In February 2022 Muslim Ad Network concluded a survey dedicated to advertising to Muslim consumers during Ramadan.
The first of this two-part survey asked businesses about their strategies and tactics when it comes to advertising to Muslims during Ramadan.
For the second part, we surveyed over 200 Muslim consumers. The aim was to understand Muslim consumer preferences, habits, and purchase behaviors for the upcoming month of Ramadan.
Let’s start with the results we got from Muslim consumers:
Muslim Buyer Behavior and Attitude Towards Brands for Ramadan 2022
When Do Muslim Consumers Start Buying for Ramadan?
If you are planning to advertise Ramadan-specific products, services, or offers, you need to start preparing very early. The majority of Muslim consumers – 58% – say that they plan to start shopping for Ramadan 2022 a month ahead.
At the time of writing this article, Ramadan is just six weeks away. So now is the time to act. We would advise running the first campaign as soon as you can. Then run another campaign a week before Ramadan since 41% of respondents indicated that they wait till a week before Ramadan to start buying.
Discounts Are Not the Most Important Reason for Ramadan Purchases
While Ramadan discounts are great and should be part of your Ramadan offers, you should keep in mind that they are not the sole motivators for Muslim buyers.
Although 92% say that they will actively seek Ramadan discounts, only 4% of Muslim consumers said that they would buy products mainly based on discounts during the upcoming Ramadan.
In fact, gifts scored higher at 18%. This is understandable since Ramadan is a month of sharing and giving. A majority of the respondents- 47%- said that they will buy products based on need, discounts, and gifts with equal importance.
Ramadan 2022 and COVID-19
When asked about the current COVID-19 situation and spending money, 42% of Muslim consumers say that they will spend more in Ramadan 2022.
Despite the surge in online shopping since the pandemic started, there is a desire to go out and shop in stores during the month of Ramadan. At least 66% of Muslim consumers are looking forward to shopping in-store in Ramadan 2022.
Ramadan Muslim Consumer Attitude Towards Brands
Muslim consumers want to buy from brands that engage with them and make them feel that they see them throughout the year.
A survey respondent, when asked about the brands that have impressed them the most in Ramadan over the years said:
“Ones that don’t pretend to care about me but actually do”.
In previous articles, we have mentioned that trying to engage Muslim consumers only during Ramadan limits your success as a brand.
Regarding purchasing products for Ramadan, 56% of Muslim consumers told us that they decide on brands beforehand.
An overwhelming 92% are more likely to buy from brands that understand their faith. This does not mean that your marketing team should become scholars in Islamic theology. However, a basic understanding and adherence to Islamic Advertising Principles should help.
What Businesses and Organizations are Planning for Ramadan 2022
Ramadan Stats for Businesses and Organizations
Just under 80% of the businesses and organizations we interviewed actively and specifically advertise to Muslim consumers online. However, 100% of them will be advertising to Muslim consumers during Ramadan 2022.
An overwhelming majority of 93% use Facebook to advertise to Muslims online. The same (93%) for the channel that has given them the most organic engagement with Muslim users.
So it’s a safe bet that these businesses and organizations will be using Facebook heavily again this Ramadan. The problem that they will be facing when it comes to targeting Muslims with Facebook Ads is that Facebook has recently banned ads targeting race, sexual orientation, and religion.
That being said, 50% of the same businesses said that they will experiment with new ad platforms while another 50% will increase ad spend. That comes as no surprise since only 7% of respondents say that their organic social media campaigns have been very successful.
Yet it seems that businesses and organizations targeting Muslims are not bailing out on social media just yet. In fact, 43% say that they will advertise more on social media in Ramadan 2022.
At the same time, 79% of the businesses and organizations interviewed said that they are either going to work with Muslim Ad Network in Ramadan 2022 or are contemplating doing so.
Ramadan Tips and Advice from Brands and Organizations
To conclude, here are some awesome tips from business owners we interviewed:
“During Ramadan, most individuals avoid their desktops and laptops in favor of their mobile devices, which include smartphones and tablets. As a result, it is critical to attracting such shoppers with a mobile-friendly and easy-to-navigate website.” – Haris Bacic, CEO at PriceListo
“I recommend being more graphic as part of your marketing approach during Ramadan. With a highly fragmented daily routine and short attention spans during Ramadan, consumers are more selective in their engagement and rely more on visuals as a shortcut. ” – Guy Hadas, CEO at Age Group
Our research found that not every week of Ramadan is inevitably a shopping and browsing week. We discovered that the optimum time to engage with shoppers is just prior to Eidal-Fitr, in the second half of Ramadan.” – Mark Valderrama, CEO at Aquarium Store Depot
“In Ramadan sales increase by about 50% in the third week of Ramadan as compared to the baseline. Surprisingly, we discovered that sales do not slow. Even after Ramadan retailers experience increased web traffic and sales.”- Kavin Patel, CEO at convrrt
Read the full Ramadan Survey Report 2022 (no email or download required).
