Global Advertising Ramadan Campaign Critique

Introduction

Every year advertiser spends billions of fortunes on the campaign, while only some make it to the top. It is highly prestigious to be selected as the finalist for Global Effie 2019 winners. Those selected as winners illustrated cases that demonstrate clear objectives and the challenging results in the context of global competition. Winners were chosen for different categories like Electronics, Fast-moving consumer goods, other products and services, Retail, Automotive, B2B, and Media and Entertainment category.

Methodology

This task requires us to investigate, examine, and critique a campaign of our choice from the list of Global Effie 2019 winners. Having conducted the analysis have to present the finding, recommendation for the improvement or effectiveness of the campaign. Here, for the assessment, I have chosen the brand Babyshop: World without the walls which are the finalist for the Retail (multi-market) category. (Babyshop, 2018) .

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Brand

Owned by Landmark group, the Babyshop is primarily a Children’s clothing and fashion retailer. Its headquarters is in Dubai and is very popular in the Middle East and North America. For the World without walls campaign, FP7 McCann Dubai was the lead agency along with OMD Dubai which should be applauded for the success of the campaign. (Rais, 2019)

Aim

This campaign was launched during Ramadan in a fiercely competitive kid’s retail category. The communication objective for the campaign was: Overall 10% sales growth: These numbers would be compared with Ramadan 2017. (Rais, 2019) Achieve a 20% rise in brand preference: To create brand awareness and also wanting parents to choose Babyshop over other competitors. (Rais, 2019)

Achieve a 20% rise in brand respect: Want parents to respect Babyshop by increasing affinity and aspiration towards it. The previous 2017 campaign only managed to reach 12% so for 2018 the target was however high. (Rais, 2019)

Overall 10% sell-through growth: Comparing inventory a retailer receives against what is sold to the customer is the Sell-through rate which needs to be higher by 10%. (Rais, 2019)

Media style, Strategy, and Technique

This campaign by Babyshop tries embodying the real charisma and values of Ramadan through the eyes of children to see World without walls. This campaign was memorable because Parents want to teach values and rituals to their children. This campaign did an excellent job by helping parents do that and eventually earning the respect the brand deserves. The execution was emotional, heart-warming yet meaningful experience featuring children and targeting parents. People felt the affinity towards it. (Rais, 2019)

This 2-minute 30-second video was published illustrated journey of a child making its way through the world without walls, starting from the parent’s room to luxurious Middle East houses to orphanage and so on. The surprising twist revealed the imagination with a strong message in the end. (Rais, 2019)

Ramadan is a musical time when people look for songs that they can emotionally resonate with. Incorporating Original branded song in both English and Arabic to film for creating musical handwriting and personality. It was sung was an upcoming artist from the USA and Lebanon which was appreciated by many across the world. Further, the song was promoted and distributed online on popular regional and international platforms using the hashtag #WorldWithoutWalls. (Bawaba, 2018)

To promote further, Bodyshop created and distributed World without Walls storybooks for kids. To enhance the true spirit of Ramadan, profits from songs and book sales went to charity, and trust for the welfare of children. (Rais, 2019)

The instore strategy works wonders! Impressive 360-degree video experience immersed Child in the world without walls using Google Cardboard. As for On-ground activities, utilizing regional malls children were able to express their vision for the campaign. To grab more eyeballs, the PR team featured TV talk shows. (Rais, 2019)

Effectiveness of Campaign

• Overall, there was a 29% increase in sales growth, which was highest-ever recording during Ramadan. (Rais, 2019)
• Brand respect increased by 27% regionally where KPI was 20% and competitor benchmark was 12% (Rais, 2019)
• Brand preference grew by 43% regionally where KPI was 20% and competitor benchmark was 17% (Rais, 2019)
• 20% sell-through growth when compared to Ramadan of 2017 where KPI was 10% growth. (Rais, 2019)
• Not only it surpassed its communication goals, but also it highlighted several campaign-related successes.
• By providing the effectiveness of the campaign, 50% of viewers watched 98% of the film. (Rais, 2019)
• Total $ US 4.4 m in Earned Media Value. (Rais, 2019)
• Became the Most engaging campaign during Ramadan, 22% higher than MENA Benchmarks (Rais, 2019)
• Brand Awareness rose to 26% regionally exceeding other competitors in MENA. (Rais, 2019)
• There was an increase in Web traffic by 63% and football by 55% (Rais, 2019)

Cultural values and other Assumptions underlying the work

Ramadan Kareem! Muslims greets each other to mark the holy Islamic month of Ramadan. This month is not just about food consumption management but also the feeling of togetherness and having a sense of each other’s back while the main focus is on prayer, cleansing, and spirituality. (Janmohamed, 2011) Muslims seek this opportunity to focus on family meals in the evening at Iftar during night-time hours after breaking the fast for the celebration of Eid while dressing up in new clothes. (Janmohamed, 2011)

The consumer in wealthier countries of the Middle East is adopting a westernized lifestyle. This shift towards Western fashion with an increase in shopping brands and malls brings high apparel sales. (International, 2012) According to CAGR of 2016, there is a 4% value in the Middle East as compared to 1% value in the US market. This can be because in Saudi Arabia about 31% of 27 million population is aged between 0-14 years whereas in the US its only 17% of the population who belongs to the same category. (International, 2012) At the same time, there are a lot of children and the child swear market is largely underdeveloped has shaped itself as a holiday and shopping destination and has forgotten to spend resources on Kids’ retail. (International, 2012)

