IDEA! with Messaging in Mandarin

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is not just a time of religious significance for Muslims – it has great cultural and social appeal, too. This infographic explores the dos and don’ts that marketers should heed to craft relevant campaigns for Muslims, and for a wider non-Muslim audience interested in the Holy Month’s cultural aspects.

Conventional approaches however, These to Ramadan marketing approaches could be campaigns in the Middle East: improved hugely by:

Moons and lanterns as primary visual elements Starting at the drawing board to develop interesting promotions Typical visuals of Arab families dining together Emphasising USPs of the offering – however small Generic TV, radio and print ads Targeting various audience segments via digital and social media Sales-y copywritng sans evocative messaging Engaging approaches to visual development and messaging

work with your behind-the-scenes limit your target audience. Your consider ‘value’ vs. ‘values’ – does the teams and your marketing agency offering could also be an interesting cultural value that you offer align with your to work out an interesting and experience for tourists and non-Muslims. customers’ values? As an example, your differentiated proposition. For example, this might mean a small, offer may be attractively priced, but if targeted sub-campaign for Chinese tourists, your audience cares more about a good IDEA! with messaging in Mandarin. ambience for family get-togethers, focus more on the latter. How about weaving in an aspect of enhance your offering so that it aligns charity (such as donating a portion of better with the essence and traditions of consider your campaign’s sales to the Red Crescent society) or social Ramadan. For hotels and restaurants, this timing at least three months beforehand consciousness (limiting food offered at could mean incorporating a vibrant spectrum – Is Ramadan this year coinciding with your buffet to minimise wastage) to appeal of regional Ramadan cuisine in the menu, or another event that might compete with to a more charitably-inclined audience? light oud music with a modern twist. or complement your offer?

ensure that your creative approach resort to using typical visual adopt a respectful approach to accurately reflects the offering. For example, elements such as the moon and lanterns. your designs, and avoid showing skin, the colours used in your communication Try inventive, even symbolic or conceptual and physical intimacy of any sort. In could be inspired by the palette in your ways to differentiate your proposition and markets like KSA, be especially mindful retail store or Ramadan tent. attract attention. of the media considerations.

consider changing your online storefront’s look-and-feel temporarily so website visitors feel more welcome.

ensure that your copy accurately use an excessively celebratory differentiate your copy for captures what is special about your or extravagant tone that is out of sync with sub-sets of your target audience. For Ramadan offering. For a hotel, this might be the solemn and spiritual tone of the month. Muslims, focus on the traditional aspects, a special dish the Moroccan chef is famous while for tourists, emphasise the cultural

for, or delicious interpretations of Iftar make an overtly sales-y pitch, and experiential nuances. and Suhour cuisine from across the entire especially for items or services that may seem region. For a retail store, this might mean excessively indulgent. an offer timed to coincide with the period just after Iftar.

consider engaging and immersive leverage your database to distribute develop your Ramadan social media such as Facebook Canvas or an campaign materials, and dispatch media calendar without considering the best interactive microsite, which allow you to appropriate material to sub-sets of your times to post. Let primary posts or reminder cover a wide range of experiential aspects database. For instance, a French- or Urdu- posts coincide with Iftar and Suhour times. and offer-related messaging. speaking audience would include both Some posts may make more sense to send Muslims and Non-Muslims (think Lebanese, out earlier in the day, so people can plan the certain African nationalities, Pakistanis), and evening’s Ramadan activities. you’d need to use the appropriate media to target them.