Much like the disciplined self-reflection during Ramadan, effective marketing involves a deep understanding of the audience, aligning campaigns with their values.

And as the anticipation of Ramadan looms on the horizon, brands worldwide are gearing up to play a pivotal role in enhancing the spirit of this sacred month. With its unique blend of cultural significance and spiritual observance, Ramadan presents a prime opportunity for brands to engage with their audience in a meaningful way.

This is why Mazeed, a trailblazing entity, is poised to set the stage for a memorable Ramadan experience.

We spoke to Manahel Mansour, the Marketing Communications Specialist at Zid – a Saudi holding company established in 2017, dedicated to revolutionizing the retail sector by simplifying the world of e-commerce.

We delve into the upcoming Ramadan season, exploring the dynamic involvement of brands and spotlighting how Mazeed is ushering in this period with innovative initiatives beyond conventional marketing strategies.

Read on as we unravel the tapestry of Ramadan’s cultural richness, brand influence, and Mazeed’s distinct approach to making this holy month truly exceptional.

About the speaker

Manahel Mansour is a marketing specialist with more than 4 years of experience. She now leads the marketing and communications department at Mazeed.

She always focuses on giving the product additional value and always focuses on knowing the customer’s pain points. She has the principle that the Brand image is one of the factors that will give your brand real strength. Always focused on seizing opportunities and creating initiatives, and always interested in enhancing the customer experience.

About Mazeed

Since its founding in 2017, Zid, a B2B digital solutions provider, has been crucial to the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s retail industry, which now accounts for more than 10% of the country’s GDP.

Based in Riyadh and quickly expanding to the MENA region, Zid’s full-fledged digital solutions provide merchants with a suite of products and services that help them digitize their businesses smartly, seamlessly, and efficiently.

Why did Zid build Mazeed?
Shahad Al-Medlej, Founder and Director of Mazeed, highlights their commitment to helping merchants grow and gain more marketing Reach through Mazeed: “Over the past years in Zid, we have had many experiences with merchants, and after accumulating them, we decided to build Mazeed, a platform offering a unique shopping experience that relies on data & selective products. We aspire for Mazeed to be the first shopping platform in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), making it the go-to choice for smart shopping and Saudi local brands.”

And with more than 500,000 downloads since its original release, Mazeed has expanded quickly and now offers access to more than 2 million local products and 8,000 merchants.

The goal of Mazeed in Ramadan ‘24 is to showcase Zid merchants’ products that suit the season and are designed based on local customer needs.

Aiming to help both, their merchants & customers, find the ultimate marketplace that offers real retailtainment & joyfulness during the season, the team looks forward to seeing the trends this season and how they will affect the business.

Established just one year ago, Mazeed has swiftly carved its niche as a marketplace offering a new experience and focus on the idea of showcasing local brands & unique products since that is the value of Mazeed compared with other marketplaces, thereby transforming from a newcomer to a trusted marketplace known for its unique approach to online retail.

The Product Manager’s take:

Businesses can set clear goals for the Ramadan season, such as boosting conversion rates, increasing sales, expanding customer base, or increasing user engagement tailored to Ramadan needs. Focusing on these goals rather than getting discouraged by potential challenges will lead to success.

Mazeed’s Unique Selling Propositions (USPs):

Recognizing the cultural significance of events like Ramadan, Mazeed has strategically aligned its marketing strategies with the changing consumer behavior during this period. From pre-Ramadan preparations to the joyous atmosphere after iftar, Mazeed adapts its campaigns, leveraging the unique insights gained through WebEngage.

Let’s look at their USPs aligned for the month of Ramadan:

• Loyalty Point System: At the heart of Mazeed’s success lies its commitment to customer loyalty. The platform has introduced a Loyalty Point System, rewarding users for their purchases. This innovative approach encourages repeat business and creates a sense of customer engagement and joy, turning shopping into a gratifying experience.
• Strategic Pop-up Campaigns: Mazeed stands out in its use of strategic pop-up campaigns. These campaigns are not just about promotions but are carefully curated experiences tailored for specific user segments. For instance, the Valentine’s pop-up exclusively targeted users who frequently shopped from the gift categories, significantly boosting orders and revenue.
• Multi-Channel Accessibility: Mazeed understands the importance of meeting users where they are. While primarily an Android app, Mazeed caters to a wider audience by also maintaining a user-friendly website. This multi-channel accessibility ensures that users can engage with Mazeed seamlessly, whether on their mobile devices or computers.

How does Mazeed personalize their campaigns?

