Gowthaman Ragothaman
Jul 8, 2014

Reaching diverse consumer groups: New consumers

As part of the Asia's Top 1000 Brands report, we asked a series of experts to provide insight into effective communication with specific consumer groups. In this third instalment, Mindshare's Gowthaman Ragothaman discusses a group that represents the last frontier of large-scale growth.

Gowthaman Ragothaman
Gowthaman Ragothaman

See the other instalments in this series: Seniors | High-net-worth consumers | LGBTI | Millennials

The emerging class consumer remains the last frontier for many advertisers as an opportunity for large-scale growth.

 

It has many different interpretations: ‘media dark’, ‘media live’, ‘low income’, ‘up country’, ‘semi-urban’, ‘rural migrants’ and so on. The reality is that all these definitions are applicable and relevant. The secret lies in choosing the most appropriate and valuable segment for brands.

In the last few years, the infrastructure to reach each of these segments has changed significantly. For example, mobile is now a content provider, channel and campaign manager. The channels of communication and the areas of influence differ drastically, with the single largest barrier being lack of insight and understanding of them — the result of most investments historically being made with the popular urban audiences — the segments we all live in and are familiar with.

The challenge is not to change preferences or in selling benefits, rather to change behaviour. The job is to focus on the community, try to build category and ultimately sell habits.

Asia's Top 1000 Brands 2014
Asia's Top 1000 Brands 2014:
Top 1000 ranking
Adspend for Top 100
Rankings back to 2004
Top 100 in 13 specific markets
Interactive comparisons
Analysis and commentary
Explore now >> 

This requires a fundamental mindset shift. It has to be personal. It has to be customised, and above all it requires investment in consumer insights.

The best way to mine insight on a large scale is to set a hypothesis and test it with a pilot. The hypothesis must not be just about consumer behaviour but across the entire marketing value chain from product form to consumption. To date we have launched large-scale pilots testing the hypothesis across, not just markets or countries but across 60 socio-cultural regions across ASEAN. Sumatra is different from Java and Kalimantan. Mekong is different from North Central Coast of Vietnam. Even within a state in India, Vidarbha is different from Coastal Maharashtra.

I do not think any other client invests in insights the way Unilever does. It has a serious commitment to developing a richness of knowledge that provides greater insights into the vast diversity of these segments. This is all about category development — not brand growth — with the focus right now on health and hygiene, which is so important in these segments. We still have a long way to go, but we are well on the journey. 

Gowthaman Ragothaman is COO, Asia-Pacific, with Mindshare

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

7 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Hajar Yusof, Naga DDB Tribal

Hajar’s initiatives reflect her commitment to innovation, diversity, and leaving a lasting legacy in the industry.

7 hours ago

Moo Deng says hands off unless you’ve washed up

Lifebuoy’s new campaign introduces a fresh face in hand hygiene, pairing AI with playful reminders to help keep those paws—er, hands—clean.

8 hours ago

The CMO's MO: Hyatt's APAC marketer on the power of ...

"Focus means saying no to 100 good ideas and saying yes to the great ones." Hyatt’s Tammy Ng shares how lessons from Steve Jobs and James Dyson are guiding her approach to personalising guest experiences.

9 hours ago

Trump’s victory isn’t just America’s crisis—it’s a ...

Make no mistake—2024’s US election was a calculated exercise in marketing from beginning to end, revealing a striking alignment with the very principles that drive our industry.