CONTENT IS THE KING, DISTRIBUTION IS THE QUEEN

The game of chess can teach you many lessons but the most intriguing one can be learned through close observation of the King and Queen’s behavior on the board. The fort is ruled by the King but it is held up by the Queen’s efforts. While the King is considered to be of supreme importance, the queen holds it all together; her fall corresponds to his defeat. Something can be important because it is vital in nature but for it to be truly powerful, it needs to have control over the outcome.

Keeping the same example alive, we know that when the King falls, the game is over but Queen possesses the power to protect him. What makes a player great is the understanding of the difference between what is important and who is powerful; walking on this line gets you the edge that seems like a necessity to win.

The board of business and marketing

The same equation can be applied to the marketing strategy adopted by a business, the roles of King and Queen can be deciphered from a list of factors that impact the success of a brand. However, let us see the characteristics of the contenders beforehand.

Content Development

“Content builds relationships, relationships are built on trust and trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis

Statistics have proven the importance of good content over the last few years as the chances of success of marketing campaigns have been strengthened through enforcing effective content. This impact can be felt so much so that approximately 61% of the audience prefers brands that can deliver original as well as alluring content through different means.

The dawn of the digital age has rejuvenated the world of content; a glimpse of the ranking of factors affecting a buyer’s decision can shed more light on the issue. The fact that around 67 % of the audience relies on content provided by the brand for research and 35% of the audience is more comfortable with sharing content about a brand, proves to us the significance of content in marketing and brand building. Good content shows the audience what your brand is and what your product can do, instead of just telling them. Prima facie, it is believed that content builds the bridge on which a potential customer can walk and feel a part of the house. The importance of content can be summed up in Beth Comstock words, “You can’t sell anything if you can’t tell anything”.

Having stated that, the focus now turns to tell, is good content enough? Not knowing who to tell and how to tell can make the content ineffective or rather useless.

Therefore, Chris Penn’s words are to stick by, “The next evolution of content marketing is not more content but its better distribution”. Marketing is a contest for people’s attention and the same cannot be achieved if the content is not reaching the people.

Content Distribution

In the world of digital marketing, distribution channels do the work of communicating the content to the desired audiences, without which the content per say cannot get itself readers. Amplification of the content which is created is majorly dependent on the distribution strategy selected. A good distribution plan can improve the effectiveness of the content whereas ignoring such planning may lead to a degrading result. Following is list of such distribution channels, which assist the content to achieve its destiny and audiences access on a daily basis;

• Blogging.

• Social Media such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc.

• Visual aid through YouTube etc.

• Networking through communities and forums.

• Email lists.

There are many such channels, use of which can benefit the circulation of content and thus result in active participation from the audiences and lead to better distribution. A well thought out content distribution strategy allows the marketer to place their content right where the target audience is congregated.

Distribution works as salt in any dish prepared with content, as salt helps to bring out the flavours of the food and allows it room to cook properly. Similarly, distribution allows content to reap its benefits by delivering it to the relevant audience it was first created for. This codependency proves that the content is king but distribution is also the queen and she holds the crown in the relationship.

Integration of Call Center Is What Marketers Can Look At While Devising BTL or Experiential Marketing Campaign for Better ROI

What is a BTL Marketing?

Experiential marketing or Below the Line (BTL) Marketing is a strategy used for advertising wherein advertisers opt for a more eccentric approach over the traditional mediums such as radio, television, film, billboards etc. More personalized selection is made for promotion to create a direct connection to potential buyers. This type of marketing strategy is adopted in order to achieve increased accuracy in the campaign to wow a niche audience. Some BTL campaigning techniques include distribution of brochures or pamphlets to the public, use of stickers or placing banners at the point of sale or strategic public places, organizing road shows etc.

The same is done to reap the following benefits:-

• A personal connection with the customers.
• Quantification of leads and appropriate actions can be taken thereof.
• Flexibility to adapt according to situation and attain efficiency.
• Unadulterated feedback.

Trending Now- Call Centres

Below the Line (BTL) marketing is all about establishing a one to one relationship with the potential as well as current customers and what better way to do so than striking a conversation with your targeted audience. This can be done best through the telephonic medium for ease and cost benefits.Even though on the first look this sounds extremely tiresome and difficult, the innovative ways of this decade have made this possible too.