The target audience is Millennial Parents of UAE. They are very well informed and demanding about the latest fashion trends and knows the best when it comes to child’s clothes and shoes. (Sadaqat, 2017). Almost all of the millennial parents conduct extensive research before purchasing as they are armed with smartphones and other gadgets. As millennials parents are very trendy, they are reflecting their personality when they dress up their kids. It is observed Millennial parents love to shop online. Online retail provides the customer with an option to purchase a product with a debit card, gift card, credit card, and hassle-free internet banking transaction. (Sadaqat, 2017) This was the biggest success of the Babyshop due to its online presence. It was well-received by customers and the strategy was to decrease the hassle and provide parents the convivence of shopping at home. (Online Baby Products Retailing Market ,2018)

Is it a global Campaign?

As per the campaign, it focussed on the Middle East and nearby countries which represents nearly 5% of all people on earth during Ramadan as these regions are Muslim oriented nations. (Young, 2011). Looking at Next Eleven (N11) Countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam) having high potential to join the world’s economy and campaign turning hit in these regions are fairly high. Additionally, about 53% of the population of the N11 countries are Muslim. (Young, 2011)

But this further can be established in other Muslim oriented countries of central Asia and southeast Asia especially, Indonesia and Malaysia. According to Hofstede insights, Indonesia and Malaysia display similar power distance, masculinity, and a sense of individualism when compared with UAE and Saudi Arabia. (Hofstede Insights, 2020) It is observed that the Indonesia Islamic fashion fair has been organized to coincide with Ramadan, Eid, and Halal bi Halal. (Janmohamed, 2011) Invitations are issued for mutual forgiveness and new clothes are worn in honour of the fresh start. Therefore, people will do the shopping. (Janmohamed, 2011) Based on the latest research from the mobile marketing platform called InMobi, it is observed that 67% of Ramadan shopping in Indonesia occurs two weeks prior. (Clapp,2020) Personalized discount boosts the highest sales which is true as just 8% states brand loyalty might influence their decision. Lastly, around 50% of Indonesian and Malaysian audiences prefer video ads rather than interactive and full-screen ads during Ramadan. Based on these facts, there are high chances of the campaign to run successfully in Indonesia and Thailand rather than western countries. (Clapp,2020)

This advertisement can become global by researching the holiday, festival of that particular region, country, and taking that essence in the campaign. For instance, most of the western countries celebrate Christmas as the main festival. If we compare Ramadan and Christmas, it can be said that both are celebrated by billions of people across the nation, both appeal the energy from religious meaning and show great variation in their cultural manifestations. (Janmohamed, 2011). The spirit of togetherness with a sense of giving to needy and others are the true essence of a festival. (Janmohamed, 2011) Likewise, this campaign can portray Chinese New Year in China, Diwali in India, Hanukkah for Jews instead of Ramadan for the campaign.

Learning from the campaign for Australian Organisation

In the era where 6 to 10-second advertisement attracts attention; this film stole the spotlight on the basis on content. Content is the king! The content created for the campaign should move people, make them see the world differently, surprise them, and lastly create an ever-lasting impact in their minds which might lead to re-share and re-views. Creative storytelling helps many businesses to stand out and be noticed. Also, it generated overall fame and conversation for brands. Additionally, real emotion and feelings as message and content work better than facts, offers and data drove technology. (Rais, 2019)

The target audience appreciates a sustainable approach. The profits from advertisements if given to charity communicates the brand’s purpose. (Rais, 2019)

Conclusion

This campaign Babyshop: World without the walls is a great example of a business that is starting in Kid’s Retail industry. Taking this as a case study and learning from its success, similar Australian businesses can learn and adapt techniques and strategies to work its way up to the top.

Reference

1. Bawaba, A., 2018. World Without Walls - a Meaningful Ramadan Message from Babyshop With a Surprising and Refreshing Perspective 2018, London. Al Bawaba, [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
2. Clapp, R., 2020. 67% of Ramadan shopping occurs two weeks prior. WARC Data Points, March 2020, [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
3. Hofstede Insights. 2020. Country Comparison - Hofstede Insights. [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
4. International, E., 2012. Competition Heats Up In Childrenswear In The Middle East. [online] Market Research Blog. Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
5. Janmohamed, S., 2011. Branding during Ramadan (Ogilvy Noor blog). WPP Atticus Awards, Winner, 2011, [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
6. Online Baby Products Retailing Market 2018 Global Trend, Segmentation and Opportunities Forecast To 2025 2018, Coventry. [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
7. Rais, T., 2019. Babyshop: World Without Walls. WARC Media Awards, Silver, Effective Channel Integration, 2019, [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
8. Sadaqat, R. 2017, Millennial parents want more for their kids, Chicago.
9. Young, M., 2011. What Muslim consumers expect. Market Leader, [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].
10. Babyshop, 2018. World Without Walls. Available at: [Accessed 30 April 2020].