This document proposes developing an innovative research method for reaching rural consumers in India using self-administered touchscreen kiosks placed at village kirana (grocery) stores. The kiosks would use an interactive audio-visual interface to overcome issues like illiteracy. Data would be extracted via mobile networks. Partners would include retailers and schools. The method could save time and costs compared to traditional surveys while maintaining quality. It discusses operational and technical challenges but argues the approach could provide useful marketing data across many industries.

1. Cutting Edge Research
Changing dynamics and expectations
21st Annual Market Research Seminar
Sept 29,30 2011 - Bangalore
Naina Jayarajan – AVP, Ipsos
Indranil Dey – Manager, Ipsos
Juhi Singh –Research Exec., Ipsos

2. “Small minds discuss people,
Average minds discuss events,
But GREAT minds discuss IDEAS”
- Eleanor Roosevelt

3. Reaching Rural India

4. – Rural Data:
• Limited data due to low spend on primary research
• Some secondary data available but mostly from
unverified sources
– India:
• More than 1 billion consumers
• More than 70% rural population
– 638,000 villages
– Huge untapped potential for a marketer
– It’s a market with its own challenges
FACT FILE
Genesis of the ‘IDEA’

5. Challenges for Marketers
Reaching the consumers:
– Communication:
• Lower interaction with mass media reduce
effectiveness
• Multi media has a different definition for rural
– Product:
• Difficult to access remote villages per se
• Different distribution systems
– Transport:
• Limited public transport
• Lack of personalized transport

6. Economic factors:
– Difference in disposable income
– Difference in spending patterns
– Different pattern of buying behavior
– Both cash and credit mode exists
Challenges for Marketers

7. Challenges for Marketers
- Research Perspective
Respondent Eccentricities
– Linear thinking
• Simplicity is the key to getting an appropriate response
– Herd presence when responding
• Adds comfort as well as bias
– Literacy barrier
• Visual aids for answering facilitate quick & honest
responses
• Local lingo nuances have to be incorporated

8. – Rural boundaries are difficult to cross
• Occasionally a ‘us versus them’ bias towards
urbanites’ understanding of rural
• Context of use / response could be different from
marketers’
Challenges for Marketers
- Research Perspective

9. The Big ‘IDEA’

10. What is the big ‘IDEA’?
“Developing an innovative & cost effective
research method for reaching out to the
consumers in rural India, through a self
administered, audio visual, touch screen
kiosk; placed at the village Kirana store”

11. What are the USPs?
– Self administered Kiosk: Interviewers do not need to
travel frequently, also reduces biases
– Kiosk placed at local Kirana Store: Central location in
village ensuring higher rate of participation
– Interactive, Audio Visual, Touch Screen interface:
Ensures overcoming illiteracy barrier
– Data extraction via mobile technology: Cutting down
data entry and data processing time

12. Operationalizing
The Big ‘IDEA’

13. Who will be our partners
• Retailers who are not intimidated by technology
• In case of multiple Kirana Stores in a village – store
will be selected on the basis of footfalls / location
• Going forward it could include various other partners
like village schools, Kissan Kendras, etc.

14. Where we will be going
• To start with we will be going to villages which
are relatively affluent and more accessible.

15. How many interviews can be done?
• Approximately 40-50 interviews in a month will
be targeted per category
• Sample size might differ based on the
population density

16. Self Administered Kiosk

17. Question 1:
Who goes to the retailer to buy bathing soap in your
house?
Please touch the button below the option you want to select
Interactive Questionnaire

18. Question 2:
Which soap are you using currently?
Interactive Questionnaire
Please touch the button below the option you want to select

19. Data Management
– Usage of Mobile Network:
• The Kiosks can be synchronized with
the central server once a week via
mobile network with help of an inbuilt
software.
• Once retailer confirms on
synchronization, updated
questionnaire will be downloaded on
the Kiosk and the data collected will
be exported to the central server.

