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While I was in my B-School, rural India meant 6, 40, 000 villages where untapped potential, shifting paradigms, and Trillion dollar economy resides. The numbers such as these only tell one part of the story. In reality, rural India, for its vibrancy, magnanimity &amp; terrain, is best captured in its dusty tracks and glorious sunny fields. I realized the truth, when I landed in Bihar &amp; Jharkhand hinterlands, straight from the air conditioned classrooms of Mumbai, to begin my sales &amp; marketing career. <keyword id="400895" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-marketing">Rural marketing</keyword> had been a buzz word and a luring career option for many since then. 
 Often people come and ask me if succeeding in the <keyword id="168535" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rural-markets">rural markets</keyword> easy. No, it isn’t. A lot of my peers joined the rural bandwagon and gave up due to several reasons—the primary one being lack of insights and knowledge of critical factors that ensure success in rural markets. In the following article, I will share some wisdom that aspiring graduates can utilise to tame the rural challenge. 
 
Bring out the wanderlust in you: The biggest challenge that a young, city-based management graduate will face is extensive travelling. Now, I am not talking about hopping flights from one city to another here; this involves travelling in overloaded auto rickshaws, buses and very often on foot—every day. Sounds scary? Then forget about rural marketing and choose some other profession instead—rural marketing is not his is not a one day rural immersion program, it’s your daily job! You would be surprised to know FMCG companies have made a mandate that its rural distribution field force directly distributes products in all towns having a population of 5000 people or above. This is why, on any given day, a rural salesman travels anywhere between 60 to 150 kms, meeting different stakeholders, consumer sets and customers, on-the-not-so-smooth roads. However, the experience is an enchanting one. Not only you get to meet new people but also get an opportunity to explore rural India cuisines, tradition and art. I, for instance, always carry a digital camera to capture India, which one can only experience while travelling in auto rickshaws, buses and trains. Sounds game? 
 
Be a Keen Observer: For a country as diverse and dynamic as ours, one will pick up a lot of anecdotes to share. For example, you have to see how men and women in dhotis &amp; ghunghats shop for deodorants and face washes in a newly inaugurated super market. One has to keep in mind that organizations are not sending their management trainees to sell ‘more’; they send a management graduate to field to look for consumers who have never been explored. This is what MNCs and Indian behemoths need, people with a keen eye to discover Indian consumers which hasn’t hitherto been addressed. 
 
Walk that extra mile: How about ditching the comfort of your AC hotel and camping in a rural hamlet for a week? While, today management graduates are offered mind boggling salaries and envious perks, it would be one hell of a story to be narrate in front of the top management and win admirers in the board room. This will also establish your reputation as someone who’s passionate about rural marketing. 
 
Embrace Challenges: It is very easy to take refuge under the argument like ‘I am only a trainee, I can do only so much Etc.’ One shouldn’t hesitate in putting their hand up when faced with adversity. However, one must note that there are 2 good things about volunteering for a challenge: (a) Nobody actually believes that you can do much, and thus expectations from you are generally lower and (B) Even, if you fail, you will learn lessons during the course, for which superiors will give you a pat on the back. 
 
Be a Disciplinarian: Remember hard work is the key to success—no matter where you start your journey from. As Harsha Bhogle once famously said in a lecture series at a B school, “One must work their backs off when starting their career.” To ensure that your rural stint turns out to be a success, maintain discipline that your work demands: right from waking up at 4’o clock in the morning to leave for far-off markets, to be dressed up sharp before you hit the market right at 9 AM. This is essential because a highly educated management graduate in the field is looked upon with respect and serves as an example to his team and partners. If you display lethargic and let go attitude while in the field, it would reflect poorly on you. 
 
If you follow these tips, you would thrive as a rural marketer. In addition, your rural stint will also show you how we Indians have gradually migrated from ‘Roti, Kapda, Makaan’ to ‘Bijli, Sadak, Pani’ ! The field will teach you many lessons, but only if you are willing to learn. Get started today! 
 
