Rural marketing strategies should consider the rural environment and segment the heterogeneous rural market based on needs. Key strategies include developing small, affordable products and using various distribution methods like cooperatives or fairs. Promotion uses mass media like TV and focuses messaging on regional needs. Network marketing is a potential model, allowing rural residents to sell to trusted peers and leverage word-of-mouth. Challenges include remote locations while opportunities include tight communities and existing collaboration networks.

1. RURAL MARKETING
IMBA 8TH SEM

2. RURAL MARKETING STRATEGY FORMULATION
• Considering the environment in which the rural market operates and other
related problems, it is possible to evolve effective strategies for rural marketing.
• An appropriate segmentation of the highly heterogeneous rural market and
identification of the needs and works of different segments will form the very
basis for rural market strategies.
• For rural market, it will be ideal to think of strategies from the marketing mix
point of view, main strategies are related to product, price, place and promotion.

3. PRODUCT STRATEGIES
• Small unit and low priced packing
• New product designs
• Sturdy products
• Brand name

4. PRICING STRATEGIES
• Low cost/cheap products
• Avoid sophisticated packing
• Refill packs/reusable packaging
• Application of value engineering

5. DISTRIBUTION STRATEGIES
• While it is -essential to formulate specific strategies for distribution in rural areas,
the characteristics of the product, its shelf life and other factors have to be kept in
mind.
• The distribution strategies that are specifically designed for rural areas are:
through co-operative societies, public distribution system, multi-purpose
distribution centres, distribution up to feeder markets/mandi towns
shanties/hat/jathras/melas, agricultural input dealers etc.

6. PROMOTION STRATEGIES
• Mass media is a powerful medium of communication. It could be television, cinema, print media, radio and so on.
• The other means of mass media available are hoardings/wall paintings, shanties/hats/melas, non-price competition, special
campaigns etc.
• Besides these, other mass media like hand bills and booklets, posters, stickers, banners of the schemes etc.
• The contents of the advertisement should be moulded according to regional requirements instead of national releases. Tailor-
made message’s can counter linguistic, social and cultural differences
• For disseminating the information, related to agricultural and other rural industries products, the government should circulate
pamphlets either to panchayati raj office or to schools where it can be documented for the reference.
• While making efforts to improve the marketing system within rural areas and the marketing of rural produce to other areas, we
should foresee the forces of globalization affecting the market forces.
• Publicity vans fitted with audio-visual gadgets should be used to reach ruralities, especially people living in remote tribal and
hilly areas. Even animals like elephants can be used for
spreading messages by putting banners on them and parading them in villages

7. SOME EXAMPLES
• ‘Hariyali Safar’ is a project of Henkel SPIC India to penetrate the rural market. Under the project, the company has
divided the country into 100 blocks with one super stockist for each block. Each super stockist is reached through
vans. The super stockist is expected to service 15 to 20 dealers in semi-urban areas. By end 2001, Henkel expects to
have 100 super stockists reaching 1,500 to 2,000 dealers. It is also introducing economy packs and sachet: Henko
compact sachet, 50 gm Margo soap, 20 gm Fa talc and 250 gm Mr. White detergent pack. It expects its current media
campaign to generate acceptance of its brand in the rural market.
• Pioma Industries is increasing its efforts in the rural markets in order to push sales of its main product, Rasna soft
drink concentrate. Says Pioma Industries President Raj Pinjani, ‘Earlier, we relied totally on our wholesalers to push
the product in the rural areas. Now we are going there ourselves, in order to get a feel of the market and promote
the product directly.’ In order to promote trials in the semi-urban and rural markets, Rasna launched its soft drink
concentrate in sachet during the early 90s. The sachet was promoted using characters from Mahabharat television
serial. This year, Rasna has replaced these advertisements with comedian Johnny Lever. The company is focusing on
nine districts in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Sales force regularly
calls on retailers in these districts. Says Pinjani ‘Its remarkable the amount of goodwill a visit to the rural distribution
network can
generate. It builds enormous brand loyalty among the retailers, who in turn, push sales to the consumer.

8. ADVANCED PRACTICES IN RURAL MARKETING
• Significant changes in product design or packaging, product placement, product promotion or
pricing.
• E-Rural Marketing and ICT initiatives.
• Organized Rural Retailing.
• Innovative Rural Distribution.
• Rural Market Mapping.
• E-Governance.
• Innovative Banking and Finance.
• Innovations in Supply Chain.

