Advertising the right message in Ramadan

For most in business, summer is seen as a slow period. But this year as Ramadan overlaps the height of summer, a new dynamic is at play.

Ramadan marks the most important time of the year for retailers and brands. Competition for attention and custom is intense and advertisers are quick to increase their activities as families gather in the evenings to watch big-budget dramas and comedies on television.

But the challenges of communicating a spiritual and respectful brand message through a TV advert is very different from the very real challenge of winning sales with shoppers when they are face-to-face with a brand — at the shelf and in a busy store.

So whereas the consumer may give time to a brand when they are on the sofa watching an advert, it's a very different scenario when that same consumer is doing a shopping for the iftar dinner because at this point they will often look for value and convenience, and by default to the promotions on offer.

So how can brands portray a sense of modesty and respect during Ramadan, whilst still maximising sales? The answer lies, in part, with shopper marketing. Shopper marketing uses insight into people's behaviour to create communications that inspire purchase momentum.

Different mindset

The truth is that, during Ramadan, a shopper's mindset is very different. Indeed, shoppers feel closest to those brands that do not just help improve their own lives, but during Ramadan also the lives of others.

Hence those brands that display a sincere wish to share in this spirit will find that a return on involvement can be achieved by an increase in brand loyalty. I mention corporate social responsibility (CSR) because it's an action — a brand committing to a good deed rather than rolling out advertising in the traditional sense of the word.

Of course, it's understandable that brands want to take advantage of the period, especially if the product is a necessity for Ramadan (such as butter for cooking). But that still means that those same FMCG-based brands have to do more than wish shoppers ‘Ramadan Kareem' and put clichéd pictures of lanterns and crescent moons on the packaging or at point-of-sale. They need to go deeper into the needs of the shopper.

Brands need to deliver a shopping experience that allows the shopper to further immerse themselves in the spirit of Ramadan. This means finding out what is truly meaningful to customers, and providing them with a way to participate in what is on offer.

To illustrate my point, I want to refer to a particular campaign for Lurpak Butter across the GCC that ran last year during Ramadan.

Architect

The brand worked out that during Ramadan the mother was the architect for most evening iftars.

Lurpak knew that she would be bombarded by "value added promotions" and heavy in-store communications and she struggled to choose as a result.

So the brand focused on showing her she was understood and shared with her the belief that the perfect ingredients for iftar was NOT butter but rather, it was her family and friends sharing the celebration together. Butter played a part but it was only a supporting role.

Lurpak made this simple point well and then gave shoppers added value through free recipes for iftar dishes available at point-of-purchase and as a supplement within the in-store magazines.

The recipes and communication targeted on delivering the perfect iftar, positioning Lurpak as an integral part of creating good food and, therefore, good times with family and friends during Ramadan.

Sales increased, brand popularity rose and the visuals of the campaign cut through the cluttered landscape of the store.

It was a simple idea but one that was relevant and emotionally engaging, without having to resort to any cliché or stereotypical iconographies. Furthermore, it illustrates how brands need not be overtly promotional. Instead a more altruistic approach will not only increase immediate sales but engender longer-term loyalty beyond Ramadan.

The writer is Managing Director for the retail marketing agency in the Middle East, Saatchi and Saatchi X