Author: Lokesh Vishwakarma from Pidilite

5 Tips To Ensure Success In Rural Markets [Start-Up Tip]

<ul><li><keyword id="3124726" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="eno" source="Orion">ENO</keyword> leverages the 4G wave to crack the big rural opportunity.</li><li>The campaign aimed to drive engagement and consideration through locally relevant digital content on Facebook and Jio’s KaiOS.</li><li>The first-of-its-kind initiative has already reached 35 million viewers.</li></ul>Antacid brand Eno is known for its depth of distribution and huge brand recall as the go to solution for acidity. Despite massive presence across town tiers and socio-economic groups, the big growth challenge remains increasing penetration in rural areas. Eno has addressed the dual challenge of reaching the rural audiences in relatively media dark areas and building communication with <keyword id="386317" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-consumer" source="Orion">rural consumer</keyword>s at the heart with a new campaign.The 4G wave, driven by Jio’s aggressive expansion and the increasing ownership of phones has acted as an enabler for marketers, as it is now possible to capture the imagination of the rural consumer by serving audio-visual content through social platforms like Facebook and KaiOS, in the otherwise media dark clusters like UP, Bihar and other rural markets. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> In September this year, the brand launched a new digital campaign on Facebook and Jio’s KaiOS platform, by targeting users in core rural markets of Bihar, Jharkhand, MP, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Orissa, garnering a massive reach of over 35 Mn viewers. The methodology to drive this initiative was a first for any brand on these platforms - The village pin codes obtained from India Postal data were mapped to the Census of India and then subsequently combined with internal business KPIs to identify the right villages to target. These pincodes were than shared with Facebook to map the audience size available on the platfrom. While reaching rural consumers was important, it was also critical to build communication that resonated with rural audiences. In a first-ever for Eno, and a rare industry practice, a new Digital Video ad was created specifically for rural consumers with a key rural insight. In doing so, Eno addressed the core brand of establishing superiority over common home remedies and also extending the very successful “Gadbad Gadbad” creative platform. Anurita Chopra, Head of Marketing, GSK Consumer Healthcare said “Growing Rural Penetration is one the key strategic tasks for Eno, something most brands have struggled with because the inherent challenges with traditional Media. Our idea was to expand our rural reach using the power of 4G Tech, in markets we never had before. Engaging with Rural audiences with relevant, localized content is a key pillar of the campaign.”

ENO's latest campaign for rural India reaches 35 million viewers through Facebook and Jio's KaiOS

Chennai, Mar 3 (): Consumer durables major UshaInternational on Tuesday said it is very bullish on businessin Tier II and III cities and rural markets, which have 70 percent of its customers, as the potential was immense.Usha International President, Electric Fans and PumpsBusiness, Rohit Mathur, said the company was witnessing a hugedemand for its products in these markets. "We are very bullish on our expansion in these cities-themain reason being the growth consumption patterns, wherecustomers go deeper within the categories", he told . He said 70 per cent of customers in Tier II, III andrural markets have always featured high on Usha's prioritylist for business expansion. "We feel that every customer, irrespective of whether heis working in a metro or in Tier II or tier III or at distantrural village are potential customers... The potential of Tier II and III markets to contribute tosales of a brand is immense," he said. Noting that the company has been witnessing huge demandfor its products nationwide, he said they were looking atdoubling revenues from rural markets in two-three years."Currently the rural markets contribute about 25 per centof the revenue and we aim to double this in two to threeyears," he said.To a query, he claimed that Usha International has 21 percent market share in the fans category and had also doubledits marketing spend to Rs 10 crore. They were investing in various retail initiatives,including in-shop presence and branding, he said.He said the company was 'aggressively' pushing sales tobig retail chains to strengthen its retail footprint. "Traditional distribution accounts for close to 90 percentof revenue and now the company has drawn up a strategy toincrease retail share rapidly", he said. He said Usha International has 51 company owned andoperated branded retail stores in 38 cities and wereexperimenting with the idea of franchisees to expand in TierII and III cities. "Once this model is established, we can then go in for amajor expansion in raising the number of stores", he said. Mathur was here recently to unveil Usha Race Chrome rangeof fans along with company's brand ambassador and India'sfirst Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan."After the successful launch of Usha Racer Fans with him(Narain Karthikeyan) last year, we are now launching UshaRacer Chrome.The Usha Racer series we are focusing on ultra high speedof 400 RPM with glossy power coated superior finish fordurability and high lift angle blades", he said. He said the company has introduced 12 new models, pricedbetween Rs 1,850 and Rs 9,000, strengthening its fan business. VIJ APRAPR APR

Usha International bullish in Tier II, III, rural markets

Next time you take a trip to ‘experience’ the countryside or buy handicraft items to empower the poor artisans from rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place>, you should be aware of the fact that the equation is bound to change someday. Very soon, the urban <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> might depend on the rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> to rejuvenate the deficient <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword>. And no, we ain’t kidding this time. 
	 

	For one, corporate houses are creating specific advertisements for rural areas, which are close to their cultural identity, as against the blanket ads found in urban <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> and more specifically, in metros and cosmopolitan cities. In fact, villages, with their developmental index rising steadily, are giving tier II cities a run for their money as prospective business and industrial hubs. And they have also become the most unexpected and unusual contenders on the consumer index.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	It is a slow yet steady trend that has been gaining ground over the past few years. According to a CRISIL report, rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> spent Rs 3,750 billion ($67,144 million), as against Rs 2,994 billion ($53,607 million) spent by the urban population between 2009-10 and 2011-2012. The data was collated by the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), to be later used by CRISIL in its report. The NSSO survey also noted that per capita rural consumption grew 19% annually while the urbanites had to be content with 17% growth per year.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	No wonder you see a watch company leveraging the Kumbh Mela for its marketing strategy or a toothpaste company using popular cultural forms such as puppetry and traditional music for business promotion. The urban populace may perceive it as nostalgia but for rural consumers, it means relating to a product in their own language and as per their cultural parameters. It is more like bringing the companies to their doorsteps and making them go down on their knees because rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> has the buying power. After all, the power of buying dictates everything else, even the way a company creates or changes its marketing policies.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	The headway urban <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> had made over the past few decades in overtaking the rural segment in terms of earnings and spending has changed significantly from the beginning of the current decade. <o:p></o:p>

	 