9. SOCIAL MARKETING
• Social marketing is the application of commercial marketing principles for social good rather than for profit.
• “Social marketing” is becoming increasingly relevant to the developing world.
• One dimension of it related to social responsibilities of marketers mainly in response to
consumer advocacy movement and also the pressures of government regulations. In this case the focus is on
economic benefits to business and social benefits to society that emerge from the adoption of socially responsible
business policies by business organizations.
• The second dimension of social marketing is the applicability of marketing philosophy and principles to the
introduction and dissemination of ideas and issues of social significance like road safety by observing traffic rules;
controlling child/infant mortality by immunization; better living by family planning, primary education and health
care, hygiene and sanitation, etc.

10. Social marketing, as a compared to commercial marketing is a process where an idea is sold with an aim to bring about
a change in behaviour of the customer (in other words, the target audience). Hence, the results of social marketing are
not cognizable. Difference between the two are summarized below:
• Commercial Marketing
• Felt need and cognizable rewards
• Pertains mainly to products
• Persuasion to make audience buy
• Adapt products to audience needs
• Profit motive
• Talks to people who have money
• Success/failure rate hardly affects society
• Rarely needs to involve government
• Social Marketing
• Needs not perceived, rewards not seen
• Pertains to ideas, behaviours and practices
• Persuasion to make audience learn, adapt
and change
• Adapt products to large social needs
• Welfare Objective
• Talks to needier sections
• Major impact on society
• Must work with government

11. COMMON CHALLENGES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
• Limited access to remote areas and lack of transportation.
• Limited financial resources.
• Limited technology.
• A wide range of cultures and beliefs across large geographic areas.
• Scarcity of media outlets.
• Scarcity of primary care providers, child and adolescent psychiatrists, therapists, and social
workers (especially bilingual providers).
• Siloed services and limited collaboration between systems.
• Lack of privacy due to of close social networks.

12. COMMON OPPORTUNITIES IN RURAL
COMMUNITIES
• Tight-knit community that understands the importance of helping neighbors.
• The commonality of word of mouth communications.
• Existing collaborations and informal communications networks.
• Agencies and organizations that are willing to partner, such as the Cooperative Extension
System.
• Natural community leaders who are easily identifiable (because of the smaller community) and
willing to partner.
• Audiences that may be more likely to read traditional print publications (such as local
newspapers, local magazines etc).
• Media coverage may be more accessible because of lower competition (compared to urban
areas).

13. NETWORK MARKETING
• Network marketing is a form of direct selling.
• Also known as multi-level marketing, is a business model which involves a pyramid structured network
of people who sell a company’s products.
• The participants in this network are usually remunerated on a commission basis.
• It can take place at two levels.
• Single level—distributor appoints sales persons. He earns profits on sales, made by him.
• Multi-level-distributor introduces another distributor (a friend or relative, in general), who in turns introduces
another distributor. Like that the network is created.
• The network markets products. Each distributor gets profits on his sales and also a percentage on sales
made by his ‘network’. Thus one earns by ‘retailing and recruiting’.

14. EXAMPLES
• Amway – been in business for around 57 years now, this company is one of the
biggest examples of a successful MLM/network marketing company.
• Other companies that use network marketing model include – Avon, Tupperware,
Nu skin, Juice Plus, etc.

15. NETWORK MARKETING (CONT.)
• The introduction of network marketing in rural side will be beneficial not only to the companies but also to the
villagers. Already innovative companies like HLL have their
schemes in the pipeline.
• Companies are continuously trying to find new and innovative ways of tapping into the rural markets. Network
marketing is the right way however, it still remains untapped in the rural markets (though it has been a successful
business model for some companies in urban areas).
• This marketing method is also in sync with the rural consumer psyche
• Credibility and trust: Compared to current sales models where the rural consumers buy from an unknown person, here it
will be a fellow consumer who will sell to another consumer whom he knows, hence the credibility and the trust issue
will be addressed.
• Understanding and ease of usage: A rural consumer will be in a better position to understand the features & the
technicalities of a product if another consumer who is one of his own kind explains it to him. He can also better
demonstrate the benefits that he himself has experienced and hence ease of usage for customer increases.
• Word of mouth: The word of mouth of this initiative can be tremendous. Not only is it innovative but also holds
incentive for each buyer. This can very easily establish top of mind recall for the rural consumers even if they opt against
joining the chains.
• Scalable and replicable model: The model is a very simple one where we believe, it can easily be replicated in all the
geographies as everywhere the human capital of rural consumers will be used.

