The '4 As' of Rural Marketing Mix

The rural markets in India have grown size, range and sophistication in recent times. Under the changing Socioeconomic scenario, the rural markets have great potentialities in India and offer bright prospects and attraction to the companies. Rural marketing is confused with agricultural marketing particular emphasis is placed on the impact of the four A’s principles on the rural economy and its participants, namely farmers, landless labourers and marketing intermediaries. The marketing had a positive effect on all these participants through the creation of vast marketing opportunities. The driving force of this success was “market forces,” generating virtuous cycles in the transition marketing. At the same time, the “absence of bad marketing policy” is emphasized as a key for the success in the context of India, where excessive intervention of private companies like H.U.L, CALVIN CARE PORTER AND GAMBLE, often resulted in success of rural marketing in India. The Indian rural market is observed as a high potential market across the world. More than three-fourths of country’s consumers reside in rural areas and more than half of the national income is generated by them. Due to the global economic downturn, the companies are few facing slower urban sales, prompting them to make a rush towards rural India. The downturn has not impacted rural markets in the same way as urban markets. Lastly we can say that ‘Rural Markets are future battlegrounds’.