marketing concepts and offered definitions relating to these varying concepts. However, there seems to be a general disagreement regarding the aspe...

Conceptual Expansion of the Discipline of Rural Marketing: An Objective Analysis:

The book provides specific reasons for the growing importance of rural markets and defines some key relevant concepts. It focuses on all the important components of rural marketing such as opportunities in rural marketing, understanding the rural economy, consumer behavior, selecting and attracting markets, understanding on strategic approach on marketing-mix 4P's, marketing of consumer products, agri-products, rural industry products and social marketing in rural society. The book holds various strategic and managerial implications for marketers, and researchers engaged/interested in India's vast rural market. The book is divided into six parts, which encompasses eighteen chapters to elaborate all such details. Book: Rural Marketing: Text and Cases Author(s): C.S.G. Krishnamacharyulu & Lalitha Ramakrishnan Publisher: Pearson Education Edition: Second ISBN: 978-81-317-3263-2 Price: INR 399.00 Pages: 608 pages Binding: Paperback

Sandeep Agarwal

Papers

Rural Marketing: Text and Cases