	According to experts, the current growth in rural consumption is due to a number of reasons. One of the key factors is the rise in non-farm job opportunities which were beyond the purview of the market-based economy that dominated the agrarian society’s equations till now. To sustain this rural boom, it is critical to substitute short-term income-boosters (government-backed poverty eradication and self-reliance programmes) with empowering job opportunities.<o:p></o:p>

	 
 <keyword id="48085" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Credit-Suisse">Credit Suisse</keyword> Research Institute’s Emerging Consumer Survey (2014) also points out that <keyword id="6355185" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="rural-india">rural India</keyword> is riding other modes of income generation to come to the forefront of the country’s overall developmental index. As per the report, the ‘rural rising’ is taking place in the world’s two most ancient countries, India and China, who happen to be neighbours and the world’s biggest emerging economies, with future markets focusing on them. What’s more, both countries live in their villages, battling issues such as migration from rural to urban areas in search of opportunities, jobs and education.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	The popular image of an Indian village is that of one without electricity, safe drinking water and hygienic conditions. But things have changed in most of the villages, thanks to the government’s aggressive programmes to reduce poverty.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	The reports also point out that the developmental index has actually tilted in favour of rural areas, which have been showing great appetite for consumer products. When asked whether they would spend more money on what’s considered luxury in their context, such as bottled water or holidays or the next smartphone, majority of the rural Indians said they certainly would not mind spending on these. The respondents also said that all the 14 ‘luxury’ items shortlisted by the survey would be on their purchase list in the years to come. <o:p></o:p>

	 

	The access media has provided to these items considered ‘essential’ is something phenomenal despite their limited reach. For example, the number of people who owned TV sets increased to 42% in 2009-10 as against 26% just five years earlier. Clearly, the consumption pattern in rural <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is shifting from necessities to discretionary goods. <o:p></o:p>

	 

	Needless to say, product-line companies are changing strategies accordingly. Earlier, urban <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region></st1:place> was high on their marketing budget – as much as 70% of the budget was reserved for marketing in urban areas and a mere 30% for rural markets. But the equation has turned topsy-turvy now. Today, major companies reserve 55% for urban areas and about 45% for rural areas.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	The great Indian equalisation has begun. And rural <st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place> is getting the big slice of this pie!<o:p></o:p>

Rural Rising In India: Will Villages Dominate The Consumer Market?

<ul><li>Consumption gaps between urban and rural markets narrowed down in the December quarter, for the first time in 2023.</li><li>Modern trade saw double-digit growth in consumption, but growth in <keyword id="20479724" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="traditional-trade" source="keywords">traditional trade</keyword> slipped sequentially.</li><li>Non-food category volumes grew sequentially but that of food slowed down, led by staples and impulse categories. </li></ul>Even as FMCG sales growth has been moderating on a sequential basis, sales of noodles and biscuits saw an uptick in the rural markets in the December quarter, says a NielsenIQ report. Rural markets too saw a sequential-quarterly decline, but consumption gaps between urban and rural markets narrowed down for the first time in 2023, in the December quarter. The North and West regions contributed to this phenomenon, the report says. “Despite a sequential-quarter decline, the rural recovery narrative continued to evolve throughout the year. In Q4 2023, we observe an uptick in consumption, primarily driven by habit-forming categories (such as biscuits and noodles) in food and essential home products. These categories have thrived despite flat to negative price growth, indicating resilience and sustained demand,” said <keyword id="20476060" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="roosevelt-dsouza" source="keywords">Roosevelt Dsouza</keyword>, Head of Customer Success – India, <keyword id="20475890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="niq" source="keywords">NIQ</keyword>. The rural areas are also seeing a growing preference for larger packs, while urban markets see a persistent preference for larger packs, the report said. It says that the FMCG industry experienced a 6% growth in value, attributed to a 6.4% increase in volume. However, on a sequential basis, there is a moderation in consumption growth, it adds. The pricing growth in the overall fell to 2.7% in Q3, due to the price cuts taken across categories by FMCG majors to fight off competition. In the December quarter of last year, it was 10%, as per Nielsen data. FMCG major <keyword id="19948892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hul" source="keywords">HUL</keyword> said that in Q3, its volumes grew 2% in Q3, but its value growth fell marginally by 0.3%. Marico’s domestic volumes grew 2% during the quarter, with a flat value growth. <keyword id="20021294" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kirana" source="keywords">Kirana</keyword> continue to suffer Modern trade which consists of supermarkets, hypermarkets and such has seen a double-digit growth in consumption at 16.8%. Traditional Trade which consists of kiranas or mom-and-pop stores saw a 5.3% growth in consumption, falling from 7.5% in the Q2 of FY24. “Despite certain challenges, the positive momentum in modern trade adds a promising dimension to the overall market scenario,” Nielsen says. Non-food categories grow faster The volume growth in general is also much faster for non-food categories. Though more units were purchased in food categories compared to the same period last year, non-foods saw more large packs being purchased. The volume growth in the food sector was at 5.3% YoY, but it was at 8.7% in Q2 of FY23. This slowdown in growth is primarily due to staples (such as refined and non-refined edible oils, etc.) and impulse categories such as confectionery. In non-food categories, volumes grew at 9.6% in Q3 FY24 — higher than the 8.7% recorded in Q2. This improvement can be attributed to an increase in rural consumption growth, with a growth rate of 9.8% (vs. 6.7% in Q2), Nielsen says. “Volume growth is attributed to home care products like detergent cakes and bars, washing powder; and personal care like toilet soaps categories in rural areas,” the report said. In urban areas, the non-food sector is witnessing slower consumption growth, with a growth rate of 9.4% in Q3, slightly down from 10.4% in Q2.

