Rural Chikitsa

Ankit Sharma
Gaurav Sharma
Vichika Singhal
Shashwat Sharma
 Challenges faced by pharma co.s in rural
market
• The typical Indian villager is a poor, superstitious and
ignorant
• Stocking is a problem in rural areas
• pharma companies have to play the dual role of an
educator and provider as there is no health centre or a
doctor
• cost of reaching the rural consumer is very high
• regional players offer products in nutraceutical or
ayurvedic segment to the consumers
• Local brands giving competition in OTC business
• The rural consumer is also highly brand loyal
unlike the fickle urban consumers
• There are many myths surrounding epilepsy
right from madness to black magic, especially
among less educated rural masses.
 Factors that Influence Rural Behaviour

Stimuli Attitude
Inputs to any senses >Consumer belief
Products Consumer feelings
Package
Commercials
Brand image
Reference
Perception
Information cues about
Depends on
the characteristics of the
product
Exposure Interpretation
Eg IFB had not adequately Educated Iodex – muscular pain
farmers about the Washing machine Reliever used on animals
-they thought It was a churn for making After hard days work in MP
large quantities of lassi (prosperous Godrej hair dye on Buffaloes
village of Punjab) To make them look better in
Village haats in Raichur
Drug for pain &fever -”Chikistsa”should
be sold ata PHC or a kiranawala?

• rural customers have a very different mindset, mostly

go to a PHC in case of bigger problems
• PHC may be an effective location for urban areas.
• Kiranawala is a place where people visit often
• For generic problems like pain and fever a rural
customer is likely to purchase through PHC only.
Although the role of kiranawala cannot be neglected in
wake of competition.
 MEDICINES

Smaller Bigger
problems problems

kinarawalas chemist PHC Chemist

 Rural Sales team or NGO?
• Many companies have reduced or stopped their
marketing activities while some others like
Ranbaxy and Nicholas Piramal have set up sales
forces to boost their activity in their favor.
• GSK wants to go for a different approach
through NGO’s and kiranawala’s.
• GSK suffered ineffectiveness and distribution
inefficiency while operating through a sales
force of 150 size.
• GSK should have a TWO WAY Approach to
attack rural market

GSK marketing
Two way
Approach

Indirect
Sales force
approach

Doctors &
NGO(missionary
Kiranavala’s PHC(Missionary
selling)
selling)
Promotion in Schools through NGO’S right?

• Yes, “Missionary selling” through NGO’s is an

untapped zone of marketing in rural areas
• This is and effective as well as efficient approach.

Reasons:-
Targeting children who are most likely to catch diseases
NGO’s are much cheaper and cost effective
Indirectly, parents also will get involved