It’s that month once again—the holy month. It is the month of connection, forgiveness, happiness, and blessings.
Nigeria is a country blessed with diversity. One of the diverse blessings comes from the religion of its people. The country is divided between Muslims and Christians, who constitute 90%+ of the population of the country of 200 million+ people.
Having a Muslim population of 53% makes different Islamic festivals and landmark days marketing opportunities for marketers looking to connect their brands with consumers.
The Islamic population starts at the edge of the Atlantic in southwest Lagos and goes as far as the northern Sahel, with the region being the most Islamic-dominated region in the country.
So here, Ramadan is a big reason for brand managers for various reasons, but it’s even more important than ever as personalized communication takes over advertising and consumer engagement.
As the holy month approaches, the search term “Ramadan” is once again becoming more popular in Nigeria.
So, in a fast-changing world, how Nigerians observe Ramadan continues to evolve, especially for digital-first consumers. We want to give insight into how your brand can communicate and convert better by leveraging Ramadan.
What is new?
We looked at some new trends powered by digital innovation and consumer culture that are evolving in the month of Ramadan across the world and Nigeria using insights from data centres like ThinkWithGoogle, GoogleTrends, Facebook Ramadan Insights, social media, and others.
Personalization & moments
ThinkWithGoogle discovered these insights into what Muslim consumers in Africa and the Middle East prioritise during Ramadan by surveying over 30,000 relevant people using its database over the past year.
- Sahoor: when Muslims eat in the early hours of the day. They are mindful of their spiritual well-being during this time, particularly in Nigeria, where they are trying to consume sermons and lighthearted but spiritual content.
2. Fasting: when Muslims fast, which is a critical moment because a lot of their spiritual observations happen around this period. They are intentionally cutting away negative thoughts, avoiding sin, and consuming contents that help them stay less hungry and more holy.
3. Iftar: This is yet another crucial occasion for Muslims to break. At this moment, Ramadan is broken down into two phases, iftar and post iftar. People are searching for interesting, social, and family- and friend-relevant content after Iftar that will unite the family after dinner.
Harsh Economic Reality
This year, which is only less than 2 months away, has been a tough year for Nigerians—Muslims, Christians, or otherwise. The economic situation in the country keeps getting tighter and tighter.
Nigerians are coping with the daily depreciation of the currency, which has a significant impact on every aspect of life, expense, and experience. The situation has severely lowered the nation’s earning potential, standard of living, and disposable income.
This is especially important for Muslims who observe Ramadan on an empty stomach since the main goals of the month-long fast are to “give alms,” “donate,” and be “charitable” to those in need. Brands and marketers who are trying to connect with them have a lot of considerations to overcome. This is going to be a pivotal point in the connection being built.
Video consumption content
Worldwide, video content has taken centre stage in digital experiences, particularly the short videos that TikTok popularized. In a time when people are less interested in things they do not particularly like, this is not only the content that consumers find relevant, but it is also the best course of action.
By going heavy on video, brands are one step closer to the hearts of their consumers. In 2023, the most popular content type on Meta platforms during the month of Ramadan was storytelling videos. People are searching for stories that will comfort them, encourage them in their religious endeavours, and strengthen their faith as storytelling becomes more and more compelling.
This is sufficient justification for brands to use video storytelling during Ramadan.
Conventional versus contemporary values
Almarai used the month of Ramadan to draw people’s attention to food waste during Ramadan.
Every time topics like “climate change,” “sustainability,” and other topics that are connected to the values of contemporary consumers are discussed, particularly Gen Z, resistance from Nigerians who feel that these topics are not sufficiently relevant is recorded. However, when we delve deeper into what people are talking about on social media and outside of it during this heatwave, we discover “climate change” as a pertinent competitor.
Tata Motors celebrates traditional family values during the month of Ramadan.
It makes sense that most Nigerians have more traditional views; this is especially true for the more than 60% of Muslims in the nation who are not up to date on current events. The rest, however, who comprise the majority of the younger audience, the tech-savvy community, and socially conscious consumers, do not view the new values as a myth, and they offer brands the chance to be innovative and discover fresh angles to engage with them.
This is an avenue for brands in Nigeria to break out in their communication during the month and be different.
Optimize for mobile
Was it ever in doubt? I don’t think so.
A new mindset-
As is the case each year, Ramadan is a time for introspection and transformation. Muslims reconsider and modify their daily routines and customs during this time to better align with their religious beliefs.
Having this relevant context is important as brands are selling to one-time consumers during Ramadan who are shopping with a singular interest, which is to complete a crucial part of their faith.
They aspire to complete their faith, do good deeds, be good people who love their neighbors, and be well-connected to all the pertinent issues of the day.
While you prepare for the upcoming Ramadan, we hope these insights will be useful to you. However, there is always more to discover!
