ARC: Connections: ELMAR: Posting

---

CALL FOR PAPERS

Special Issue on Rural Marketing: Marketing to Rural, Poor, or Disadvantaged Consumers

International Journal of Rural Management (http://irm.sagepub.com/)

Extended Deadline for Submission: January 7, 2012

Edited by:

Pratik Modi, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)

“These unhappy times call for the building of plans that rest upon the forgotten, the unorganized but the indispensable units of economic power…that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt in his April 7, 1932 radio address.

Most of the emerging economies of the world are predominantly rural in characteristics. This rural context poses several challenges, such as low-income, absence of basic marketing infrastructure, subsistence living, irregular income and demand patterns, dependence on agriculture, high social stratification, lack of social mobility, and traditional value orientation, to marketers. These challenges may require new marketing thinking to deal with the issues and to realize vast potential of thus far ignored rural markets. This is an emerging area and studies that try to understand the challenges and issues involved in marketing to rural are far and few.

In this special issue, we invite contributions from scholars and practitioners on the issues pertaining to rural marketing. Rural is a metaphor here representing the marginalized and disadvantaged section of the society. The indicative list of topics is mentioned below; however, they are by no means exhaustive or restrictive.

• The scope, domain, definition, or interpretations of rural marketing.
• Research or methodological innovations related to rural marketing.
• Theoretical contributions related the various aspects of rural marketing
• Consumer behaviour in rural markets.
• Adaptation of the 4Ps of marketing in rural markets.
• Rural distribution including public distribution system (PDS).
• Rural retailing.
• Communication strategies for rural markets.
• Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning issues in rural markets.
• Branding decisions in rural markets.
• Impact of marketing activities on the lives of the rural poor.
• New product development and innovations for rural markets.
• New product development and Innovations from rural markets.
• Case studies on marketing to or its impact on rural, poor, or disadvantaged consumers.
• Developmental aspects of rural marketing.

Submit your contributions via email to the special issue editor by 7 January 2012 (Email: pratik@irma.ac.in) All papers will be subject to double-blind peer review. The selected papers shall be published in the first issue of 2012. Your manuscript and all editorial correspondence should be addressed to: Pratik Modi, The Special Issue Editor, International Journal of Rural Management, IRMA Campus, Anand – 388001, India. Email: pratik@irma.ac.in. Mention clearly in the subject field that the submission be considered for the special issue. The author guidelines can be requested from the special issue editor or can be accessed on the journal website (http://irm.sagepub.com/).

Special Issue Editor
Pratik Modi
Assistant Professor of Marketing
Institute of Rural Management Anand
Anand – 388001
India.
E-mail: pratik@irma.ac.in
Fax: +91 2692 260188
Phone: +91 2692 221634

---

The Hardware and Software Behind ELMAR Is Paid for with AMA Dues Please Support ELMAR by joining the AMA or renewing your membership