16. GREEN MARKETING
• Green Marketing refers to holistic marketing thought wherein the production, marketing utilization and disposal of products and
services occur in a manner that is less harmful to the environment with increasing awareness about the implications of global warming,
non-biodegradable solid waste, harmful contact of pollutants etc.
• The firms using green marketing must make sure that their activities are not confusing to
consumers or industry, and do not violate any of the regulations or laws dealing with environmental marketing.
• In rural India, the concept of Green Marketing has been utilizing right from the use of biogas in the Villages to using environment-
friendly products like bamboo furniture, CFL, etc.
• Pottery made from earthenware and the use of traditional Surahi and Matka for drinking cool water Rather than the refrigerator is
another motivating example.
• Utilize of steel utensils which is reusable, rather than disposable plates can also be viewed as a green initiative.
• The use of Coolers rather than air conditioners goes a long way in reducing the carbon footprint.
• The rural marketers give their customers an opportunity to participate this means personalizing the benefits of your environmentally
friendly performance, usually through leasing the customers take part in positive
environmental action

17. CHALLENGES OF GREEN MARKETING IN RURAL
INDIA
• There are number of challenges of green marketing in rural India such as
listed below:
• Green marketing encourages green goods/services, green technologies, green
power/energy; a lot of money has to be used on R&D programmes. Thus green marketing
to begin with costly issue.
• The rural customers may not believe in the firm’s strategy of Green marketing, the firm
therefore should ensure that they convince the customer about their green product.
• Many customers may not be willing to pay a higher price for green products which may
affect the sales of the company.
• The firm may give up on Green marketing impression or be forced to practice inequitable
means to cut cost to maintain in the competition and thus the whole idea of going green
will be embarrassment.

18. EXAMPLES
• LG Electronics, coca-cola, HUL, Philips, Colgate’s, ITC, and LIC are among these
companies which have a very significant presence in the Indian rural market.
• Companies like Idea Cellular, IBM, Wipro InfoTech (Green It), Nokia, Samsung,
Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) etc. are also providing green
marketing solutions to rural India.

19. CO-OPERATIVE MARKETING
• Co-operative marketing is the marketing for the producers and by the producers
that aims at eliminating the chain of middlemen operating between producers
and the ultimate consumer and thus securing the maximum price for their
produce.
• In other words, co-operative marketing societies are established for the purpose
of collectively marketing the products of the member producers.
• It emphasizes the concept of commercialization.
• Its, economic motives and character distinguish it from other associations.

20. NEED FOR COOPERATIVE MARKETING
• To Eliminate Malpractices
• To Establish Appropriate Reward for the Efforts
• Concomitant of Integrated Programme
• To Stabilise the Agricultural Price

21. PROBLEMS
• Low and inadequate distribution margins to lower level societies.
• Unable to compete with private trade.
• High rate in interest on fertilizer credit.
• High cost of operation due to locational disadvantages.
• Lack of single window approach.
• Poor management and lack of professionalism.

22. EXAMPLE
• In milk production and distribution, NDDB (National Dairy Development Board)
operates at national level. At state level KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation), at
districts level they have BAMUL (Bangalore Milk Union Ltd.), and at village level
they have a number of village level co-operative societies.
• Maha-grape - co-operative federation marketing grapes in Maharashtra.
• Co-operatives marketing banana in Jalgaon district.
• Vegetables co-operatives in Thane District.
• Milk co-operatives in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

23. MICRO CREDIT MARKETING
• Micro-finance refers to small scale financial services provided by financial institutions to the
financially backward classes. These services include savings, credit, insurance, etc.
• The conditions for a financial service to be termed as micro-finance is that the transaction
should be small and the customers should be financially weak.
• Jeffrey Sachs, the renowned economist once claimed that “The key to ending extreme poverty is
to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development.”
• Providing sustainable financial services for rural areas and agriculture in developing countries
has proven immensely challenging.
• Billions have been spent to subsidize programs and policies designed to develop financial
institutions to serve this neglected market segment.