The fixer in this situation is outsourcing the BTL campaign to a professional agency willing to put in the time and efforts to undertake the activity of calling potential clients. In this case, the employees of the infamous “Call centers” come to the rescue like knights in shining armor.

The ABC of Call Centres

“A call center  is a centralized office used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone”

All in all, a call center is an office where employees are provided with a computer, a telephone with a headset, a call list and the responsibility to call potential leads and promote the product or services. These can be a part of the company or can be outsourced to experts; the perfect example of call center activity to sum it up is telemarketing.

Why should call centers be integrated into Below the Line (BTL) campaigns?

The sudden wave of marketing is inclusive of growth in use Below the Line (BTL) marketing approaches in order to gain a competitive advantage over other brands. The increase in the number of marketers opting for taking the services of a call center has also increased over time, now, telemarketing is used for selling services as basic as postpaid connection or free entry trading accounts. The outturn has even been seen in otherwise conservative avenues such collection of donation by political as well as philanthropic purposes.

The same is because integration of call center with the BTL marketing campaign of the company can lead to better Return on Investment (ROI) as:-

• Trained Staff

Call center employees are often trained by experts and are capable of handling any situation coming at them during the phone call to protect the integrity of the product or services that they are endorsing.

• Lower Cost

Using the services of call center results in lower costs then what it would have if the company decided to implement the campaign by itself completely, costs such training and recruitment cost of employees as well as data cost is wiped off the expense board.

• Availability

Shifts are designed in call centers to provide availability to a global audience and cater to their work hours.

• Customer Satisfaction

Trained staff and availability clubbed with grievance management can help increase customer satisfaction.

• Core Business Utility

When call centers are used during BTL marketing campaigns, the focus remains on core activities making them more effective and efficient.

Therefore, marketers insist on collaborations with call centers for better reach and effectiveness of the campaign.

Big Data Analytics Should Be Applied By Marketers in Rural Marketing Campaign

“Without data, you are just another person with an opinion”- W. Edwards Deming

The Big Data Scare

Big data is a set of a large amount of facts or statistics that can be broken down as per the requirement to yield useful results in order to study trends or patterns prevalent in the market.

While some see data as raw material, some are intimidated by its mere presence due to large quantities and complex characteristics. Nevertheless, data management and analysis are significant to the operational success of any marketing campaign. This is where big data analytics comes into the picture; the process helps to reveal trends so that market information can be understood through correlations and other analytical techniques.

It means using mathematical applications to convert unstructured data into useful business information that assists the management into taking worthwhile decisions.

How does big data analysis help in rural marketing?

The emphasis on collection and storage of data is heightened in the digital age due to the vast possibilities that come along with this compilation.

The same is applicable to rural marketing, data related to the target audience, market, and similar products are collected with the hope of getting insights into the current industry inclinations. The end usage of this data is to connect it to human behavior and make it expedient in rural marketing efforts.

Below are few areas where there is scope for improvement through usage of big data analytics techniques:-

–    Campaign design and development

Big data analysis gives the marketer an understanding of the customer’s needs and preferences which helps them to give valuable inputs during the process of campaign design and development. It also acts as a pre-requisite for establishing marketing objectives, defining target audiences, channels of communication and content.

–    Cost Reduction

Cost reduction can be a tricky area in rural marketing, to avoid expenses without compromising on the quality of the services. Big data analysis optimizes the operational processes and creates a controlled environment that helps in accomplishing the agency’s costing standards. Analysis of costs helps in studying every aspect of cost which is essential to mitigating them. It also prevents wastage and duplication of work as well as errors common to human functioning. All of which are responsible for reducing the overall cost of the campaign.

–    Customer Engagement

The results from big data analytics give us insights into the customer’s preferences and needs, which assist in creating a campaign that, would attract such audiences. It also provides ammunition for content development as well as product promotion.

–    Customer Satisfaction and retention

Not even a conversation can survive without the strong arms of logic and vision, the same way a table needs four legs to stand stable. For a rural marketing campaign, this support comes from knowledge about the target audience. Such information helps the marketer to know what the audience will be expecting which in turn develops brand identity. It is a well-known fact that a satisfied customer ought to stay loyal to the organization thereby improving their retention rate.

–    More efficient decision-making

Decision making can often prove to be a very tedious and rather difficult at times. Analysis of such a large set of data can act as an aid to form a firm reasoning or logic behind the decisions. The support of such analysis gives the decision a stronger base and the same is seen in the results.

