This article was written by Ajay Tawde, Head of Ogilvy Experience, Indonesia
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world (273 million). 87% of Indonesia’s population is Muslim, making it the country with the world’s biggest Muslim population. Thus, it can be said that Indonesia is home to the world’s largest Ramadan celebrations. The holy month of Ramadan is the most important event of the year, with celebrations happening throughout the country.
However, Ramadan in the archipelago presents significant cultural nuances that make it a unique experience.
Every year, the impact of Ramadan on the Indonesian economy is significant. The Indonesian government estimates that Ramadan-related spending accounts for up to 2% of the country’s GDP. Mudik (home-coming) is a mass-migration when Indonesian travel to their hometown for Idul Fitri (Eid). In 2023, the Indonesian government estimates, 27 million private cars and 25 private motorcycles were used for during the homecoming period.
When it comes to Ramadan marketing in Indonesia, this year, personalization is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s an expectation. As the experience of Ramadan changes from the start of the holy month till the end, so must personalization strategies. Brands in Indonesia who have invested in a centralized data platforms will have the power to carry out strategic and data-based audience segmentation. For example, The Ramadan Preparer: focused on home preparations for Ramadan and searching for home appliances, recipes, and groceries or The Festive Fashionista: interested in personal grooming and fashion or the Eid Technophile: looking to use the opportunity to use technology to look for prayer time, religious content and even upgrade their Tech or even the Impulsive iftar-Shopper: these shoppers have not decided what products or brands to buy for Ramadan and are keen on exploring the biggest deals of the season.
During Ramadan, there’s a significant shift in meal patterns, with consumers breaking their fast at Iftar and indulging in Suhoor before dawn. F&B brands can use data and personalization strategies to understand these changing consumption habits and personalize their offerings. For example, the ‘The Ramadan Preparer’ segment might appreciate personalized emails or Whatsapp message with easy-to-cook Iftar recipes or special offers on family meal deals.
Beauty, wellness and fashion brands can leverage data analytics to understand the surge in specific product categories during Ramadan. For example, to appeal to ‘The Festive Fashionista’ segment, brands can create Ramadan-specific style guides or lookbooks and offer them via brand-owned digital channel in exchange for sign-ups.
With the changes in web usage behavior and late night shopping during Ramadan, electronics and white goods brands can cater to the unique needs and interests of the “Eid Technophile” segment by hosting live shopping streams with tech guide hosts on how they get the most of their gadgets during Ramadan or even new upgrades for the year.
In 2024, the bottom funnel no longer exists. To get the most out of Ramadan, brands must adopt a continuous commerce approach—creating meaningful and relevant content that is personalized and enables consumers to further enhance their festive experience.
