Northpointers greeted this new year away from the comforts of home, in a stranger atmosphere and ready to conduct their first solo research project. Yes, it was time for our Rural Internship.
Each batch was divided into three groups with their own objectives or brands, while each group had three teams tackling their individual markets- Nagpur, Indore and Lucknow. The Market Research batch had diverse objectives. From testing the efficacy of Digital India initiatives to mapping the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education in providing basic necessities, the Market Research batch set to prove the ground reality of the government’s much touted ventures.
The Marketing Communication Batch on the other hand was given briefs from three different clients in different categories- from hair oil to edible salt and shavecare, the batch had to use their rural research to effectively communicate the brand’s concerns. Stay tuned to get more updates on our rural findings!
The preparations were done. The research design and conceptualization was done in Northpoint under the guidance of Mr Indranil Ray and Mr Sharad Varshney(insert designation) who redirected us whenever we took off from the correct path.
Armed with their survey forms and discussion guides which they took weeks to deliberate, ponder over and prepare, the Northpointers were ready to research in their respective rural areas. The objective- to gather data- both qualitative and quantitative from 7 Villages in the neighbouring areas of our designated cities.
From stepping in, in the early morn, to stepping out before dusk, our entire experience of a village life opened up our eyes while at the same time humbling us. Our perceptions were shattered while the ground reality was reinforced.
We came across people of varying beliefs, ethics and perceptions towards life. From open-hearted grandmas inviting us inside their house for lunch to being shunned and scorned with suspicion by others in the area, our experience was on the whole hugely diverse yet with a tinge of warmth. The communal behaviour of a village made us feel as if we were a part of something bigger, that as an experience would be incredible and difficult to replicate.
Snigdha Lahiry