The business of ramzan

By Samra Muslim

The writer has over 10 years of marketing, PR and communications experience. She has recently started her own blog at www.samramuslim.com

No this blog is not about how all Pakistani milk sellers, fruitwalas, etc are ripping the masses off by over charging. While I don’t agree with them cheating us (the public) like this … that is not the subject of this post!

With the advent of Ramzan … suddenly our lives are surrounded with these amazing (ok sometimes not so amazing ones too!!) deals, offers and events. From my mobile, facebook stream to email box (in addition to the TV screens and other possible avenues) we are completely inundated with things to do, places to go, items to buy and basically money to spend!

As an afterthought I realize Ramzan is business … with different outlooks for different product types … but it’s time to make some money!!  Now these ‘business ventures’ fall in a few specific categories and let’s have a look at them together:

-        The Business of Giving: The charity brands who are asking us to give our zakat to them. Be it TCF, Aman Foundation or SUIT – cause-related marketing is BIG during Ramzan and these brands really do not leave any marketing platform unturned during this period to make sure we remember them in our Zakaat. Then there are smaller outfits like Rahuma, who are just working on project basis – and it’s Smiles for Domestic Help this Eid!

Yes I appreciate all the good they are doing … but collecting Zakat is big business!!

-        The Business of Food: Under this category fall the fast moving consumer good (FMCG) brands like Tang, Meezan, Blue Band and many others who bombard our homes with their TVCs and even the so annoying content branded cooking shows.

Also falling within the same umbrella are the million and one iftar-dinner deals, who want us to not eat at home, but go out and spend from 1000-2000 rupees per head on a Iftar meal. Fast food brands like McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut come out with more mass oriented outdoor campaigns – but then there are smaller outfits like 14^th Street Pizza, Café 9, or Rangoli at Arena launch crazy deals on Facebook, Karachisnob.com and give out prizes via lucky draws to get the crowds in …

-        The Business of Clothes: Everyone buys a new jora for Eid … and brands know this. From a mammoth of designer exhibitions that are starting this weekend like Sanam Chaudhri  to multibrand stores like Labels hosting special collection previews to special Eid lawn collections – there is something planned by everyone. As The PinkTree Company aptly put it: “It’s Eid … We love Eid and celebrate it with traditional fervour. New clothes, best clothes … And of course, collections to celebrate them”

-        The Smart Businesses: Those who are having a slow business month and are trying to bring out some amazing deal to entice a buyer – like Liberty Books launching their Summer Sales. Then there are businesses like Salons who know that the beginning 10-15 days are slow and they launch these amazing discount offers like Bina Khan Salon to get some customer traffic. Last category is brands like Lals Chocolates and Cinnabon – who have created some season specific business by launching chocolate jalebi’s or Date Bons … ! Got to give them credit where it due – they are trying …

As a marketing professional (and a shopaholic) I love this time of the year … and thought why not share a few interesting deals and brands that have really caught my fancy while talking about how everyone is doing something to get some of our hard earned money spent on them J

Big money, big business and our little wallet is what they all have their eyes on!!

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