Planning content andads around Ramadan
CPMs spike, schedules flip, and generic “Ramadan Kareem” posts disappear into the feed. A practical month-by-month plan for brands in MENA.
- 01
Plan in phases: pre-Ramadan, the first ten days, the last ten days, and Eid each behave differently.
- 02
CPMs rise 30 to 80% at peak; creative volume and early testing protect your efficiency.
- 03
The bar for Ramadan creative is empathy, not decoration.
Every year the same thing happens. Brands post a gold crescent with “Ramadan Kareem” on day one, boost it, and wonder why nothing moved. Meanwhile CPMs climb through the month and the brands that planned in phases quietly take the season.
The four phases
| Phase | What’s happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Two weeks before | Intent shifts to preparation: grocery, home, gifting, finance. | Launch early, test creative while auctions are calm. |
| First ten days | Routines reset. Reach is cheap-ish, buying is soft. | Build audiences you’ll convert later; lead with usefulness. |
| Last ten days | Buying intent peaks, especially gifting and Eid prep. | This is where your conversion budget belongs. |
| Eid | Celebration mode, short attention, strong retail. | Creative must already be approved and loaded. |
What happens to your numbers
Expect CPMs up 30 to 80% at peak versus your normal baseline, worst in KSA and the UAE where every brand is in the auction at once. The defence is creative volume. Going into the month with two ads means paying peak prices to find out neither works. Going in with fifteen tested variants means the auction inflation hurts less because your click-through carries you.
Rhythms flip too. Attention moves into the evening and deep into the night through the month, so budgets and content schedules follow the audience rather than the office calendar.
On the creative itself
The bar for Ramadan creative is empathy, not decoration. The posts that perform talk about the actual month people are living: the 3am suhoor run, hosting fourteen relatives, the gift you still haven’t bought by day 27. Generic crescent-and-lantern design reads as filler because it is. If you can’t say something true about the season, say something useful instead.
How much do ad costs rise during Ramadan?
Plan for CPMs 30 to 80% above your normal baseline at peak, highest in KSA and the UAE. Early testing and a deep bench of creative variants protect your efficiency.
When should Ramadan campaigns launch?
Two weeks before the month starts. Preparation intent begins early and auctions are still calm, which makes it the cheapest window to find your winning creative.
What Ramadan content actually performs?
Content that says something true or useful about the month people are actually living. Empathy and specificity outperform decorative crescent-and-lantern posts every year.
Want this kind of thinking applied to your brand? That’s the job.
Next note
Why we don’t call ourselves an AI agency