Hindustan Lever - Rural Marketing Initiatives

In June 2002, the employees of Hindustan Lever Ltd. (HLL), a subsidiary of the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Unilever and India's leading FMCG company literally took to streets. The company was undertaking a promotional exercise in the rural areas of three states - Madhya Pradesh (MP), Bihar and Orissa for its utensil-cleansing bar, 'Vim.' A part of HLL's ongoing television (TV) campaign, 'Vim Khar Khar Challenge¹,' the promotion drive involved company officials to visit rural towns and demonstrate how vessels are cleaned with Vim. Commenting on this, Sanjay Bhel, HLL's Marketing Manager, said, "For the purpose, we are educating the rural masses on the on-going 'Vim Khar Khar Challenge' TV commercial by conducting live demonstrations about vessel cleaning.

The company had, in fact, earned the distinction of becoming one of the few Indian companies that had tapped the country's vast rural population so extensively. It was therefore not mere coincidence that around 50% of its turnover came from rural markets.

With the penetration of their products reaching saturation levels in many urban markets, FMCG companies had to turn towards rural areas in order to sustain revenue growth and profitability. Since the disposable income in the hands of rural people had been increasing in the late-1990s and the early 21st century, it made sense for companies to focus their energies on this segment.