While everyone is sharing the spiritual experience of Ramadan with their families, a few questions arise in the minds of advertisers and brands: What are the consumer’s preferences in terms of shopping during Ramadan this year? Which devices or digital platforms are the most preferred?
During this holy month, brands and agencies should get to know more about the preferences of their target audience to better plan their media spending.
According to the “2022 Ramadan Holiday Shopping Research,” which was done by the mobile advertising platform AdColony and the independent research company GlobalWebIndex, about people in the UAE and how they shop, how much time they spend on their phones, and how mobile ads affect them, 54% of respondents said that the ads they see on their phones have a big impact on their purchasing decisions.
How do consumer habits change during Ramadan?
While everything becomes digital, online shopping’s ease also impacts consumers’ shopping preferences during Ramadan.
Consumers today are super-empowered and digitally advanced. This makes them more:
Curious: Consumers research more thoroughly for products and services before purchasing out of a desire for the best quality or deal. During Ramadan, this behavior is highlighted when searches for “best iftar” and “best recipe” peaks. During this season, apps for groceries and food are the most used.
Impatient: Consumers for products and services that cater to specific needs are pronounced during Ramadan. To that end, searches with requests “near me” spike significantly. For example, searches for “iftar buffet near me” or “mosque near me.”
Demanding: Consumers also search on-demand to find shows to watch or restaurants to dine in near them when it suits their schedule.
Moreover, the undeniable access to mobile advertising stands out as the most critical factor in consumers’ buying tendencies.
According to the AdColony survey, 66 percent of the respondents stated that they had previously made Ramadan shopping with their smartphones directly via mobile ads, and 84 percent said that they would consider purchasing a product or service if the product served with the advertisement appeals to them.
The survey also revealed that 67 percent of users in UAE like to encounter Food ads, followed by Apparel with 53 percent, and Household Products with 44 percent rounding up the top three.
45 percent of users in the UAE visit stores for their Ramadan grocery shopping, while 46 percent of them shop online and use home delivery. 66 percent of users in UAE state that they will mostly cook at home during Ramadan, while 19 percent of them will mostly get takeout food.
Furthermore, telecommunication is also very important during Ramadan, as 62 percent of the users in the UAE expect high-speed internet connection. In addition, 47 percent of the users in UAE state that they are waiting for Ramadan promotions to purchase a car is proof that car buying is also increasing during Ramadan.
Women’s consumer behavior also changes during this holy month as cosmetic expenses increase during Ramadan. The most cosmetics they bought were perfumes and fragrances with 42 percent, skincare with 35 percent, followed by haircare with 34 percent.
What should brands do!
According to a study conducted by Facebook IQ, Meta’s insights, and research division, in partnership with YouGov, titled “Ramadan and Eid Study,” here are three tips for UAE brands and businesses to effectively adapt and plan for Ramadan:
Diversity meets discovery
People shop across borders for various reasons, including finding a higher quality product, a product with a better price point, or a product that is unavailable locally. Roughly a third of people shop from overseas retailers as well. More than 7 in 10 people make unexpected discoveries during Ramadan.
Building personalized connections
Buying from overseas during Ramadan, 62 percent of UAE shoppers feel it is essential to see content in their local language. In comparison, 27 percent of shoppers agree that they find content creators most influential during Ramadan/Eid al-Fitr because they help them discover new content and accounts they might like.
Facilitating delightful purchases
83 percent of cross-border shoppers made serendipitous discoveries while shopping during Ramadan—about 61 percent of those purchases were made seamlessly. Because these purchases are spontaneous, removing friction from the checkout process is more vital than ever. Conversions can be increased by providing a frictionless purchase journey.
“It is no secret that Ramadan is one of the most important times for the UAE and all the brands and agencies in the whole MENA region. Advertisers must think carefully and decide which platform, ad format, and target audience are best. In this period, the most important decision for brands is how much they should invest in which medium, and which way they should follow to make their voices heard by their potential customers”, said Warrick Billingham, AdColony General Manager, Brand EMEA.
Billingham told TRENDS that brands should prepare their video ads in accordance with the channels where they will be broadcast.
“Users do not want to see the same video ad on social media channels, news channels, television, computer, mobile devices, and mobile games. The main reason for this is that their modes and expectations are different in their time on these channels. For this reason, it is essential to produce media-specific content, and even if it is not produced, it is essential to organize the content according to the media”.
Billingham pointed out the importance of mobile advertising and smartphones for brands nowadays.
“No one can deny the power of mobile advertising and how it became the key to success for advertisers. Although some people consider mobile advertising to be a close relative to online advertising, the truth is that it has various abilities to capture your target or future potential audiences’ attention”, he said.
He went on to say that smartphones are a source of revenue for brands and have become an undeniable source for discovering new brands/products.