Ramadan and the subsequent Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Raya) celebration are key advertising opportunities for brands and retailers seeking to engage with Muslims, but only if they get the timing right.
The number of advertisers and advertising spend typically increases during Ramadan and Raya, which makes it more difficult for brands to stand out from the crowd. For example, during Ramadan in 2019, which fell between May 6 to June 4, the number of advertisers increased by 6% on the previous month, while advertising spend increased by 20%.
Given how consumers’ behaviour and schedules change during the period, the times at which consumers are most engaged with television programming also expands. The ability to identify these changes will help retailers and advertisers make the most of their ad spend.
behaviour changes that may affect tv viewing
It’s no secret that the habits of Muslims change during Ramadan, and these significant changes can shift the times when Muslims are most engaged with TV programming. Here are a few notable behaviour changes:
- Waking up early to Sahur
- Fasting between 5:30 am and 7:30 pm
- Attending evening Iftar (sometimes more than one)
- Performing additional Tarawih prayers
- Participating in additional religious activities
- Devoting more of their time toward helping charitable causes
- Visiting family and friends throughout the country
Given these changes, retailers and advertisers need to be mindful of when Muslims are tuned in to TV to ensure their messages are seen by the largest possible audience.
Knowing When To Advertise
Prime time (6 pm-11 pm) is a key time to reach Muslim consumers, and generally speaking, that doesn’t change during Ramadan and Raya. Changes in consumer behavior during this time, however, do have an impact on reach during traditionally heavy viewing periods.
Outside of Ramadan and Raya, TV viewing progressively increases between 6 pm and 10:30 pm. During Ramadan, however, viewing peaks at 7:30 pm and then declines around 6% as people break their fast and perform their Tarawih prayers, before recovering between 9:30pm and 11 pm.
While the viewing remains high throughout prime time, the real effect of Ramadan and Raya can be seen in the early mornings when Muslims rise for Sahur. Importantly, advertisers have a golden engagement opportunity between 5 am and 6 am during Ramadan because TV viewing soars by 451% compared to a similar period prior to Ramadan. During Ramadan, reach grows to more than 1 million Malaysians.
Methodology
Insights from this article have been derived from:
- Nielsen Television Audience Measurement
- Nielsen Ad Intel
