Digital advertising was up 35% in the UAE during Ramadan. Could this offer festive cheer for internet marketers?
The month-long period of Ramadan and Eid saw a surge in online traffic across the United Arab Emirates, with marketers experiencing a huge increase in customer engagement.
Eid - a time for digital celebration?Image: People's Daily |
The Kingdom has the highest mobile penetration in the region (70%) and the online advertising trend continues to grow, with a focus on mobile markets.
However, Ramadan was previously a time to avoid digital advertising when it was perceived as a "waste of budget".
Now, research by BPG Maxus focussing on website traffic before and during the holy month has revealed an increase of 10-15% with time spent online increasing by 30-40%.
Major presences in digital advertising were airlines, holiday destinations, banks and fast moving consumer goods such as electronics.
Perhaps surprisingly, food and recipes were the most popular online advertisements during Ramadan when fasting can last anything up to 18 hours a day in certain parts of the world.
Although digital advertising traditionally falls during the gift-giving period of Eid, e-Commerce portals remain popular. Statistics like these indicate that marketers may need to consider the effect of religious festivals on their business and re-consider the timing of pushing their digital brands.