Data is a valuable resource and luckily, it is abundantly available. All marketers need to do is find an analysis technique which would get them what they need to improve the rural marketing campaign.

10 Best Practices Any Rural Marketing Agency Should Follow To Delight the Client

The core of service industry depends upon the quality offerings and the satisfaction provided to the customers. Since, the marketing is a creative field, calculating the ROI of the campaigns implemented in rural areas can be very difficult; this leaves the appraisal of the agency’s performance in the hands of the client. A client’s review is never based on work alone, rather the experience of working with the agency. This suggests that the same rules apply to marketing agencies and thus, marketers should focus on keeping their clients happy, which might be a challenge several times.

Meeting the client’s expectation is not a one-time job, rather a progressive one. Therefore, rural marketing agencies should devise a code of conduct as well as an aligned strategy to achieve the same without extra efforts. The scope of the conduct can be varied and may range from qualitative inputs to behavioral patterns.

Let us assist you in kick-starting the process by suggesting 10 best practices that any rural marketing agency should follow in order to have a satisfied client base.

The Survival Guide – for Rural Marketing Agencies

1. Encourage Client’s Participation

Even though you are a marketing and brand building expert, your clients are well aware of your brand and unique offerings. In the interest of mutual benefit, a client should be encouraged to participate in the process of conceptualizing and devising the campaign. This not only helps you get valuable inputs but also instills a sense of importance in the client.

2. No Sales Pitch Please!

Your proposal should not reflect on you, but rather- them. It is a common practice for rural marketing agencies to start with their sales pitch which must be avoided. No client likes to hear about your achievements. Initially, your emphasis should be on what you can offer and your portfolio should be presented in a concise manner later.

3. Clear & Precise Discussions

This is the golden rule of communication; make it short and sweet while maintaining a clear line of focus. Let your discussion with your client be premeditated and choreographed to attain useful information and insights rather than discussing the things he/she is already aware of.

4. Inclusion of Trend Analysis

It is almost naive to expect a client to be clueless but at the same time, to expect them to be fully acquainted with the current scenario might not be a good idea as well. The best way to forward your idea is to include relevant trend analysis in your report. This helps attract and retain the client’s attention and getting them on the same page as you are.

5. Propose Value, Not Cost

As a rural marketing agency, you should never lead with costs, rather present the value added to their business by incurring this expense first. The focus of your proposal should be the ROI achieved through the campaign or activities being suggested.

6. Key Performance Indicator

As every marketer understands that it is very difficult to calculate accurate ROI when rural marketing is considered but at the same time it is important to take assistance from numbers to determine the true value. In this case, certain key performance indicators should be selected which can be monitored to indicate the performance metrics of the campaign.

7. Follow-Up through Action

Pitching ideas for a campaign might attract a client but what retains their interest and build their satisfaction is seeing those ideas being implemented. Therefore, it is always important to follow through on your promises and start on ground activation without any delay and interruptions.

8. Hurdles or Opportunities?

Never call your client with a problem, instead find a way to turn it into an opportunity. Nothing would make them happier than when their marketer performs this miracle for them. However, realistically speaking, hurdles are bound to occur but letting them put a full stop to the campaign progress is a choice. One thing every agency should ponder over is that your positive attitude in times of trouble will only impress your client.

9. Communication of results

The promise of keeping the client involved includes delivering real-time results to them. They like to stay in the loop even though they cannot assist in the activities being performed, every marketer should adhere to this to cement their trust.

10. Change Is the Spice

All said and done, flexibility will always be important in marketing and advertising. No client would deal with a conventional and rigid rural marketing agency. Changing with time and most importantly, with client’s needs is a necessity to keeping them happy and satisfied is essential.

Incomplete knowledge is worse than ignorance, it is better to know than to assume.

A Thorough Retail Marketing Plan Is the Key to Success in Winning Customers and Retailers

Over the years, retail consulting firms have paved the path for innovation, creativity and hard work. There are various ways to promote a product and the items are added to this list constantly as there are additions in the industry or information technology market every single day. Let us begin to explore about Retail Branding, which uses retail destinations as a marketing tool. There are different types of retail branding techniques which cater to different types of organizations and their unique needs.
Retail is also known as the last mile destination due to it being the final step before the actual sale. This makes it the nearest avenue to the users and also the most important one. The direct connection to the consumers enables real feedback without any adulteration.

