#ExplainIt: Ramadan campaign tricks to stand out from the sea of ads in Indonesia

This year’s Ramadan signifies return to normalcy in a post pandemic world. According to recent surveys, it seems as though Indonesians are ready to loosen the grip on their wallets and spend more. A study by InMobi said 60% of respondents plan to spend at least IDR 3 million for Ramadan this year, up from 56% in 2022.  

“Every year, the festive month of Ramadan triggers a massive wave of spending activity in Indonesia, and we expect a rebound this year after modest celebrations in the last two years. Interestingly, mobile remains dominant as a preferred channel for shopping, entertainment and even religious activities among consumers despite relaxed restrictions on travel and physical gatherings,” said Rishi Bedi, managing director, Asia Pacific at InMobi.

With more people looking to spend, it is no surprise that festive marketing will have undoubtedly picked up as well. With the new generation of spenders, GenZ-ers, making up a significant portion of the consumer market, it is all the more important for advertisers to pay attention to what the new generation seeks to experience.

Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi Indonesia also outlined some trends observed among GenZ-ers that brands and advertisers can look into this Ramadan.

Firstly, with the increasing engagement of entertainment and shopping content on social media, brands should look to align their campaigns to Indonesians’ various passion points during the Holy Month. Gen Z resonates more with beauty, fashion, technology, finance and gaming. From comedy and pop culture content to virtual concerts and shopping events, there are several content opportunities for brands to tap into to cut through the noise.

Secondly, a significant number of Gen Z-ers seem to be audiophiles as nearly 60% of them stream music through the year. Audio and spirituality are intricately connected to provide inspiration, said the report.  It is an outlet for expression or to create the right atmosphere for prayer and contemplation. Last Ramadan, Spotify saw a 68% increase worldwide in streams of nasheeds (Islamic devotional songs or spiritual hymns) during April than the previous month. Spotify featured a series of special Ramadan collections, including song playlists and podcasts. The same was seen in Malaysia, with Spotify delivering a more personalised experience for those observing the holy month by curating playlists and allowing listeners to take on a more active role in discoverability.

Thirdly, with many GenZ-ers interested in watching local movies, a slew of video content can be expected this Ramadan. One in three Indonesians stated that they plan to stream video content as an essential form of entertainment throughout Ramadan. On the other hand, tech creators are raising money through NFT collectibles, by creating exciting characters - and then donating the amount raised to charity.

In light of this, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out to industry players to find out what their approach is to festive marketing this year. 

Check out what they had to say.

Click on each picture to watch a video!

1. Reza Akbar, CEO of ALVA

2. Leonard Wiguna, co-founder, Future Creative Network

3. Anish Daryani, principal director, M&C Saatchi Indonesia

4. Hari Hendrawan Hoedojo, chief operating officer, TBWA Indonesia 

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