Some ideas on what Food Brands can do digitally during Ramadan in the Middle East

1. Marketing food brands during Ramadan in MENA Alexandra Tohme May 2011

2. 4 key insights and soundbites More expensive food prices Crowding at shops to stock up before Ramadan Putting on weight “Where are you going for iftar?”

3. Expensive food prices “At the moment, the prices of dates for example, are not reasonable, especially in the holy month, things are already expensive." "What I noticed here, the fruits are really expensive in Ramadan. And if you buy, the top is good and the bottom is small or not good - Are you only supposed to buy one or two pieces? What if you have a family?” “The impact of food prices will be more pronounced for those people who buy a lot during Ramadan”

4. Stocking up before ramadan "We like to order less and we don't go out much. We cook our meals at home, every day, and so we use a lot more groceries," “There are so many dishes I never have time to make during the year but I like to make them in Ramadan. I make a lot of desserts and sweets as well, like basboosa and kunafa” $49 "Ramadan Kit“ (at Lulu) a great deal say shoppers . "There are more than 20 items in there, all things we will use for cooking” (non perishables) "That's why you will see so many families out shopping before Ramadan” I will be buying my Ramadan food probably some time next week, Then I can get fresh products too."

5. Putting on weight People eat a lot of unhealthy and fatty foods instead of sticking to a normal healthier diet According to some doctors the Muslim community suffers from more cases of diabetes and high blood pressure during Ramadan than for the rest of the year “I plan to increase it to three hours a day in order to burn all the calories that I gain from the food and sweets I will eat during Ramadan”

6. Where are you going for iftar “What are you doing for iftar” a group of single Muslims living away from our families - ask each other every day during Ramadan “I don't know yet, but I panic about food. I like to plan ahead as I worry there will be no food when iftar time comes around” “Since my family is also in another country, there is no iftar meal ready for me when I come back from work. I have to plan ahead, which is tough sometimes given my hectic schedule”

7. What role does your food brand play? A necessity (like dates, and other staples)? Perishable or non perishable item? Will it be bought during Ramadan or can it be bought in advance? What’s the expiration time? When is your consumer most likely to want your food? (high sugar breaking fast / power carb when starting fast / snack)

8. Gender differences Women will benefit from solutions that make her more relaxed, give her more time, plan better, consolidate info in one place (reduce costs of information gathering) Single men need communal solutions that can solve one problem that many suffer (where to eat) or what to eat as they won’t be cooking

9. Tone of voice Increasingly younger population = many first time mothers, how can you help her and what tone of voice should you use during her first Ramadan on her own Men working away from home may find this a particularly difficult time, how can you make them more optimistic and have good experiences

10. Search results

11. Search results - language

12. Content ideas More online content in French targeted towards North African countries would be great Many different origins of expats in the UAE so they might need multiple solutions as to what to do and where to go What do you do with your children during Ramadan over August (one of the hottest months of the year)

13. Mobile Mobile penetration extremely high in GCC countries Mobile always on Opportunity for creating mobile experiences to entertain and engage during shorter working hours – with brand messaging Mobile advertising leading up to / at point of sale

14. Mobile app for single men Create an augmented reality “layar” on the mobile, allowing you to see all the restaurants with iftar offers in real time Allow customers to get rewarded through the application when they eat there

15. Mobile app for women Plan, locate and buy one months worth of food for Ramadan through an application Loyalty points redeemed through mobile when certain threshold (number / price) has been reached

16. Mobile food app Calculate the health benefits (calories etc) of meals prepared for iftar and suhour at point of sale within the shopping environment through scanning barcodes with your mobile Application creates customized workout plan on your behalf as a result

17. Online ordering Avoid crowds and mass buying in the stores during the 2 / 3 weeks prior to Ramadan by ordering your foods online (Carrefour / Panda?) Set up regular deliveries of certain staple items to avoid having to go to the store

18. Conclusions People want information and solutions to problems In 2011, Ramadan will fall in one of the hottest months of the year, which may be more problematic for food brands if living in areas where electricity cuts frequently It’s a time for reflection and peace, and brands need to help make life easier, not harder