MIDDLE EAST TO ISLAMABAD,

PAKISTAN76X

DEEP DIVERamadan

Ramadan 2016:BUYER BEHAVIORS AND BEST PRACTICES

3rd Party Research ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR DURING RAMADAN

Central Themes of Ramadan

The Data on Religion and Charity

The Data on Food and Travel

Shopping for Social Affairs

MAY THE RAMADAN BRING YOU PEACE AND PROSPERITY, GOOD HEALTH AND WEALTH, AND BRIGHTEN YOUR LIFE FOREVER.

- Ramadan Wish

Google data shows huge spikes across several content categories on YouTube throughout the holy month each year (in MENA), including TV & Comedy, Cooking & Recipes, Religion & Spirituality, Gaming, Auto & Vehicles and Internet & Telecom. They also reported a recent 21% month over month increase in Ramadan-related fashion searches.

Awok.com noted that the top product categories for online shopping during Ramadan included home goods, especially kitchen appliances.

Nielsen reported that food consumption in the UAE and Saudi Arabia surges during Ramadan, noting that Iftar is the likely cause. Staples such as dates, powdered beverages, soups, oats and condensed milk are especially desired. Qualitative studies indicate that volume-based promotions are the most sought after by consumers in Saudi and UAE, as the majority of consumers prefer "buy one get one free" sales followed by free gifts or extra volume offers.

Harvard Business review offers that the Ramadan month is akin to the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the West in terms of sales importance. Many Arab retailers sell as much product during the Ramadan month as they do the rest of the entire year. Concurrently, TV ad rates increase along with promotional sales, while mobile usage increases with people eager to connect with family and friends during this special time.

Shopping for Gift Giving

Additional Insights

Summary

RELIGION CHARITY FOOD TRAVEL SHOPPING

HOMELESS15X

ELDERLY15X

DISASTERRELIEF

11X ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES

22X

Religious data shows a skew towards Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan. Lift numbers are indexed against the average internet user

BREAKFAST47X

DINING AND NIGHTLIFE36X

CHICKEN35X

SEAFOOD30X

DESSERTS/ SWEETS29X

EID AL-FITR3,115X

RELIGION49X

CHRISTMAS35X

RELIGIOUS QUOTES35X

Users researched breakfast, dessert, and recipes with seafood or chicken as the main dish

Travel is a major part of Ramadan, as people head home to family or travel to be with loved ones during this special time. Some popular routes include:

The behaviors related to charity

during Ramadan are centered around

helping the poor or elderly

CHILDREN’S WELFARE

11X

MENTAL HEALTH

14X

US TO LONDON

41X

EU TO ISTANBUL,

TURKEY57X

MIDDLE EAST TO HYDERABAD, INDIA

674X

S.E ASIA TO KARACHI,PAKISTAN

71X

THE BLIND14X

EU TO DUBAI,UAE

45X

Housewares were the top product category researched, as our Ramadan audience was 144 times more likely to be interested in Housewares than the internet average. This supports our data indicating that cooking and recipes showed a spike during this period

Our Ramadan audience was interested in Fashion at an index of 11x more likely than average, with Hair and Makeup, Flowers and Sweets, Dresses and Women’s Accessories all indexing above 5x more likely than average.

Home and Garden was also a top category in terms of Ramadan shopping, showing a lift index of 18x, with Home Improvement also resonating with this audience.

All of this data supports the fact that Ramadan is an important time for entertainment at home during Iftar, as our audience is seeking to upgrade their kitchenware, decorate their home and yard, and purchase outfits for going out to dine as well as for gatherings with family and friends.

As Eid-al Fitr approaches, the shopping focus shifts from Home Entertainment toward gift giving.

Consumer Electronics are popular items for gifts as Ramadan comes to a close, with items such as Smartphones, Tablets, and Streaming Devices such as Roku and Apple TV showing high lift.

Children’s Gifts are another central theme, as Educational materials, such as books, puzzles and games show a lift of 20x above average. Children’s clothing is also of interest with an index of 9x.

Jewelry and Watches are very popular gifts around Eid, with an index of 29x, as is Men and Women’s Luxury Fashion with lift indices around 10x.

In terms of where users are shopping, Department Stores and Large Discount Stores are prime destinations, with lifts above 9x for both. Online Shopping also rises sharply, with a lift of 10x above average during this timeframe.

Eid-al Fitr is a time of celebration, and in addition to gift giving, Dining and Nightlife also spikes to 15x above average

Ramadan is a time centered around family, religion and charity, and those themes resonate throughout our data. Shopping behaviors indicate consumers are purchasing items for their home, kitchen and gardens as they host dinner parties for Iftar. Fashion is also a key shopping behavior as these same consumers dress up for entertainment at home or out with friends and family.

As Eid al-Fitr approaches, we see a sharp uptick in gift giving interest, as consumers shop for fashion accessories, children’s clothing and educational items, as well as consumer electronics for family and flowers/sweet for friends.

Mobile and Video creative executions are particularly impactful during this period of increased travel, family interaction and content sharing.

Travel, Retail (particularly fashion, housewares and consumer electronics) and CPG were the highest lifting verticals, though the general theme of discounts and promotions resonated well with the entire Ramadan audience

Content consumed in addition to Ramadan centered on the themes of education, travel, and cooking. Top categories include:

SOCIETY & CULTURE:RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY

103x

TRAVELGUIDE

TRAVEL:RESOURCES & GUIDES

57x

HOME & FAMILY:RECIPES & COOKING

40x

EDUCATION:QUOTES & POETRY

45x

EDUCATION:CHILDREN

29x

Real audiences. Real Engagement. Real Performance. Exponential.com