Saurabh Singh

“Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid”- Where is this bottom???

Mr. CK Prahlad wrote a book which made history which changed Business. The way of working, the way of approaching things…

India has 6 lac 25 thousand villages as per the last census. Each village constitutes an average of 300 to 400 people. We have 30% of our population living in cities – roughly 40 crores. But what about the remainder 90 crore populace?

Out of these 40 crores we have 30 crore mobile users and 10 crore Television viewers. We have social media, internet, television, radio, mobile so on and so forth. But do we have a communication strategy which intervenes and touches all 130 crore people in one go? It’s the biggest marketing challenge ever. How can we do it? What will be the means, promotions, product placements? How much budget will it require? Which product is a mass product which touches the entire 130 crore people? Which give aspiration to everyone to use it? How actually can we touch the bottom of the pyramid and make the most of it?

We have Segmentation, Customer Profiling, Location & Demographics, Social and Cultural diversity, and then finally we also have the buying behavior pattern. But the challenge still remains as to whether we can really touch 130 crore people at one go. Can a product have the capacity to do that, and if so, how will it be measured? What will be the competitive mapping? As soon as you think of this product what Brand hits your mind which can aspire to do that.

Some products I can think of include:

1. Nestle - Maggi
2. Parle-G
3. Airtel
4. Rin
5. Lifebuoy

Apart from that we can also add Coca-Cola and Pepsi, but does any product have that appeal which creates a value addition for the entire spectrum of 130 crore customers. A product which is as essential as “Water, Air and Food”.

I can think of one product category which has become today essential and the 4th category after the above 3 which can target the 130 crore people at one go. We have technological innovations, mobile, internet and television…all are a necessity today more than experience, fun and entertainment. We hate them, we crib about them, but the truth of the matter is that we still require them. Mobile telephony and technologies like 3G and 4G have the bandwidth and the capability to integrate all the 3 into one and become a ONE STOP SOLUTION for all your needs and requirements. It has become a tool and an essential commodity without which we cannot live and which communicates with 130 crore people with one go. Everyone is connected…… it is affordable, convenient and much utilized.

India wants to be a super power by the year 2020. Is this the enabler which can revolutionize all the sectors, product categories, change consumer behavior, buying patterns, and the way we perceive things. It can amalgamate PR, Media, Event, Retail, Outdoor, Digital, TVC, Print, E-Commerce and Radio all at one go. In the real sense an IMC - AN EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE PRODUCT LAUNCH - FOR THE NATION, WITH THE NATION and BY THE NATION (ie: the people of India). And that is when we can definitely say that we have found “FORTUNE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID”.