5 thumb-stopping areas Indonesian marketers should focus on this Ramadan

The demand for online shopping in Indonesia is expected to grow significantly in non-metro areas this Ramadan. Currently, non-metro areas account for 72% of new Internet users, according to a whitepaper by M&C Saatchi Indonesia.

Additionally, Indonesians are willing to spend this Ramadan, with a significant rise to 28% amongst individuals who plan to spend between IDR2 million and IDR3 million for Ramadan, according to InMobi. Recent statistics by Nielsen Indonesia which surveyed 11 major cities across the country, also revealed that brands increased their ad spend during the week before Ramadan. 

This trend was in line with what was seen last year, with online marketplaces (90%) and multi-purpose apps (78%) being ranked the top two channels of choice for Ramadan shopping among Indonesians. 

With brands vying for attention from shoppers in the saturated eCommerce space, here are five key areas marketers can tap on to attract shoppers this Ramadan.

1. TikTok 

According to the whitepaper, TikTok users in Indonesia actively consume and produce content, which increases even more during the month of Ramadan. TikTok video views increased by 54%, while the number of uploaded content went up by 31% during Ramadan 2021, compared to other months that year. Last year also saw 53% of users consume content to see how others are celebrating Ramadan, while 57% looked for inspiration to prepare for the month of fasting.

The most popular content is around entertainment, creative inspiration around Ramadan, and shopping to meet their needs during Ramadan. Some of the popular hashtags during this period include #BerkahRamadhan, #OutfitLebaran, #KulinerRamadan and #BukaPuasa, among others. Additionally, the study found that 62% of TikTok users did most of their Ramadan shopping online.

The product categories which attract the attention of users to shop include beauty and personal care products, clothing, home supplies, decorations, and food. At the same time, users who are active on TikTok are also known to enjoy seeing recipe ideas, gifts, or clothing from a brand when preparing for Ramadan. Nine out of 10 (90%) of these users often take a number of advanced steps such as seeking more information, clicking on ad videos, leaving comments, and shopping.

As such, marketers can incentivise users and fans to take charge by producing TikTok content during the month of Ramadan to boost engagement and create relevance with their audiences.

2. YouTube

Brands can also consider partnering with YouTube content creators to produce content that engages "diverse audiences across Indonesia". M&C Saatchi's study found that 54% of Indonesian YouTube visitors are looking for spiritual content through the platform. YouTube searched for "podcast" also grew by over 350%. 

Brands should also look to producing kid-friendly content, as 73% of parents now watch YouTube with their children, up from 62% in 2019. Close to seven in 10 Indonesian parents also said that they actively participate in their children's online activities, compared to 51% in 2019. 

3. Transactions

Last year, digital money was chosen as the most preferred payment method (80%) for shopping for Ramadan and Eid needs, with 80% choosing digital money as their THR (the Ramadan holiday gift) and 94% expressing interest in using digital money as a tool to channel their donations or alms (Zakat). When it came to shopping, discounts (87%) and cashback (67%) were the most anticipated promos. 

Brands should look to make online shopping transactions as seamless as possible, while also providing incentives for shoppers such as rebates and discounts to retain their consumers. 

4. Influencers

Influencers are not only a source of inspiration for Ramadan worship and Islamic lifestyles, but they are also the front-liners for the success of the Ramadan sale momentum. According to M&C Saatchi, this strategy is now the main catalyst of well-known eCommerce brands to lead the audience to conversion. This year sees many young top influencers bringing rejuvenation to a more current style in the domains of fashion, art, music, beauty and lifestyle. Influencers also add a sense of authenticity to the brand. Some of the top influencers that brands can collaborate with include Abel Cantika, Fadil Jaidi, Hamidah Rachmayanti, Tantri Namirah and Zaskia Mecca

5. Esports

Ramadan is also a great time for technology brands to push models that have great motion graphics and other features which heighten the gaming experience. Non-tech brands can also tap on collaborations with esports influencers to appeal to gamers, who spend at least five to 10 hours per week on games.

A gaming and esports research for Indonesia 2021, by Decision Lab and comms agency Vero, revealed that at least 52 million Indonesians play games consistently. The gaming scene in Indonesia is dominated by Millennials between 26 to 37 years old, 68% of whom have an average income of IDR10 million per month. Gamers present a potential market for brands as they have the financial ability to purchase items or products they see in the game, especially electronics, technology, and game accessories.

Additionally, M&C Saatchi's whitepaper shows that smartphones are the most used gaming device (69%), followed by PCs (20%). Among smartphone gamers, 27% chose Samsung as the mobile phone brand for playing games, followed by Xiaomi (22%) and Oppo (13%). Similar to YouTube, brands should consider kid-friendly content when marketing to gamers, as 48% of Indonesian parents play video games with their kids daily, up from 42% in 2019. 

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