1. Influencer-Driven Shopping: The platform embraces the power of influencers in shaping consumer decisions. Mazeed taps into the latest trends by actively collaborating with influencers and leveraging influential voices that resonate with its audience. This approach adds a personal touch and keeps Mazeed at the forefront of emerging trends.
2. Tech-Driven Personalization: Mazeed utilizes the WebEngage platform to delve into the world of personalized experiences. While specific features are not extensively detailed, Mazeed’s emphasis on personalization indicates a tech-driven approach to understanding user behaviors and tailoring marketing efforts accordingly.
3. Data-Driven Efforts: The experts at Mazeed work on highlighting and identifying trends, adding more & better products to the platform, analyzing user behavior, or highlighting any concerns to the data team to target interested customers.
4. One-to-One Support with WebEngage: A testament to its commitment to excellence, Mazeed expresses satisfaction with the personalized support received from WebEngage. The platform is more than a tool; it’s a collaborative partner that understands Mazeed’s unique needs, making the journey smoother for the marketing team.

What trends has Mazeed seen with users during the month of Ramadan so far?

Mazeed’s marketing strategies are intricately woven around the cultural and behavioral shifts during the month of Ramadan. During this time, the team has observed that shopping trends come through faster – trends usually take months to culminate but during Ramadan, the team sees a steep increase in the top 4-6 main categories that customers usually explore.

The team targets users on X (formerly Twitter). This is because in Saudi Arabia, brands love doing giveaways, and after Iftar, people are always sitting on their phones, looking for what’s new, what brands are doing, exploring hashtags and trends, and more.

Manahel emphasized that their approach is always based on time, acknowledging the distinct consumer behavior observed before, during, and after Ramadan.

Let’s look at the breakdown between them.

Pre-Ramadan Preparation:

Before Ramadan, consumers in Saudi Arabia, for example, tend to focus on enhancing their homes. They actively seek kitchen supplies and new furniture, redesigning their spaces to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere in line with the Ramadan vibes. Mazeed prepares for this trend by offering relevant products and launching targeted campaigns to anticipate consumers’ needs.

Engagement with Consumers:

The team at Mazeed engages consumers during Ramadan through innovative approaches like weekly questions and giveaways – also called Fawazeer Ramadan. This taps into the cultural practice of giveaways during this festive season, creating a sense of joy and anticipation among users.

Impact of COVID on Shopping Behavior:

Reflecting on the changes observed over the past few years, particularly post-COVID, Mazeed notes a shift in consumer behavior with the heavy digitization of most products and industries. People are now shopping more for pleasure and trends, with the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) driving spontaneous purchases. Influencers play a significant role in influencing consumer decisions during this time.

Loyalty Programs and Point System:

Mazeed implements a loyalty program where customers earn points for each purchase, contributing to increased customer loyalty. This initiative aims to provide customers with a joyful shopping experience and a sense of pleasure beyond just meeting their basic needs.

Upcoming Campaigns and Personalization:

With Ramadan around the corner, Mazeed is gearing up for upcoming campaigns, leveraging features like pop-ups within the app. The team plans to utilize personalization to tailor their messaging and offerings, providing a unique experience to users based on their preferences and behaviors.

Positive Feedback on WebEngage:

Throughout our interview, the Mazeed team expressed their satisfaction with WebEngage, highlighting their personalized support and one-to-one relationship with the platform. The ease of planning and automating campaigns has significantly contributed to their positive experience. Moreover, Mazeed utilizes the WebEngage dashboard to understand user behavior and personalize their marketing strategies effectively. We thank them for the support and trust they place in us.

What are the key features Mazeed is using for its Ramadan campaigns?

• Pop-up Campaigns: Mazeed actively implements pop-up campaigns within their app, using them strategically for events like Valentine’s Day. These pop-ups target specific user segments, resulting in increased orders and revenue.
• Loyalty Point System: Mazeed employs a loyalty point system through WebEngage, rewarding customers with points for each purchase. This system contributes to enhancing customer loyalty.
• App & Web Personalization: While specific details are not provided, Mazeed focuses on personalization, tailoring their messaging and offerings to users based on their behaviors and preferences. This is especially crucial during events like Ramadan.
• Campaign Timing: Mazeed emphasizes the importance of timing in their campaigns, especially during Ramadan. They send communications, such as push notifications or emails, based on a good understanding of when users are most receptive, particularly before and after iftar.
• Frequency Adjustment during Ramadan: Mazeed adjusts the frequency of their campaigns during Ramadan, sending more notifications with a focus on two distinct periods—before and after iftar.
• Influencer Marketing Integration: Though not explicitly mentioned as a WebEngage feature, the interview highlights the role of influencers in Mazeed’s marketing strategy. This involves integration with WebEngage for unifying data, tracking, and analytics.
• Ease of Planning and Automation: Mazeed expresses satisfaction with planning and automating campaigns through WebEngage. The platform appears to facilitate streamlined marketing efforts.
• Upcoming Pop-ups Planning: Mazeed plans to use pop-ups for upcoming events like Ramadan, Eid, and Women’s Day. These pop-ups are expected to offer exclusive discounts and promotions to specific user segments.