Amidst slowdown, noodle and biscuit sales see an uptick in rural areas

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smartphones&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Smartphones</a> have made deep inroads in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rural+india&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">rural India</a> and even they have a ‘selfie’ fetish, similar to urban kinds. 
 
The smartphone trend is rising in rural sector, so much so that the rural population is using money to recharge their phones to watch online videos than spending on low-cost <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FMCG&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">FMCG</a> items such as cold drinks, chocolates, etc. 
 
The ten-rupee recharge pack is a hit in rural India. 
 
"The 'selfie culture' is making consumers spend more on their phones rather than on fast-moving consumer products, which are discretionary," Suresh Narayanan, managing director of Nestle India, told ET. 
 
As per the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=iamai&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Internet &amp; Mobile Association of India</a> (IAMAI), the mobile internet user base in rural India nearly doubled in 2015, while in urban sector, it increased by 71%. 
 
"Spends on mobile recharges - or low-priced entertainment options - have been replacing impulse buys in rural markets. It's been directly impacting a category like ours and we've been observing this for the past four-five quarters," Perfetti Van Melle's Managing Director Ramesh Jayaraman told ET. 
 
In a bid to attract rural population, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coca+cola&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Coca-Cola</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=pepsi&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">PepsiCo</a> even went aggressive and slashed prices to Rs 5 per serving. 
 
"In rural areas, there was lesser money because of two years of deficit rainfall. Whatever little money was in their hands, rural consumers preferred to spend on mobile recharge rather than colas. In urban markets, extreme heat prevented consumers from stepping out and impacted our sales. Besides, there are other options like water and functional drinks which did better," ET quoted a person as saying. 
 
According to Hong Kong-based market tracker Counterpoint Research, almost a third of smartphone sales are in rural India, which is poised to double this year, whereas the total market is estimated to grow by 30%. 
 
(Image: BCCL)

For rural India, mobile recharges are important than colas, chocolates

If you want to ensure your <keyword id="79541" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="job-security">job security</keyword>, all you need to do is to find out where your company focuses. With increasing risk to jobs caused by automation and digital trends, ignoring <keyword id="6354582" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bharat">Bharat</keyword> or the <keyword id="6355185" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="rural-india">rural India</keyword> is also one of the biggest reasons of companies letting go of their employees. A recent survey by TeamLease has revealed that for a company to give security to its employees, it has to concentrate on sectors like farming, unorganised retail, micro and small enterprises. In the survey done to identified factors that pose risks to jobs of employees, 'automation and digital' were ranked the highest, but ignoring the ‘Bharat’ factor as well as demonetisation was ranked at the second place. Since rural India is adopting consumption patterns similar to urban areas and urban markets, a business can’t ignore it for a long time, unlike 10 years ago, when rural market was easily ignore by every business focused on urban India. Rightly so, given that people in rural India are no more depending only on farm income, as per a report on rural markets by Accenture. A range of non-farm incomes has resulted in people from these areas being able to spend more and demand more. Other than this, government is also now more focused on linking rural India to mainstream financial sector by ways like opening Jan Dhan accounts and promoting digital payments. Companies in several sectors like FMCG, auto, banking &amp; financial services etc. are trying to make their presence felt in rural India, a market that is still largely untapped and ignoring which can lead to growth challenges.

