Almost every business marketing targets the urban population. Easy access to the urban population to technology and infrastructure makes the advertisement easy. But as per the fact, more than 50% of the world population lives in an extremely remote area. No firm can get its highest position in the world business without considering them.
Rural marketing includes processes such as developing, promoting, pricing, and distributing a rural specific product. There are several challenges and difficulties confronting the effort to fully explore rural markets. On another hand, urban marketing has pre-developed branding, guiding, and marketing in a different area. Both urban and rural marketing have their own challenges.
Here we have listed them out.
Understanding the Consumer
The taste and preferences of rural consumers are influenced by many factors. Their attitude is affected by society. In some cases, a good might be consumed by all people living in a society. They believe in efficiency and long-tasting goods.
Urban consumers have an individual taste about the goods. But their choices are easily fluctuating. They prefer luxurious goods with modern looks.
So the marketing of the goods should be done accordingly.
Infrastructure
In rural areas, lack of electricity, buildings, water supply, etc affects every basic business function. Poor road connectivity is a big challenge. Lack of adequate storage and retail outlets is also an issue faced by marketers.
In urban areas, the costs of similar infrastructure are comparatively higher. So these are the challenges in both l°kinds of marketing. Now it´s up to the marketers to cope with both situations.
Education Level
People in rural areas don´t understand gimmicky, quick (fast-paced), clever, and hi-tech ad films. It is hard for them to understand the promotion campaigns. It will be difficult for them to understand the themes as well.
In another hand, urban campaigns should be vibrant and active. They should have a creative theme and ideas. Content in urban marketing gets viral easily. They understand the hi-tech information displayed in the ads.
Difficulty in Payment Collection
The majority of the population in rural area is still not banked. The collection of non-cash transactions is impossible. Even cash collections are difficult due to the physical distance between the villages.
In the urban areas, cash collection is also difficult, but for a different region. The non-cash transaction is possible. But the issue of due and fraud is also higher in urban areas.
Marketing Media
In rural areas, traditional marketing medium is popular. The use of television and newspapers for advertisement is still on the trend.
among urban consumers, digital marketing is in the highlight. Marketers can use their access to the internet as a plus point for efficient marketing. The use of such a medium for marketing also makes it cheaper for the business firm.
In the rural area, producers and marketers need intermediaries in marketing and selling due to physical distance. A high number of intermediate increase price.
To sum up,
Both rural and urban markets have their own challenges and merits as well. You need to overcome those challenges and make efficient marketing strategies.