The holy month in the Islamic calendar—Ramadan—is being observed by over two billion Muslims globally, with Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Middle East, the Republic of Türkey, and North Africa (MENA) contributing to close to fifty per cent of this number. During this sacred time, consumer behavior undergoes a major shift, making Ramadan, Eid and Hari Raya crucial for brand marketers in these regions.
Statistics emphasize the economic significance of Ramadan and Eid, with reports suggesting that Muslims globally spent a staggering USD 1.27 trillion on Ramadan food alone in 2021. Projections indicate that this figure will rise to USD 1.67 trillion by 2025 (Source: Microsoft Advertising Blog). These numbers showcase the immense opportunities for businesses to implement targeted marketing strategies and capitalize on the heightened consumer spending during Ramadan and Eid.
Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection and an important period for consumer spending, engagement and interaction. This is the time when people plan their zakat (a yearly charitable donation made by Muslims during Ramadan), shop for households, browse gifts, design travel plans, manage expenses, prepare for Iftar meals, and seek grooming options ahead of Eid and Hari Raya.
To help brands capitalize on the incredible opportunities that Ramadan presents and foster meaningful connections with consumers, new mobile technologies like the moLotus mobile video customer interaction platform offer a powerful tool to strengthen customer interaction and engagement during the festive season. It enables personalized communication, driving engagement, delivering interactive offers, providing real-time updates, offering data analytics insights, and contributing to cost-effective marketing initiatives.
InMobi and Microsoft Advertising came together to build a detailed report named Ramadan in the Digital World: The Marketer’s Manual. This report provides insights into top trends and takeaways across 7 shopping categories from the Southeast Asia and MENA regions during the 2023 Ramadan period, empowering brands to create effective advertising campaigns around Ramadan and Eid.
The report highlights the Southeast Asian search and clicks surge during Ramadan and Hari Raya showcasing notable growth in key verticals such as Finance, Travel, and Tourism. For instance, Travel and Tourism experienced remarkable search and click growth leading up to Eid as people eagerly anticipated reunions, with Finance seeing triple-digit growth before and during Ramadan.
Furthermore, the report delves into specific industry verticals such as Computers and Consumer Electronics, which skyrocketed across all markets just before and during Ramadan and Hari Raya with Singapore leading the count in month-over-month growth. Additionally, Apparel, Beauty and Personal Care, Gifts and Occasions, and Home and Garden verticals all witnessed significant search and click growth during this period, highlighting the diverse opportunities for brands to engage with consumers across various categories.
By leveraging the insights provided in the report and implementing strategic mobile marketing strategies tailored to the Ramadan and Eid context, businesses can effectively connect with their target audience, drive customer engagement, and capitalize on the heightened consumer activity during this culturally significant time.
For brands and advertisers looking for Ramadan, Eid and Hari Raya marketing ideas, here are the top ten marketing strategies :
1. Embracing the Power of Mobile Advertising
As the 2022-23 Ramadan Eid season unfolds, there is a noticeable surge in mobile traffic, presenting a golden opportunity for brand marketers in the Middle East and Southeast Asia region. This period is eagerly anticipated by marketers as it allows them to launch impactful mobile advertising campaigns and drive sales. The increasing consumption of mobile content is evident, with 68% of Saudi viewers and 61% of Egyptian viewers reporting higher engagement with mobile ads compared to the previous year. These viewers also hold high expectations for their favorite brands during this festive season.
Year after year, advertisers are reaping greater rewards from their Eid and Hari Raya marketing efforts, largely owing to mobile advertising platforms like moLotus. moLotus stands out as an innovative mobile video customer interaction platform that has revolutionized revenue models for advertisers, especially during festive periods. Its direct mobile inbox delivery ensures high brand visibility and response rates, without the need for app downloads or data connections.
During Ramadan and Eid, platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram witnesses a surge in downloads of mobile advertising apps. Display ads on these platforms garner significant impressions, contributing to brand visibility and engagement. Additionally, search ads on Google generate valuable leads for advertisers. However, it's worth noting that the Ramadan and Eid season also brings heightened competition in the Google Ad and Facebook Ad auctions, leading to increased advertising costs.
Embracing mobile advertising, particularly through GSM-based advertising platforms like moLotus, is crucial for brands aiming to make a significant impact during the lucrative Ramadan and Eid season. It offers unparalleled opportunities for brand visibility, customer engagement, and ultimately, driving sales in a highly competitive market landscape.
2. Utilize Personalized Greetings
The Ramadan Eid season presents a wonderful opportunity to delight and connect with customers on a personal level. An intriguing revelation from past Ramadan seasons is that 68% of Saudi customers tend to engage more with advertisements from their favorite brands when the messaging is personalized. This trend has led advertisers to recognize the importance of delivering personalized experiences to their customers.
In response, an increasing number of brands are leveraging moLotus' personalized advertising capabilities, which allow for customized greetings, rewards, calls-to-action, and more tailored to individual customers. Incorporating greetings like 'Eid Mubarak' or 'Ramadan Kareem' or ‘Selamat Hari Raya’ along with customer names has become a customary and celebratory practice in marketing messages. This personalized approach resonates deeply with customers, fostering a sense of connection and appreciation.
