Development of a sustainable strategic marketing model for self-help groups - an analytical hierarchical approach

Most self‐help groups (SHGs) in India are social enterprises owned and operated by poor women. They have helped to create women entrepreneurs in the rural areas of the country. Though these SHGs are producing a large number of products with superior quality, they fail to sustain in the market. To address this problem of sustainability and marketability of SHG in Kerala, India, an attempt has been made to develop a sustainable marketing model of SHG using analytical hierarchical process (AHP). The objective of the study is to enable a SHG find out the most appropriate mode of finance, branding and positioning strategy, promotional strategy and appropriate production aspects of such products. Based on the feedback obtained on the critical areas and the practice of successful self‐help groups in Kerala, this paper develops a marketing model for SHGs in Kerala.