There are other benefits to it:-

•  First-hand feedback
• Brand Visibility
• Effective promotional techniques

This brings us to the most delicate thread in the process- the Retailers, without enthusiastic efforts from them; this whole plan cannot be very effective. If there were hypothetical pillars to retail merchandising or branding, a dedicated team is the wisest one. We have seen the advantage and the willingness of the marketers to opt for this medium, as markets have grown significantly at approximately by 7.45 percent since the year 2000.

Huge Investment and Long Time Commitment

Whenever an organization puts in resources, it is a charge on its profit and therefore it should be justified. What starts to gain attention are the details, any strategy has to lead to one end result- a customer buying the product.

In India, about 92% of such customers rely on retailers— general stores or mini markets around their houses. This provides a very narrow focus point for the companies. Since the retail branding is favorite to the marketers, companies roll in a lot of currency towards it. Every Indian businessman understands the game; however, the results of the implementation of such strategies are not easy for everyone to understand. At the same time, these results are key data to obtain a plan and its usefulness for the company. This is also a long-term investment and thus a continuous process which needs determination and dedication from both the marketers and the retailers.

What is the solution?

“RETAIL AUDITS”

They simply mean the study of a sample of retail outlets selected randomly or by use of a special model, wherever a subscription-based service is being provided. In layman’s terms, it is collection of data in regards to-

• Sales Volumes and Trends
• Stock Level

This is done to ensure that the demand and supply chain can be maintained and no inconvenience is caused to the customers due to non-availability of the products at the concerned outlet. Analysis of this data also clarifies which product, outlet and region are the profit Centers and can be targeted to expand sales further. Another aspect of these audits is assurance that the retailer is making your brand visible, for example, the posters are stuck at a place of visibility, and merchandise is made noticeable. A retail outlet sources many different products and possibly similar ones from your rival brands, so proper steps should be taken so that a product outshines its competition.

This can be done by:-

•     Promotional offers made known to the customers by way of posters and through the word of mouth
•     Advertising should be evident in the outlet and if not over shine others, it should still be attractive to the customer.

An experienced retail branding and merchandising consultant can always help ease this process out.

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ROI of Rural Marketing Campaign to Justify Marketing Budgets

Companies spend a sum ranging from 7% to 11% of their revenue annually on marketing efforts and while this might seem like a decent amount to some while others would call this risky.

Why is this so?

The reasoning behind this argument can be the conventional approach taken whereas this expense is considered as a charge on profit rather than an investment made in order to gain future benefits. Traditionally, the emphasis used to be on the tangibility of the paybacks which were considered near to impossible to prove for the outlay required for rural marketing.

This lead to the issue of rationalization of the investment so made, how to justify the increasing pile of funds that organization’s allocated in the name of rural marketing, promotion, and advertising.

How to justify rural marketing budgets?

The answer can be summarized in three golden words:-

Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment or ROI as it is commonly known is a profitability ratio which can be calculated using different approaches and formulas. It is a mathematical yardstick to measure the benefits reaped from the investment made in rural marketing. The rationale behind the inclusion of numbers is to provide a clear and precise result to people who are otherwise unable to read between the lines.

For the uninitiated, let us take an example pertaining to our daily life where you are approached by two different salesmen selling their schemes.

1- Mr. XYZ comes to you and offers you an opportunity to invest Rs.5, 000/- in his scheme, if you do invest, he promises that you will see a return of 8% within the next six months.

2- Mr. ABC comes to you and offers you a unique opportunity to invest Rs.5,000/- in his new company but he cannot promise you a percentage of return. The return is designed based on the future growth of the company which is difficult for you to assess.

What would you do?

Even when the amount is less, we would prefer to be assured on what returns it is yielding us, without which our desire seems to fade away.

Now, imagine the perplexity of top management or finance officer when they are asked to approve up to 8% of their revenue on rural marketing. This is exactly why there is a pressure on marketers to justify the requirement for these funds but the trouble sets in where the calculation becomes a big puzzle.

Why is calculating ROI important?

• In order to satisfy the doubts that may surface in management’s mind over the improbable returns of marketing campaigns and prove their success.
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• The rural marketing agency should incorporate performance parameters such as ROI in order to communicate its worth to the clients.
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• Management of the organization is not necessarily trained to identify and calculate such indicators and therefore ROI assists them in making better decisions.
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• Plays a significant role in placing reassurance in the services of the rural marketing agency.