What is the strategy Mazeed adopts for its campaigns?

There are two weeks before Ramadan – which is the best time to target customers.

Understanding the nuanced shifts in consumer behavior during the holy month of Ramadan, the team recognizes the distinctive patterns that define the period before and after iftar – the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan – orchestrating campaigns that resonate with the needs and rhythms of their users.

Let’s look at how:

1. Pre-Iftar Campaigns – Anticipating Consumer Needs:

Mazeed strategically initiates campaigns before Iftar to tap into the spirit that precedes the breaking of the fast. This period is marked by consumers gearing up for iftar gatherings, sprucing their homes, and seeking specific products to enhance their Ramadan experience.

What Mazeed implements:

• Anticipation Campaigns: Engage the audience with teaser campaigns, creating anticipation for unique pre-Iftar offerings or exclusive deals on the app with targeted push notifications and emails.
• Daytime Engagement: Leverage social media and other channels during the day, focusing on informative and inspirational content to maintain a connection with the audience.
• Customized Countdowns: Develop countdowns or interactive elements to build excitement leading up to Iftar, enhancing the overall experience for followers.
• Recipe Sharing: Share simple and quick recipes that align with the pre-Iftar period, fostering a sense of community and offering value beyond promotional content.
• Buy Now, Pay Later Strategies: Target communication during pre-iftar times since the average cart value increases during late hours, and also frequency-wise – hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly – with platforms like Tabby.

The frequency of communication during this phase is strategic but not overwhelming, with Mazeed sending a well-timed push notification every two days.

The content focuses on creating anticipation, inviting users to prepare for the upcoming festivities by updating their homes with the latest collections tailored to the season.

On the app front:

Two weeks before Ramadan, the team announces exclusive discounts and promotes its collections, such as:

• Ramadan foods
• Ramadan home supplies
• Fashion
• Care and beauty

During Ramadan, Mazeed promotes the sectors that are in the highest demand during this period: healthy foods and kitchen and dining supplies.

And lastly, a week before the end of Ramadan, the team begins announcing purchases focused around Eid al-Fitr.

2. Post-Iftar Campaigns – Capitalizing on Evening Engagement:

After Iftar, the dynamics of consumer engagement undergo a significant shift. Recognizing the heightened activity on mobile devices after the evening meal, Mazeed seizes the opportunity to connect with its audience. The platform increases the frequency of its campaigns, sending two daily notifications – one before iftar and another after.

What Mazeed implements:

• Gratitude Campaigns: Express gratitude to customers for choosing the brand during Iftar, creating a post-meal engagement beyond the transaction.
• Iftar Stories: Encourage customers to share their post-Iftar moments or traditions associated with the brand, fostering a sense of community.
• Nighttime Offers: Introduce special nighttime offers or exclusive promotions post-Iftar, extending the engagement beyond the traditional mealtime.
• Virtual Gatherings: Host virtual events or live sessions during the evening, providing a platform for customers to share their Iftar experiences and interact with the brand community.

The pre-iftar notification strategically encourages users to shop for items that complement their post-iftar activities, such as new collections of chocolates for gatherings. Post-iftar communication takes a different angle, highlighting products like fitness and health collections and recognizing that consumers may be focused on maintaining health and wellness after breaking their fast.

By concentrating on the moments before and after iftar, Mazeed ensures that its campaigns align with the natural rhythms of its users’ daily lives during Ramadan. The timing is not just about delivering a message; it’s about being present when users are most receptive, creating a harmonious and engaging experience that reflects the spirit of the season.

Conclusion

As Mazeed eagerly awaits the unfolding of its Ramadan campaigns, the interview offered a glimpse into the dynamic world of e-commerce during this festive season.

The blend of cultural understanding, targeted marketing, and technology-driven personalization is setting the stage for a successful Ramadan for Mazeed. The forthcoming impact analysis post-Ramadan will undoubtedly offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of their strategies and the role of WebEngage in shaping the e-commerce landscape during this festive period.

We wish them all the best for their campaigns and look for a fruitful impact from the exercise.

Showcase your work with WebEngage today, reach out to us at content@webengage.com. And to implement great Ramadan campaigns for your business, take a demo now.