On February 7, Campaign Middle East hosted our Breakfast Briefing: Ramadan Advertising and the Year Ahead for Media & Marketing 2025 featuring three engaging panels. The event organised by Motivate Media Group’s Campaign Middle East, was held in partnership with Criteo, MBC Media Solutions and Snap Inc.
The first panel was an insightful discussion that focused on how brands can approach Ramadan marketing, emphasising the importance of localisation and authenticity.
It was moderated by Anup Oommen, Editor of Campaign Middle East, in partnership with MBC Media Solutions.
It included speakers:
- Ana Elisa Seixas, Head of Marketing at New Balance Middle East, Africa & India;
- Hicham Fakhoury, Content Solutions Lead at MBC Media Solutions;
- Mahmoud Maghraby, Media Director for MEA and Global Emerging Markets at Mars Middle East & Africa;
- Suad Merchant, Head of Brand & Corporate Communications at Mashreq.
The panellists discussed the need for brands to fully embrace local cultures and values in their marketing strategies and what it means to be ‘local’ in the narration of a campaign before creating and selling it to consumers.
View the event gallery here.
Localisation, a thumb-stopping solution?
Localisation is no longer an optional strategy but an integral part of marketing efforts. The panellists emphasised that effective localisation starts from within, ensuring that brands craft messages that genuinely resonate with their audiences.
Fakhoury stressed this point by saying, “I don’t think localisation is a buzzword anymore. It should be a necessity. Otherwise, viewers will tune out from whatever they engage with and they will diffuse your message as a plan or as content that I’ll switch off. It’s not entertaining.”
He highlights how marketing is all about shifting behaviours, with a lot of the initial steps of finding out what works for brands. “The first step within our content. Does it fit? Are we talking to the right people? Will they be moved by what we are narrating to them? I mean, at the end of the day, we are in shifting behaviour,”
If I’m selling you a product, whether entertaining you with comedy then I am aiming to shift your feelings. I need to shift your purchasing behaviour. This is why brands need to be truthful and need to resonate. I mean, if you reach audiences without resonating, you lose all the investment, time and the effort that you put.”
Adding to the conversation, Maghraby adds that localisation cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach.
“While there are certain insights and best practices that are relevant across borders, the way we bring that to life matters. It needs to be meaningful and relevant for Saudis, as much as it is for people in the UAE, Brazil, or India, especially in a world where people are more than happy to skip an ad.”
He noted that speaking the language of the market leads to higher engagement, stronger brand loyalty, and improved sales. In a crowded space, true localisation is what makes an ad ‘thumb-stopping’.
Seixas noted how there is a growing demand for content that feels real, relevant, and reflective of local experiences rather than generic messaging that lacks cultural depth. With that said, while localisation is crucial, the panellists cautioned against reducing it to mere Arabisation or superficial cultural cues.
Localisation is not Arabisation
The panellists agreed that today’s consumers are looking for deeper connections with brands, rather than superficial nods to Ramadan. They warned against surface-level marketing tactics that rely on predictable symbols like the crescent moon and lanterns without a deeper narrative.
Merchant underscored this point, “Localisation is not really about Arabisation or using supposedly local images. Marketers must learn to dig deeper, and do their research about the people in the region, about traditions, and about culture – and this is not just for a one-off campaign but should be a critical part of the long-term brand-building process. That’s how you connect with the emotions of key audiences, therefore creating consideration, loyalty and advocacy.”
Seixas echoed this concern, noting that representation in advertising is still falling short:
“Over the last 20 years, I’ve seen many things change within marketing, but we’re still not getting this concept of localisation right. We still have so-called Emiratis being portrayed in ads who are not Emirati, and any local Emirati can immediately identify that – which means that you’ve lost your local audience within seconds. We do need to do better.”
Stories coming from their own backyard
Authenticity was a recurring theme throughout the discussion. The speakers encouraged brands to shift their focus from messaging at audiences to fostering compelling stories that resonate with their audience.
Maghraby emphasises the role of creators in this landscape, “Creators play a huge role in localisation.” User-generated content is synonymous with localisation, and all brands need to be part of this to remain relevant.
Seixas comments how creators already have the forum, they have a connection, engagement and a trusted community with their followers, and so to partner with them to deliver brand messages in a relevant meaningful way supports localisation efforts.
Fakhoury noted how digital platforms like TikTok and Instagram are powerful opportunities for brands to build real connections. “People don’t want to be talked at; they want to be part of the conversation,” he explained, highlighting the power of user-generated content and influencer collaborations.
Merchant brought attention to the balance between tradition and innovation in Ramadan campaigns. While heritage and cultural values remain central to the season, she noted that brands need to evolve with changing consumer behaviours. She cited examples of brands that successfully merged nostalgia with modern technology, such as AI-driven content that revived classic Ramadan moments.
Ramadan marketing: ‘I shouldn’t be saying this’
A significant discussion point was the power of purpose-driven marketing.
The panel also touched on the immersive nature of Ramadan as a marketing moment. Fakhoury described it as a time when audiences are highly engaged.
“Ramadan is the biggest stage that content producers and brands have the opportunity to reach, a huge number of people that are connected through religion and culture and traditions,” It brings people together—whether around the TV, a campfire, or the dinner table. “If you sit around campfires, directly our communication shifts to storytelling.” That’s why storytelling is so powerful during this season. People expect narratives that reflect their culture, their emotions, and their lived experiences.
The speakers shared examples of successful Ramadan campaigns that reinforced that Ramadan is a time of giving and that brands that embrace this philosophy can build stronger emotional connections with their audiences.
Seixas and Hisham spilled confidential details about their Ramadan marketing plans, saying, “I shouldn’t be saying this,” and “I hope we haven’t signed an NDA.” They then went on to share their secrets. Catch the full moment at 54:50 in the full video.
Final takeaways: Marketing that resonates
As the panel wrapped up, the speakers encouraged marketers to go beyond surface-level messaging and truly understand their audience. They emphasised that success in Ramadan marketing comes from authenticity, creativity, and a deep cultural connection. The discussion provided valuable insights for brands looking to engage audiences during the holy month, reinforcing that meaningful storytelling and purpose-driven campaigns are key to standing out.
