RC&M launches rural activity, 'Grameenon Ke Beech'

The two-month long rural activation mela will see participants like Kodak, Parlé, Cadburys, Tata Salt (i-shakti), Wipro, Idea, Bajaj, and GSK

'Grameenon Ke Beech' or GKB -- a syndicated fair activation from the stable of the experiential marketing specialist, RC&M -- covering around 1,200 villages in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in a phased manner, kick starts today.

The rural carnival initiative is born out of the fact that in such markets, there are no real entertainment options. Thus, GKB provides a fun-filled outing for villagers, and at the same time, acts as a sales platform for brands across categories.

RC&M launches rural activity, 'Grameenon Ke Beech'

The mela has been organised in association with participant brands such as Kodak, Parlé, Cadbury, Tata Salt (i-shakti), Wipro, Idea, Bajaj, and GSK. Each brand will offer an array of products to interact with the rural TG, in an environment of fun and entertainment.

Population strata in all the villages will be covered through pre-publicity activities, games on a brand's stall and 240 other mela events to be conducted over a period of two months.

Beginning two days prior to the mela, pre-publicity activities in each village include putting up banners, doing mike announcements in the local language, and distributing pamphlets with information on events. Also, representatives from RC&M will visit various schools, inviting school kids to the fair, thus ensuring the participation of parents as well.

The mela in each village will be inaugurated by the Sarpanch and MLA of the area. To ensure word-of-mouth publicity, other key members of the Panchayat will be briefed in advance on the key events happening at the mela.

Cadbury's chocolates will be handy at the inauguration to start things on an auspicious note. An executive at Cadbury informs that the brand expects to reach around six lakh consumers and 10,000 retailers through this initiative.

The key attraction at the fair will be the stalls erected by each brand. These stalls will engage the visitors through interactive games. For instance, the Kodak stall will have a simple jigsaw puzzle, where the pieces will come together to form the brand's name.

Focusing on purity, Tata Salt will conduct a test, where one teaspoon of salt will be dissolved in a glass of water. The test will show that Tata Salt gets dissolved completely, leaving no granules, which are present in the case of low-quality salts.

Bajaj, too, plans to use the platform for a product launch.

Priya Monga, business head, RC&M tells afaqs!, "It will be very expensive for each of our participant brands to get into these villages with specific activities. By creating a common platform at the fairs, we provide brands a direct contact with a family that includes multiple TGs. Obviously, kids play a crucial role in bringing families to such places."

She adds that over a period of two months, GKB will reach out to around 15 lakh people.

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