Overview

The client, one of India’s top steel companies was seeking solutions for its premium iron rebar products to establish rural distribution networks and demand generation in uncovered areas with low brand salience and product knowledge.

Project Background 

The client is a manufacturer of premium steel rebars used in construction. They had a requirement for tertiary channel development in rural and semi urban areas. The tertiary channel development had to be supported in parallel with order generation through influencer marketing and product knowledge dissemination to end consumers (Independent Home Builders or IHBs)

Challenge

There were three primary challenges: the absence of a distribution network in the identified Blocks, the lack of an existing database of dealers or retailers, and low awareness and salience of the company’s products and brand in these markets amongst the trade as well as consumers. Further, justifying premium pricing in a category lacking visible product differentiation and demonstration effect posed an additional challenge.

Our Approach

We designed and implemented a comprehensive 360-degree strategy to address both trade and consumer needs. Districts were segmented into uncovered Blocks, focusing on key construction markets for data collection of relevant retailers. Interested retailers with the necessary space and investment capacity were then shortlisted for subsequent onboarding as tertiary channel partners. The field team extended coverage to residential areas, identifying IHB construction sites for conversion. Homeowners were briefed on the client’s brand, product features, advantages, and benefits and how home owners would gain by using the client’s products. There was also active engagement with key influencers like masons. Local mason meets were conducted where they were briefed on rebars benefits and enrolled in the client’s loyalty program.

Key Takeaways

The program has been successfully running for over 4 years. From a pilot in one state, the assignment has expanded to multiple states and significant additional business volumes