Be helpful during Ramadan Raya 2022 with key insights from Google

This post was done in partnership with Google Malaysia. 

The holy Ramadan month once again approaches, this time in the midst of a more hopeful climate as the economy opens up. Providing a renewed sense of purpose for many, Ramadan is a period where consumer habits and behaviours shift, affecting how millions of Muslims think, search, and purchase. 

Here, we reveal key trends that have emerged and changed over the past year, and the respective takeaways for your brand to differentiate itself and reach out to new and existing audiences this Ramadan and Hari Raya.

1. Malaysians are researching much earlier, and purchases peak during week two of Hari Raya.

In 2021, there were a whopping 23 million online consumers in Malaysia (1), and our recent study found that 94% of consumers agree that it’s important to research all relevant information about a product or service before making a purchase (2).

As consumers turn to Search to explore and evaluate their options, we saw shopping-related searches spike compared with pre-pandemic levels.

Based on weekly consumer search trends, the first week of Hari Raya is the critical awareness and consideration period as consumers are preparing to purchase (this includes researching and finding deals). Consumers also tend to purchase bigger ticket items during the second week of Hari Raya, likely after receiving “duit raya”.

The introduction of new financing advancements such as “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) options have also contributed to the boost in consumer spending and are expected to continue affecting consumer purchasing behaviours during the Ramadan and Raya festive period.

On top of a whopping 4,500% increase in searches related to “pay later”, users of the feature also had a 32% larger basket size than those using just digital wallets (3).

Implications for brands:

1. Build share-of-mind, drive awareness and consideration by being present across online touch-points such as by running Performance Max campaigns to engage consumers across all Google’s channels. Stay top-of-mind from the beginning of Ramadan to week one of Hari Raya until purchase intent peaks in week two of Hari Raya. 
2. Introduce BNPL options into your digital payment options to make it more financially convenient for consumers to purchase your products. 
3. Countdown to Iftar or Imsak on your ads to be helpful to consumers as they research on Google Search.

2. Interest across key categories from music, food to gaming, surge to their highest during the Ramadan Raya period as compared with the rest of the year

YouTube watch time in Malaysia grew by over 30% year over year in February 2021  compared with 2020. From classic favourites of Raya-themed videos to lifestyle, music, gaming, and more, 2021 saw a massive increase in viewership across categories during the Ramadan Raya period as Malaysians used YouTube to celebrate the festivities.

Music and gaming-related content saw a sudden spike in viewership during the Ramadan Raya period as Malaysians sought to improve their mood or engage virtually with their loved ones in more fun and interactive ways. Gaming content such as live-streams for Mobile Legends attracted an almost even mix of male and female viewers. 

Implications for brands:

1. Stay top-of-mind and cut through the noise with high visibility ad formats such as the YouTube Masthead, and associate your brand with top relevant content through YouTube Lineups. Leverage the fast-growing YouTube creator community and maximise collaboration with it by creating content to win the hearts of viewers or via brand sponsorships.

Ramadan is a noisy period in Malaysia as brands compete for consumers’ attention. Use our data-driven insights to guide your marketing strategies and be creative to stand out from the rest.

References:

1. Source: Google-commissioned Kantar SEA e-Conomy Research 2021. S4. Which of the following online activities have you done before and when did you first start doing them? Base: SEA internet users n=17,839. Population source from Statista. Note: An “online consumer” is defined as any internet user who has paid for an online service in any vertical before or after the pandemic.
2. Source: Google-commissioned Kantar/Quantum Report: “Emotional Value of Search 2021”. P4. Importance of research for information. Base: Those who have purchased vertical in the past 18 months IN, ID, VN, MY, PH, TH, PK, n=5006.
3. Source: The Edge Malaysia, Aug 2021. https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/buy-now-pay-later-growing-force-ecommerce.