20. Engagement Plan

21. Village Awareness Programs
• Gathering villagers at Panchayat office / center
of village and making them aware of Kiosk.
• Demonstration of how to use the kiosk

22. Engaging Respondents
– Initial draw - novelty of the kiosk:
• Self administered touch screen kiosk
• Interactive audio visual interface
– Respondent Incentive:
• Small token gift like Rs. 2 shampoo sachet for every
completed interview. However they will be allowed to
answer only once for any study/category
• Respondents can earn multiple gifts by responding for
different categories, in case of syndicated studies
• Additional gift for female respondents to ensure higher
participation

23. Engaging Retailers
– Retailer Incentive:
• Monthly monetary incentives
– Associated Benefits:
• Increase in footfalls
• Popularity of store
• Social status and recognition
• Supply of respondent gifts

24. Cutting down time & cost

25. Time Saving
– Cutting down the project turn around time:
• Significantly reduced travel for interviewer
• Questionnaires updated from server through
mobile network
• Data uploaded to the server through mobile
network
• No requirement for data entry

26. Cost Saving
– Cutting down project cost:
• Self administered kiosk – relatively less expense on
interviewer payments, TA & DA
• No physical questionnaire – saves cost on printing and
courier
• Data entry not required – saves cost on data punching
• Though the initial setup cost will be higher, but once the
system stabilizes the cost is expected to be cheaper
than conducting pen and paper interviews.

27. Quality Checks

28. – Maintaining Quality:
• During the initial phase basic demographic information
like age, gender, marital status, etc. will be collected
and unique id will be assigned to each respondent
• Unique ids will be linked with finger print scanner,
hence duplications can be avoided
• Mystery visits will be conducted to check whether the
retailer is maintaining the kiosk properly
• Gifts dispensed and successful interviews will be
tallied to avoid malpractice
Quality First

29. On Ground Challenges

30. • Identifying the right Kirana Store
• Training the retailer
• Transportation of the devices and installation
• Maintenance of devices
• Alternative power source – Battery / Solar
• Lack of Mobile Network – Higher involvement of retailer
in downloading and uploading through internet from
nearby town
• Language barrier – Local language translation & voice
dubbing
Operational Challenges

31. Other Challenges
• Initial setup cost will be higher
• Gestation period before people get used to the
new technology
• At the initial phase the demographic profile of
the villages will not be available - To over
come this we will be capturing the
demographic information at the initial phase
so that we have ready demographic
information for future references.

32. Probable Limitations

33. – Type of studies
• Studies conducted through the kiosk should be short
and simple in nature, with simple questions that can be
represented visually
• Complicated studies with quota based sample will be
difficult to handle
• Questionnaire length should be restricted to 5 mins
• Open-ended questions can not be administered
– Should be a long term client engagement
– Permissions might be required from the Village
Panchayat
Probable Limitations

34. Increasing Coverage

35. – Once the system stabilizes, the kiosk can be
rotated across multiple locations in the village
– Other than the Kirana Store, the kiosk can also
be placed at the following places within the
village
• Panchayat office
• Post office
• Co-operative office
• Fertilizer shop
• Schools
Increasing Coverage

36. – Through the kiosk information can be collected
for 5 – 10 categories.
– To maintain data quality, a respondent will be
allowed to answer for certain number of
categories in a month.
Contd.

37. Applicability as a Marketer

38. – CPG:
• Purchase pattern for different products
• Category consumption
• Brand awareness & usage
• Basic pack test in terms of colour & symbol
• Evaluation of POP materials
• Checking price points
• Attractiveness of various promotions
Applicability by Industry

39. – TELECOM:
• Awareness of mobile service providers
• Current service provider
• Denomination and frequency of recharge
• Usage pattern
• Awareness of different mobile handsets
• Current ownership of handset
• Handset replacement
Applicability by Industry

40. – MEDIA:
• Media habits
• Reach of different media
• Programs watched / listened to
• TV channels watched / Radio stations listened to
Applicability by Industry
Similarly across BFSI, Auto,
Agriculture, Social sectors, etc.

41. Finally…

42. –Maximum efficiency can be
achieved by conducting syndicated
studies
Syndicated Research

43. Thank You