Launch a new service for the rural market (rural india) and design the positioning strategy and

marketing plan for the same.

 1.

Large Population :- The rural Indian population is large and its growth rate is also high. Over 70% Indias one billion plus population lives in around 627,000 villages in rural areas. This simply shows the great potentiality rural India. 2. Rising Rural Prosperity :-India is now seeing a dramatic shift towards prosperity in rural households. To drive home the potential of rural India just consider some of these impressive facts about the rural sector. As per the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) study, there are as many middle income and above households in the rural areas as there are in the urban areas. There are almost twice as many lower middle income households in rural areas as in the urban areas.

 3.

Growth in Market :- The purchasing power in rural India is on steady rise and it has resulted in the growth of the rural market. The market has been growing at 3-4% per annum adding more than one million new consumers every year. Impact of Globalization :- The impact of globalization will be felt in rural India as much as in urban. But it will be slow. It will have its impact on target groups like farmers, youth and women. Farmers, today 'keep intouch' with the latest information and maximize both ends.

4.

4A Approach:
Availability Affordability Acceptability Awareness

 Positioning

is the act of finding place in the minds of the consumers and locating the brand therein. The companies have to plan the positions that give their products the necessary advantage in the target markets.
Identifying

the differences of the offer with the competitors offer, Selecting the differences that have greater competitive advantage, Communicating such advantage effectively to the target audience.

The

marketing offer may be differentiated along the following lines:

Product

differentiation Service differentiation People and image.

When

the company identifies several differences it can evaluate them with the help of following criteria:
Attractiveness, Distinctiveness, Primitiveness, Affordability, Communicable.

 Once

the company has chosen the difference it has to choose an appropriate marketing strategy. High tech positions may be communicated by futuristic products, classy ads in elite journals and large showrooms with good atmosphere.

 Profitability
HULs

of the segment

Lifebuoy has targeted mainly the major segment of rural area i.e. the working segment from the age group of 20 50. Thus this age group comprises majority of the rural population. Hence, this segment is 100% profit Promising.

 Attractiveness
In

of the segment:

rural India, health is of paramount importance, because indisposition is very directly related to loss of income. People in rural area are mostly into agricultural activities or its allied activities. Hence, they have to play with mud on daily basis. If the farmer is well protected then the country is well protected. Hence, this segment is quite attractive.

Growth:
Since

70% of Indias population lives in rural area, this sector is definitely gong to grow. Also the age group that Lifebuoy had targeted is large enough to capture the entire market. Hence, the growth can be seen in the area.

 Concentrated

marketing strategy is used by

Lifebuoy. Lifebuoy is targeted only to 1 segment i.e. the working class. Their opinion leader targets to the working class of the rural market. Therefore this strategy has provided Lifebuoy a kind of brand loyalty form the working class of the rural market.

 Attractiveness
In

of the segment:

rural India, mostly people work in agricultural or allied areas. Hence, the work in mud through out the day. Therefore, health becomes an important issue for them. Another major issue for them is monetary issue. Being poor they cant spend much money on their health. Hence offering them the health care services in a small budget remains the attractiveness of this segment.

Growth:
Since

70% of Indias population lives in rural area, this sector is definitely going to grow. Unintentionally it also targets the teenager segment i.e. the age group from 12-20.

Limitations: