Rural Marketing, in short, RM is an important subject in management study and courses like PGDM, MBA, B.com, M.com, BBA, ..etc. Here we have shared all the topics that are in the Rural Marketing syllabus (RM) in the fourth semester of MBA (Master of Business Administration).
What is Rural Marketing?
Rural Marketing can be defined as a function that manages all activities involved in assessing, stimulating, and converting the purchasing power of rural consumers into an effective demand for specific products and services.
Then moving these products and services to the people in rural areas to create satisfaction and a better standard of living and thereby achieving organizational goals.
Rural marketing is the promotion of a company’s product in the rural markets by using strategies that differ from that of the urban market. The rural market is more price-sensitive but it has a preference quantity.
Meaning of Rural Marketing
Planning and implementation of the marketing function for rural areas.
Definition of Rural Marketing
Rural marketing has been defined as the process of developing, pricing, promoting, distributing, rural specific goods & services leading to exchange between urban and rural markets, which satisfies consumer demand and also achieves organizational objectives.
► Why do we study RM?
- To understand the concept of Rural Market & rural customer
- To identify the process of Rural Marketing
- To understand the marketing mix in rural markets
- To understand the innovations being done for rural markets
► Rural Marketing Syllabus
Syllabus of Rural Marketing in MBA.
Subject Name: Rural Marketing
Subject Code: MBAT 423
Course: MBA IV Semester 2020-22
University: Uttarakhand Technical University (Dehradun, Uttarakhand)
Total Credit: 3
Internal Marks: 30
External Marks: 70
Total Marks: 100
Rural Marketing Syllabus in MBA (UTU, Dehradun)
Note: This Rural Marketing Syllabus is as per MBA Academic Session 2020-21 of Uttarakhand Technical University, UTU Dehradun. The syllabus is according to the Scheme of Examination as per AICTE Flexible Curricula.
Unit 1: Introduction to Rural Markets
Definition,
Concept,
Nature,
Size and Scope of Indian Rural markets,
Rural Demand,
Buying Characteristics,
Rural Market Structure:
Demographic,
Physical,
Economic Environment.
Unit 2: Understanding the Rural Consumer
Rural Community in India,
Profile of Rural markets:
Segmenting the Rural Market,
Target and Positioning,
Rural Consumer Behavior,
Rural Buyer Characteristics,
Consumer Buying Decision Process,
Factors Affecting Consumer Behavior –
Cultural,
Social,
Technological,
Economic and Political.
Unit 3: Marketing Mix in Rural Markets
Product:
Significance,
Concept and Product Mix Decisions,
Pricing Strategy:
Objectives,
Policies and Strategies,
Promotion:
Advertising,
Sales Promotions
Communication in Rural marketing,
language and Culture Distribution Strategies,
Channels of Distribution,
Role of Co-operative,
Government,
Financial Institutions,
Public Sector Undertakings,
Regulated Markets and Public Distribution Systems.
Unit 4: Innovation in Rural Markets
Significance of innovation in rural markets,
The intervention of IT in Rural Markets:
Importance and Initiatives,
The emergence of Organised retailing in Rural India,
Key Drivers of Organised Retail,
Cases in organized retail:
Operative Models adopted by Indian Companies.
Unit 5: Future of Rural Marketing
Changing Role of Rural Sector in India;
Rural Income and Demand,
Problems in Marketing of agricultural inputs in Rural India –
Chemical fertilizers,
Certified seeds and Agricultural Equipments –
Tractors,
Engines,
Pump Sets,
Marketing of Agricultural products,
improvement measures taken by the Government –
Initiatives by Co-operative and Private Sector,
Present Scenario-
Rural Female Empowerment,
Micro Financing,
Mobility in Emerging Markets,
Growing RuralTourism.
Suggested Readings
- Rama Bijapurkar (2007), We are Like That Only, the logic of Consumer India, Penguin Books
- Prahalad C.K (2008), Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, PearsonPublication
- R V Badi, N V Badi, Rural Marketing, 2008, Himalaya Publishing House.
- U C Mathur, Rural marketing, Text and Cases, 2008, excel books
- CSG Krishnamacharyulu, Lalitha Ramakrishnan, Cases in Rural marketing, An Integrated Approach, 2006, Pearson Publication