The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan, is a major religious event celebrated by, and affecting individuals and businesses all around the world. For Muslim’s it is a month of restraint in which they fast from food, water and other temptations considered sinful by their faith. Fasting takes place from dawn until sunset with an obvious effect on sleep patterns, productivity and general effectiveness at home, and in the work place.
But what about the other effects on business? How does consumer behaviour change? When and what are people buying in the month of Ramdan, especially online? What are consumers searching for on Google? In this infographic presentation we examine data from Google and other sources to better understand Ramadan search and consumer trends.
Consumer behaviour is effected during Ramadan on every level. Engagement, consumer spending, spend on advertising, internet traffic and time online all experience change. In the United Arab Emirates in 2013, these metrics experienced a fluctuation of 40% over the norm in some cases.
Ramadan Consumer Insights:
- 25-35% increase in terms of engagement online.
- The amount being spent online shot up by 40%.
- Increase in digital advertising, up by as much as 35%.
- In Ramadan, traffic increased by 10-15% and time spent online increased by 30-40%.
UAE consumers spend around 1.9 billion USD in Ramadan.
Ramadan Search Trends:
Google search data gives us some interesting insights in to the habits of searchers during the Holy month. The change is varied across sectors;-
Arts and Entertainment – Users are 2x more likely to search for Arts and Entertainment during Ramadan
Food and Dining – 64% of consumers in the UAE spend more money on groceries and charity during Ramadan
Travel and Tourism – In recent years, Ramadan coincided with summertime, resulting in a boost for the travel industry. In Saudi Arabia, 14% of the total household income of middle-class families was spent on hotels during Ramadan.
The Ramadan Effect:
Shorter working hours, longer evenings, limited sleep, fasting during the day and heavy meals in the evenings effect consumer behaviour.
In Ramadan a large volume of searches happen between the hours of 22:00 to 4:00. Searches for religious and entertainment related search terms increase most. Overall Google usage rises through Ramadan reaching it’s peak toward the end of the Holy month.
Recommendations:
To maximise the Ramadan effect, develop digital ad scheduling strategies and give more “budget” to popular time periods. Also consider creating Ramadan promotions especially in the category of Food and Dining.
How can you adapt your strategy to meet the changing habits of consumers during Ramadan?
