DUBAI: Ramadan is one of the most important periods of the year, especially for brands in the Middle East. As consumers look to stock up on grocery essentials and shop for gifts, brands are always searching for ways to reach them.
With the unprecedented growth of mobile usage in the last few years, it comes as no surprise that consumers are spending more time on their mobile devices. With this in mind, mobile advertising platform AdColony and research company GlobalWebIndex conducted research to analyze the mobile usage and shopping habits of users in Saudi Arabia.
Warrick Billingham, general manager, Brand EMEA & LATAM at AdColony told Arab News: “It is no secret that in this period, the most important decision for brands to make is how much they should invest in which medium, and which way they should follow to make their voices heard by their potential customers since Ramadan is one of the most important seasons for them to capture their target audience.”
The survey found that 50 percent of respondents in the Kingdom spend one to three hours on their smartphones per day. During Ramadan, the majority of Saudi consumers use smartphones over other devices to shop online (65 percent), browse through social media apps (64 percent) and message family and friends (61 percent).
An overwhelming 77 percent of Saudis said that they use their smartphones to play mobile games, with 46 percent saying they will continue to do so specifically during Ramadan.
Mobile gaming is growing in the Kingdom, with 48 percent of people spending at least 30 minutes — going up to 2 hours — per day playing mobile games. The most preferred time to play mobile games (30 percent) is during fasting hours between 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
FAST FACTS
• 50 percent in Saudi spend one to three hours on their smartphones.
• 77 percent use their smartphone to play mobile games.
• 75 percent preferred to shop after iftar, while 33 percent preferred to shop between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• 56 percent said that mobile ads have a huge impact on their purchase decision compared to TV ads (21 percent).
• 79 percent completed Ramadan shopping through a mobile ad.
When it comes to shopping online, 75 percent preferred to shop after iftar, while 33 percent preferred to shop between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Moreover, the majority (80 percent) of respondents intend to use their smartphones to shop during Ramadan, with 77 percent saying they will use specific mobile apps.
Although brands have ramped up their e-commerce strategies since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, this behavior indicates that brands need to be mindful of the mobile experience offered to users, and avoid focusing on web-based online shopping experiences.
Typically, brands spend the most on TV advertising during the holy month, but this is set to change. According to AdColony’s research, 56 percent of respondents said that mobile ads have a huge impact on their purchase decision compared to TV ads (21 percent).
However, brands should not neglect the in-store experience because of the the increased usage of mobile devices. More than half (52 percent) of users in the Kingdom will visit stores for their Ramadan grocery shopping, while 47 percent will shop online and use home delivery.
But mobile devices continue to play a crucial role in consumer shopping journeys, with 79 percent of survey respondents saying they completed Ramadan shopping directly through a mobile ad, and a further 76 percent saying they would consider purchasing from a mobile ad directly if the featured product or service was relevant to them.
Billingham said that brands must customize their ads for the platforms, and bear in mind that consumers don’t want to see the same ad on different channels.
He added: “The main reason for this is that their (consumers) modes and expectations are different in their time on these channels. Therefore, it is very important to produce media-specific content, and even if it is not produced, it is very important to organize the content according to the media.”