24. CONT.
• The concept of micro-finance was introduced in India during the 1990s.
• The country is home to about a third of the world’s poor, most of who do not have
access to commercial banking services.
• The key problem areas in rural financial markets included a lack of credit in rural areas,
absence of modern technology in agriculture, low savings capacity in rural areas and
prevalence of usurious moneylenders. In such circumstances, micro-finance provides
financial inclusion to the under-privileged sections of the society.
• In absence of micro-finance, the poor in rural India would fall prey to the money-
lenders who charge a very high rate of interest on credit and thereby rob the poor of
their savings.

25. CONT.
• Micro-finance targets mostly the women of rural India, with more than 90% of its
customers being women belonging to self-help groups.
• Micro-credit is mostly used for direct investments by self-help groups and
facilitates access to credit by clients who need small amounts of credits but are
less credit-worthy for larger loans.

26. SOURCES OF CREDIT
• Informal Sources : Non Govt. sources such as family, friends, moneylenders,
traders etc.
• Formal Sources : Govt. owned institutions such as commercial banks, regional
rural banks etc.

27. REFORMS
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
• Regional Rural Banks.
• Commercial Banks.
• Cooperative Banks.
• Micro Finance Institutions.
• Self Help Groups.
• Green Revolution.
• Introduction of Subsidy.

28. PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODEL IN RURAL MARKETING
• A PPP represents a collaboration, defined by contract, between a public and a private
actor.
• The partners’ contributions complement each other in a way that enables both to
achieve their goals more efficiently within the given PPP than on their own.
• Each partner formulates clear goals and communicates them to the other partner.
• In rural areas, PPPs can take two particular directions:
• Improvement of frame conditions with the aim of attracting investment,
• Improvement of production (cultivation systems, market access, and others).
In both cases, sustainable use of natural resources should be a main objective.

29. WHY PPP MODEL?
• The PPP model serves as a mechanism for the government to carry out the essential activities of
development, especially rural development through infrastructure construction, while at the
same time minimizing the risks and heavy drain on government budgets.
• The private sector can invest heavily as it has the resources to do so, and since these projects are
for social good, the government plays a role in providing incentives for the private sector to
invest, while at the same time ensuring that it is in a position to supervise and regulate the
project.
• As part of the incentives, the government has also resorted to viability gap funding for private
entities who take up development projects, especially in rural areas. This means that the
government funds a part of the project so as to incentivize it for the private entity to find it
attractive enough to take up.
• Hence it seems amply clear that the government would like to harness private sector resources
and channel it into ensuring economic growth.

30. EXAMPLE
• Under the Bharat Nirman plan, the Government of India is focusing on rural development and
building of infrastructure in irrigation, rural housing and water supply, rural electrification and
telecommunication connectivity. The government is laying emphasis on building a road network
across the country that ensures connectivity throughout the nation and matches up to global
standards. Also on the government agenda is building bridges, telecom networks and towers,
electricity grids and other developmental infrastructure in rural areas.
• NABARD had set up a Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) in 1995-96 created out of
the shortfall of commercial banks in lending to agricultural/priority sectors, with the primary aim
of providing low cost funds to governments to undertake infrastructure development projects in
rural areas. Since the setting up of this fund, NABARD has allowed the initiation of the PPP
model to access these funds for infrastructure development projects in irrigation, housing, water
supply, rural electrification and construction of roads and bridges.

31. BENEFITS OF PPP MODEL IN RURAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
• Employment of private sector resources to fund rural development projects would ensure that the
quality of these projects are at par with global standards, while guaranteeing the best technology,
expertise and skills are available. Public sector institutions rarely have access to such resources and
expertise to fulfill these targets.
• By giving incentives such as viability gap funding, government will ensure that private sector has
enough incentive to undertake these projects. This means the focus will shift inward and development
of rural and remote areas will take place. All this will ensure India progresses.
• The private sector is known for being efficient. Hence it is certain that problems like delayed decision-
making, functioning of day-to-day operations, etc. will not arise. Private sector companies treat these
as their usual corporate plans and projects that they undertake, and execute them in a smooth,
efficient manner.
• It bridges the gap between public and private, rural and urban. Not just do these projects help bring
the best of both worlds – public and private – together, but are also ensuring that the level of
economic development in the urban and rural areas occur simultaneously.

