1. Understanding marketing problem
from a communication perspective

2. Some examples
A social marketing problem
50% of the girl children dropping out of school
after class V.
Problem that communication must address
How to reduce/stop number of children
dropping out of school after class V?
Easy? Not really

3. Somewhat little complex
Marketing problem
 Yield from coffee plants is not growing. Farmers are not
cropping the plants which will ensure higher yields.
Problem communication must address
 What do the farming community do during those
two/three months when plants are pruned to generate
income?
How did one arrive at this transformation of a
marketing problem to a communication one?

4. Identifying communication problem
Asking questions through a collaborative
approach
A multiple set of questions will only reveal the
actual problem. Engage the affected people to
understand the reasons for their current
behaviour.
This will lead to arriving at the desired
behaviour change

5. Another example- A Social issue
Social marketing problem
Alcoholism; Reduce alcohol consumption
First attempt: Directly attacking the problem by
highlighting harmful health effects of alcohol
consumption.
Further questions revealed that the actual
problem was that the men who consumed
alcohol were not aware of what they do after
they have consumed alcohol

6. Another example- A Social issue
This problem was demonstrated vividly to the
men folks through video filming the actions
after the consumption during the short
periods when they were sober.
Alcohol consumption was reduced.
This is a real life story.

7. In designing an effective rural/social
marketing communication campaign
the first requirement is to understand
the problem communication must
address