What is Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth Islamic month. About 2 billion people, or 25% of the world’s population, are Muslim. During this time, they don’t eat anything from dawn until dusk. It ends when the religious holiday Eid al-Fitr starts. People often pray, think, and spend time with their communities during this time. They also fast every day from sunrise to sunset.

What time does it happen?

Because the Islamic calendar is based on the moon’s cycles, the dates of Ramadan change a little bit every year. In 2023, Ramadan will be from March 22 to April 21. The end of Ramadan will be marked by Eid al-Fitr, which will be held on April 21 and 22.

Taking care of others as a brand

Running a marketing or promotion campaign during Ramadan is not a new idea, especially in parts of the world where most people are Muslim. The goal is to ensure that campaigns respect Muslim culture by being aware of and embracing the traditions and values that make it up.

Ramadan is a particular time for those who do it because it focuses on being thankful, generous, family, and community. Marketing efforts should try to get these ideas across. Ramadan is not about spending money without thinking but about not spending money without thinking. Establishing real connections with Muslim consumers during Ramadan is less about selling “things” and more about showing these groups that they are seen and that the subtleties of their religious beliefs are valued. It is always good to run your marketing ideas by regional or cultural experts to ensure they will work with honesty and religiously.

Pictures and signs of Ramadan

As you might expect, the symbols and images of Ramadan reflect its most important ideas and goals: 

• Community, thanks, giving, prayer, and food (as it relates to breaking the daily fast). The crescent moon and star are also often used (marking the start of a new lunar month)
• Mosque/minaret (to show the place of worship) (representing the place of worship)
• Open palms, which are a sign of prayer (also called salat), and lanterns are also used (representing light)
• Money or coins (representing alms or charitable giving, also known as zakat)
• Dates are a popular snack for the first meal after the daily fast or sawm (a popular food for initially breaking the daily fast or sawm)
• Qatayef is a sweet dumpling that is eaten at iftar, the meal that breaks the fast (a sweet dumpling enjoyed as part of iftar, the fast-breaking meal)
• Muslim drummer (traditionally beats a drum through a neighborhood at night to wake people for the pre-dawn meal)
• This theme is used in many things, like decorations, gifts, media, entertainment, goods, and advertising.

Consumer Spending

Ramadan could be a big money-making month for brands, especially those in the food and drink business. For example, Nestlé’s sales often go up a lot, and the company puts in a lot of work every year to get people excited about the event before it happens.

Here are some interesting facts about the world:

• Estimates show that during Ramadan in 2020, Muslims in the UK gave a record-setting £150 million to charities.
• People in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) area are expected to spend $6.2 billion online during Ramadan. This is a 39% increase from the previous year.
• In 2022, 58% of Muslim shoppers planned to start shopping for Ramadan one month before.
• In Indonesia, which has the most Muslims of any country worldwide, full-time workers are entitled to a statutory religious holiday stipend (Tunjangan Hari Raya), which is an extra month’s pay.
• A YouGov survey found that 70% of Indonesians planned to spend extra money shopping. Another third said they would invest in it or give it to charity.

Mobile-first Strategy

Now, brands must put a mobile-first strategy at the top of their list for marketing and advertising. People use their mobile devices for more and more things, like shopping online, and social networking. During Ramadan, more people use social media to find entertainment and useful information, like spiritual teachings or cooking tips. During Ramadan in 2021, there was a significant increase in the number of installs and sessions of mobile gaming apps worldwide. 

Installs and sessions increased by 13% and 9% over the year. Social media experts in the MENA region agree that mobile should be a big focus for businesses, whether it’s making sure your website is responsive or making an ad campaign for social media. Games and gaming are very popular right now, in case you didn’t know. Here are some interesting facts about playing games in countries where Muslims make up the majority and during Ramadan:

One article says that 44% of Indonesians choose online gaming as their favorite digital activity during the first week of Ramadan. One study said that gaming revenue in the MENA-3 region (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt) would rise from $1.76 billion in 2021 to $3.14 billion in 2025. Because of this, the number of gamers went from 65.32 million to 85.76 million.

Twitter found that players in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region play games 35% longer during Ramadan. Only in Indonesia, which has the most Muslims worldwide and is already one of the biggest online markets, did 21 million more people use the internet.

Ramadan advertising concepts

During Ramadan, people are primarily interested in things that have to do with food. Games could be an excellent way for brands already working in these areas to stand out, whether people are shopping for groceries. Looking for recipes, making meal plans, or going out to eat.

The Online World

During Ramadan, social media sites can help you get the word out about things. Like new business hours or sales, you might be having. By making brand-relevant hashtags and asking your audience to tag you in their posts. You can get more user-generated content (UGC) to help your organic online reach grow. These platforms also make it easy for you to interact with your audience and show that your brand has a human side. You don’t need a big plan or a strict posting schedule to be successful. All you need to do is be present and honest with your audience.

Email

Email is one of the most underused tools in digital marketing, but many companies still seem to underestimate how well it works. And email is the reliable old standby that gives you a direct line of communication with your audience of subscribers. Social media platforms, however, are always changing as they try to come up with new ideas and compete with each other. Don’t forget to let your mailing list know about any deals, discounts, or prize giveaways you’re running during Ramadan. You can do this by sending regular emails to your mailing list.

Packaging for goods

If you go to any supermarket, you can find examples of product packaging that has been changed to fit a holiday or season. These one-time changes are meant to bring in customers. Remind them of an upcoming event, and set the product apart from others on the shelves.

Donations to charity

By giving to charities, businesses can make a difference and bring attention to important issues. By doing these projects into games, you can get people involved in a fun and interactive way. Consider the hosting company Melbourne, which built a fundraising counter into their game and gave $5 to charity for every player who reached a certain score and put it on the leaderboard.

Wrapping up

As we said above, Ramadan is a special time of year for those who follow it. At its core are the values of gratitude, empathy, generosity, family, and community, and the best marketing strategies will uphold them.