Characteristic Similarities between Agri-Food Marketing in Bottom of the Pyramid- Subsistence Markets and Digital Marketing

The main aim of the research was to attempt to ascertain, assess and diagnose the characteristic
similarities between agri-food marketing specifically in the bottom of the pyramid-subsistence markets
(BOP-SM) and digital marketing. The research found a total of 33 characteristics that were identical or
similar between agri-food marketing in BOP-SM and digital marketing. These characteristic findings
provide that both typologies of marketing have more in common, then they have in divergence. For
example, both typologies of marketing are relational in nature and in essence; commonly they foster
personalization and customization and are prone to be dialogical as per the interactivity implied; both
are visual and can be oral, even though in terms of digital marketing this may mean not only voice to
voice marketing messages over mobile phones, but recorded oral marketing messages that are also
visual and interactive in nature; such orality can be language sensitive and provide for target marketing
messaging in local languages and dialects. However as per the relative and comparative lack of literature
on agri-food digital marketing specifically in BOP-SM contexts far more research is required on this
subject matter area, and possibly the 33 characteristics found by this research may provide some
guidance for such research. Further within the realm of agri-food digital marketing further research is
also needed in terms of the mesomarketing and macromarketing aspects of such a subject matter area.