Communicating in Media Dark Areas
Companies have to communicate with their consumers and deliver value. This is achievable in areas where consumers are educated and have access to media – and these conditions exist in markets in the developed world and also in urban areas in developing countries. But communicating to distant, scattered villages, or areas where the majority of the population is poor—areas called media-dark—poses a great challenge for business. Further, the target audience may also have no access to education or media. Communicating in these markets physically is simply not economical or feasible. This chapter describes the challenges of reaching consumers in media dark environments. It explores how companies are getting over these obstacles. Drawing on case studies describing innovative use of communication methods, it explains how initiatives can succeed in BOP areas using innovative approaches. A media communication mix is proposed for successfully reaching out to consumers in BOP markets.