How to calculate ROI?

Even though it is incredibly difficult to establish a direct connection to the expense made and benefits received by the company. Even when indirect links are being built, there remains suspicion of involvement of other external factors.
However, parameters can be trusted to give a near accurate replica of the actual results to play to the vanity of financial inclusion.

Few ways to calculate the ROI:-

• Sales Approach
  ROI = (Increase in growth- Marketing Cost) / Marketing Cost

• Gross Profit Approach
  ROI= (Gross Profit- Marketing Cost)/ Marketing Cost

• Profit approach
  ROI= (Gross Profit- Incremental Expenses)/ Marketing Cost

• Customer Approach
  ROI= (Customer Value – Marketing Cost)/ Marketing Cost

• Incoming Leads Approach
  ROI= (Increase in leads- Marketing Cost)/ Marketing Cost

E commerce companies are exploring new markets in small town and rural area for sustainable growth

Living in 2016 has its own perks, one of it being the comfort to be expected in running the most menial of errands, for example, shopping. Where majority of people are still weighing the pros and cons, about 38 million (approximately) Indians exploited the opportunity of online shopping in 2015. This number is expected to grow immensely in 2016 and reach up to 40 million. The benefits justify the increase as shoppers have the added benefits in the e-commerce arena, may it be clothing, travel or electronics.

Other than these advantages, many other trends have led to the growth of E-commerce markets in India. Increase in number of internet users has been the foremost contributors to this trend, with 27 percent of Indians having access to the web in 2015 and 34.8 percent using the web in 2016 (currently). A detail that has caught everyone’s attention about this trend is that thanks to mobile internet, the rural user base has expanded remarkably and added a sizeable market of about 80 million rural users to network.
The shocking surge came at a 99 percent in 2015 and is expected to continue in 2016, where internet will reach 106 million rural India users.

What this means for E-commerce Companies?

This increase has a manifold effect on the industry, just the reach alone has created ruffles. The experts say that internet increases education and awareness in the people, at the same time it also lights up the candles of strong desires. The more access people have to influencers, the more their needs expand. E-commerce giants such as Amazon and Snap deal have already identified the trend and starting to strategize to optimize it. The government has been more than supportive of these policies as it lines up with their mission.

Here are few of the many reasons the country is welcoming this trend:-

No longer is Online shopping an urban myth for the villages, people are more open to experimentation now than they ever were. This change in attitudes means they risk in order to reap benefits of the ongoing developments. This is clear in the number of rural Indians opting for buying over the net. Even though only 0.9 percent of the total retail sales were online, it is no denying this is a positive news. From electronics to travel to clothing, people are exploring their options sitting in their homes. Do not be surprised if 5 years down the line, you find them using the same platform to sell their produce while many of us still be weighing pros and cons.

Digital marketing is the new age tool for brand activation and experiential marketing

Any strategy proves to be effective only when it can be optimally utilized to achieve the objectives set out while drafting the same. One of the most complex decisions taken by the top management of a company in this era is regarding its marketing strategy due to its direct impact over the brand and profitability.

Why is marketing important?

Rise in revenue by increasing volume of sales.

• Creating consciousness about the product to increase awareness about the product and its features in the market.
• Brand building, management, and communication.
• Expanding market share.

To be short and simple, without a strong marketing and advertising, it is almost impossible for a company to operate in such competitive markets. Over the last decade, the industry has realized the significance of having an overall marketing strategy and to prove their allegiance to the theory, huge expenditure has been made. One such iconic change was brought upon by Digital Marketing, “The use digital channels and various forms of digital media for marketing of products and promote brands.”

The advantages of technology are manifold and widespread, to apply these to forward a company’s marketing goals is the new best industry trend. Digital Marketing is more than the use of internet but also includes channels which do not need the use of inner web such pull and push message technology. Successful applications of digital marketing can be found in Social Media Marketing, Email marketing, display marketing etc.

The common advantages of digital marketing include:-

•  Low cost

• Effectiveness
• Easy access to a large audience
• Breaking geographical barriers
• Strong personal relationships with the audience
• Direct contact with potential customers

There are approximately more than 354 million users of internet and mobile in India which makes for the largest set of audience that can be reached through the use of a single medium. It can be argued that other mediums can touch the same amount but the real question is at what cost? Digital Media is the most reasonable medium companies can rely on, especially in the age of “Smart Phone” when it is difficult to get people off their phones. The availability of multiple channels and approaches assists in not just reaching numbers but also the maximum strength belonging to the target universe.