32. E-RURAL MARKETING
• e-Marketing can be defined in broader terms as not only trade in goods and services across
internet but also new ways of conducting business and communicating with customers,
suppliers and colleagues.
• Companies are making effective use of the Internet for marketing their products and services in
the rural areas, and are also in the process of enhancing the quality of life and standard of living,
and rendering economic benefits to the rural populace.
• This has been demonstrated through initiatives like e-Choupal (ITC), TARAhaat (Development
Alternatives Group), India agriline (EID Parry), etc.
• It has various advantages including the better investment, reducing the marketing campaign
costs and also helps to target the customers and use of the technological aspects of the content
of the video, article and the email.
• It also includes various aspects of the marketing mix.

33. WHY E-MARKETING?
• Internet is fast becoming the way of life. With the mantra of “anywhere/anytime” and convergence of
mobility and intelligence e-commerce happens to be the thing which can provide all this.
• E-commerce is the technology of the present. It can provide services which is beneficial to both rural
community and corporate world.
• It is used to make farmers improve the quality of their yield, with better technique and give them more
power.
• It can help in removing the intermediaries and traders in the supply chain of global giants. This, along
with higher responsiveness and speed at which business takes place has helped in reducing
transaction cost, and increase profit margins. This is especially true in case of agricultural commodities.
• E-Marketing can cause a profound change in rural India in key service areas such as government
services, banking, education and health. It promises to provide faster, better, cheaper and more flexible
service delivery and this is irrespective of where the customer resides.

34. CHALLENGES IN RURAL INDIA
• Poor literacy rate – low use of textual information.
• Remote village locations – physical distances compounding problems of lack of
proper price information and habitual dependence on middlemen.
• Absence of info in vernacular languages and multiplicity of languages.
• Cash crunch of farmers, immediate cash transaction system and reluctance of
banks to provide soft loans to farmers.

35. EXAMPLE
• ITC e-Choupal is the greatest example of information technology in rural marketing.
Launched in June 2000, 'e-Choupal', has already become the largest initiative in all
internet-based interventions in rural India. ITC followed a different
media/communication strategy which is more elaborate and extensive in rural
marketing so far, which benefits both the farmers and the organization. The strategy
use the Information Technology and bridge the information and service gap in rural
India which gives an edge to market its products like seeds, fertilizers and pesticides
and other products like consumer goods etc. They use the e-Choupal to order seed,
fertilizer, and other products such as consumer good from ITC or its partners, at prices
lower than those available from village traders. In this Paper we discuss about the role
of IT in rural market, e-Choupal, different strategy, vision and planning behind the e-
Choupal.

36. CRM IN RURAL MARKETING
• Customer relationship management is a model for managing a company’s
interactions with current and future customers. It involves using technology to
organize, automate, and synchronize sales, market ng, customer service, and
technical support.
• CRM is concerned with the creation, development and enhancement of
individualised customer relationships with carefully targeted customers and
customer groups resulting in maximizing their total customer life-time value.
• Consumer preferences through market research may enhance CRM adoption
among the rural customers of developing countries.

37. CONT.
• CRM is worth mentioning for rural marketing as “sentiments of customers are
more important than economical utility of the products.”
• CRM serves as the guiding principle for seller of rural market.
• Customer relationship management can increase through following factors:-
• Packaging
• Local language and local celebrity
• Distribution customisation
• Packaging customisation

38. FACTORS INCREASING CRM IN RURAL AREA
• Packaging: Packaging is important communication tool for rural market. Companies must use
prominent logo symbols and logo colors to ensure that illiterate consumer able to recognize the
product. By creating a bond with customer through package, companies are able to establish a
relationship that encourages repeat purchases.
• Local language and local celebrity: The models should wear proper clothes and use local
language to increase the relationship between product and rural customer. This actually shows
that products are affordable and can be easily available for them.
• Distribution customization: A variety of innovation have taken place in customizing the
distribution for rural market. For transportation of goods, the regular store keeper hires auto
rickshaws, bullock carts and even boats in south India
• Packaging customization: One of the most important element of package designed for rural
India includes size and visual communication through packaging. That’s why sachet market was
introduced in rural area which made the product affordable to Indian rural customer.

