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Sanguine Media expands initiatives for rural marketing promotions
The company has launched Samrat, a custom designed mobile vehicle for rural marketing, in which 10 different brands from non-competing categories can be displayed in an interesting manner
Sanguine Media, a Chennai based specialised marketing promotions and events company, has added a new dimension to its offering in the rural marketing space. It has launched Samrat, a custom designed vehicle (van) for on-the-move product marketing and brand promotion initiatives aimed at penetrating rural markets.
“The biggest problem in mobile rural marketing promotions is that everyone in the village/town doesn’t patronise it,” says DV Vinod Gopal, managing director and CEO, Sanguine Media. Therefore, something more involving had to be done in order to get people to come and watch the van and maybe even buy the product at the venue.
| An example of a Samrat van. Click here to see bigger image. |
Apart from providing room for product exhibitions and brand messages, Samrat will also enable the promoters of the brand to perform dances and host other events (a ‘mela’ or festival of sorts) on the van itself. “Festivals are a sure-shot hit with rural people and we think such performances by brand owners/brand ambassadors should be received well,” says Gopal.
Three village markets can be covered in a day, reaching out to about 12,000 people. As per Sanguine estimates, a fleet strength of 800 vehicles is required for covering every village each quarter in South India alone.
The van also provides webcam facilities, through which the brand owners can remain in the city and actually view and check the brand activity, thereby ensuring accountability. Other features include ‘ready to roll’ state of the art audiovisual equipment with large screen projection; special sound and light equipment; a stage for live events and game shows; modular design of space for mobile exhibitions, accommodating 10 different brands on a single platform and air-conditioned inflatable rooms for use by brand ambassadors.
Each van can carry about 10 tonnes of weight. The fact that the van can display 10 brands (from non-competing categories) at one time implies a cost-sharing model.
“Our field experience shows that single-product promotions do not elicit as much response as multiple products do,” Gopal says.
Sanguine Media is looking to launch 40-50 such mobile vans over the next few years, five-seven vans per month. The activity will have an initial thrust towards South India, which houses a large portion of the Indian rural belt. A total of Rs 2.5 crore has been pumped into the activity and constructing and designing each van will cost around Rs 8-10 lakh.
© 2006 agencyfaqs!