Another gain from the choice of this form of marketing is the chance it provides to increase curiosity about the products, yes you heard it right, it is human nature to pursue what we can’t understand, use of digital media and channels helps to disseminate just enough information which leads to more search about the product and its details. This leads to the growth of an invested audience base which can be curated into becoming a loyal customer base. However, it a common belief that digital marketing helps only online ventures which have been proven by the recent trend. Even local businesses have benefited from the use of digital marketing in increasing the traffic at their local offices or shops as the youth these days prefer to do their homework on the internet before taking decisions regarding shopping outlets, vendors, restaurants etc.

Therefore it is only fitting to say that Digital Marketing is the best way to shed light on the product or services ensuring that the brand gets attention and at the same time working towards the long-term growth and retention of customers by increasing eyeballs and footfalls.

Rapid Rural Electrification Would Get More Villages in Gambit of Market Heaven Place for Marketers

The most ancient symbolism relates darkness to evil, translated in the modern day tales as the absence of light.This has been pretty much literal in the Indian scenario where the rural India has been under the shadow of the dark. During 2011-2015, only 78.7 percent of Indians had access to electricity and that was one of the major hindrance to growth. The predicament was farther in the rural area, where entire villages went without any electricity for months. Around 400 million people are living in the dark in the rural parts of the country. People are dependent on day light for being kind so that they can complete their work. While some states are trying to provide to its villages, others are having a difficult time.

It is commonplace knowledge that for a country like India, whose population majorly resides in rural areas, development cannot be aimed for without considering its villages. Therefore, electricity is a factor in the overall progress of the country.

Electricity & Growth

The truth is access to electricity is just not about providing a better Standard of living or improving human development index of the country but also about growth. Presence of electricity brings with it the gifts of health care, telecommunication, education and, productivity in agriculture and allied activities.

• It reduced dependence on fuel such as kerosene and oil for anytime which is not a daytime.
• Health care system gets a technological makeover and public health officers can be suspected to real time reporting.
• Improves infrastructure for example, better roads and street lights which mitigates the risk of accidents.
• Increases efficiency in farming by providing irrigation options and other processes.
• Reduces pollution in long term since the reliance on fuel reduces, the other forms of fuel which are normally very polluting.
• Supports the “Go Green “campaigns.

The government has paid homage to this detail and the Prime Minister announced time and again how rural electrification is one of the top priority. Since Independence Day and the introduction of under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), 4319 villages have been delivered to light. 276 of these being just from January 11, 2016 to January 17, 2016. In the Union Budget presented for the year 2016-17, it has been targeted that 100 percent of the villages will have electricity before May 01. 2018.

Plan Ahead

As villages are getting electrified in India, they are entering in the ballpark of the market. Electrification will bring opportunities of every kind- May it be night schools or fully equipped factory that can generate many job opportunities. This brings us to the part where they are potential markets who are still waiting to be tapped. It’s the indication of marketers to plan for this huge untapped market in their favour and be ready for the bright and electrified future.

Mandis as an effective touch point to target farmers

Agriculture produce selling markets or Mandis as we call them in India are an effective touch point to target the farmers.
The Mandis these days have become a year round phenomenon, unlike previously, when they used to witness the crowds only after the farming season. The recent initiatives taken by Government bodies to strengthen Mandis and make them a 360-degree solution place for farmers has seen the Mandis being in business for round the year. If not for selling the crops, then for purc the ase of seeds, or fertilizers, or insecticides and pesticides, the changing structure of Mandis has made them a lucrative business preposition for marketers.
And who are these marketers?
Right from seed companies to agri-input companies and tractor and allied vehicle companies. Not only companies related directly to agriculture, but non-related sectors like 2 & 4 wheelers, CG & FMCG are also finding Mandis attractive these days.

Mandis can be explored by marketers through following activities:

• Cluster Activities (setting up a canopy).
• Van Campaigns.
• Personalized contact programs.
• Venue Branding.

And the list goes on…
Madis, if used effectively as a touch point, can do wonders for the marketers in BTL space.

