Marketing at the base of the pyramid: Perspectives for practitioners and academics

This article argues that there is a strong case as to why marketing practitioners and scholars should be interested in Base of the Pyramid (BoP) markets, and attempts to enhance understanding of marketing in the BoP. We begin by describing the BoP market and reviewing the existing literature on BoP consumer behavior and marketing promotions. We then present a number of current practitioner approaches to marketing in the BoP and highlight disconnects between what occurs in practice and existing academic research. We conclude with four takeaways designed to inform marketing practitioners of potentially effective approaches and missed opportunities; in addition, we inform academics of areas where further research would be beneficial.