Working with a company focused on Bharat betters your job safety

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A poll conducted by a <keyword id="6355624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rural">rural</keyword> super PAC found only half of rural voters credit <keyword id="6534156" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Democrats">Democrats</keyword> with <keyword id="45304" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stimulus">stimulus</keyword> checks.</li><li>This is notable given that not a single Republican voted for <keyword id="60973" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Biden">Biden</keyword>'s $1.9 trillion stimulus.</li><li>A persistent feature of American <keyword id="6358883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="politics">politics</keyword> is voters' failure to understand government's role in their lives.</li></ul>Americans have so far received three stimulus checks. The first two were distributed under President Donald Trump's watch and not a single Republican voted for the third round, and yet, only half of rural voters are giving Democrats the credit. A <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/user_files/user_files/000/059/832/original/RuralObjective_toplines.pdf">poll</a> conducted by Rural Objective PAC - a super PAC that works to build support for Democrats in rural areas - found that 50% of voters in rural areas associate providing COVID-19 stimulus checks directly to American families with the Democratic Party, while 32% associated the payments with Republicans, 11% with neither party, and 7% weren't sure."We're not connecting with these voters, even if we have great <keyword id="28351" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="policy">policy</keyword>," JD Scholten, the executive director of the Rural Objective PAC, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/18/democrats-think-voters-will-reward-them-sending-checks-what-if-theyre-wrong/">told</a> Greg Sargent and Paul Waldman of The Washington Post, which previously reported on the poll's findings.The poll surveyed 2,149 voters in nine battleground states - Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin - and while 68% of those voters support stimulus checks, it's clear that Democrats aren't getting credit for a cornerstone of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan.The majority of rural voters did associate Democrats with extended unemployment benefits and state aid, though, and even as Democrats are calling for recurring stimulus aid, voters are not associating the already provided aid with Democrats. Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan passed using budget reconciliation without a single Republican voting for the plan, which included $1,200 checks. It's true that the first two checks occurred under Trump, since he signed a $1,400 check and a $600 check into law as part of his pandemic aid efforts, although he signed both of those while Democrats controlled the House under Speaker Nancy Pelosi.Some Democratic lawmakers are also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stimulus-payments-permanent-recurring-checks-democrats-universal-basic-income-2021-4">calling</a> to make stimulus checks permanent - something that has received broad support from both Republican and Democratic voters given that it would cut the number of Americans in poverty in 2021 from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-stimulus-checks-help-fight-poverty-economic-security-project-2021-4">44 million to 16 million</a>. Twenty-one Democratic senators urged Biden in a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.boldprogressives.org/images/033021_Automatic_Stabilizers_Letter_Final.pdf">letter</a> to include recurring direct payments in his $4 trillion infrastructure plan and said that "a single direct payment will not last long for most families, and we are worried about the cliff facing unemployed workers when the unemployment insurance extensions expire on September 6."But voters not knowing who to credit for certain policies is nothing new. When former President Barack Obama was attempting to reform the healthcare system over a decade ago, <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/obama-pokes-fun-at-don-t-touch-my-medicare-people">many voters</a> don't want the government to interfere with their Medicare when Medicare is, in fact, a government-run program."I got a letter the other day from a woman. She said, 'I don't want government-run health care. I don't want socialized medicine. And don't touch my Medicare,'" President Barack Obama said at an AARP-hosted <a href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/2009/07/transcript-obama-aarp-hold-health-care-town-hall.php">town hall</a> on healthcare in 2009. "I wanted to say, you know, that's what Medicare is: a government-run health care plan that people are very happy with."The Washington Post separately <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072703066_2.html?hpid=topnews&amp;sid=ST20090727031073107">reported</a> in 2009 that a rural voter told South Carolina Rep. Robert Inglis to "keep your government hands off my Medicare," to which Inglis had to explain to the voter that his healthcare was provided by the government.As Scholten told the Post, if there's one thing that Democrats could use to win support of <keyword id="3830395" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="rural-america">rural America</keyword>, it would be direct payments."This was one of the biggest investments we've seen in rural America since the New Deal," Scholten told Sargent and Waldman. "It's good policy. It should be good politics, too, but right now Democrats aren't taking advantage of it."

Only half of rural voters know that Democrats voted to send them stimulus checks, new poll finds

<keyword id="20021345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TVS-Motor-Company" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="TVS Motor Company" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="TVS Motor Company">TVS Motor Company</keyword> expects to grow faster than the competition across domestic and <keyword id="20108266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-markets" source="keywords">international markets</keyword> this fiscal, riding on the back of new <keyword id="22697277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="product-launches" source="keywords">product launches</keyword> and strengthening of operations across key regions, according to CEO KN Radhakrishnan. He noted that in the <keyword id="20046426" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-market" source="keywords">domestic market</keyword>, the company expects growth momentum to continue with normal monsoons likely to add strength to the <keyword id="19929089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-markets" source="keywords">rural markets</keyword>. In international markets, Radhakrishnan exuded hope to perform better in key markets like Africa this year while expanding operations in other regions like the Middle East and Latin America. "Our strong product portfolio; our unwavering focus on the consumers, quality, new products and attractive quality and technology, we are confident that we will outperform the industry both in the domestic and international markets," Radhakrishnan said in an analyst call. He noted that the growth momentum is likely to be maintained with the budget focusing on employment generation, continued higher commitment to infrastructure and rural economy. "We are expecting rural markets to recover. With the expected normal monsoon, we could witness robust growth in Q2," Radhakrishnan stated. He noted that for the first time the company is witnessing that the rural areas were doing slightly better than the urban markets. The improving road infrastructure and economic environment will drive the demand for two-wheeler mobility, he added. The <keyword id="21048623" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="two-wheeler-segment" source="keywords">two-wheeler segment</keyword> has got a huge opportunity in the medium and the long term given the challenges in mobility as well as also investments from the government on the infrastructure and road development, he said. The company, which has earmarked over Rs 1,000 crore capex this year, is gearing up to introduce one product each in the electric and internal combustion engine segments in the ongoing quarter. A significant proportion of the earmarked capital is expected to go towards the design and development of new products, Radhakrishnan stated. "I want to highlight that the company will be launching one product in ICE and one product in EV in this quarter and that will further strengthen our range of product portfolio," he said. Commenting on international business, Radhakrishnan said that the Red Sea issue has led to challenges in terms of enhanced transit periods for overseas dispatches. He noted that <keyword id="62356" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="TVS" source="Orion">TVS</keyword> has taken enough countermeasures to mitigate these challenges and the situation is likely to improve in the ongoing quarter. Certain select African markets are facing challenges due to currency devaluation and persistent inflation, he said. "However, considering the base effect in our assessment, the possibility of further decline in Africa is low. We feel that we will be doing better in Africa this year," he added. He further said: "Besides, Latin America gives us a huge opportunity. We have started exporting to LATAM. In Asia, we are seeing some challenges in Bangladesh, but we are hopeful that things will settle down soon." The Middle East is also a huge opportunity for TVS and the company is strengthening its operations in the region, he stated. For the April-June quarter this fiscal, <keyword id="46156" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TVS-Motor" source="Orion">TVS Motor</keyword> Company reported a 6 per cent year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 461 crore. Total income rose to Rs 10,448 crore for the period under review as compared to Rs 9,142 crore in the year-ago period.