Traditional email messaging is no longer as effective as customers now seek more meaningful interactions with brands. They are not only more attuned to a brand's presence but also actively share their positive experiences with others, leading to increased customer acquisition and ultimately, higher profits for businesses. Embracing personalized greetings and experiences during Ramadan Eid can significantly enhance brand loyalty and customer engagement.
3. Promoting Ecommerce During Eid Celebrations
As the Ramadan period culminates in the celebration of Eid al-Fitr within the Muslim community, a significant tradition emerges – the exchange of gifts. From a marketing standpoint, this cultural practice presents immense selling opportunities, particularly in the realm of mobile commerce (m-commerce). Before Eid and Hari Raya, m-commerce saw a notable 26% increase in Southeast Asia alone, indicating a growing appetite for purchasing goods and services via ecommerce platforms not just in Southeast Asia but also in regions like the Middle East, India, and North Africa.
This surge in mobile commerce activity makes it the ideal time for e-commerce brands to leverage mobile marketing technologies such as moLotus to capture customers' attention and drive superior mobile commerce experiences. moLotus, as an innovative platform, encourages buyers to make purchases through various ecommerce platforms. It provides convenient customer interaction options like SMS, USSD, URL Click, Call, and more, allowing buyers to engage with brands and address their queries before making a purchase.
While some ecommerce brands also utilize traditional mobile phone advertising and marketing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google Ads, and AdColony to promote their mobile shopping initiatives, these methods often lack the depth of interaction and cost-effectiveness that platforms like moLotus offer. By incorporating moLotus into their marketing strategies, e-commerce brands can enhance customer engagement, streamline the purchasing process, and capitalize on the heightened mobile commerce trends during Eid celebrations.
4. Providing Convenient Access to Coupons Vouchers
During Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Hari Raya brand marketers need to incentivize their customers effectively for desired purchasing behavior. Surveys have consistently revealed that customers in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and North Africa respond positively to special coupons, often leading to increased buying activity. The advent of digital marketing platforms like moLotus, AdColony, HubSpot, and others has revolutionized how brands engage and convert customers using real-time digital coupons and vouchers.
moLotus, in particular, streamlines the process of creating automated and personalized campaigns that offer mobile coupons and vouchers. This platform has replaced traditional printed coupons with real-time, digital counterparts that are hyper-personalized and relevant to specific events or promotions. These digital coupons and vouchers boast a high response rate and are distributed much more cost-effectively and swiftly compared to print media. Furthermore, managing and administering these digital coupons is simpler, cheaper, and eliminates the risk of fraudulent usage.
By leveraging moLotus and similar platforms, businesses gain enhanced control, tracking capabilities, accuracy, and in-depth analysis, ultimately leading to a higher return on investment (ROI). This shift towards digital coupons and vouchers not only enhances customer engagement and loyalty but also drives cost savings and efficiency for businesses during Ramadan and Eid promotional campaigns.
5. Organizing Giveaway Contests with Ease
During Ramadan, the spirit of community and charity takes precedence, extending even to digital platforms. Advertisers globally, including those in the Middle East and South-East Asia (SEA) region, are actively crafting creative and engaging giveaway contests that emphasize the value of sharing with others. Researchers widely acknowledge that giveaway contests are among the most effective ways for marketers to connect with customers during Ramadan, Eid, and Hari Raya.
Winning a prize in a giveaway contest brings joy and delight to customers, making such contests highly engaging. While Eid giveaways present lucrative marketing opportunities, managing them efficiently can pose challenges for marketers. The good news is that moLotus has simplified the process of launching and managing online and mobile contests, making it convenient for brands.
moLotus has a proven track record of assisting numerous brands in conducting cost-effective, hassle-free, and rapid mobile contests, resulting in superior engagement and positive customer response. In the Middle East and SEA region, marketers are increasingly opting for innovative platforms like moLotus over traditional techniques such as Facebook, Instagram, or sweepstakes contests, as they seek to maximize return on investment (ROI) and enhance customer engagement during Ramadan, Eid and Hari Raya promotions.
6. Revolutionize Cross-Selling Upselling Strategies
Cross-selling and upselling have emerged as powerful strategies for driving sales during Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr campaigns. While traditional techniques like email marketing were previously used for these purposes, modern marketers are turning to innovative solutions such as moLotus for enhanced results.
Eid and Hari Raya present a big opportunity for brands to boost their ad revenues by implementing hyper-personalized cross-selling and upselling campaigns via moLotus' video advertising platform. This platform provides robust customer data analytics, enabling marketers to gain insights into buyer behavior during Ramadan and Eid. Armed with this knowledge, marketers can deliver highly relevant product recommendations that resonate with prospective buyers.
This Ramadan and Eid season, it's crucial for brands to leverage cross-selling and upselling techniques by offering apt recommendations. This not only helps in winning trust but also maximizes revenues by catering to the specific needs and preferences of customers during this festive period. Embracing innovative solutions like moLotus can revolutionize cross-selling and upselling strategies, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
7. Introduce New Products Effectively
From the start of Ramadan through Eid and Hari Raya, consumers exhibit a heightened willingness to explore new product offerings and brands compared to other times of the year. Insights from a Twitter survey underscore this trend, revealing that 50% of Twitter users in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait, and 60% in Egypt, allocate more of their budget towards discovering new brands and products during Ramadan.