39. E-CRM
• Electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM) is an effective tool that helps
to leverage customer retention, loyalty and attract new customers.
• In other words, Electronic customer relationship management (E-CRM) is the
application of internet-based technologies such as emails, websites, chat rooms,
forums and other channels to achieve CRM objectives.
• It is a well-structured and coordinated process of CRM that automates the processes
in marketing, sales and customer service.
• An effective E-CRM increases the efficiency of the processes as well as improves the
interactions with customers and enables businesses to customize products and
services that meet the customers’ individual needs.

40. THE BENEFITS OF E-CRM INCLUDE THE
FOLLOWING:
• Improved customer relations, service and support
• Matching the customers' behavior with suitable offers
• Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Greater efficiency and cost reduction
• Increased business revenue

41. CSR AND MARKETING ETHICS IN RURAL
MARKETING
• Corporate Social Responsibility is emerging as a significant feature of business philosophy, reflecting
the impact of business on society in the context of sustainable development.
• The emerging perspective on corporate social responsibility focuses on responsibility towards all
stakeholders: shareholders, employees, creditors, suppliers, government, and community rather than
only on maximization of profit for shareholders.
• CSR not only includes corporate regulatory compliance, but also refers to the act of making business
successful through balanced, voluntary approaches to environmental and social issues in a way that is
helpful to the society.
• Nearly all leading corporate in India are involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes
in areas like education, health, livelihood creation, skill development, and empowerment of weaker
sections of the society. Notable efforts have come from the Tata Group, Infosys, Bharti Enterprises, ITC
Welcome group, Indian Oil Corporation among others.
• Therefore, CSR actions have positive impacts not only on development of rural community but also in
their business

42. CONT.
• Recent CSR practices of corporate houses are trying develop the rural areas through providing basic infrastructural
services and also to remove regional imbalance caused due to operational loopholes or inability of authorized
agencies.
• It has also been found that the many banks are directly engaged in CSR activities mostly in the area of Rural
Development, Education, Community Welfare, Women and Children. All the public sector banks are having highest
number of rural branches in India. So, all the banks take steps for development of rural people.
• Canara Bank, Indal, Gujarat Ambuja and Wipro are involved in community development work of building roads,
running schools and hospitals. ACC has been rendering social service for over Five decades. They are setting up
schools, health centers, agro-based industries and improving the quality of rural life. BHEL is actively involved in the
Welfare of the surrounding communities is helping the organization to earn good will of the local people BHEL is
also providing drinking water facilities, construction of roads and culverts, provision of health facilities, educational
facilities, and so on companies like ONGCs are encouraging sports by placing good players on their pay rolls.
• A.P.J. Kalam's idea of PURA (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas). NTPC has established a trust to work for
the cause of the physically challenged people. Similarly in the private sectors like Infosys, Wipro and Reliance are
believed to be most socially responsible corporations.

43. CONT.
• Ethics occupies a special place in rural marketing, and has been at the heart of all the transactions whether cash or kind. In
order to make a lasting impact on the rural clients, the firms need to built a trustful relationship and that is possible by no
other means but only by ethical conduct.
• Ethics in Business form an important plank for rural markets and rural marketing.
• Due to poor knowledge about their rights and also to lack of skills to take a rational decision based on information about the
product or services, the rural consumer in India is exploited in many ways.
• The rural consumer has been made to endure sub standard products and services, adulterated foods, short weights and
measures, spurious and hazardous drugs, exorbitant process, endemic shortages leading to black marketing and profiteering,
unfulfilled manufacturing guarantees and host of other ills.
• The rural consumers who generally depend on weekly markets to purchase essential things are often cheated due to lack of
choice.
• The rural consumers in India are generally ignorant and they are also unorganized. Thus, they are exploited by the
manufacturers, traders and the service providers in different ways.

44. CONT.
• In the emerging scenario it is necessary to protect the rural consumers by educating
them about their rights and empowering them to make decisions based on
information about the goods and services. That’s where ethics come into play.
• Companies need to build strong consumer information and advisory system.
• Take adequate measures to plug loopholes in the Consumer Protection Act with a
view to reduce delays and enhance its reach to new areas of consumer issues.
While ethics and social responsibility are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a
difference between the two terms. Ethics tends to focus on the individual or marketing
group decision, while social responsibility takes into consideration the total effect of
marketing practices on society.