MRSI Rural Panel Paper Presentation

Cutting Edge Research Changing dynamics and expectations

21st Annual Market Research Seminar

Sept 29,30 2011 - Bangalore

Naina Jayarajan – AVP, Ipsos

Indranil Dey – Manager, Ipsos

Juhi Singh –Research Exec., Ipsos

“Small minds discuss people,

Average minds discuss events,

But GREAT minds discuss IDEAS”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Reaching Rural India

– Rural Data:

• Limited data due to low spend on primary research

• Some secondary data available but mostly from

unverified sources

– India:

• More than 1 billion consumers

• More than 70% rural population

– 638,000 villages

– Huge untapped potential for a marketer

– It’s a market with its own challenges

FACT FILE

Genesis of the ‘IDEA’

Challenges for Marketers

Reaching the consumers:

– Communication:

• Lower interaction with mass media reduce

effectiveness

• Multi media has a different definition for rural

– Product:

• Difficult to access remote villages per se

• Different distribution systems

– Transport:

• Limited public transport

• Lack of personalized transport

Economic factors:

– Difference in disposable income

– Difference in spending patterns

– Different pattern of buying behavior

– Both cash and credit mode exists

Challenges for Marketers

Challenges for Marketers

- Research Perspective

Respondent Eccentricities

– Linear thinking

• Simplicity is the key to getting an appropriate response

– Herd presence when responding

• Adds comfort as well as bias

– Literacy barrier

• Visual aids for answering facilitate quick & honest

responses

• Local lingo nuances have to be incorporated

– Rural boundaries are difficult to cross

• Occasionally a ‘us versus them’ bias towards

urbanites’ understanding of rural

• Context of use / response could be different from

marketers’

Challenges for Marketers

- Research Perspective

The Big ‘IDEA’

What is the big ‘IDEA’?

“Developing an innovative & cost effective

research method for reaching out to the

consumers in rural India, through a self

administered, audio visual, touch screen

kiosk; placed at the village Kirana store”

What are the USPs?

– Self administered Kiosk: Interviewers do not need to

travel frequently, also reduces biases

– Kiosk placed at local Kirana Store: Central location in

village ensuring higher rate of participation

– Interactive, Audio Visual, Touch Screen interface:

Ensures overcoming illiteracy barrier

– Data extraction via mobile technology: Cutting down

data entry and data processing time

Operationalizing

The Big ‘IDEA’

Who will be our partners

• Retailers who are not intimidated by technology

• In case of multiple Kirana Stores in a village – store

will be selected on the basis of footfalls / location

• Going forward it could include various other partners

like village schools, Kissan Kendras, etc.

Where we will be going

• To start with we will be going to villages which

are relatively affluent and more accessible.

How many interviews can be done?

• Approximately 40-50 interviews in a month will

be targeted per category

• Sample size might differ based on the

population density

Self Administered Kiosk

Question 1:

Who goes to the retailer to buy bathing soap in your

house?

Please touch the button below the option you want to select

Interactive Questionnaire

Question 2:

Which soap are you using currently?

Interactive Questionnaire

Please touch the button below the option you want to select

Data Management

– Usage of Mobile Network:

• The Kiosks can be synchronized with

the central server once a week via

mobile network with help of an inbuilt

software.

• Once retailer confirms on

synchronization, updated

questionnaire will be downloaded on

the Kiosk and the data collected will

be exported to the central server.

Engagement Plan

Village Awareness Programs

• Gathering villagers at Panchayat office / center

of village and making them aware of Kiosk.

• Demonstration of how to use the kiosk

Engaging Respondents

– Initial draw - novelty of the kiosk:

• Self administered touch screen kiosk

• Interactive audio visual interface

– Respondent Incentive:

• Small token gift like Rs. 2 shampoo sachet for every

completed interview. However they will be allowed to

answer only once for any study/category

• Respondents can earn multiple gifts by responding for

different categories, in case of syndicated studies

• Additional gift for female respondents to ensure higher

participation

Engaging Retailers

– Retailer Incentive:

• Monthly monetary incentives

– Associated Benefits:

• Increase in footfalls

• Popularity of store

• Social status and recognition

• Supply of respondent gifts

Cutting down time & cost

Time Saving

– Cutting down the project turn around time:

• Significantly reduced travel for interviewer

• Questionnaires updated from server through

mobile network

• Data uploaded to the server through mobile

network

• No requirement for data entry

Cost Saving

– Cutting down project cost:

• Self administered kiosk – relatively less expense on

interviewer payments, TA & DA

• No physical questionnaire – saves cost on printing and

courier

• Data entry not required – saves cost on data punching

• Though the initial setup cost will be higher, but once the

system stabilizes the cost is expected to be cheaper

than conducting pen and paper interviews.

Quality Checks

– Maintaining Quality:

• During the initial phase basic demographic information

like age, gender, marital status, etc. will be collected

and unique id will be assigned to each respondent

• Unique ids will be linked with finger print scanner,

hence duplications can be avoided

• Mystery visits will be conducted to check whether the

retailer is maintaining the kiosk properly

• Gifts dispensed and successful interviews will be

tallied to avoid malpractice

Quality First

On Ground Challenges

• Identifying the right Kirana Store

• Training the retailer

• Transportation of the devices and installation

• Maintenance of devices

• Alternative power source – Battery / Solar

• Lack of Mobile Network – Higher involvement of retailer

in downloading and uploading through internet from

nearby town

• Language barrier – Local language translation & voice

dubbing

Operational Challenges

Other Challenges

• Initial setup cost will be higher

• Gestation period before people get used to the

new technology

• At the initial phase the demographic profile of

the villages will not be available - To over

come this we will be capturing the

demographic information at the initial phase

so that we have ready demographic

information for future references.

Probable Limitations

– Type of studies

• Studies conducted through the kiosk should be short

and simple in nature, with simple questions that can be

represented visually

• Complicated studies with quota based sample will be

difficult to handle

• Questionnaire length should be restricted to 5 mins

• Open-ended questions can not be administered

– Should be a long term client engagement

– Permissions might be required from the Village

Panchayat

Probable Limitations

Increasing Coverage

– Once the system stabilizes, the kiosk can be

rotated across multiple locations in the village

– Other than the Kirana Store, the kiosk can also

be placed at the following places within the

village

• Panchayat office

• Post office

• Co-operative office

• Fertilizer shop

• Schools

Increasing Coverage

– Through the kiosk information can be collected

for 5 – 10 categories.

– To maintain data quality, a respondent will be

allowed to answer for certain number of

categories in a month.

Contd.

Applicability as a Marketer

– CPG:

• Purchase pattern for different products

• Category consumption

• Brand awareness & usage

• Basic pack test in terms of colour & symbol

• Evaluation of POP materials

• Checking price points

• Attractiveness of various promotions

Applicability by Industry

– TELECOM:

• Awareness of mobile service providers

• Current service provider

• Denomination and frequency of recharge

• Usage pattern

• Awareness of different mobile handsets

• Current ownership of handset

• Handset replacement

Applicability by Industry

– MEDIA:

• Media habits

• Reach of different media

• Programs watched / listened to

• TV channels watched / Radio stations listened to

Applicability by Industry

Similarly across BFSI, Auto,

Agriculture, Social sectors, etc.

Finally…

–Maximum efficiency can be

achieved by conducting syndicated

studies

Syndicated Research

Thank You