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Rural marketing agencies form RMAAI
MUMBAI: With the growing importance of rural markets in corporate marketing strategies, there is an increased recognition of rural specialties in helping companies plan and implement their rural marketing activities. This has resulted in a number of players, both big and small entering the field in the last couple of years.
As was reported by Indiantelevision.com earlier this month, a few leading players who have been providing tremendous value added rural marketing services all across the country have come together to form the Rural Marketing Agencies Association of India (RMAAI).
Anugrah Madison, Sampark Marketing and Advertising Solutions, MART, Rural Relations along with other players like O&M Outreach, Linterland, Impact Communications, Rural Eight, RC&M, India Agrilbusiness Systems and Kripa Outdoor have come together to form RMAAI.
Anugrah Madison chairman and managing director RV Rajan will be the president of the association, whereas MART’s Pradeep Kashyap will hold the position of vice president. The association’s secretary will be Impact Communications’ Sanjay Kaul and the treasurer will be Kripa Outdoors’ R Parthasarathy.
The committee members of RMAAI are Sampark’s R Patankar, Rural Relations’ Pradeep Lokhande, Ogilvy Activation’s J C Giri, Linterland’s Dinesh Malhotra, RC&M’s Priya Monga, Indian Agribusiness Systems’ Sunil Khairnar and Rural Eight’s Amla.
These agencies have come together on a common platform and will work towards recognition, credibility and meeting the needs of the rural marketing industry.
One of the important objectives of RMAAI would be to set industry benchmarks in areas of performance evaluation and financial practices. To improve the overall understanding of rural markets by the corporate world, RMAAI will conduct seminars, workshops and conferences, besides offering guidance to Management Institutes in running courses in rural marketing. It will also undertake syndicated research in rural marketing on select topics, which will help increase the knowledge base of rural marketers, which in turn could help marketers develop better and more effective rural marketing strategies.
Rajan said, “Marketers look at rural India as a mass market, which it is not. That is the reason why we’ve not got adequate success. A lot of corporates have been talking about going rural for the last two decades, but if all of them walked the talk, we wouldn’t be forming this association today.”
Kashyap, on the other hand, said, “We hope to expand the scope of the Rural Network by including other big players O&M, Linterland etc., so that the association is completely representative of the rural marketing agencies.”
The founding members have paid a nominal fees of Rs 6000 to be a part of the association.
RMAAI also has plans of starting an award function in the near future to recognise individuals and organisations who have actively contributed to the growth of the rural marketing industry. Also on 10 and 11 November, RMAAI will be hosting a two day seminar on rural marketing in an effort to bring together all the rural players in the field under one roof, share developments in the industry as well as the advantage of being a part of the association network. “This seminar will be an important launching pad for the association,” Rajan said.
MAM
Budweiser launches ‘Let It Pour’ platform for FIFA World Cup 2026
Campaign spans 40 plus markets with fan events, merchandise and global film.
MUMBAI: When the whistle blows, Budweiser wants the celebrations to flow just as freely. The beer brand has unveiled ‘Let It Pour’, its global football platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026, kicking off a four-year build-up with a campaign designed to turn fandom into a shared, full-throttle experience. Rolling out across more than 40 countries, including India, the initiative blends on-ground activations, merchandise and a star-led global film to capture the emotional surge of the sport’s biggest stage.
At the centre of the campaign are football heavyweights Erling Haaland and Jürgen Klopp, who front the messaging around passion, performance and collective celebration. For Haaland, set to make his FIFA World Cup debut in 2026, the platform mirrors the intensity of a moment he has long worked towards, while Klopp lends his signature energy to amplify the spirit of fans coming together.
The campaign’s global film leans into that shared emotion where matches spill beyond stadiums into homes, bars and city streets over the tournament’s 39-day run. Set to Joe Cocker’s Feelin’ Alright, it captures how football blurs boundaries, turning strangers into teammates and moments into memories.
Beyond storytelling, Budweiser is building a broader ecosystem around the campaign. The Bud Fan Store will offer exclusive tournament-inspired merchandise, from football kits to branded apparel, while Bud FC developed with Wink will host experiential fan events across select markets, recreating stadium-like energy in festival settings.
India forms a key part of this push. With football fandom on the rise, particularly among younger audiences, Budweiser 0.0 is positioned to anchor local activations, bringing fans closer to the global spectacle through community-led experiences.
The move reinforces Budweiser’s four-decade association with the FIFA World Cup, but also signals an evolution in approach. Instead of simply sponsoring the game, the brand is leaning into culture creating multiple touchpoints where fans can participate, not just watch.
In a tournament where every goal sparks a reaction, Budweiser is betting that the real win lies in how loudly and how collectively that reaction pours out.
