Challenges in Rural

Communication

By-Akshay Jadhav- 6016

(SVIMS Batch 2015-2017)

IntroductionRural marketing is a practise of assessing,

persuading and converting the needs, wants, purchasing power of the customers into

effective demand for products and service out for sale which would help in sufficing the

requirements of people in the rural areas and thus increase the satisfaction levels as well as

standard of living. There are many reasons which prove the potential of these rural

markets.

Challenges in Rural Communication

• There are many challenges to communication in rural.o Low literacy levelo Poor media reach and exposureo Vast, heterogeneous and diversely spread rural

audiences.

Media Reach is Limited

• imposed limitations on universal communication for rural consumers

• lead to poor message comprehension and negligible impact

• fails to translate into consumer awareness and hence failure in generating consumer pull

Rural Audience is difficult to understand• understand the behavioural and psycho-graphic

characteristics of the rural audience• Customers in villages have their own sets of

aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services.

Heterogeneity and spread

• Communication pattern in any society is a part of its culture

• Large numbers of consumers scatters across the country

• 16 scheduled languages and 114 local vernaculars.

• Languages and dialects vary from state to state, region to region and probably from district to district.

Heterogeneity and spread

• Messages have to be delivered in the local language, it is difficult for the marketers to design promotional strategies for each of these areas

• Facilities such as phone, telegram and fax are less developed in villages adding to the communication problems faced by the marketers

Deprived people and deprived markets

• Poor people and consequently underdeveloped markets characterize rural markets

• Face problems such as inconsistent electrical power, scarce infrastructure and unreliable telephone system, and politico-business associations that hinder development efforts

Low levels of literacy

• The level of literacy is lower compared with urban areas

• Print medium becomes ineffective and to an extent irrelevant, since its reach is poor

Problems in sales force management

• reluctant to work in rural areas• it is difficult for sales force to communicate with

the rural consumers• Sales force finds it difficult to adjust to the rural

environ ment and inadequate facilities available in rural areas