Like all other festivities this year, the post-Covid energy of Ramadan, which starts March 22, is distinctive. From brands perspective, it’s a lucrative opportunity to tap into trends and insights. Afterall, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, the digitally-savvy Gen Z Muslims represent a shift in values with their high spending capacity and the potential to reshape the future of shopping.
In Indonesia, a Muslim-dominated country, Gen Z is the largest cohort comprising nearly 28% of the population. So when every third individual belongs to the social media age, the preset notions around the cohesion of faith, religion, community, or lack thereof, is changing. Marketers and creators looking to capitalise at the time of religious festivity will find the 47-page ‘Prayer and Pragmatism’ quantitative consumer survey by M&C Saatchi Indonesia helpful.
The report is based on a quantitative consumer survey across Indonesian cities, marketer interviews, and an analysis of successful Ramadan campaigns in past years. It’s an advisory to brands on how to drive genuine connection with the Gen Z cohort, leverage passion points and social norms – all in the cultural context of Ramadan.
Anish Daryani, founder and president director, M&C Saatchi Indonesia, remarks, “Our approach towards accelerated commerce leading to audacious results requires us to have sharp insights on significant consumer segments that impact brands. Our Ramadan outlook through the eyes on the Indonesian Gen Z is aimed at achieving the same purpose. We’ve used specific category examples to demonstrate how these insights can be leveraged by brands to maximise the Ramadan marketing opportunity.”
HIGHLIGHTS:
Inflation
The report finds that inflation and the cost of living crisis pinch nearly half (46%) of the consumers. Price hike in food (87%), gas (68%), and beverages (52%) hurt the most. That said, Indonesians are largely optimistic (77%) that the economy will bounce back but unlike common perception, Gen Z is reducing shopping for personal consumption (70%), gifts (43%) and travel budget is down too (36%).
Post-pandemic enthusiasm
Word cloud on Ramadan conversations in Indonesia
The electrifying joy of the first physical Ramadan is palpable, says the white paper. Inflationary pressures notwithstanding, the need to physically celebrate with family and friends has 61% people travelling, that’s nearly twice the number from last year. More than half (57%) of Indonesians are looking forward to shopping, nearly nine in ten are undecided about the brand or category.
Tech churn
After the last few years of tech and virtual overload, the survey finds a significant shift: digital consumption has dipped by nearly an hour/day. Yet, entertainment engagement has increased. More than 50% have upped their music streaming time, 40% more people are tuning into live videos, 66% up for music videos, TikTok has seen a nearly 26% surge in consumption time.
Maximum dollars for digital spending are directed towards e-commerce (66%), with more than half (53%) of Gen Z’s shopping online compared to 47% of millennials.
Influence of the influencers
In an intriguing finding, while the de-influencing trend is on the rise, 65% GenZers have brought an item after an influencer recommended it to them. Also, embedding products in live-stream shopping events during Ramadan works towards better sales with the younger crowd. This, the report finds, after taking into account the obvious findings, the cohort indulges in a sharp, quick shopping journey – almost always via their phones (98%), in a few clicks and without page abandonment.
