Research

We undertake market research to develop an in-depth understanding of ground level issues which then enables us to formulate winning marketing strategies for our clients.

It has been found that Western rating and ranking tools are often inappropriate in getting accurate responses from the less literate rural audiences. We have developed a set of research tools using color association and visuals which are found more appropriate in the rural settings. MART has also adapted social research tools such as participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and ethnography to get acute insights on rural lifestyle, knowledge, attitudes and practices.

A few typical research studies are described in brief below

Sectoral Studies
The opening of the insurance sector saw the entry of a number of private insurance companies. IRDA made it mandatory for all companies to achieve 15% of the total business from rural in 5 years. FICCI as an industry representative appointed MART to conduct a comprehensive study on rural insurance - issues, opportunities and challenges.

The qualitative study followed by quantitative study was conducted using a representative sample for the country. The study found awareness of life insurance was a high 93%. In 75% of the cases, LIC agent was the main source of awareness. Among SEC R1,R2 and R3, penetration of life insurance policy was 27% and most of them perceived it to be a savings product. The study also evaluated potential channel partners for rural insurance.

The report has been used as a reference guide by all private players in developing their strategies for tapping the rural markets.

Lifestyle
Technology can deliver quality services to remote locations where physical reach of experts is not feasible. Intel wanted to understand if need gaps in education and health services in rural India could be addressed with technology solutions and better medical facilities was a need expressed by all.

An ethnography study was conducted to observe and map the beliefs and behavior of rural men and women below 45 years and children between 15-18 years. Quality education of children emerged as the top felt need among young parents.

The study has helped the company in identifying new opportunities in education and health sectors.

Usage & Attitude
In bigger cities white cement mosaic flooring was loosing popularity to the more upmarket ceramic tiles and marble floors. Birla White cement wanted to identify new markets for itself and triggers for increasing usage of its product.

A qualitative study was conducted across small towns (< 1 lakh pop) to understand consumer knowledge, practices of mason and contractor preferences. Quantitative method was applied to understand consumer awareness of various white cement applications and attitude towards the product.

Consumer Profiling
Institutional rural financing has been restricted largely to primary lending for agriculture or under development schemes of government. Fullerton, a NBFC, saw an unmet demand in small lending business and wanted to understand how to best address the need.

An exploratory study was conducted to identify the different occupation profiles and clustering them into potential segments, farmers, traders, business, artisans and salaried people. Their financial behavior was studied including their perception of money lenders, problems faced with documentation, collaterals and procedural issues in borrowing from banks.

The study has helped the company in identifying the potential consumer segments and understanding their financial needs at different times of the year. The insights were used to design appropriate product offerings.

Product Research
Airtel a major telecom player saw a business opportunity for mobile phones in the growing rural markets. Airtel wanted to understand rural telecom needs and identify appropriate value added services.

A qualitative and quantitative study was undertaken to understand the rural consumers usage of mobile phone including voice, text and ringtones. Most rural consumers used only voice services. Only the youth was technically savvy and uses text messaging, ring tone downloads and even getting cricket news.

The company has developed packages for value added services, primarily focusing on ring tones and some services related to agriculture.

Measuring Communication Impact
The Hindi hinterland traditionally a major market for BBC Hindi service was loosing listenership. BBC embarked on a campaign to rebuild its listener base by developing localized programs for the aspiring youth to better engage with them.

We conducted an impact measurement study of the campaign and events within it.

In addition to the above, we have conducted several studies in the areas of brand research, buyer behavior, channel and retail, value chain analysis, testing communication tools and others.