Rise of Rural Consumers in Developing Countries by Mahajan Vijay;

Author:Mahajan, Vijay; [Mahajan, Vijay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: SAGE Publications India Pvt, Ltd.
Published: 2016-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

The Guddi Bajis fill that awareness gap by providing beauty advice and services—facial treatments, makeup, and the like—and they demonstrate how to use products. And, of course, they sell Unilever brands. “Customers can avail themselves of services—a blow-dry, makeup, etc.—learn to use the products properly and buy supplies from the Guddi Bajis,” said Ehsan Malik, who was Unilever Pakistan Chairman and CEO when we spoke.

While the Shakti program in India focused on creating sustainable incomes for poor women, Malik said, “driving beauty in rural Pakistan is our prime motive” with the Guddi Baji shops. Unilever even tapped Nabila Maqsood, one of Pakistan’s leading beauty specialists, to help design the initiative. But, as Malik went on to say: “Women’s empowerment is the result.” And indeed, the program was created with a full training regimen to help ensure success and empower rural women to earn money and contribute to the household income. One of the country’s most successful nonprofits, the Center for Education and Consciousness, developed the three-month training program, with classes held at government schools after the regular school day ends. Candidates were screened for enthusiasm and other qualities that would help them succeed.

Unilever engaged Baela Jamil, who runs programs for the NGO, to provide free tuition to women selected for the program and teach them about the products, beauty techniques, and how to sell to their customers. Habiba Haroon, who at the time oversaw the program for Unilever, said the women could make money charging for their services such as hair and skin care, applying makeup, and helping brides dress for their weddings. They could use any products on their customers, but they could sell only Unilever brands. But with those sales, they could earn points toward incentives, such as makeup brushes, hairdryers, mirrors, and makeup tables, which I saw at both salons in Tolowala.

Unilever arranged an outside survey of 10 Guddi Bajis in Punjab, a state in northeastern Pakistan that borders India. The women, all from poor families and ranging from 18- to 33-years-old, said they had been able to juggle their household and family responsibilities with their new careers as beauty specialists. They appreciated the ability to add to the family income, and said their confidence had grown and their lives had become more interesting. By 2014, Unilever Pakistan had trained 2,000 women, who made an average of 10,000 rupees a month (almost $100). The program had given the country potential access to 4.5 million women in 5,000 villages, and created new local ambassadors for its brands—all while helping lift the incomes of thousands of rural households.

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