Ramadan is a time for spiritual and cultural sensitivity, with 91 per cent of the MENA audience listening to and reading more religious content. Often, brands turn Ramadan into merely a marketing opportunity to boost sales, losing sight of its important meaningful aspect.
Which begs the question, how can companies create more nuanced and meaningful marketing campaigns to build consumer loyalty and establish an emotional connection with their audience in the long-term.
The role of cultural and religious sensitivity in Ramadan marketing
Ramadan is a time of deep reflection, community, and spirituality, making cultural and religious sensitivity essential for brands looking to connect meaningfully with local audiences in MENA.
According to Ipsos research, the majority of the MENA audience practice their faith by increasing their exposure to religious content (91 per cent), praying more (95 per cent), and engaging with the community by helping those in need (95 per cent). Therefore, every detail, colour, symbol, timing, and messaging, plays a crucial role in creating an authentic and respectful marketing campaign.
When designing marketing campaigns for Ramadan, it is best to use colours that hold cultural and spiritual significance for Muslims, such as green, which symbolises prosperity and faith, gold, representing generosity and celebration, deep blue, transmitting peace and reflection, and white, signifying purity, sincerity, and spiritual enlightenment.
Brands can also use Ramadan-themed visuals, like crescent moons, lanterns, and warm colours, to evoke a sense of tradition and togetherness. Another aspect of communication relates to the mindfulness of the timing of content publication in the evening during Ramadan, particularly for restaurants and food brands.
Brands align their campaigns with Ramadan’s values, such as generosity, togetherness, and compassion: for instance, Emirates Airline’s “The Journey of Faith” campaign highlights spiritual journeys during Ramadan, featuring travel packages to culturally significant Islamic heritage sites.
In another initiative, Emirates Airline celebrated Ramadan by offering culturally inspired meal boxes with traditional dishes and Al Sadu patterns, along with special inflight religious content, making the journey more meaningful for passengers.
By respecting cultural nuances and Ramadan’s true essence, brands can create impactful marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience in an authentic and meaningful way.
The power of inclusive and meaningful content in Ramadan initiatives
It is essential for brands to uphold the principle of inclusivity in their social initiatives during Ramadan by supporting charitable projects, selecting the right partners for collaborations, and integrating social agenda into their corporate communications and content.
Inclusive content helps brands connect more deeply with their audience and strengthen customer loyalty. TikTok serves as a strong example of how engaging and inclusive content can benefit companies in supporting charitable initiatives and the spirit of giving back to the community. TikTok promotes an inclusive Ramadan community, which is proven by its internal research: 68 per cent of consumers actively search for diverse Ramadan content on TikTok.
As a vivid example, The Children with Disability Association (CWDA), a non-profit organisation from Saudi Arabia, became an inspiring example on how social media content can draw an audience’s attention to important issues and raise awareness of the work of non-profit organisations. During Ramadan 2023, the CWDA used the power of storytelling and empathy to connect with people and encourage donations through TikTok.
Knowing that trust is key, they put the real heroes of their work, children, families, and dedicated staff, at the centre of their content. By using Spark Ads, every like, comment, and share helped grow their community in an authentic way.
The response was incredible: in just one month, their TikTok following jumped from 488 to over 16,000, with 22 million video views. This campaign proved how meaningful, heartfelt content can inspire action, especially during Ramadan, a time when generosity and giving are at the heart of people’s minds.
Authentic storytelling: Social media and content strategies during Ramadan
During Ramadan, brands can increase their marketing efforts, focusing on authentic storytelling — creating content that genuinely connects emotionally. Engaging video content, influencer partnerships, and live, interactive campaigns are perfect ways to capture attention and make the message feel more personal.
YouTube, being one of the video platforms for online consumption during Ramadan in the Middle East, conducted deep research on video consumption in the region and found out that creator content is found to be 2x times more credible and relatable than branded content, and the creators’ authenticity and relatability have a positive impact on content recall.
That’s why the focus of the content should be on human relationships and images of family coming together — human-centric content truly resonates during Ramadan, promoting the values of generosity, community, family traditions, and spirituality.
For instance, the IKEA Ramadan campaign in the UAE, ‘Togetherness Assembled,’ highlighted the importance of family and togetherness during Ramadan, showing how IKEA’s products help create memorable moments and meaningful connections around the Iftar table.
Another strong strategy is to collaborate with local talents — artists, influencers, and niche communities — whose authenticity naturally resonates with audiences. An example is Flowwow’s Ramadan campaign, where the brand partnered with Emirati artist Mariam Alobeidli to lanch a special card game, «Ramadan Moments: Heart-To-Heart Talks». The deck included 30 uniquely designed cards, with each card featuring a profound question inspired by the richness and diversity of Emirati culture, as well as the long-lasting tradition of gift-giving. The collaboration hit popularity and was featured across over 30 leading UAE media, highlighting a yearning for something meaningful that resonates with the true spirit of Ramadan.
Focus on community, generosity, and meaningful experiences
Hosting Iftar events is a well-established practice among brands during Ramadan, reinforcing values of generosity and community. However, to stand out, they can add cultural elements, storytelling, or interactive experiences that create deeper connections.
For example, Majid Al Futtaim, the retail giant in the MENA region, organised Iftar dinners as part of their charity initiatives this year, offering meals to underprivileged communities across the UAE, while promoting their hypermarkets as community hubs during the holy month. These events not only promoted social responsibility but also created authentic, memorable experiences for customers, allowing the brands to show their commitment to the values of Ramadan beyond marketing.
By promoting the true spirit of Ramadan through empathy, cultural sensitivity, and community-driven initiatives, brands can build deeper emotional connections with their audience, encouraging long-term loyalty and creating a richer customer experience.
By Irina Tatarinova, Brand Director at Flowwow, a UAE-based gifting marketplace
