Ramadan Learnings: Festive season iOS branding strategies from experts

We just wrapped up a fantastic Ramadan learning workshop with some amazing minds in app marketing! Parichay Tayal from Life Pharmacy (UAE) and Marcel Mogalana from Domino's Indonesia shared their experiences and the trends they witnessed during Ramadan 2024. Here's a quick download to fuel your year-round app marketing strategies!

Peak Season Secrets (SEA & MENA):

• SEA (Indonesia): For 2 weeks before and after Ramadan, Domino's saw a surge in traffic, installs, and sales compared to the rest of the year. Conversions dipped slightly during the initial two weeks of Ramadan, likely due to the focus on daytime fasting and community/family-oriented fast-breaking rituals like Buka Bersama, but sales picked up quickly afterward.
  
  
• MENA (UAE): Evenings are prime time for app engagement in the UAE, according to Life Pharmacy. They structure their Ramadan marketing strategy around three phases:
  • Phase 1: Top priority - driving traffic to the app.
  • Phase 2: A slight dip in conversions.
  • Phase 3 (Payday + End of Ramadan + Month End): Go time! Multiple offers are unleashed to maximize conversions.

The iOS vs. Android Showdown:

• SEA: While Android dominates, iOS users are a golden goose for Domino's Indonesia. They see 20% higher conversion rates and cart values from iOS users as compared to Android users. 
  
  
• MENA: Life Pharmacy found a treasure trove in iOS users! They make up a big number of the market share, with a higher cart value, and contribute a significant chunk of their revenue.  Their iOS app saw a surge in reinstalls during Ramadan, indicating strong customer engagement.  Life Pharmacy even achieved a top position within the Beauty & Fitness category during this season, demonstrating its appeal to iPhone users looking for health and wellness products.

Winning the User Acquisition Game:

• SEA: Domino's Indonesia uses a two-pronged approach: "finding demand" (attracting users) and "catching demand" (acquiring users).
   
  • Attract: Apple Search Ads (ASA), social media (think TikTok!), influencers, and affiliates are their go-to channels.
  • Acquire: They're exploring ASA with us at Newton, and Marcel gives our budget optimization skills a big thumbs up!

• MENA: Life Pharmacy uses ASA as their primary weapon due to iOS 14 tracking limitations. They also experiment with Meta, Google, OEM partners, push notifications, and email. ASA offers a clear cost advantage over Meta for user acquisition.

ASO Strategies for Success:

• SEA: Domino's Indonesia focuses on long-term ASO while still leveraging in-app promotions to target their price-conscious customers during Ramadan.
  
  
• MENA: Life Pharmacy champions a blend of paid (ASA) and organic strategies to stay ahead of the curve. They constantly updated app descriptions, logos, and coupon codes (every 3-4 days!) to adapt to market fluctuations.

Parting Wisdom for Your Next Festive Season:

• Content is King: - Let's use the right messaging..with product images and videos to attract user attention.
  
• Data is Your BFF: Use analytics tools like Newton's full-funnel dashboard that integrates your acquisition with MMP to keep track of your app performance
• Embrace the app store ecosystem: Add ASA and ASO to your strategy.
• Utilize Custom Product Pages (CPPs): Showcase your best offerings, unique selling points, new user discounts, and seasonal promotions.

 Watch the full session again by clicking the link here. Stay tuned for more insights as we continue to shape the future of app marketing, together.  If you would like to get more inside information on how to reduce your Apple Search Ads CAC, our team is just a call away and is always happy to help.