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Developing Customer Solutions for Subsistence Marketplaces in Emerging Economies: a Bottom–Up 3C (Customer, Community, and Context) Approach

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  • Srinivas Venugopal
  • Madhubalan Viswanathan

Abstract

This article demonstrates why and how bottom–up understanding and local collaboration can enable outside entities to design context-sensitive solutions in subsistence marketplaces in emerging markets. Using the literature, we argue that external entities need to understand subsistence marketplaces from the bottom–up in terms of customers/consumers, communities, and the larger context. In turn, they should design context-sensitive core solutions that involve a true collaboration with the preexisting entrepreneurial ecosystem. We use a case study where the first author had direct involvement in implementation to abstract generalizable insights and further assess our arguments with two other case studies from a different organizational context. We draw on these insights to derive implications for marketing management in subsistence marketplaces. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Srinivas Venugopal & Madhubalan Viswanathan, 2015. "Developing Customer Solutions for Subsistence Marketplaces in Emerging Economies: a Bottom–Up 3C (Customer, Community, and Context) Approach," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 2(4), pages 325-336, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:custns:v:2:y:2015:i:4:p:325-336
    DOI: 10.1007/s40547-015-0050-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Doering, Laura & Wry, Tyler, 2022. "The challenges of supporting necessity entrepreneurs: Understanding loan officer exit in microfinance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(2).
    2. S. Arunachalam & S. Cem Bahadir & Sundar G. Bharadwaj & Rodrigo Guesalaga, 2020. "New product introductions for low-income consumers in emerging markets," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 914-940, September.
    3. Anaka Aiyar & Srinivas Venugopal, 2020. "Addressing the Ethical Challenge of Market Inclusion in Base-of-the-Pyramid Markets: A Macromarketing Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 164(2), pages 243-260, June.
    4. Meng, Jie & Layton, Roger & Huang, Yimin, 2016. "Why do some consumers shop in this pharmacy? A cross-check of vulnerable characteristics and store types," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 116-130.
    5. Mukherjee, Srabanti & Jebarajakirthy, Charles & Datta, Biplab, 2020. "Retailer selection compulsion in the subsistence markets," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    6. Dev Narayan Sarkar & Kaushik Kundu & Himadri Roy Chaudhuri, 2016. "Developing a conceptual model of small independent retailers in developing economies: the roles of embeddedness and subsistence markets," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 6(3), pages 176-193, December.
    7. Barrington, D.J. & Sridharan, S. & Saunders, S.G. & Souter, R.T. & Bartram, J. & Shields, K.F. & Meo, S. & Kearton, A. & Hughes, R.K., 2016. "Improving community health through marketing exchanges: A participatory action research study on water, sanitation, and hygiene in three Melanesian countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 84-93.
    8. Banerjee Shubhomoy & Shaikh Ateeque, 2020. "Examining the Impact of Contextual Factors in Brand Relationship Initiation and Maintenance: Evidence from Bottom of Pyramid Markets," Review of Marketing Science, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 75-97, September.

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