For marketers, launching new products has traditionally been a challenging endeavor. However, leveraging diverse marketing channels such as moLotus, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Ads, and others has become essential to promote new launches effectively. moLotus, in particular, has revolutionized the process of introducing new products or services by offering convenience and cost-effectiveness from a marketing standpoint.
Studies indicate that a significant portion of customers prefer watching moLotus explainer videos about new products and services. This platform enables marketers to create engaging mobile videos that simplify complex concepts for customers, making product understanding easier. These product launch videos are inspiring and result in increased clicks, impressions, and conversions, ultimately driving success for new product introductions.
8. Use the Power of Storytelling
Storytelling strategies hold significant advantages for brands during Ramadan, Eid, and Hari Raya as customers are naturally inclined to love and respond to compelling brand narratives. During Ramadan, the focus shifts to reflection, family, and fasting, making it a pivotal and bustling month for both consumers and advertisers worldwide, marked by a surge in consumer spending.
Brands that effectively incorporate Ramadan and Eid-related themes and strategies through impactful storytelling are more likely to captivate customer attention and enhance engagement compared to those who don't prioritize storytelling.
A new approach to Ramadan storytelling is emerging, driven by video ad platforms like moLotus. These platforms enable brands to weave images and captions together, creating immersive narratives. moLotus supports various rich media formats, including high-quality videos up to 40 seconds, greetings, brochures, slideshows, and showcases. Creators can seamlessly integrate product pictures, videos, voice-overs, and music to craft visually captivating storyboards. Additionally, platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer carousel and video ad features, ideal for showcasing visually appealing stories.
The key to successful storytelling during Ramadan and Hari Raya lies in understanding consumer behavior and leveraging the right marketing technology to tell compelling stories. As customers spend more time on screens during Ramadan and Eid, with heightened levels of engagement, brands can effectively connect with them by crafting relevant, compelling, and light-hearted long-form stories. This approach helps brands activate and forge deeper connections with their customers during these culturally significant periods.
9. Tailoring Campaigns to According to Audience
Ramadan and Eid are celebrated across dozens of countries worldwide, presenting a lucrative opportunity for advertisers to invest in targeted advertising campaigns. However, the success of these campaigns hinges on their customization to suit customers' demographics, interests, language preferences, and more. Advertisers must understand that the more tailored and personalized the campaigns are, the higher the returns they can expect.
Creating impactful promotional content requires a deep understanding of context, especially during Ramadan and Eid. This is why major brands opt for customized mobile video campaigns offered by platforms like moLotus to reach a vast customer base, micro-targeting different languages, demographics, interests, and more. moLotus assists marketers in segmenting potential customers effectively, allowing them to identify which customers are likely to find specific content compelling and engage with it.
Facebook is another powerful tool for advertisers looking to customize their campaigns during Ramadan and Eid. Advertisers can create audiences of customers interested in Ramadan, those likely to engage with Ramadan-related content, or those residing in regions where Ramadan is observed. Moreover, marketers can leverage Facebook's lookalike audiences feature to identify similar audiences within a specific country or across multiple countries.
However, it's important to note that while Facebook offers valuable targeting capabilities, it may limit the scale of reach to customers who actively use the platform. As a result, brands must strike a balance between customized targeting and reaching a wider audience to maximize the impact of their Ramadan and Eid advertising campaigns.
10. Using AI Avatars in Eid and Ramadan Marketing
AI avatars have become a game-changer in Eid, Ramadan and Hari Raya marketing, offering a personalized and interactive experience for customers. One example of AI avatars in action is moLotus' innovative use of virtual characters to engage and connect with customers during the festive season.
These AI avatars, created by moLotus, are designed to interact with customers in a human-like manner, providing guidance, answering queries, and even offering personalized recommendations based on customer preferences. For instance, during Eid and Ramadan, moLotus' AI avatars can greet customers with festive messages such as "Eid Mubarak" or "Ramadan Kareem," creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Furthermore, moLotus' AI avatars can assist customers in navigating through special promotions, discounts, and product offerings tailored for the festive season. They can also provide information about cultural traditions, recipes, and activities related to Eid and Ramadan, enhancing the overall customer experience and product uptake.
By incorporating AI avatars into Eid and Ramadan marketing strategies, brands can humanize their interactions, foster stronger connections with customers, and drive engagement and loyalty during these important cultural celebrations.
Conclusion
Mastering the top ten marketing strategies during Ramadan, Eid and Hari Raya is key to business success. From personalized greetings to innovative AI avatars and data-driven analytics, creativity and cultural sensitivity play vital roles.
Businesses are urged to implement these strategies now, leveraging the festive spirit to forge deeper connections with customers, drive sales, and maximize ROI. Don't miss out on this opportunity – take action today and elevate your Ramadan and Eid marketing campaigns to new heights of success!
