Impact of Rural Marketing Strategies on Consumer Behaviour: A Study of FMCG Sector in Prayagraj

Abstract

Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry is the major element of the Indian economy, particularly in the rural regions where a large concentration of population is counted. The research paper comments on the rural marketing process by the FMCG companies particularly focusing on the Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh. The study is quantitative in nature in which the researcher uses primary data that is distributed in 200 questionnaires, in the form of structured questioners, to the consumers in the rural area. The fundamental aspect is the assessment of the marketing strategies of pricing, promoting, distribution, and adaptation of products on the behaviour of consumers. The hypothesis on which the study is being tested is as follows: (a) relates to the existence of a significant difference between the rural marketing strategies and consumer buying behaviour in the Prayagraj district. To analyse, statistical tools ANOVA, Chi-square test, Regression analysis and Pearson Correlation have been used. The ANOVA test also indicated significant difference across groups of income respondents, meaning that income sensitive trends of marketing strategies indeed emerged in the results. The results demonstrated through the Chi-square test indicated that the relationship between the promotional schemes and the purchase decisions was strong. Regression analysis indicated that availability of products and their pricing are the main predictors of consumer preference whereas correlation analysis indicated that there exists high correlation between advertisement and brand recall indicating a positive relationship with high levels of correlation. The discoveries emphasise the role of localised marketing, community dimension, and value pricing to reach deeper in the rural market. The paper provides some practical advice to set FMCG firms on their strategies and fit with the rural demand and attract better market share in the districts such as Prayagraj.