TVS confident of outperforming industry in domestic, global markets following new product launches, ops strengthening

India's largest shoemaker <keyword id="6361456" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bata">Bata</keyword> plans to foray into rural markets and small towns, which have less than 5 lakh population. Bata will expand through rural distributors and franchisees, for its next wave of growth. 
 
The company is currently developing a completely new line of merchandise to tap these unexplored markets, top company officials said. It plans to open 100 outlets in tier III and tier IV markets through the franchisee route. It will also tie up with wholesalers to sell <keyword id="21227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="shoes">shoes</keyword> in rural shops. 
 
Bata has already piloted 20 such stores in smaller markets, said R Gopalakrishnan, managing director at Bata India. 
 
He also added that the company set up a separate rural division over the past six months, which is now piloting sales in villages across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. 
 The unorganised market accounts for two-third of the $35 billion Indian <keyword id="23820" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="footwear">footwear</keyword> market. 
 
Bata India currently operates more than 1,400 shops, including 34 exclusive Hush Puppies stores and 21 Footin outlets. 
 
The company will also invest Rs 50 crore this year to set up more than 120 Bata stores and 20 Hush Puppies and Footin stores each. 
Image: Thinkstock

Bata To Invest Rs 100 Crore In FY15

<ul><li><keyword id="6355185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-india" source="Orion">Rural India</keyword> is highly concerned about COVID situation in second wave.</li><li>Concerns are higher amongst females (91%) as compared to males (85%) and within the higher age bands (55+ year old’s).</li></ul>Kantar along with GroupM’s rural and experiential marketing unit- Dialogue Factory today unveiled the 2nd edition of the <keyword id="10373134" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-covid-barometer-report" source="Orion">Rural COVID Barometer Report</keyword>. This report explores rural India’s concern about the impact of the second wave and how it alters consumer behavior and purchase patterns. The research was conducted with Kantar’s strong data and insights network and Dialogue Factory’s rural marketing intelligence in 18 Indian states, across rural adults (18+ years in age) with representation across gender, NCCS and age groups. Key highlights: Rural India is highly concerned about COVID situation in second wave. Concerns are higher amongst females (91%) as compared to males (85%) and within the higher age bands (55+ year old’s). These concerns are mostly driven by COVID’s impact on day-to-day life and functioning (most for 25-55 year old’s), fear of falling sick and overall need for financial planning. As a result, rural consumption and shopping patterns have witnessed a major shift. While consumers are concerned, most are also positive about economic recovery once the situation normalizes. Nearly 3 in 4 rural households have received some form of assistance via Government of India schemes, thus providing the much-needed financial cushion to consumers. Rural consumers are saving 25% of their income. Southern India (except for Tamil Nadu) is saving more in comparison to other parts of the country. As expected, expenses are higher on personal care, hygiene and cleaning products while spends on indulgence and beauty products have been deprioritized. With respect to retail channels, consumers prefer local village shops for purchasing groceries (56%), personal hygiene (49%) and cleaning (45%) products. Even big-ticket items like consumer electronics (50%) and durables (46%) are preferred to be bought at these local shops. Digital trends: There has been an internet revolution in rural India, with online being the most consumed media after television. With respect to online content consumption, music/ audio (69%) leads the pack followed by news (49%) and gaming (33%). Usage of video / OTT apps are driven by YouTube at 87% (most in Rajasthan, AP/ Telangana, TN and Bihar) followed by Disney+ Hotstar at 30% (highest usage in UP, TN, Gujarat, Kerala). WhatsApp and Facebook are the most used social media/ messenger platforms at 87% (most in Rajasthan, AP / Telangana, Karnataka) and 66% (most in Odisha, UP, Gujarat and West Bengal) usage respectively. <keyword id="4072966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="phone-pe" source="Orion">Phone Pe</keyword> is the most used digital payments app with 19% rural consumers having used these services in the last 6 months. Usage of Phone Pe is driven by Karnataka at 46% followed by Rajasthan at 38%. Foresighting: Growth in the consumer durables and automotive (2-wheeler) sectors are likely to slowdown in next 6 months. However, the smartphone category is expected to see fast growth in the near future. Construction sector is also expected to see a bounce-back with consumers expected to spend on building a house/ undertake smaller construction work in the next 6 months. Commenting on the report, Dalveer Singh, Head of Experiential Marketing- APAC, GroupM Dialogue Factory said, “The pandemic has evolved the rural consumer’s decision-making process. They are watching their spending and prioritizing their buying patterns by the need of the hour. There is a positive acceptance of the vaccination. The upper- and middle-class rural Indians are being more proactive in financial planning to deal with covid constraints, which make these markets a significant place to introduce investment and savings products. To sum up, there is a deep sense of uplift on the subject of India’s economic future.” Puneet Avasthi, Senior Executive Director, Insights Division, Kantar said, “With a highly concerned rural consumer, rural India is planning finances better and inclined towards a savings mindset. This offers a significant headroom for growth to savings and investment products such as insurance and even mutual funds. Additionally, we are witnessing a significant rise in digital payments as an important mode of transaction, this offers a robust platform for rural financial inclusion, as also for suitable hyperlocal promotions. With the change in consumption priorities in favor of health and hygiene products (a trend that has held since the first wave), FMCG marketers should leverage this trend for planning their innovation pipeline.”

