IIM Indore aims to Bridge the Gap Between a Marketer's Plans and Consumer's Mind in Utsaha 2009

IIM Indore aims to Bridge the Gap Between a Marketer's Plans and Consumer's Mind in Utsaha 2009

The Kimberly Clark project team researching diaper usage was holding a free health check up clinic for all the children and women at the venue. Armed with a doctor, scales, measuring tape, etc., they were handing out prescriptions to the people and educating them about the importance of good health and hygiene.

The Mela started at 6 am and very soon within a short span of time the place was packed with people. Men, women and children covered the whole ground and interacted with pleasure and ease with the IIM. The students found the people forthcoming, warm, hospitable and friendly. Very soon with music playing, some women started dancing to the lilting tunes soon joined step to step by the students.

With the fuel of enthusiasm and fun from the IIM Indore student community evident throughout the event. The learning from the interaction with rural consumers would stand all the students in good stead for their marketing and sales careers ahead! The final day of the mela would be held in the Badgonda grounds, with the entire festivities of Utsaha moving there!

Third and Final day of Utsaha

While the first two days, Utsaha was held in the village of Janapaw Kuti, the third day venue was shifted to Badgonda. The mela at Badgonda has been taking place for more than a hundred years now. With over 20,000 people coming to the mela, it was the quintessential platform for the students of IIM Indore to take a sneak peak into the minds of rural india.

The main objective of the students was to get insights about how products like Chik shampoo, Wheel washing powder, Breeze soap, Shakti pumps, Indica hair colour, Cadburys shots, Huggies diapers and Mortein coils are viewed by the rural consumers. These brands come from big corporate houses like HUL, Cavinkare, Reckitt benckiser, Cadburys, etc. who are targeting the rural consumer to expand their customer base.

It was by sheer coincidence that Rohit, A utsaha coordinator, came across a blog by Mr. Dev Kumar Vasudevan, who had been visiting this mela for close to two decades. With his help, Utsaha was able to go completely rural this year and achieve immense success.

Contributed by -
Media & PR Committee,
IIM, Indore.

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