Difference between Rural and Urban Marketing

While developing, pricing, and promoting products/services, enterprises reach out to consumers living in different environments. Some of these consumers live in urban centers and consume high-end products and services. At the same time, some of these consumers live in rural centers and buy fast-moving consumer goods and durables.

The rate of urbanization and industrialization varies across countries. In several countries, a larger percentage of consumers live in rural markets than in urban markets. Hence, most enterprises these days consider both rural and urban markets while planning marketing and promotional campaigns.

Decision-makers increase sales revenue by implementing rural and urban tactics simultaneously. Also, they explore ways to overcome the difference between rural and urban marketing. We are helping you bridge the gap between rural and urban marketing by discussing some of these key differences.

Rural Marketing

Rural marketing refers to the tactics and strategies enterprises implement to reach consumers living in various villages and hamlets. The consumers living in rural economies earn revenue by engaging primarily in agricultural activities. Also, literacy and income levels are lower in most rural markets.

Enterprises engage and influence rural consumers by focusing on four important factors – acceptability, affordability, availability, and awareness. Their marketing strategies focus on making products according to the needs, preferences, and desires of rural consumers. Also, they set prices that will make the product accessible to consumers with seasonal income. Here are various types of Rural marketing and their importance.

They explore ways to make the product available in villages and hamlets with different levels of infrastructural facilities. Finally, they make rural consumers aware of the product using conventional and digital marketing channels. Hence, enterprises often divide rural markets into multiple segments and implement strategies for individual segments.

Urban Marketing

Urban marketing refers to the tactics and strategies companies implement to reach consumers living fast-paced lives in towns and cities. While planning urban marketing campaigns, decision-makers do not have to focus on overcoming constraints like accessibility, affordability, and availability.

The tech-savvy nature of urban consumers makes it easier for enterprises to launch and promote devices and gadgets powered by cutting-edge technologies. At the same time, their disposable income creates opportunities for companies to market higher-end products and services.

Instead, their strategies focus on creating brand awareness, outperforming competitors, and promoting customer loyalty. Most urban marketing strategies these days generate, nurture, and convert leads using digital marketing channels like search engines, social media, mobile marketing, and paid advertisements.

Rural Marketing vs. Urban Marketing

A rural market typically differs from an urban market in several aspects. Hence, decision-makers have to create brand awareness using different marketing and promotional channels. Additionally, they need to overcome several challenges to make both marketing campaigns successful. Hence, decision-makers always consider and address the key difference between rural and urban marketing.

Lifestyle

Urban consumers live a faster-paced life than rural consumers. They buy new digital gadgets regularly. Also, they spend more digital time on social networking platforms. Hence, enterprises have to create different consumer profiles or buyer personals for the same product. They need to create content and design ads according to the lifestyles of buyers living in two distinct environments.

Income Streams

Most consumers living in urban centers have a steady and reliable source of income. Hence, companies find it easier to promote and sell high-end products in urban markets. However, the income generation in rural markets remains seasonal due to dependence on agriculture. While making rural marketing strategies, decision-makers adopt differential pricing models to create demand for a product in the rural market.

Needs and Preferences

Rural consumers differ from urban consumers in the category of needs and preferences. Their choice of products and services varies based on a slew of factors, including lifestyle and socio-cultural background. Hence, the varying needs and preferences make it essential for enterprises to plan and run urban and rural marketing campaigns simultaneously. Also, marketers have to keep in mind context while creating content and designing ads for these distinct market segments.

Accessibility

Unlike urban marketing strategies, rural marketing strategies focus on increasing product accessibility and availability. Many rural centers still lag behind urban centers due to a lack of infrastructure. Hence, companies have to build and extend distribution channels to make products available in villages and hamlets across the country. They incur higher transportation and distribution costs to overcome infrastructural constraints.

Competition

Most companies still target urban consumers while developing, marketing, and distributing their products or services. Hence, urban consumers have the option to choose from a wider range of products and brands. While making urban marketing strategies, companies focus on outperforming competitors by boosting product quality and customer experience. However, the intensity of competition is much lower in rural markets than in urban markets.

Literacy Levels

The high literacy rates make it easier for companies to engage and influence urban consumers by creating content and ads in English. However, they have to create content and ads in local languages due to low literacy levels in rural areas. Many companies plan and run multilingual marketing campaigns to create brand awareness in rural markets. Also, they influence rural consumers using themes and ideas different from urban marketing campaigns.

Marketing Channels

Several market research studies suggest a surge in smartphone and internet users in rural areas. Likewise, a large percentage of rural consumers these days spend time on social networking platforms. However, a significant percentage of rural consumers still consume content and ads using conventional marketing channels like television and newspapers.

Many enterprises these days create brand awareness and generate demand in urban markets by running organic and paid digital marketing campaigns. However, they integrate traditional and digital marketing channels to create brand awareness in rural markets. In addition to running search engine and social media marketing campaigns, they reach rural consumers by investing in television and print advertisements.

Changing Consumer Profiles

While discussing the difference between urban and rural marketing, we should not forget that consumer profiles change frequently in both environments. Mobile penetration and internet access make it easier for rural consumers to access content and ads designed for urban consumers.

Additionally, governments have been revamping rural markets by building basic infrastructure like roads, electricity, and telecommunication. The rural schemes launched by governments help rural consumers earn regular income without relying on agricultural activities. Hence, enterprises have to implement area-specific marketing strategies to gain urban and rural market shares simultaneously.

Conclusion

Most enterprises these days generate incremental revenue by running rural and urban marketing campaigns simultaneously. They increase demand for products or services by keeping in mind the difference between rural and urban marketing. Additionally, they prioritize marketing strategies that help them reach consumers living in rural and urban environments.