Online is the second largest consumed media after television in rural India: Kantar and GroupM report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Rural markets are now more competitive as a result of the Great Resignation and worker shortages.</li><li>Temp-agency leaders in Nebraska, Georgia, and Mississippi said they're struggling to fill roles.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/great-resignation-what-to-know-who-is-quitting-2021-9">The Great Resignation</a> has had an effect on services and communities in cities large and small. In rural communities in particular, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-labor-shortage-and-how-long-will-it-last">shortage of workers</a> has posed a challenge to staffing and temp-work agencies.<div type="image" title="headshot of Greg Sulentic" height="214" width="286" msid="88307459" hostid="261"></div>Rural markets have <a href="https://theconversation.com/six-charts-that-illustrate-the-divide-between-rural-and-urban-america-72934">never been as</a> competitive as they are now, staffing-agency managers told Insider, and rural states face challenges their more urban counterparts don't, such as <a href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/republicans/2019/4/losing-our-minds-brain-drain-across-the-united-states">brain drain</a>, the potential for transportation issues, and long commutes.But wages in rural markets are accelerating at a faster pace than in urban cores, according to Greg Sulentic, the franchise owner and regional developer of <a href="https://www.expresspros.com/tupeloms/">Express Pros</a> in Lincoln, Nebraska, who has 25 years' experience in the sector.<div type="image" title="Mary Jo Lewis in a bright pink shirt" height="494" width="659" msid="88307460" hostid="261"></div>Mary Jo Lewis, a regional sales manager at <a href="https://personnelnetworkstaffing.com/">Personnel Network Staffing</a> in Tupelo, Mississippi, said that some employees she works with need to be convinced to commute to jobs in more isolated locations. "The companies we hire for are strategically placed in smaller towns. We have large industrial parks, and a lot of them are in smaller towns," Lewis said. She mostly works with Tier 1 Toyota part suppliers and furniture factories local to the Northeast Mississippi area.<div type="image" title="headshot of Renee Rives" height="788" width="1050" msid="88307462" hostid="261"></div>Renee Rives, vice president of sales at <a href="https://www.apstemps.com/dalton-location/">Automation Personnel Services</a>, said that managers in the Dalton and Calhoun, Georgia-run offices have been able to successfully place employees in jobs, but many positions remain open. Filling trade positions such as welding or commercial driver's license (<keyword id="11939553" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdl" source="Orion">CDL</keyword>) drivers has been even tougher during the pandemic.Even with these issues, Sulentic said that filling positions in rural markets is no different than in urban ones, and there are some employers, such as home-care-aide agencies, that <a href="https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Caregiver/Hourly_Rate">offer rates</a> <a href="https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/money/business/2020/10/19/jobs-how-become-home-health-aide/3682324001/">too low</a> <a href="https://homehealthcarenews.com/2021/11/we-will-hold-you-accountable-new-york-home-health-agencies-to-pay-18-5-million/">to compete</a> with other more lucrative jobs.He said the <keyword id="11908404" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="labor-shortage" source="Orion">labor shortage</keyword> is impacting all sectors right now, particularly restaurants. Manufacturing, distribution, and food processing are usually the "sweet spots" in rural markets, he said. The lower costs of land and labor <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/businessmain/manufacturing-jobs-making-comeback-southern-u-s-1C7660234">attract companies</a> that want to build factories and warehouses while saving money and finding workers who may have <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/rural-economy-population/employment-education/rural-employment-and-unemployment">fewer options</a>, but it's become more challenging to fill these positions in recent months as well. "I don't think there's one that isn't difficult right now, just because of the tight labor shortage. Certainly, the light industrial side has become very difficult when it comes to planning and finding talent," Sulentic said.<h2>An employee's market</h2>Sulentic said that employees have the upper hand in the current job market. Lewis has seen a similar pattern in her area. "Employers are having to be much more aggressive in their hiring practices. They now implement bonuses," she said.Employees in her area can now weigh incentive packages against each other, she added. "That's the main difference in what the employees themselves are looking for: work-life balance and work culture. A lot of the industries around are stepping up to meet that demand," Lewis said.Rives said that employers in many industries in Georgia are stepping up too. "We've also seen all sorts of additional incentives, such as <a href="https://www.globaldata.com/roles-offering-sign-bonus-increase-whopping-454-amid-staff-shortages-finds-globaldata/">sign-on</a> bonuses, up to $10,000 in some cases," she said. On average, Rives has seen sign-on bonuses between $3,000 and $5,000, on top of other incentives like extra pay for perfect weekly attendance, breakfast and lunch for all shifts, and pay increases from $4 to $6 per hour.<h2>Ghosting and retention are bigger problems</h2>Retention is another challenge employers and staffing agencies now face. The changing scope of the market means that employee interest may start slipping before they even show up to a job.Rives said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ghosting-coasting-new-employer-problem-workers-tight-labor-market-2021-9">ghosting</a> is now more common in new hires — and so is blocking an agency's number once they receive follow-ups.Sulentic is also seeing changes in employee behavior. He said that in the past, employees may have filled out job applications or sent résumés and never gotten a response. Now, employees have the power to ghost their employers when they find better jobs.According to Sulentic, people may apply for a job and appear ready to work, but his agency or their new employer may never hear from them again. His staffing agency may call the employee and not be able to get ahold of them. "We know they've started another job," he said.Surprisingly, employers aren't discounting everyone who ghosts them. "What used to be a one-strike-and-you're-out policy has become very forgiving in our industry," Sulentic said. <h2>Staffing agencies have had to change their tactics</h2>Lewis said that her agency keeps workers engaged through social media and constant communication. "Our firm does temporary-to-hire staff. So rather than someone looking for a job for two or three days, our ultimate goal is to help our clients find those individuals who are interested in a career and that career stability," Lewis said.She said her firm constantly searches for matches between enlisted pools of applicants and employers, and sends updates on next steps employees can expect as part of the onboarding process.Rives said her agency is continuing to experiment with ways to improve the employee experience. "We must provide a reason why employees need to go to work," Rives said.<h2>But things seem to be stabilizing</h2>In the early months of 2021, Rives said up to 6,000 jobs may have remained unfilled at one time in her area. This number has dropped to an average of 3,500 positions now, she said.Sulentic foresees a tight labor market in 2022 that will continue to favor employees and their demands. He expects there will be an increase in compensation for skilled trades and CDL drivers going into the next year.Meanwhile, Lewis said her office will continue with some of the practices that have been successful in the past, such as intake interviews that allow her staff to get to know potential employees, remaining in constant contact, acting as advisors to potential employees, and learning enough about clients to ensure new employees will also be a good culture fit.

