To market, to market...

MY BIG IDEA

Priya Monga, business head of RC&M, moved from Rajasthan to Chandigarh to do her post-graduation in textile engineering from Punjab University.

But she chose a completely different career when she joined her husband Rajesh Monga's rural communication and marketing business in the early 1990s where, since 1997, she oversees the overall functioning of RC&M.

THE INITIAL STAGES
One of RC&M's earlier stints included a Grameen Mela that it developed for Procter & Gamble in 1995. P&G had just entered the Indian market and was using the Godrej network to sell its products.

RC&M decided to use the mela to educate village folk about P&G products as well as entertain them. A mela-like ambience was created with colourful stalls, numerous games and branded prizes. This became a huge success.

For RC&M it was a major task dismantling the entire infrastructure and taking it to the next venue every other day. But I enjoyed every moment and learnt more and more ways of sharpening our business.

TALENT FOR DEVISING NEW TECHNIQUES
From the very beginning I realised that I have a knack for developing innovative techniques in presentations.

For instance, my idea Grameenon Ke Beech (GKB), a concerted rural communication programme that focused on family planning and immunisation in central and western Uttar Pradesh, was really appreciated.

The mela covered 1,000 villages and 2,000 satellite villages over a period of six months. RC&M also initiated the project Chetna for Sifpsa, a social organisation, with 120 melas in UP in 2003. My involvement was from conceptualisation to presentaion.

CONSTANT INNOVATION
Realising that no two clients have identical requirements, I had the uphill task of constantly having to devise solutions best suited to different clients. So when JK Tyre wanted to reach their target consumer group (tractor owners), RC&M came up with its campaign "Sahi Chunaav".

This included one-on-one interactions between the representatives of JK Tyre and the target audience. Similarly, for HLL's tea we devised "Nautanki on Wheels".

A nautanki troupe performing every couple of days in different villages informed people about the brand, with performances on top of a van. RC&M has also participated extensively in fairs and at haats, including the Maha Kumbh, for a number of clients, putting up their stalls.

DISTINCT IDENTITY
I realised that to make RC&M different from other rural marketing companies we would have to do something new and we ventured into mobile exhibits. Our theme-based mobile showrooms had Godrej as the first client in the mid-1990s.

Since then, there have been several including Colgate, Dabur and Philips. Today, we have several company-owned trucks carrying mobile exhibits throughout the country.

RELYING ON STRENGTHS
I feel RC&M's success depends on its 300-strong workforce. Most of these people have been with us for at least five years and have been involved in hardcore sales and marketing.

Together we have managed over 65 campaigns, which has made RC&M a pioneer in the rural marketing sector. I know I would have been nothing if it weren't for these people.

Finances were raised from our own resources and we have expanded our business gradually and systematically. Today, we have achieved the critical size needed in our business.