Positive Brand Communications for Ramadan 2021

While we now mark the second year that the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims are observing Ramadan in the Covid-19 pandemic, much progress has been made since 2020 with the roll-out of national vaccination programs and the steady lifting of lockdown restrictions to open up society again.  Ramadan brings a positivity spike every year, and this year brands can play an important role to reassure, unite and reinforce the core values of the holy month.

The principles of Ramadan around community, reflection, charity, and gratitude have never changed and stand the test of time.  Now is the opportunity for brands to help create connections between people with communications that nurture hope, optimism, and social purpose.  At a time where the world is united in winning the fight against the pandemic, brands can expand their reach by creating a greater cultural understanding about the significance of Ramadan, reflecting the Muslim community in an authentic and positive way.

We know the pandemic has significantly accelerated digital adoption with technology empowering brands to express themselves on a more meaningful level.  During Ramadan, media consumption skyrockets, providing a captive audience that can be reached in creative ways to give hope and reinforce that everyone is in this together.  This is an ideal time for brands to build personal connections with content that embraces introspection, humanity, gratitude, and kinship.

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s life and an effective Ramadan 2021 campaign needs to acknowledge the crisis, approaching the month with a mindset that places its essence at the core of all communications.  The behaviours we have all had to adopt in the pandemic have become a new way of life and companies and brands can highlight Ramadan as the important positive global moment it represents.  Central to all communications needs to be the message of “caution as compassion” to demonstrate good citizenship and support of each other.

Ramadan is one of the biggest marketing seasons around the world and highest in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions.  To stand out, brands will need to be bold and go beyond normal activations, scaling across borders, reaching new audiences, and engaging with customers across all media channels.  For a single month every year, the way Muslims experience the world changes, with focus on family and prayer first and foremost.  Understanding the target audience’s habits and motivations during Ramadan is critical for brands to successfully create and leverage campaigns that focus more on the holiday than overtly promoting their products or services.

Consumers are more prepared this year to adapt to observing the holy month in the pandemic and brands need to be too.  One of the most important pillars of Ramadan is charity and the act of giving, not just for the good the charity does for the receiver, but also for the spiritual reward it provides the giver.  Building engagement with CSR initiatives wins long-term brand loyalty with both internal and external audiences, making the organization an agent of change.

Ultimately Ramadan is the month of communication and perfect opportunity to build social ties, reach out to each other, and show benevolence. Communication remains the key for our survival as individuals and success as communities.  People have been through a lot and Ramadan 2021 represents an important milestone for brands to give thanks to the progress achieved in managing the global pandemic to date.  We need to remember and communicate that Ramadan is not a month that is endured, but rather a positive time of kinship, joy, community, and positive impact.

W7Worldwide celebrates Ramadan as the ‘Month of Communication’ to reinforce the agency’s core vision of creating communications and dialogue with positive impact.  As part of our efforts and commitment to support businesses and organizations with our expert knowledge through the pandemic, we created an award-winning dedicated Covid-19 Resource Centre with a comprehensive series of free to download guides and corporate communications strategies, published in both Arabic and English.  This includes a 7-Step guide to creating a meaningful Ramadan CSR campaign.

W7Worldwide has been producing award-winning, culture-changing Ramadan communications campaigns during Covid-19 for leading Saudi and GCC brands that increase awareness, drive engagement, and create positive experiences to shape corporate reputation.

We wish you and your loved ones a blessed Ramadan!