Use of Technology Effectively in Activation

As technology continues to be an intimate part of our daily routines, its role in the brand building has become critical. There can be more than few examples that prove this theory but let us.

How can Technology be successfully integrated with the actual activation process:-

The first and foremost requirement of any marketer these days is – Real-time reporting. Technology has assisted in making this possible by enabling real-time data dissemination. This creates an opportunity for suitable data analysis, whose results provide suggestions for improvement. The most significant advancement in this area came with the “Smart Phone Revolution” which made the vision of integration of technology with on-ground activation a reality. It has even facilitated the individual reporting needs of marketers by making possible development of customized apps for real-time tracking.

This is just the first step of a long staircase, new ideas enter the market each day and several of them are feasible only thanks to the existing technology. Moreover, the partnership with technology ensures quality in on-ground execution. Let us get to know about activities in which technology plays a major part, such as:-

It does not take an expert to forecast the monetary implications such an event can leave the state, the simple linkages that can be found between Simhastha and the business that can benefit out of its mere occurrence.

• Real-time reporting
• Developing quality matrices
• Backend analytics
• Real-time resolution of activation hurdles
• Ensures correctness of data

Need we quote more?
There is no loss, leakage or adulteration of data were just additions to the wonderful results.

Hence, through this campaign, we realized that technology if used optimally, can do wonders inactivation.

Why are E-Commerce Start-ups Opting to go Below the Line (BTL)?

After the recent success of the E-commerce giants such as Flipkart, Amazon etc., there have been many studies into their unique structure and choice of marketing strategies. One such dissertation leads us straight to Below the Line (BTL) Marketing or experiential marketing.

For the uninitiated, BTL or experiential marketing is a strategy used for advertising whereas advertisers ditch conventional mediums such as radio, television, film, billboards etc. The responsibility of the promotion of the product falls on more personalized mediums that focus on creating a direct connection to potential buyers. The most common example of the same can found in your inboxes, how your favorite e-commerce website
provides you with personalized updates.

Apart from being of progressive nature, it stresses on the use of non-media mediums for communications such as telemarketing, mails, brochures etc. BTL or experiential marketing is the perfect measure of new innovative measure such as sponsorships plus the old school classics such as door to door selling, touchpoint based activations etc.
Under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana, a massive amount of 5, 500 crore rupees is allocated so that more and more farmers can be assisted at a nominal premium.

Adoption of BTL or experiential marketing has its benefits, such as:-

• The direct reach which helps maintain a personal connection with the customers.
• Less Investment as compared to other tools of advertising.
• Customization as per user preference possible.
• Better feedback.
• Assists in making promotional offers more effective
• Quantification of leads and results possible
• BTL techniques are flexible therefore running trials is easier

BTL techniques are flexible therefore running trials is easier.

“Your shortlisted Products are on sale”

How many of you have given up their resolve and fallen for this one?

• Direct Reach and stronger connection

Non- media methods may be unconventional but provide a deep- seated reach which provides the opportunity to create a bond between the business and the customer. Personalization ensures that their needs are catered to in newer ways which help these start-ups break the ice with their consumer base and mark the start of a lasting relationship.

• Marked promotion

BTL techniques are very flexible and smart, this allows room for customization and segmentation. Leads can be separated as per regional differences and preferences, in turn making the promotional schemes more
effective. Initially, promotional schemes might be their strongest attraction and therefore, their efficiency is of top most priority.

• Better response rate

It is only obvious that if you serve something on a silver platter, it is more desirable. In case of E-commerce, there is lack of presence of attention and therefore it is important to compensate that with other methods. When trying to expand, BTL or experiential marketing techniques ensure that the customers feel special and taken care of. This, combined with the easy availability of data leads to better response rates.

• Easier Analysis

One of the more common consequences of applying techniques is a complicated result, it is more than often very difficult to comprehend what the data is trying to say. However, the same is not the case with BTL, results are
very simplified and displayed using the most basic structure. Leads are quantifiable and the effect of promotion can be easily seen.

• Better Return on Investment

Low cost plus effective promotion plus an increase in quantifiable leads plus better response rates equal to a considerate ROI (return on investment). The significance of which cannot be denied while running any kind of business, especially if you are fresh in the field.

Here are few of the ways E-commerce start-ups have impressed their customers-

• Sponsorship
• Direct Mails
• Contests
• Loyalty programs
• Free Samples
• Small town Activation
• Rural Campaigns etc