Marketing Significance of Shravan

Marketing and culture go hand in hand. Marketing has to be relevant to a given culture to ensure success. One can effectively make use of this strategy in ritualistic societies. In India various rituals are associated with festivals.  When it comes to rituals, who can ignore  Shravan (श्रावण)? Shravan is the most important month in India. The importance is from astronomical and cultural aspects. The stellar constellation of Aquila, known to Indians as Shravan Nakshatra (श्रवण नक्षत्र) consisting of α, β, and λ Aquila, rules the sky around full moon in this month. From cultural viewpoint this month is of great significance due its association with religion. Many cultural events are religious rituals. Shravan is wonderful blend of culture and religion. The significance of this in agro based economy like India is enormous. Major manual agricultural operations are over just before the beginning of this month. All those engaged in services in the farming sector have relatively free time. The peak of the rainy season generally starts receding after the full moon.

The food culture for the month is significantly different from rest of year. Abstinence from alcohol and non-veg food makes this month different. Marketing implications are a lean season for breweries, butchers, eateries and alike. A good season for service sector engaged in religious rituals (priests), vegetarian food and food that’s consumed for the fasts (उपवास), florists, and many others. In rural India the entertainment sector gains as the snake charmer earns an extra buck on Nag Panchami (नाग पंचमी), the banjo party does a brisk business for Govinda (गोविंदा) which in urban India has unfortunately become a political platform with huge turnover, and a multimillion dollar business for Rakhi (राखी). It’s an international business opportunity, and China has already replaced many indigenous gifts that brothers and sisters would like to exchange. Multinationals like Cadbury’s wait for this festival to improve their turnover and of course the profits by replacing traditional sweets. The courier companies work overtime and those in the online business make money by offering satisfaction of having sent Rakhi or a gift to brothers and sisters settled abroad. The festival like Narali Pournima (नारळी पौर्णिमा) in the coastal region of Maharashtra is also a money spinner for coconut farmers. The last day of Shravan, Pithori Amavasya (पिठोरी अमावस्या) is also of religious significance and the same day has festivities for the bulls. Business opportunities, for this thanks giving day (पोळा, Pola) for the bulls, who had toiled untiringly during past few months for the farming operations, are enormous.

Shravan helps us to understand the ecology. Nag Panchami signifies importance of snakes for farmers to control the rodents that eat away the agricultural produce. Had snakes not been there the farmers would have been left with no grains due to rampant rodents. Offering of different flowers and leaves in Puja (पूजा) provides the knowledge of horticulture and helps control the growth of certain unwanted plants and propagate the growth of useful plants. Rituals have been our teacher for this.

Fasting, restrictions on diet and ban on certain food items is prescriptive to have good health during somewhat unhealthy season. Water gets polluted and lack of sunshine gives chance for pathogens and bacteria to strike during rainy season (seen advertisements on TV for soaps), thus this food culture is for disease free period. Culture is our teacher.

Shravan is a month for socialisation, with no work on farms people gather together to perform Bhajan (भजन), Kirtan (कीर्तन) and other religious activities. As a ritual, Satyanarayan Puja (सत्यनारायण  पूजा)  is also performed in Shravan. Inviting friends and relations for this Puja makes it a social function. Each day is significant from religious ritual viewpoint. On Mondays one can observe long queues outside Shiva (शिवा) temples. The itinerant traders do a brisk business outside the temples. On Tuesdays the newly wedded brides worship the goddess in groups (मंगळागौर, Mangalagaur), it’s a more of a social event and lots of traditional games played on this day, rather night, that are designed for exercise and physical wellbeing. These games obviate the need for a modern day gyms. Shravan being a rainy season not much of physical activity is done, so such celebrations keeps the body toned up. On Wednesdays and Thursdays the housewife worships lord Vishnu along with Budh (बुध Mercury) and Bruhaspati (बुहस्पृती, गुरु, Jupiter). The images of these two celestial deities are drawn on door frames and cupboards. The underlying reason for this may be is to ensure the cleanliness and removal of dampness and fungus growth from wooden surfaces in the humid rainy season. Fridays mark the celebrations with high protein diet like Puran Poli (पुरण पोळी) and prayers are offered for the welfare of children (जीवति पूजा, JivatI Puja). Saturdays are for appeasement of Saturn as well as wealth accumulation. Sundays assume importance due to traditional Sun worship in this continent. So each day of the week is important.

Lots of marketing opportunities are available in Shravan due to its cultural and religious significance. One can design the products and services suitable for this month. The culture can be used for designing promotional tools and for effective communication. Being a ritualistic seasonal product prices never come under stress. Just for few flowers one shells out a ten rupee note without hesitation. Another business opportunity has emerged with revolution in IT. The e-pujas are also available in large number of temples. It’s a novel way for distribution of services.  One has to just design an appropriate strategy to take advantage of the belief of public, but in an ethical way.  

So go ahead and plan something  for a successful marketing career. Best of luck.