3 staffing agents in rural markets reveal how worker shortages have upped the competition for employers — and which jobs are hardest to fill

Demand trajectory across urban and rural markets in India has shown a "slight improvement" sequentially in the March quarter, although it falls short of a full recover, FMCG major Dabur said. Despite near-term consumption pressure, some "green shoots" are emerging such as moderating inflation, improving consumer confidence and increase in government spending. "While urban markets have returned to positive volume growth, rural markets still remain muted," said Dabur in its latest quarter updates. The company expects a "mid-single digit revenue growth" for the January-March quarter in such a scenario. Its F&amp;B business continues to trend at robust levels and will report strong double-digit growth, while healthcare portfolio is expected to be in a positive growth trajectory, it added. Home &amp; Personal Care (HPC) will report low single-digit revenue growth on account of a slowdown in the personal care categories. "Our brands continued to record gain in market shares in most of the segments," it said. March quarter also marks the consolidation of Badshah Masala, a business which it acquired. It is in the process of being integrated and is tracking as per expectations. Over international sales, Dabur said it expects "high single-digit growth" in constant currency. "However, due to currency headwinds in Egypt and Turkey, the reported growth in INR will be impacted. While there are short-term pressures, we are restructuring our distribution network in key markets and increasing investments behind our brands which will benefit us in the long term," it said. "Overall, Dabur's consolidated revenue is expected to report mid-single digit growth during the quarter," it said. During the quarter inflation continued to cool off for most of our commodities. "India gross margins are expected to show an improvement, but Consolidated gross margin will be impacted mainly due to currency headwinds in International Business. We have also strategically increased our spending behind our brands, leading to short-term pressure on the operating margin, which is expected to be lower by around 200-250 bps as compared to Q4 FY22," it said. While the environment has been challenging, the fundamentals of the business continue to be resilient. "We will continue to invest strongly behind Power Brands, Innovation, Distribution expansion and a robust back end which will enable us to increase our market shares and achieve profitable and sustainable growth," it said. This quarter update will be followed by detailed financial results and earnings presentation once the Board of Directors of the Company approves the consolidated and standalone financial results. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/monetary-policy-impact-rbis-pause-to-support-real-estate-demand-particularly-affordable-segment/articleshow/99290486.cms">Monetary Policy Impact: RBI’s pause to support real estate demand - particularly affordable segment</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rbi-revises-indias-fy24-growth-outlook-expects-softer-inflation-on-the-back-of-lower-commodity-prices/articleshow/99290005.cms">RBI revises India’s FY24 growth outlook, expects softer inflation on the back of lower commodity prices</a>

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