A Bridge Across India(s)

Marketing beyond the Demographic and Psychographic Divide

Context:

I recently read three articles in one of the newspapers. One that spoke about the income disparity that exists in India and if I may add, one that is widening. Combined with another article they tried to make sense of the income classes in India. A third article a few days later, gave data pertaining to education and economic affluence.  Leaving the socialist aspects aside, the averages as usual by themselves are misleading and deceptive.

Exhibit A:

According to a statistic (source or basis not explicitly mentioned by the report) an income of Rs2.9Lakhs per annum puts one into the Top 10% earners and to enter the Top 1% an income of Rs.20.7Lakhs per annum shall suffice. However, to get into the Top 0.1% you need an annual income of Rs.2.25Crores. The comparable numbers in terms of accumulated wealth or net assets for these brackets are Rs.21Lakhs and Rs.82Lakhs for the Top 10% and Top 1% respectively.

Exhibit B:

The associated article in the same newspaper quoted data from 2 reports namely the Indus Valley Report 2025 and the Knight Frank Wealth Report 2025. The Indus Valley Report proposes the concept of 3 Indias based on income categories

  1. India 1 – Representing the wealthiest 10% of the population who have a per capita income of USD15000 (Rs12.8Lakhs) comprising of approximately 30MN households
  2. India 2 – 23% of population with per capita income of USD3000 (Rs.2.5Lakhs); ~70MN households
  3. India 3 ­– 67% of population with per capita income of USD1000 (Rs.85Thousand); ~200MN households

Exhibit C:

The third article looked at the social caste construct and how it impacted education levels. Education it opined and I agree is perhaps the biggest factor in inter-generational upward mobility. The article also referred to data gathered by the NSSO.

Premise:

Looking at these numbers set the marketer in me thinking about what lies beyond these income/wealth numbers and how we as a tribe use the demographic data for creating/defining our target audiences. The thought then led to a further reading and assimilation of data from a wider range of articles and reports.

What also found its way into my thinking were my recent experiences with studying Consumer Archetypes and my interactions with a vast set of consumers trying to understand their aspirations and motivations.

While by no means exhaustive or even pretending to be scholarly my notes as I made them threw up a pattern that potentially can serve as a de facto framework for marketing to Indian consumers based on 3 broad dimensions:

  1. Geographic
  2. Economic and
  3. Psychographic

A combination of these dimensions help us understand the 4As namely Availability, Affordability, Accessibility and Acceptability of Products and Services that we marketers aim to influence and promote.

Marketing is essential for raising awareness, building trust, and encouraging the use of services and products. 

From the point of view of the Geographic Divide i.e. Urban and Rural, inclusive marketing involves more than just targeting rural audiences—it requires a thoughtful understanding of their distinct challenges and cultural backgrounds to create meaningful connections and promote the adoption.

Nielsen reports provide important insights into overall consumer trends, spending patterns, and the key role affordability plays in shaping consumer behavior across different groups. With much of India’s economic activity and spending power concentrated in urban areas, a targeted approach is essential to effectively understand and engage rural markets through customized marketing strategies.

  • Rural consumers are generally more price-sensitive and favor local brands that meet their needs and budget.
  • Urban consumers are more brand-conscious and are influenced by national/international brands and media trends.
  • Rural families are often larger, with centralized decision-making by one person.
  • Urban families are usually smaller and nuclear, with shared decision-making between male and female members.

On the Economic dimension, the narrowing of the consumption – expenditure gap between urban and rural areas, coupled with the increasing inclination towards non-food items in rural spending, signifies an expanding market with evolving needs and preferences. Marketers who recognize this burgeoning potential and tailor their offerings to meet these specific demands are poised for success.

Fueled by rising income levels and various government support initiatives, the purchasing power of rural consumers is on an upward trajectory.

Growing access whether in terms of transport infrastructure paving access to higher order necessities such as health, education or to information and awareness courtesy the digital access that the penetration of mobile phones and internet have meant higher aspirations.

Believe it or not the axis, however low it might have been has considerably shifted up and right over the last 2 decades. Therefore, understanding the Psychographic aspect of the change is an imperative. Unfortunately, as old school as I may sound, data alone cannot get marketers across the line.

There is no substitute to first hand exposure to the consumer. A marketer worth her salt cannot, dare I say should not compromise on living a day in the life of the consumer(s) they aspire to market to. Multiple times over, if need be.

Bridging the demographic and the psychographic divide in India necessitates a strategic and sustained commitment to understanding and effectively serving the unique needs of different archetypal consumer profiles that emerge based on the dimensions and factors outlined.

Archetypes

Debatable as they may (and intentionally so) the broad archetypes that emerged according to my notes are as below:

The Rulers

The prime movers and shakers if not already who-is-who these are folks who are heading there or at the very least striving to. They are setting trends and shaping narratives – social, political and economic as they go along. The Rulers are the HAVES.

    The Controllers

    They are the country cousins of the archetype just above. They have POWER and do not hesitate to wield it. They are always in-step or at worst one behind with what is current and trending. Social superiority is essential. The Controllers are the MUST HAVES.

      The Aspirers

      Their trajectory is pointing upwards and their ambitions are keeping it there. They have SKILL and KNOWLEDGE to get where they want to. They are the difference between a fad and trend! They are the WANTS.

        The Dreamers

        They are doing well for themselves though things could always be better. The dreamers are happy with the fact that it is possible for them to be better. However, ambition takes back seat for sentimental reasons or contentment or pragmatism. They are the COULD BES’.

          The Warriors

          They are inching towards a better life for themselves. Every day is a battle they fight and WIN. Bruised and battered they may be but they wear their battle scars with pride. Making ends meet is not the goal it is something they have to do to get to it. The Warriors are a tribe that is armed with a can do spirit but they are the MUST DOS’.

            The Survivors

            They have limitations, severe ones. The absence of privilege of any sort is what defines them. Yes, they depend on others but that is just the cards they have been dealt. There is a desire to change their future and rid themselves of the baggage of the past (socio-economic). They are the NEEDS.

            3×2 India Framework

            This proposal based on a top-level analysis of consumer psychographics and consumption patterns unveils distinct differences between urban and rural populations across the economic divide. The image that follows tries to give context to the archetypes on 2 axes based on Geographic and Financial. This placement of consumer types in context underlines the need for tailored marketing strategies across the archetypes.

            Key strategies for success include prioritizing localized product offerings and pricing, building robust distribution networks that penetrate remote areas, utilizing local languages and culturally relevant messaging, and fostering trust through transparency and community engagement.

            Conclusion

            The increasing reach of digital platforms presents significant opportunities, but addressing the challenges of connectivity and digital literacy requires a hybrid approach that integrates digital outreach with strong community-based initiatives.

            There are some useful and celebrated case studies in the form of Project Shakti and e-Choupal that demonstrate that a deep understanding of the local context and a willingness to adapt strategies are fundamental to achieving meaningful impact in rural India. However, these need to be perhaps revisited through the lens of economic disparities too.

            Ultimately, bridging the divide requires a long-term commitment from businesses in general and more specifically marketers along with other stakeholders to create a more inclusive and holistic marketing construct that speaks to all consumer types.

            Ready?!