Feedback on RMAI Presentation on ‘Impact of Economic Slowdown on Rural Markets of India’ held at 16th Feb 2009 at Mumbai– by Puneet Srivastava
1. Something that’s running at 20% of its potential has enough latency to generate from within to worry about the outside world.
2. I feel, we want the cream, without going through the ‘churning process’ very much essential to have that cream. All what we (as corporate) do is oscillate between our ‘top-line’ and ‘bottom-line’ theories, at our convenience. So, if action’s dull at Uncle Sam’s end or for that matter on the Dalal Street, my mantra suddenly becomes – ‘Go Rural’. Or may be the big-boss wanted a change of air! Otherwise to us a rural is still what Manoj Kumar showed in his movies to earn that fame of being called ‘Bharat Kumar’, four decades ago.
3. Barring a FMCG company, TV as industry and Telecom sector which hit the unexpected fortune, quite unknowingly, whatever has been done in the so-called ‘rural’, with all the so-called penetration and depth of reach, can at best qualify as either a Pilot or a CSR or a POC (proof-of-concept); a bit here and a bit there and that’s it. But that’s not because the market’s not there. Actually it’s contrary.
4. In my little experience, if say something has happened to the extent of 100%, then my contribution as a marketer to that success would be no more than 35%. For the rest, it somehow happened and I simply happened to be there. It was my customer and my market, which decided the direction, where the business went. I was more of a mute spectator, put simply a mere facilitator.
5. To summarize: I feel, we need to ask just one question – The giant is alive and growing on its own. Are ‘we’ really ready to feed its appetite? The problem is not with ‘them’. The problem is with ‘us’. We might not have realised, but, something’s rising quietly in our neighbourhood and this time it’s not waiting for us to see them through. It’s all set to claim its share from the pie of cake and in most likelihood bake its own cake.
Thank you
