Craft Marketing & RNFS
Xavier Institute of Management,
Bhubaneswar
Craft Marketing

Part of our cultural heritage
Craft Category
Example
A
Bamboo, Jute and Wood
B
Cloth and embroidery
C
Marble, metal and ceramic
D
Leather and Handicrafts
Classification by NABARD
Craft Marketing – Issues

Artisan mode of production Vs industrial mode of production

“Marketing Myopia”


Utility Vs decorative value
Access to markets
Stakeholders need to adapt to the emerging market realities
Continued

Working on the 4Ps is vital

Business Acumen with empathy of cultural & emotional dimensions

Margin pressure & survivalist nature

Need for end to end solution
Interventions strong as the weakest link in the chain
Craft Interventions( Indicative)

Cluster development initiatives, Example: UNIDO CDP , DC (
Handicrafts)

Corporate interventions,Example: Fabindia

Community/ individual based, Example:Khumbham Project

Co-operatives, Example: Weavers Co-operatives
Various institutional forms have advantages &
disadvantages
Fabindia

To become “ the world’s largest craft marketing organisation”

ROI of 25 percent by the second or third year of operation

Supporting the weaver by giving a fair share, technical help and
repeat orders

Standardization of procedures

Regular product diversification
Innovation, speed vital for sustained profitability
4Ps at Fabindia
Product
Institutionalised
procurement process
Advance
ordering
Systematic
order
scheduling
Clearly
mentioned
standards

Carrot & stick
approach
Price
Less price
sensitive
customer

Place
Online marketing
“ look- touch- feel”
process
Contrast to a
crowded craft mela
Creating product
synergy

Promotion
Launches
during Diwali
and wedding
season
Product
should speak
for itself
Khumbham

Aruvacode a small village near Nilambur in North Kerala

A village consisting of potters

Competition from substitutes & loss of dignity
Firing the imagination of potters for new product ideas
Mr. K B Jinan - Key Facilitator & Product Champion
How have potters responded?
Terracotta Pillars
Furniture
Continued
Terracotta Tiles
Terracotta Dinner
Set
Continued
Terracotta Journal Holder
Learnings from Khumbham

A market led product development process

Overcoming marketing myopia

Creating a wide – product range

Importance of key protagonists

Terracotta- finding a place in everyday reality

Crafts need to be never changing ever evolving

Similar experiments by RUDA in Rajasthan
Close of Session
Thank You